the suspicion of his brother, who had a family of seven children. He accordingly set to work, and calling upon a medical gentleman of Bristol, (Mr. D. of Paik-street), who attended the elder Deasy's family, that gentleman peremptorily refused to give him any answer, and seemed extremely anxious that he should leave the house. This of course added to his suspicions; and on further inquiry, it turned out that, Mary Doland having become pregnant by a fellow servant, she had been delivered of a son in Lower Berkley-place. There she was waited on by the above medical gentleman, by whom she was introduced to Mrs. Deasy, and the bargain made, though with reluctance on the part of the mother.The child was taken away with due caution and secrecy, and on the 28th of September 1809, was christened by a Bristol minister of the catholic church, in the name of Edward Garrett Deasy. For a considerable time the mother did not know where the child had been secreted, as the nurses had been often changed; but she at length found out, and was permitted to remain with it for about two months. The defendant and his wife then left Bristol with the infant, and travelled about the country to avoid detection.-Mary Doland, it appeared, had executed an agreement never to divulge or make known any of the circumstances respecting her said child, nor to approach near the residence of the defendant or his family; upon an alleged violation of which agreement the defendant rested his opposition to the obligations of the bond. Mr. sergeant Pell having made a most eloquent exposition of the circumstances thus briefly detailed, and proof of the bond being

1813.

admitted, defendant's counsel, Mr. sergeant Lens, proceeded to call several witnesses in support of the defence; whose evidence went to prove that the plaintiff had often visited the residence of the defendant-at times imperatively demanding a sight of her child-at other times these visits were presumed to be with the consent of the defendant and his wife, as she brought clothing and caps for the child's use.-After a reply from serjeant Pell, the learned baron summed up the evidence; when the jury, without leaving their box, returned a verdict for the plaintiff of the amount sued for, with all arrears to the present time.

NORTHAMPTON ASSIZES.

The trial of Huffey White, Richard Kendall, and Mary Howes, alias Taylor, for the robbery of the Leeds mail, occupied the court upwards of fourteen hours and a half, nearly forty witnesses being examined, whose connected chain of evidence afforded the most indisputable proof of the guilt of the two men. In the first instance, the arrival of the mail at Kettering, on Monday the 26th of October last, at the usual hour, with the different bags all safe, which were forwarded from thence with the Kettering and other by bags, was satisfactorily proved; as likewise the whole being safe at BurtonLattimer, three miles from Kettering, when the guard, after travelling about three quarters of a mile from Burton, quitted his seat, and went over the roof of the coach and rode on the box with the coachman till they approached near to Higham Ferrers, when he resumed his seat behind the coach. Having arrived at Higham, the guard, on going to unlock the mail (G)

box,

box, discovered that the lock had been broken off, and on opening the lid, that the bags had been taken away. At the different post-towns the rest of the way to London, the the guard gave information of the robbery; and on his making the circumstance known at the general post-office, the postmasters-general immediately dispatched several Bow-street officers to endeavour to ascertain how and by whom the robbery had been committed. On Lavender's arrival in the country, he learned that Kendall, a known suspicious character, lived at Wellingborough, in quest of whom he immediately went, and caused him to be apprehended, when on inquiry, it appeared that Kendall, with another man, had travelled in a chaise-cart from Keyston tollgate, Hants, through Thrapston to Wellingborough in the afternoon previously to the robbery, and that they would arrive at the point where the road from Thrapston to Wellingborough crosses the London road, near the obelisk, in the parish of Finedon, before the mail coach would pass, and near to which place it was supposed the robbery was committed, from the circumstance of four small by-bags being found on the road unopened. On further investigation respecting Kendall's companion, there appeared very strong reasons to suspect that White was the party, as it was ascertained that he had occasianally been residing at Keystongate, but was known by the name of Wallis. In consequence of these circumstances, rewards were immediately offered for his apprehension, which was at length effected. From the evidence, adduced it was clearly proved, that White was the companion of Kendall, and that they had been seen together several

times; notwithstanding Kendall, in his examination before the magis trates, denied having any knowledge of the person who rode with him in his chaise cart on the day of the robbery, and stated it was a person he accidentally met with and took up on the road. It further appeared in evidence, that about half an hour after the mail passed the obelisk at Finedon, two, men were observed in a cart or gig travelling towards Wellingborough, and that one of them said to the other, "It's a complete job, d-n you, drive on ;" and that shortly afterwards one man in a cart or gig went through the turnpike gate between Finedon and Wellingborough, who before he arrived at the gate was heard speaking to another person, who passed the gate on foot. The turnpike-gate-keeper stated that no other cart or gig had gone through the gate that night. It was then proved that White and Kendall were seen together at Wellingbo rough the next morning (Tuesday the 27th), from whence the former took post-chaise at Rythorne, which is near Keyston-gate, then kept by Mary Howes, who went by the name of Taylor; but at a short distance before he arrived there, he ordered the post-boy to set him down in the road, and he walked towards the gate. It appeared that after his arrival at the tollgate, Mary Howes requested a person who was going through the gate to order a chaise and pair from the George inn at Thrap ston, to be sent to the gate to go to Huntingdon. The chaise ar rived in a short time, and in which White and Howes immediately set off for Huntingdon, which they reached about eight o'clock on Tuesday evening, and then walked together to Godmanchester. There

