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subject of the present action, imputed, in the clearest terms, to the plaintiff, that he was a man of the most impure and gross conduct, as a married man. It described him as a "lady killer," and as possess ing black eyes and a tall person; it also mentioned him as practising in the profession of an attorney. Now these facts would show the meaning of the libel, and would identify the Mr. Fisher of the "Memoirs" as the present plaintiff. What answer the defendant would be able to give to the case he knew not, but he was quite convinced none could be introduced which would deprive the plaintiff of his claim to large damages.

The libel was put in and read. A witness was then called, who proved that the plaintiff was a married man. He had been married thirty years, and had a large family. He practised as an attorney, and no other person of that name and profession resided in Lyme-Regis.

The Lord Chief Justice in summing up said, he was bound to tell the jury, that in point of law, the publication, which formed the ground of the present action, was a libel; because any publication whatever, having a tendency to represent another person in an odious or ridiculous light, is a libel; still more so when it imputed to any one the crime of forgetting his duty as a husband and a father. That it was false, must be taken for granted; and he would tell them why. Mr. Fisher had taken the best possible course in a case of this sort. He had brought a civil action. If ever it happened to him to have his character attacked by a libel, he should undoubtedly bring a civil action against the publisher of it. An

opportunity would thus be given of proving the truth of what he had said. But no proof of the truth of the present libel had been produced. It must, therefore, be concluded, that the statement was false. There could be no doubt that reference was made by it to the plaintiff; there was no other Mr. Fisher practising at LymeRegis. What right, then, had this prostitute, or this pander supporting this prostitute, thus to make these false and libellous publications against respectable gentlemen ? It had been contended, that there was no charge of immorality in the libel. But, was it not an imputation of immorality, when that was asserted of the plaintiff, which had formerly been remarked of a woman, that she was lassata non satiata viris? What the intention of the part was, in publishing the present work, appeared from the back leaf of it. It held out a threat to all that was great, to all that was noble, to all that was amiable, in this country, unless they would pay sufficient to satisfy this prostitute, who, having supported herself as long as her personal appearance would permit, now sought to eke out the wretched remainder of her life by publishing these false and infamous libels. Allusion had been made to the profession of the plaintiff. Now, attornies, from their confidential situation, were peculiarly liable to such attacks as the present. Taking all the circumstances of the case into their consideration, it was for the jury to say what was the amount of damages to which the plaintiff was entitled. The jury immediately returned a verdict for the plaintiff; damages 700l.: costs, 40s.

22. MURDER NEAR CASHEL.A most daring and atrocious murder was perpetrated, last Sunday night, on the person of Edmund Murphy, esq. of Grange, while on a visit at the house of his brother, W. Murphy, esq. at Ballynamona, within a mile of Cashel. A horse and car, bearing a man whom Mr. Murphy expected, having arrived about half-after nine o'clock; on the door being opened for the admission of the expected person, seven or eight fellows, armed, and not disguised, rushed into the hall, shoving the person that arrived and the man that attended the car, in before them. After stationing two fellows at the hall-door as sentinels, four of them entered the parlour where Mr. William Murphy was sitting, Mr. Edmund having a few minutes before retired to bed, as he had to set out for Clonmell at an early hour. They at first demanded what arms were in the house, and repeatedly struck Mr. Murphy, once knocking him down, and punched him in the back with a blunderbuss, in order to drive him up stairs before them. Mr. Edmund, hearing the noise in the hall, ran down stairs in his nightshirt, and was immediately urged up again along with his brother. Having ascended to Mr. William's bed-room, they received the arms they demanded (a gun and blunderbuss) and, when they were obtained, they demanded" travelling charges," and immediately broke open some of Mr. Murphy's trunks, desks, and a chest of drawers, which they rummaged, and rifled the desk of a note-case, with some (memoranda) papers, a one pound note, and a check on the Provincial Bank for 231. On receiving the note-case, one of the fellows (a young ruffian) said it contained

