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sIpMtam »W«h hfi b**n In tlil* cm# l»y M.•lajcst,** minister* had bepti to ujw.lt way tho youngest (Wh (uil instead of i W17 of 1O0QL to wm them dm, until amno other employment offered for them. Out the mein qutttloii wa* tho intention of hit Ale* joaty'a minlatera in the meeture, and he would read to the committee the official correapnndence which had taken place reapeoting it. (The right hon. gentleman here read the iettera which paaaed between the Ad-and the Tr*a*ury, and tha minute of the Theao allowanoee were In oonformity to the rule of former gorernmentt» they were not the result any aneoial rule of the existing government, nor anyjob. 1 rhia vii tha malarial point of the question 1 itwas a positive hardship on the tona of Cabinet mi* nistert* The committee would allow he bad not attempted to biaa its opinion by any appeal to the pas* •ions; but he must say, that considering the difficulties attending the making reductions, it was not quite right to embarrass the government when they attempted to effect them* lie hoped he had said enoughto convince the house that his Majesty’s ministers had not been influenced by any corrupt motive in this transaction*Lord ALTHORP observed, that the house bad a right to investigate all the circumstances of these pensions, which, in his opinion, ought not to be granted*The question was now loudly called, for; and thecommittee divided, when there appeared —For the Amendment.............. 139Against it »••••................ 121Majority against Ministers ..... ISThe announcement was received with loud cheers* ^ On oujr return to the gaUerv, the committee were discussing the next item,—* namely* 99,0001. for the works of the dockyards*A conversation took place between Mr* Hume, Sir G Clerk, Sir O. Ceckburq, Sir M* W* Ridley, Mr. Bright, and Air* Maberiy, but the noise prevented us from hearing its object*Air. MABERLY, as we understood, intimated his intention of opposing, hereafter, the grant of 23,4571*tor building a naval hospital at Malta*After a few words from Air. Hume* Mr* R* Gordon, Mr. Croker, Air* Bright, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the vote was postponed*Sir J* GRAHAM took that opportunity to give notice that he should move for the abolition of the office of Lieut. General .ef the Ordnance when the Ordnanceestimates should be regularly brought before them*The house then resumed, Sir A* GRANT reported progress, and the report was ordered to be received on Alonday next*On the motion of Air. MABERLY, were orderedcopies of correspondence relating to the naval hospital at Malta*The other orders of the day were subsequently disposed of, and the house adjourned at one o’clock*SPRING ASSIZEsTEXETER* March 24*Sarah Knowles, Wm. Knowles, Dorothy Harding, and Wm* Tremlett, were indicted for conspiring together to destroy a certain will of Joseph Knowles, andsubstituting another in its place*Mr, Tyrrell (with whom was Air* Afanning) statedthe case fer the prosecution*Richard Robe Dark*—In August, 1825, I went to Burrough in Harpford, Devon, to read over the draught of a lease to Joseph Knowles* Knowles told me he had made his will, and had left his property to the Knowies’s; but that they had behaved ill; that there was a young man called Dean, whom he had brought up, and who had got into business on the assurance that he would provide for him. I drew a will for him while at Burrough, which was executed and atrested by threeWitnesses. Topk this will home* and showed it to Air* Cox, who directed some alterations to be made in it* The will was then re-engrossed* 1 carried it so re-engrossed to the testator* 1 read over the will, so altered, to him. He executed it in the presence of J* Black, more, sen., J. Black more, jan«, and myself; we attested it* I sealed up the will, and it was given to J* Blackmore, sen. I examined the will with the draught*The draught of the will was then read, by which testator gave tq Sarah Knowles two guineas, and the residue of his property to Joseph Dean, subject to the payment of his debts*Joel Dean—I am the father of Joseph Dean. I knew Knowles and his wife* When my son was an infant, a fortnight old, the oilman took a fancy to him. LivednexJL door to him* About ei or nine years since,old Kpowles told me lie had altered his former will, and had done very well for my boy, and had given him all hq had got except two guineas; that be had had it done by Attorney Cox, of Heniton* 1 saw Knowlesthe Sundav week before he died* He told me then that*•he had done very well; that he had given all he hadto the boy* I shaved him*Cross*examined—I was at Honiton market* I was charged with stealing bacon there, and went to prison, where I remained three months. I once lived at Ot-tery* 1 was charged there with stealing rabbits, but 1had not done so. *«Joseph Dean—I formerly lived with old Knowles before I went as an apprentice* While I was an apprentice I went to Knowles’s every Sunday, and sometimes slept there. Knowles supplied me with clothes and money, and talked to me about bis affairs, and said he had given me all he had except two guineas* This was at Christina?, 1826 ; he desired me not to sell the land the Sunday week before his death; he said farmer Blackmore had the will; he gave me directions about his funeral* Was sent for when Knowles was taken ill* I went to him; he ordered me to go up stairs, and take aut a little bag with money* I took it out, and carried it down stairs; Knowles asked me if 1 had it; told him yes; he then toid me to take it home, and bring him a sovereign a time, when he wanted it.Cross-examined.