The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — 1826-07-11 (London, England)

TTON-OA R DEN. FRIGHTENED TO DEATH.—Venterday Mr. Barelery, a gendenten el fortuee, residing in Kenton-street. Beunawick-square, appeared on a minimum to answer die complaint of a Dlr. Broughton, who occupies the adjoining house in the same :erect. Mr. BUTLER (Mr. Harmer's Clerk) appeared'on behalf of the defendant. Mr. Broughton, who seemed to labour under that excessive tee. pidation which the disciples of Hippocrates would learnedly de. regime as an attack of the stibrulins Imidenkm, alter a long preamble, proceeded to describe the nature of the charge which he had to lair against Mr. Barclay. On Friciev evening, as he and two Mende were sitting In the back parlour of his house, No. 21, Kenton-street, with the windows thrown open, to admit the cool breeze, they were surprised by the report of fire-arms, pearly as loud as that produced by the discharge of the " Great Tom" in Dover Park, or of 31r. Perkinses celebrated percussion gen, wli i chime so long been the terror of the Regent's Park and its vicinity ; the vibration nad scarcely subsided when a second discharge took place, and the party, uncertain which of them waa shot, rose up with simultaneous consent to discover the ambuseaded gunner, and, cautiously peepingthroughas embrasure which commended a *Menet view of the garden in the rear, they beheld the defendant, Mr. Itarcley, with a murderous-locking pistol in his hand, on the opposite side of the spatting wall, deliberately measuring the ground, as though he wa ptectistng for an action at Chalk Farm. Whilst they were thus taking observations out of the range of the enemy's shot, Mr. Barclay had re-loaded, took his ground exactly eight paces distant from the mark, and, after he had fired, shouted with great exults. Lion—" Dee Freiechutz was never more certain—if there had been a man behind, it must have hit him." So soon as they were assured that the firing had ceased, they came out to reconnoitre, and perceived a piece of paper on the wall perforated by the shots, which might bare miler! destruction and death to any person who happened inadvertently to go into the garden at the critical moment of discharge. Ile ( Mr. Broughton) had ever since been in fear for his life, and the lives of his family, and he hoped that the Magistrate would shield them from danger. Mr. BUTLER (on the part of the defendant) begged leave to offer a word or two in explanation, and he was confident that their Worships would view the affair in a very different light. The far, as he was instructed, wan simply this :—Mr. Barclay haul a favourite dog, which, being seized with hydrophobia, I.e resolved on its immediate destruction, and the animal being in the garden, he took out a pistol for the purpose of shooting it ; and it was these shots that seemed to have terrified hie Broughton and his party, tor which no one could be more sorry than the defendant himself. Mr. Barclay pledged his honour that this was literally the fact, and, in corroboratent of the statement, be produced the collar of the dog, which was bent by one of the bullets. Mr. LAING conceived that this explanation was perfectly testisfactory, and he was certain, from the respectability of the defendant, that he would not, for a mere idle amusement, do any thing which might endanger the life of a fellow-creature. Mr. Broughton, however, did not seem at all contented, and thought that something, lie knew not what, ought to be done to pretect hint. Mr. Barclay said it was a thing he had never attempted befcre, and, in all probability, never would again. 31r.