Page images
PDF
EPUB

she was born under a better pla net than her philosophy had inform ed her, of. The learned counsel objected to the form of, the, con viction before the magistrates; the word and being substituted instead of or. This objection proved fatal to the cause of justice, and the prisoner was discharged.

14. Was accidentally killed by a fall from his horse, in the roa be tween Framlingham, and Wickham, Suffolk, Richard Arnold, a noted smuggler, well known by the name of Little Dick. When found, he was not quite dead, but soon afterwards expired.

The Old Bailey sessions commen. ced; at which Frederick Smith, alias Henry St. John, was tried on a charge of a capital felony. The prisoner had been introduced to the prosecutor as a captain in the army, The prosecutor was a man of weak understanding; and under the pretence of bringing about a reconcili. ation between him and his wife, who were separated, the prisoner got him to go to Ramsgate, from thence to London, then to Ful bam, where the son was said to be at school, in order to work upon the feelings of the mother. The lad was not there; the prosecutor and the prisoner drank together until the prosecutor was overcome with drink, when he missed notes to the amount of 6001. A 3001. aote was afterwards changed by the prisoner at Manchester; he came to town, and on going to demand the balance from Messrs. Boldero and co. the agents of Messrs. H. and C. at Manchester, he was stopped, though he then passed, by the name of Henry St. John.

It was sworn in court, that the prisoner had deposited the 3007.

bank-note in the Manchester-bank, and that he demanded the balance in London. While he was in prison, he got the wife of the attorney to bring the prosecutor to him, in Newgate. He then offered him 280 (what was left of the plunder) if he would not appear against him. This was refused, and the trial came on. Notwithstanding this, in his defence the prisoner said, that all the witnesses swore false against him. The 300/. note, however, was brought home to him, and he was capitally convicted.

The trial of William Bridge, Richard Harford, John Hervey and John Fordham, for feloniously assaulting James Spencer, in his dwelling-house at Ponder's-end, putting him in fear, and stealing, lasted for about eight hours. They were all capitally convicted.-A circumstance took place, during the trial, of most unparalleled atrocity, and which at once marks the cha racter of the above gang for depravity. Hartford, while he stood at the bar, actually picked the pocket of the turnkey of his handkerchief; and Mr. Newman, the keeper, having detected him, made him take it from his pocket and restore it. This he did with the most careless indifference. The court were horror-struck.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

15. John Hervey and John Fordham were capitally indicted for a burglary in the house of Thomas, Whitbread, on the 15th of December, at Stamford Hill, in the parish of Tottenham. The two prisoners were capitally convicted on the preceding day, for a burgla ry at Enfield; but as that convic tion was principally owing to the testimony of an accomplice, and as the case was marked by much atro.

city, the court was desirous that the depravity of the prisoners should be rendered more apparent, and the result of their conviction be strictly conformable to the most rigid notions of justice.-It is the merciful and uniform practice never to hang a man upon the testimony of an accomplice, unless he be twice capitally convicted. The prisoners denied the robbery, and Hervey made a second attempt at an alibi, evidently founded in perjury. The jury found them both guilty-Death.

16. A trial was made, to ascer. tain what a horse could draw on the iron rail-way, from the harbour of Ayr to Newton coal-pits. Six waggons were loaded with three tons cach; the six waggons exceeded two tons, making in all 20 tons. A car. horse was yoked; but in starting, the chain which bound the fifth waggon to the fourth gave way, and the horse proceeded with the four waggons with ease; thus pulling a load of nearly 14 tons weight.

17. At the Middlesex sessions, three men, one a cordwainer, the other a brush-maker, and the third ▲ sailor, severally applied to the court, in order that the oaths might be administered to them to qualify them to preach the Gospel. C. Robinson, esq. the chairman,ve ry properly asked these candidates for ecclesiastical fame, whether any of them had received the necessary education at either of the universi. ties, Oxford or Cambridge, or at any public school, or whether they were deeply read in theology? They replied in the negative to these interrogations. The chairman observed, they must necessarily entertain very wild and extravagant ideas in regard to religion, and he wished

to learn the inducements they had to become preachers?

They replied, that they had no objects of lucre or gain in view, but were actuated by a strange and vehement inclination to promulgate the Gospel of God, for the purpose of contributing, as far as in them lay, to the salvation of souls. They intended to exercise their holy functions entirely within the county of Middlesex. The chairman granted their applications, and they with. drew to the office of the clerk of the peace. Similar applications have of late been frequent.