nothing but powder, and demanded more money, which Mr. Murphy denied having, and then ordered his servant to bring them some drink, when another of the villains said they would have none of his whiskey, as it was offered only with a view of delaying them there. While they were continuing their examination, and breaking the furniture, Mr. W. Murphy opened the window, making as much noise as he could, by forcibly driving down the sash, and by clapping his hands, cried out "Now my lads! here are the police and ye will be nabbed," when the ruffians ran down stairs

the hall-door, and learning from the centinels there that it was only a false alarm, they returned up stairs again, and forcing the Messrs. Murphy down to the hall, ordered Mr. William to kneel, which he refused to do, saying, he never knelt to any person, and owing to bodily infirmity, could not. Mr. Edmund, in order that the ruffians might not injure his brother in forcing him to kneel down, said, that, if it were an amusement to them he would kneel; and, he having done so, one of the murderers discharged his blunderbuss at the distance of about a yard from him, and shot him in the neck. expired almost immediately; two balls and four slugs having entered that part of the body: one of them passed through the carotid artery, and another, from the repulsion it met at the vertebræ of the neck, was turned down into the stomach. Mr. Edmund was all the time in his night shirt, and, while he was on his knees, Mr. William incessantly begged of the villains, if they were determined on murder, to take his life, as he was

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NATURAL HISTORY. versed specimen of the common brown snail, (Helix aspersa) has lately been found in the parish of Shropham in Norfolk.-We believe this to be the only genuine British individual ever noticed of this very rare variety, except one, formerly in the possession of the late Dr. Hunter. In the month of November last, the Hoopoe was shot in the same parish, and several other very rare birds. Some scarce British plants have been observed about the same spot.

23. CORONER'S INQUEST.-An Inquest was held on the body of the rev. F. Lee, aged 63 years.

Mr. Robert Wake of No. 179, Piccadilly, Surgeon, sworn: "On Monday last about one o'clock in the afternoon, I was called to attend the deceased, and went immediately; I found him lying on the floor of his bed-chamber, No. 11, in the Albany; his shoulder was supported by a small trunk; he was quite dead; and I supposed, from his appearance, he had been so above an hour. In the deceased gentleman's right hand was a barrel of a gun; it was a double-barrelled piece; one of the barrels had been discharged in his mouth, by which the whole of his (the deceased's) skull was blown off. From his position, my opinion is, that he discharged the gun himself.

Ann Jones, sworn.I was ser

vant to the deceased, and have been so for five years. The deceased was a clergyman, but has never performed clerical duties to my knowledge; he had a country-seat in Lancashire, and in the last year he was six months there. About three years ago I was told by his then cook that the deceased gentleman was a married man; but I have never heard it mentioned since, and I never saw his wife, or knew where she resided. The deceased had only one son, about twenty years of age, who lived constantly with him; he was of no profession, but was supported by my master. On Monday, soon after one o'clock, my young master came to breakfast in the dining-room, and he desired me to go to his father, who was then in an adjoining room, and ask him if he would have a cup of tea; I went accordingly to his bed-room door, and found it locked; I told my young

master of it, who said then he would wait a little longer for his breakfast. In about a quarter of an hour after, I was desired to try the door again, and still found it locked; I was then requested to try two other doors which lead into my master's chamber, and found them not locked; I then proceeded into my master's apartment; he was not in bed; this frightened me; and, on leaving the room, I observed him lying on the ground. I instantly informed my young master of the circumstance; at this time there was with him Mr. Davis, a clergyman, residing near Greenwich, who was acquaintance of the deceased; I begged of Mr. D. to come out of the room alone, and he went to look for a medical person; at this moment, I was unconscious of what had happened to my master. Dur

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ing the absence of Mr. D. my young master came out of the dining-room and I endeavoured to prevail on him not to go to his father's room, upon which he seemed very much affected, and said, "I must see my father;" he then looked into the room, stepped back, and fell to the ground on his face, being quite overcome with the melancholy spectacle. By this time Mr. Davis returned accompanied by the medical gentleman. The deceased went out but seldom; he also kept very little company. My young master generally dined with the deceased; they lived very happily together, and I never heard him reproach

his son.