they

Bonar, in which he had lived for about three weeks; he was the only man servant who slept in the house, the rest sleeping in outer apartments over the stables: he lay in a room called the servants' hall: Mr. and Mrs. Bonar slept in a 100m at some distance, to which there was an anti-room. At twelve o'clock Nicholson retired to bed: Mrs. Bonar was not in bed till two o'clock. The next morning the maid servant went up stairs, and found the door of the anti-room locked on the outside, which unusual circumstance showed that somebody had been to the room : she was also alarmed by a strange smell, and by discovering that the rush-light, which was commonly left in the fire-place, had been carried away. She went to the lady's maid, and told her what she had observed; and mentioned that there were marks of footsteps coming from the bed-room of Mr. Bonar, though she had not then ascertained whether they were dirty or bloody. The other, hearing these extraordinary circumstances, was instantly struck with a suspicion of that event which had really taken place, and exclaimed " My master and mistress are murdered!" Some time afterwards Nicholson was observed in the hall, staring round him, with evident signs of perturbation and horror in his countenanee. The servants then proceeded to the bed-room, where the body of Mr. Bonar was seen lying dead upon the floor, with several wounds in his head, his appearance altogether denoting a violent struggle with his murderer. Close to him was a poker, which was obviously the instrument of his destruction. It was not the regular poker of the servants'-hall, but one which was frequently used there, as being

lighter and more portable than the other-there was also a broken candlestick which belonged to the servants'-hall. The prisoner after-,. wards went up with the servants into the bed-room, and took away two sheets with blood upon them: he carried them down stairs, and tied them up in a sheet taken from his own bed; one of the sheets so brought down and tied up was evidently a sheet belonging to Nichoison's bed; and in it he had no doubt clothed himself when he went to perpetrate his horrible crime. A groom was sent to Bromley for a surgeon: the prisoner meantime evinced great anxiety to go for Mr. Astley Cooper, and went to saddle a horse for that purpose, but was so agitated that he could not do it, and the coachman was forced to do it for him. He mentioned this, to show that his perturbation was greater than the ordinary and natural emotion on such a melancholy occasion, and plainly arose from conscious guilt. There were several other important circumstances: the windows of the servants'-hall, which were shut in the evening, were seen open at four o'clock on Monday morning by a washerwoman who went to the house; from which uncommon appearance, it was obvious that some person had opened them between twelve and four o'clock, and that person must have been inside; and as there was no outward breaking of the house, it was clear that Nicholson must have been the only person in the house. Other circumstances induced suspicion, and he was taken up. While he was in custody, and the coroner's inquest was sitting, he made an unsuccessful attempt on his life: the wound was sewed up by a surgeon on the spot, and there was a probability of his re

covery.

covery. After a few days the wound broke out afresh; and then being under an apprehension of death, he sent for Mr. Bonar, and freely and voluntarily made a confession in the presence of several persons: it was afterwards signed by a magistrate (Mr. Wells), who was sent for to render it perfectly regular. It was made, no doubt, in the expectation of death, and under the impression that it was the only possible way of reparation for his dreadful offence. It was credible, for it gave a clear detail (corroborated by circumstances) of the whole of this horrible transaction. All these facts, together, induced a certainty as to the perpetrator of the crime.

Susannah Curnick examined.She was a servant of the late Mr. Bonar the prisoner had been there a month or five weeks; he was footman, and wore his master's livery; saw her master and mistress at ten o'clock on Sunday night; prisoner slept in servants'-hall; no other male servant slept there: at half-past six on Monday morning went to the anti-room of her mas ter's chamber, found the door of the anti-room locked on the outside; never saw it locked before: went into the breakfast-room adjoining, saw foot-marks leading from her master's bed-room; and the rush. light, which usually was burning in the anti-room, was gone; then went down stairs; saw the prisoner about seven o'clock in the passage near housekeeper's-room; he was dressed all but his coat; he was clean, and looked round at her; nothing particular in his manner: at halfpast seven called up Mrs. Clark; they went together to the anti-room; knelt down and saw the footsteps were bloody; went down and saw Penelope Folds, who went into the room: she afterwards herself went

in, and saw her master on the floor covered with a counterpane; there was blood all about the room; did not see the prisoner in the room. This was about half-past seven. A surgeon was sent for; prisoner said he would go for a surgeon; saw the prisoner bring some sheets very bloody from her master's room into the servants'-hall, and wrap them up (she believes) in a sheet from his bed. After the discovery, he was the first man who went into the room; he came down and said his master was dead, and his mistress still breathing; told them to go up; she found a japan candlestick which belonged to the house, but not to her master's room; it was usually kept in the pantry, near the servants'-hall.

Mary Clarke was the maid of Mrs. Bonar; saw her master and mistress at ten o'clock on Sunday; went to bed at two, and rose at half-past seven; the house-maid told her there were foot marks in the anti-room; went with her and saw the marks; went to the door of the bed-room, but does not know whether she went in; called the laundry-maid; they hesitated which should go in; the laundrymaid opened the shutters, and screamed out; went down and saw the servants in the hall; does not know whether prisoner was one; lost her recollection: on recovery saw the prisoner with bloody sheets in the servants'-hall; he told her to go up stairs; she went and saw her master lying on the floor covered with a blanket; he appeared dead.

Penelope Folds was laundrymaid: on the morning of the 31st of May was alarmed by the servants, and went with Mary Clarke to her master's bed room; she went and opened part of the shutters; (G 3)

then