An indictment against W. Midhurst, charged the prisoner with an assault on a girl 13 years of age, with intent to commit a rape.

The defendant was a hair-dresser, who resided in the neighbourhood of Spital-fields, a d the prosecutrix was the daughter of a respectable tradesman in that neighbourhood. On the 7th of November, according to the statement of the girl, she went to the shop of the defendant to have her hair cut; when he took her into a back parlour, and made the assault com. plained of. He was alarmed by his servant maid coming down stairs, and also by an old lady coming into the shop with child, to have its hair cut. The prosecutrix communicated had happened, to her father's servant when she got home.

what

[blocks in formation]

was a stranger. It afterwards turn ed out, that the prosecutrix had sent a letter to the defendant of a very improper nature, contain. ing two lines of poetry, which were not suffered to be read or shewn to the jury.

Mr. Gurney gave up the case for the prosecution. The defendant conducted himself with great levity during the evidence.

The chairman observed, that the child had been very imprudent; but the defendant, notwithstanding that fact, should not be suffered to leave the court with an air of triumph. He was the most abandon ed profligate, a monster of the most enormous depravity.

18. The officers of justice have had a strange chace after Mr. Ludlam. [See Vol. XLVIII. p. 460.] The The Bow-street people went on Friday se'nnight, fortified by the lord-chancellor's warrant, to a house in Tenterden-street, Hanover-square, to which they were conducted by his brother's solicitor. The answer from within was, that Mr. L. was not to be spoken with. Several men, on the officers attempting to break in, sprung a rattle; and the latter must have slept in the watch-house, but that the indoor gentry would not come out to make good their charge. This scene was repeated on Saturday se'nnight. The officers, backed by the lord-mayor's warrant, were again refused admittance. They were told that Mr. Ludlam was safe in the custody of two of Dr. Munroe's people. The house, which was well fortified, underwent

a

[ocr errors]

warm siege. The assailants, partly by stratagem, and partly by force, obtained an entrée. They found two strait waistcoats, an

aired shirt, and boots, &c. but no Mr. Ludlam. It was evident that hehad escaped from the roof, and a gutter-chace followed of more than an hour. Mr. L. was not found. Mrs. Ludlam ridiculed the officers, and put them at defiance to find Mr. L. Pearkes observed to her, that he was only a few mi nutes too late, on the night Mr. L. shot at Mr. Peacock, in the Londoǹ Tavern, to secure him. Mrs. Ludlam replied, she knew what the consequence would have been, he would have had his head blown off. As the officers were about to leave the house, an officer from Marlborough-street office entered the house, to take Mrs. Ludlam into custody, to answer a charge made against her at that office; she, in consequence, set off in her carriage to Marlborough-street.

The charge against Mrs. Ludlam was for an assault, preferred against her by a dress-maker. The magistrates recommended the parties to adjust their differences; which ad. vice was complied with.

A petition on the behalf of Mr. James Ludlam, from the committee of this unhappy gentleman, was last Thursday heard before the lord chancellor, praying that his lordship would order Mr. Vander combe, the agent of Mr. Ludlam, to deliver him over to the legal custody of his said committee.

Mr. Perceval, in support of the petition, stated the several acts of insanity committed by this gentleman; in consequence of which, and the certificate of Dr. Warbur ton, his lordship some time since was pleased to order, that he should be delivered over to the custody of his committee-But, instead of obeying his lordship's

order,

order, Mr. Vandercombe and the other persons who were about his person, had secreted him, and prevented that order from being enforced. He adverted to the circumstances which took place at Mr. Ludlam's house in Tenterdenstreet; and represented to his lordship how very dangerous it was to the public, that a person labouring under so violent a distemper, should be at large; and upon these grounds he trusted his lordship would make the order now sought.

Mr. Cooke on the same side ani. madverted with much severity on the conduct of Mr. Vandercombe; whom he considered as doubly culpable, not only in disobeying his lordship's order, but in acting as the agent and friend of Mr. Ludlam, and endeavouring to screen him from public justice; when it was his duty, as one of the under-sheriffs of the city of London, through whose hands the warrant of the lord-mayor, for the apprehension of Mr. Ludlam upon a charge of felony, passed, if Mr. Ludlam was in his senses, to have delivered him over to public justice; but, if he was in a state of insanity, he should have obeyed his lordship's order, and delivered him over to his committee.

