Star. — 1831-05-17 (London, England)

WESLEYAN MISSIONARY SOCIETY.--. 011 Monday week, a numerous and respectable meeting of the friends of this society, which devotes a large share of its attention andisupport toithe moral and rell. gious improvement of the negro population of the West Indies, took place in Exeter-ball, L. Honslope, Esq. in the chair. The report gave encouraging accounts of the proceedings of the society in the West In. .41es, and mentioned, amongst other things, that the negtoes of Jamaica bad subscribed, during the past year, no less than one thousand six hundred pounds to the finds of the society. Amongst the persons who addressed the meeting was a Canadian Chief, attired partly in the costume of his country. He spoke good English, and is called by the name of Jones. Mr. Montgomery also spoke. The bed of coal which we believe extends under the whole town of Sheffield, lies so neat the surface, on the west side, that scores of loads, principally small or slack, sad some large, have been carted away during the formation of Fitzwilliam-street. It lies beneath a bed of strong clay. Last year, Mr. Hodgkinson, of Topton, near Chesterfield, halfa ewe which yeaned three lambs, and on Tuesday the same ewe yeaned four lambs. My Sow's D lamentable and distressing case was brought before the magistrates this day. Mrs. Whitehead the wife of Mr. Thomas Whitehead, Sheffield-moor, appeared to F:fer a charge of assault against her son, Henry, who was arraigned before the Bench. AIM Whitehead, being sworn, said—" Sir, the defendant 'Lamy son, and he has absented himself front work for the last twelve months, and has formed a connection with several disorderly characters. He has at different times visited home, and thrown the house loto confusion and uproar. He has robbed us till we cannot put up with it any longer. A few weeks ago he entered the house, struck me, and gave me this black eye ; he then knocked me down and held me upon the floor instil he rifled my pocket of every shilling it contained. I screamed out ' murder !' in order to obtain assistance, but he stopped my mouth so long that it was some time before I recovered. Mr. Whitehead here manifested &disposition to make some observations. He took the oath, and with great vehemence and indignation said—" He shall be the biggest rogue and villain in Sheffield. He has entered my house, assaultedhis mother most brutally, ransacked the drawers and pledged their contents. In a similar manner he has Zit.. posed of three guns and three pistols, which I kept in the house for my own protection. I cannot live under such circumstances. " He shall be," repeated Mr. W. at the same time striking the table, " the biggest tillain in Sheffield. He has knocked his mother down, nd threatened to stab her if she did nut gise him money." Illarples, the constable—Sir, when 1 took him into custody he had a pigeon in his pocket, which there is no doubt he had stolen. Magistrate—What can you say, defendant, in defence of your shameful conduct ? Defendant, smiling—lt is all false, what my father and mother have stated. Mr. Whitehead—Why, you have broken all the squares in the house. Defendant—Aye, when you shoved my head through. As for the black eye my mother has received, she took the poker to strike me, and when I endeavoured to prevent her, she pushed her head against it. The daughter was here inttoduced, and corroborated the testimony at her parents. Hagistrate—l shall order you to pay 5L have you as much money as will meet the demand ? Defendant—No, Sir. Magistrate—Then you stand committed to the House of Correction for three months, being the utmost penalty of the law. Whitehead-1 trust, Sir, you will bind him to keep the peace toward me and my family when liberated, otherwise we shall be in bodily fear. Mrs. Whitehead—Sir, he has threatened to murder me, if he were committed to Wakefield. Magistrate—He shall find security if you demand it. Mr. Whitehead—No person will be bound for him; but I hope, sir. you will keep him safe until he produces friends. Magistrate—We will. And until he finds security he will continue an inmate of the House of Correction. The prisoner was then removed from the bar,•and his parents left the ages apparently with great satisfaction. SRareIELD.