George Pritchard, esq. of Lincoln's-inn-fields, solicitor, sworn. -1 was concerned for the deceased in a matter respecting a partnership undertaking, which had proved very disastrous, and which subjected him to pecuniary responsibility to the extent of between two and three hundred pounds, which he was fearful he should not be able to provide for; this, and other matters connected with it, were evidently more than his mind could bear.

The coroner and jury, returned a verdict that the deceased gentleman shot himself in a state of Junacy.

26. MURDER NEAR MANCHESTER.-A murder was perpetrated last night, between Patricroft and Worsley. About ten o'clock, two men entered the public-house, the Jolly Carter, kept by Joseph Blears, and called for liquor. They had not sat long, before they urged the landlord to join them, upon whom they pressed glass after glass, till he became intoxicated. They inquired whether VOL. LXVIII.

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they could be accommodated with a bed, and an answer was returned in the affirmative. About twelve o'clock they signified their intention to retire, and were shown to an upper chamber by the servant girl. Immediately on reaching the door of the room, one of them turned upon the female, and aimed a blow at her with a knife. In the struggle, and with a view to defend herself, she held up hands, and the fingers of one hand were nearly cut off. They next made a stroke at her throat, and nearly severed her head from her body. A boy in an adjoining room, who was in such a situation as to see what was going forward, leaped out of bed, and in his terror threw himself over the rails of the staircase, and flew out at the door. The men instantly followed, and, in running down stairs, met the mistress of the house, who had heard the noise, and was on her way to inquire into the cause. The man who held the knife, which was still reeking with blood, struck at her with all his strength on his rapid descent down the stairs. The instrument entered her cheek, and penetrated the bone, where it was left by the villain, who, with his companion, pursued the boy who had escaped. The poor lad fortunately succeeded in concealing himself in a sough near the place; and the murderers, probably fearing that he had given the alarm, fled. The landlord was unable to render any assistance; and there is little doubt, from the circumstance of their having reduced him to a state of helplessness, that they had contemplated the murder of the whole family. The servant girl was murdered on the spot; and the landlady, though G

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9,068 jump down, and never saw him 16,930 I did not hear him cry

5,170 again. 14,982 out.

I heard a noise in the room below, which was a parlour we 18,248 did not make use of. The noise I 5,200 heard was the breaking of a win400 dow. I did not know at the time 8,000 453,545 who it was that did it, but was 134,980 informed in the morning that it 426,908 was my father. I saw my father 232,000 return into his room; he had no 12,000

80,000 light with him, but there was a 60,000 candle in his lodging room, which 450 enabled me to see him. I had not 6,000 a distinct view of the countenance 1,970 of the deceased, as he was below 36,900 7,000 me, and it was partly covered by 7,300 his hat. I do not think that there 321,000 was sufficient light to have enabled 138,000 Africa (of which 300,000 in me to distinguish his features, but the empire of Morocco) 504,000 I knew his voice. Mr. Blackburn America 5,700 had two or three times before West Indies 50 thrown earth at my window about the same time in the evening, and 3,166,603 I twice got up; upon one of those occasions I had some conversation with him; on the other, I merely desired him to go away. Mr. Blackburn never visited me in the day-time at my father's house. I wished him to come in the daytime, and speak to my father, but this he did not do. There had been no quarrel or dispute between my father and the deceased. My father told me that he disapproved of the visits of the deceased, and I

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27. UNFORTUNATE MANAn inquest was held at Pontefract on the body of Mr. Blackburn, who was stabbed on the night of the 24th by Mr. Carlile.

Miss Rebecca Carlile having been sworn, said.-The deceased, Joseph Blackburn, came to my father's house on Tuesday night last about a quarter past eleven

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