DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70267#0486
43§ A FULL AND AUTHENTIC ACCOUNT OF .
satisfied that justice had been done him.—He then ob-
served, that he thought nothing amounting to a positive
proof had been brought against his client, and that where
a case was doubtful, the law always inclined to the mer-
ciful side.—That he did not suppose that the witnesses
who had sworn to the gipsy’s being at Abbotsbury at the
time, had wilfully perjured themselves ; but that the al-
teration of the style just at that time, it was well known
had greatly confounded the people, and that even to this
day, it was usual with us to say (talking of the seasons, &c.)
that it is only such a day of the month, according as we
used to reckon ; that this custom of reckoning by two dif-
ferent computations or styles, necessarily would puzzle
any one in fixing some months after on the particular time
on which any thing happened ; that the gipsy was really
at Abbotsbury, near about the time in question, he did
suppose ; but the question was, whether it was at that par-
ticular time.—He then spoke to the possibility of Canning’s
story, and even the probability of it, considering all the
circumstances that attended it.—He observed, that what-
his brother counsel on the other side had said, that villains
and robbers would never do mischief merely for the sake
of doing it, frequent experience contradicted.—As to the
improbability, which he had observed, of no one passing by
to see Bedlam at the time the girl was stopt and robbed ;
he must in reply say, that if his brother counsel had taken
it in his head to go and see Bedlam at such an unseason-
able time, between the hours of nine and ten at night,
that he should not have been surprised had the keeper
taken and locked him up among the mad people he cams
to see.—He next urged strongly, that notwithstanding all
the extraordinary pains that had been taken, they had not
been able to prove in the least that the girl was in any
other place than where she had sworn she was.—44 What!
(says he) could a poor ignorant girl, without money,
without
satisfied that justice had been done him.—He then ob-
served, that he thought nothing amounting to a positive
proof had been brought against his client, and that where
a case was doubtful, the law always inclined to the mer-
ciful side.—That he did not suppose that the witnesses
who had sworn to the gipsy’s being at Abbotsbury at the
time, had wilfully perjured themselves ; but that the al-
teration of the style just at that time, it was well known
had greatly confounded the people, and that even to this
day, it was usual with us to say (talking of the seasons, &c.)
that it is only such a day of the month, according as we
used to reckon ; that this custom of reckoning by two dif-
ferent computations or styles, necessarily would puzzle
any one in fixing some months after on the particular time
on which any thing happened ; that the gipsy was really
at Abbotsbury, near about the time in question, he did
suppose ; but the question was, whether it was at that par-
ticular time.—He then spoke to the possibility of Canning’s
story, and even the probability of it, considering all the
circumstances that attended it.—He observed, that what-
his brother counsel on the other side had said, that villains
and robbers would never do mischief merely for the sake
of doing it, frequent experience contradicted.—As to the
improbability, which he had observed, of no one passing by
to see Bedlam at the time the girl was stopt and robbed ;
he must in reply say, that if his brother counsel had taken
it in his head to go and see Bedlam at such an unseason-
able time, between the hours of nine and ten at night,
that he should not have been surprised had the keeper
taken and locked him up among the mad people he cams
to see.—He next urged strongly, that notwithstanding all
the extraordinary pains that had been taken, they had not
been able to prove in the least that the girl was in any
other place than where she had sworn she was.—44 What!
(says he) could a poor ignorant girl, without money,
without