DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70301#0062
46 kirbVs wonderful museum,
tion, perhaps, aggravated by the indiscretion of his brother
Richard, filled him with such disgust that he went to sea, and
sailed to the West Indies, where he soon fell a victim to the
yellow fever.
All the subsequent circumstances of the life of this unhap-
py man, as far as they are knowm, may be collected from his
trial for the murder of Mr. Blight, which took place on the
5th of April, 1806, at the Sessions House, Horsemonger
Lane, Southwark, by adjournment, from the assizes at Kings-
ton, where it should in the regular course have been held.
The prisoner was conducted into the court soon after nine
o’clock, and at ten Lord Chief Baron Macdonald, took
his seat on the bench. The indictment charged the prisoner
with having, on the 23d of September, 1805, in the parish of
St. Mary, Rotherhithe, made an assault on Isaac Blight, with
a pistol and leaden bullet, and inflicted a mortal wound there-
with, on his right side, of which he lingered till the 24th, and
then died. To this indictment he pleaded not guilty; on
which the gentlemen of the jury were sworn. Mr. Garrow,
as counsel for the crown, entered into a long statement of the
circumstances of this interesting case, on the part of the pro-
secution. After the witnesses had been examined, the prisoner
wras called upon for his defence: he produced a written
paper, which was read by the officer of the court, as fol-
lows :
“ MY LORD,
“ Your Lordship will permit me, in the outset of my de-
fence, to express my gratitude for the exertions which you
have used, in order to protect an obscure and most unfortu-
nate man from the consequences of those numerous and un-
justifiable prejudices that, have been raised against him.-—
Whatever be the event of this prosecution, it must afford the
public, the highest satisfaction to hear, from your Lordship's
conduct on this occasion, how anxious one of the first of'
tion, perhaps, aggravated by the indiscretion of his brother
Richard, filled him with such disgust that he went to sea, and
sailed to the West Indies, where he soon fell a victim to the
yellow fever.
All the subsequent circumstances of the life of this unhap-
py man, as far as they are knowm, may be collected from his
trial for the murder of Mr. Blight, which took place on the
5th of April, 1806, at the Sessions House, Horsemonger
Lane, Southwark, by adjournment, from the assizes at Kings-
ton, where it should in the regular course have been held.
The prisoner was conducted into the court soon after nine
o’clock, and at ten Lord Chief Baron Macdonald, took
his seat on the bench. The indictment charged the prisoner
with having, on the 23d of September, 1805, in the parish of
St. Mary, Rotherhithe, made an assault on Isaac Blight, with
a pistol and leaden bullet, and inflicted a mortal wound there-
with, on his right side, of which he lingered till the 24th, and
then died. To this indictment he pleaded not guilty; on
which the gentlemen of the jury were sworn. Mr. Garrow,
as counsel for the crown, entered into a long statement of the
circumstances of this interesting case, on the part of the pro-
secution. After the witnesses had been examined, the prisoner
wras called upon for his defence: he produced a written
paper, which was read by the officer of the court, as fol-
lows :
“ MY LORD,
“ Your Lordship will permit me, in the outset of my de-
fence, to express my gratitude for the exertions which you
have used, in order to protect an obscure and most unfortu-
nate man from the consequences of those numerous and un-
justifiable prejudices that, have been raised against him.-—
Whatever be the event of this prosecution, it must afford the
public, the highest satisfaction to hear, from your Lordship's
conduct on this occasion, how anxious one of the first of'