The Sun. — 1829-09-25 (London, England)

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS, SEPT. 24,  William Cobbett, John Cobbett, and Rickard Cob, belt, were indicted for an assault upon Daniel French, Esq., Barrister-at-Law. Mr. PRENDERGAST conducted the plaintiff's case. ' Mr. French was the first witness. He deposed, that on the 12th of August last, about half-past four o'clock in the afternoon, he met Mr. Wm. Cobbett, fun. in Piccadilly. In passing, he looked at him with a furious regard, and he (Mr. French) looked at him in a stern manner. After he had passed, he came back and tapped him on the shoulder, and " Mr. French, I wish to put a few questions to you." To which he replied, he would have no objection to answer any questions which might be put to him. He said he did not like to question him in the street, and would accompany him to his house. To which he objected, as he said the questions he had to put must be put before witnesses. He declined answering any questions before another person, as he was at variance with some of the Cobbett family. Ile then requested him to meet him at Barn Elms, which he declined, as he knew his father was not there. He then said, you know that my father is not there, and from whom have you obtained your intelligence ? He replied, it was of no consequence. He requested him a second time, but he replied that he had to be at Hammersmith before seven o'clock. He then bid him good day, tied they separated, and he (Mr. French) proceeded home. As he was walking up Silver-street, about six o'clock on the same evening, he arrived at a solitary part of the road where a coalwaggon was standing. The three brothers at the bar were looking between the waggon; when he approached Mr. Wm. Cobbett, who was armed with a stick, he immediately rushed upon him, and struck several blows on his side. Mr. French then proceeded as follows :—" I endeavoured to run away, but the two younger brothers stopped me. I said, I think I yet have strength sufficient to master them,' and struck a blow at William; but I was knocked down, and fell, crying out that I was murdered. Whilst on the ground, I received a blow on my throat from the club. I felt pain from that blow until six o'clock the next morning. They continued to beat me when I was on the ground. The people around cried shame. Mr. French being now asked by his Counsel whether he had given the defendants any provocation, proceeded to state what he conceived to have been the cause of their attack upon him. We report the witness's extraordinary statement nearly as he delivered it, with the exception of some parts, which, it will be obvious, it was necessary to omit. Mr. French said, I have long been on habits of intimacy with Mrs. Cobbett's family. For nearly six months past (I cannot speak with perfect accuracy as to time) Mrs. Cobbett has been extremly communicative to me on the subject of her family concerns, which I always listened to with extreme reluctance. She used very plain and intelligible language as to the nature of her suspicions concerning her husband and Mr. Riley. I did not understand her meaning►, notwithstanding her plainness of language, for a long time, thinking she could know nothing of the crime to which she alluded, and therefore I always upbraided myself for suspecting that a lady could allude to such a subject. A circumstance, however, occurred some time ago, which induced me to put the question to her—whether she really imagined and meant to convey to me that she suspected any thing unnatural between Mr. Riley ' arid Mr. Cobbett ? Upon which she replied that " she did—what else could she possibly mean ?" The circumstance which gave rise to my putting this question was the following :—Some time previously to my putting the question to her— The CIIAIRMAN said it did not appear to him to be relevant to the case, that the witness should state what induced him to ask the question. Mr. French—l will not sate the circumstance. The