The solicitor-ge eral, on behalf of Mr. Vandercombe, and the other persons in whose power Mr. Ludlam was supposed to have been, en tered into a full vindication of Mr. Vandercombe's conduct. He stated, that his lordship's original order was issued at a time when Mr. Ludlam had absconded, after the transactions at the London Tavern, when nobody belonging to him could tell what had become of him. When

Mr. Ludlam next appeared, he was perfectly restored to his senses, and had ever since continued a rational man, never having committed the slightest extravagance; but so far Mr. Vandercombe had complied with his lordship's order, that when he discovered Mr. Ludlam, he had him removed to his own house, and Dr. Young at first attended him, but afterwards declined continuing so to do; upon which one of Dr. Willis's men was engaged to attend him, and afterwards two of Dr. Munro's men, and one of Dr. Warburton's, who were provided with two strait waistcoats, lest he should again relapse into a state of insanity. Dreading the idea of being confined in a mad-house, as had happened to this unfortunate gentleman about five years ago, and apprehensive that the Bow-street officers, with their warrant, was only a pretext to get possession of his person, in order to throw him into a receptacle for lunatics, while the officers were breaking in, Mr. Ludlam, attended by one of the men, in whose care he then was, made his escape through the roof, along the tops of the houses, and leaped down a considerable depth, at the hazard of his life, and where the man was not able to follow him, and made his escape. From the several affidavits it appeared, that Mr. Ludlam had not been heard of since, and to this effect Mr. Vandercombe had positively sworn. Under all these circumstances, therefore, he trusted his lordship would be of opinion that Mr. Vandercombe, at least, was not to blame in this transaction; but had, as far as he was concerned, acted to the best of his judgment.

[blocks in formation]

The lord chancellor thought that, for the security of this gentleman's person and property, and for the safety of the public, it was but right that he should be taken care of. At the same time that he made the order for Mr. Ludlam to be delivered over to the legal custody of his committee, he desired it should be understood, that he was to be kept in his own house, and by no means to be sent to a receptacle for lunatics.

The following recorded instances of the mildness of the season, are not a little extraordinary :

There is now in the garden of Mr. Diack, nurseryman at Aberdeen. a great number of beautiful carnations in full blow.

On the evening of Christmas day a hedge-sparrow's nest was taken at Doveridge, Derbyshire, with Derbyshire, with four eggs in it.-On the same morning, a green linnet's nest was taken out of a bush near Warwick, with two eggs in it. In er exposed part of the shrubbery of. sir Gabriel Powell, of Heathfield, near Swansea, there is a rose in full bloom.-On Saturday afternoon, was observed at Higham, Derby shire, a garden bean in full blow, and a hive-bee labouring to cull honey from it, as in the month of June. A gen tleman of Wellesbourne had a dish of green peas brought to his table on Christmas-day, which had been gathered the same morning in an open field in that parish. Strawberries were also gathered, on the same day; and just as a matter of curiosity, a nosegay was made up of roses, Woodbines, and violets.On the comron borders, in the garden of Nicholas Grimshaw, of Winckly. place, Preston, esq, are the following flowers: Carnations of several kinds, the double yellow and double purple primrose, pansies,

[ocr errors]

the double purple stock, the pur. ple campanula, the rue-leaved coronilla, and the ever-blowing rose, all in high beauty: Two mushrooms were gathered in a field near Stoney Knolls, on Wednesday last.

[ocr errors]

It is worthy of remark, that the heat of the weather was exactly the same the 24th of June last as the 24th of December; on both those days the thermometer being nearly 60.

19. About twelve o'clock at night the duke of Cumberland's apart. ments,in St. James's palace, were discovered to be on fire. The discovery was made by a servant of Mr. Gor don, who resides in the apartments adjoining to his royal highness's, by the body of smoke and smell of fire that had got into the rooms. He gave the alarm; and it was found to proceed from the very large fires in the stoves, used to cook the dinner. Notice was immediately given to the labourer in trust of the palace, who, with a number of men, always sits up all night on the celebration of the birth-days. He brought the pa lace-engine in a few minutes, and after ripping up some boards in Mr. Gordon's apartments, and getting the engine to play, he got it under in a short time without doing much damage.

DREADFUL EXPLOSION OF A VESSEL IN HOLLAND.

[blocks in formation]
« PreviousContinue »