—Sarah Knowles never lived with Knowles* She came up there sometimes. I did not attend the funeral, but 1 was at the house on that day* A person by the name of Carter was there, and also old Blackmore* A paper was read by John Blackmore, sen., as the will of Joseph Knowles. Black-more did not say that was old Knowles’s mark, he would swear* 1 did not hear him say so* He might have said so*Thomas Parsons.—I saw Knowles si* weeks before his death. He tn)d me he had made his will, and had givqn all he had to Joseph Dean, except two guineas, and so toon as he was dangerously ill he would send to Joseph Dean, and give him the keys and possession of every thing,John Mitchell*—I saw Knowles in March* Joseph P*an was there. He asked Knowles what he meant to do with the garden* He said, 44 Do with it a* you like ; it is all your qwn# I shall be in' the churph-yard before the crops grow up.”Alary Parrot.—J knew oM Knowles for 19 years. J did every thing for him* Three weeks before he died be tok) me he had left every thing to Joseph Dean, except two guineas to SM Knowles, and that his willwas in farmer Blackmore1* hands*John Wheaton—I recollect Old Joseph Knowles j he died in April, 18271 a short time before he died 1 met Sarah Knowles in the street; she said she wanted to speak to me, that her unde had made a will, andgiven away tha whole property from them, he had not left her sufficient for a suit of mourning, which she thought very hard* I to!d her 1 thought it was bard. She said she would endeavour to alter it—, would I come if I was wanted ? 1 replied, certainly, at anytime* About a week or ten days after, I came home about *0 o’clock at night. W. Knowles took my horse, and said he had been waiting for me; he thoughtt fhquU) be wanted to go to Burrough. He put up my , qtyg for me* J^hout 12 oVIock I heard a knock at the window, Jgnp i*p, aqd found Mr. JfnowJes apj) GeorgeSwinjielif. 1 accompanied thgm tq Burropgh tf) deceased’* house/ If. Knowles took us through an orphan) and the court In go png through the court, J asked hifg why hp fnqk us tbaf wpy. He replied hedid not wish to be seen. Qn eptpring tfip house 1 tawSarah Knowles, Dorothy Harding, and John Rlapk-more, the elder* I saw some papers and ink on the table* They (Sarah Knowles and Dorothy Harding) put the papers into my hands, saying it was their unele's will, and requested me to sign it William Knowles and Swindells were present* Swindells isdead* I thought it extraordinary, and took the will, tltd rood It through, and made two or three smallfftarky in the margin. thp pud of the wi 1 was the me of Joan l}iackip#rp* f aiM him how hp pa pip sign |t unless pro were all present, and tojd hiip thgt had donp wrong. I safd to Sqrsh Knowles, “ Tellfbo old gentleman j am hprp, and will up andread tho will to him*’’ Sha cried out “ Christ Jpsus | not for the world; be Is very ill, and can’t sit up In bis bad; Blackmore has read the will to my uncle, and he has signed it.” I said, 4( I understand there isanother will.* Dorothy laid, ** You naad not bt tfrfiid of that, that arlll Mm bo broughtforward t I have taken cart of it.” Isatd, 11 I would not put my name to an instrument of that kind for 10091*, and I recommend you all te be cautious in what you are doing 4 you are not aware of the consequences and then I left tho bouse. I read the will very cautiously, and I can state that that will left the whole property to Sarah Knowle*. It is the same as has been proved in the Prerogative Court. This is not the will on which I made my mark, but I think It is a copy of it. When I refused to sign the will, Sarah Knowles said they could get persons who would*Cross-examined.—Both made use of the expressions, Sarah Knowles and Dorothy Harding. W. Knowlessaid nothing after he came into the house. I have lived in the neighbourhood ever since Knowles’s death. I have known the four prisoners for years, and was on terms of intimacy with them. 8windeil» was a respectable man, the foreman of a factory, at.d had 18s* per week* Sarah Knowles did not, I think, live with oldKnowles, but was backwards and forwards, and didevery thing for him*John Blackmore, sen.—In the year 1825 I attested the will of old Knowles ; the others were my son and Rolle Darke ; he gave’it to me, and asked me to take care of it till it was called for. Ottery fair was on the 3d of April, 1827* Some days before that, DorothyHarding came to me, and asked me to give up the paper of her uncle’s* I took the will up the same day to old Knowles’s. I went up stair*, and I met Sarah Knowles, who told me her uncle was asleep* 1 said I had brought up the paper. She said Give it to me.” I asked her to take care of it for her uncle. She said she would. I gave it to her. I did not see old Knowles on that day. William Knowles came to me a few days after, about ten o’clock in the evening. He said I was wantedto go up to his uncle’s to sign his will. He said there would be some one else there soon. I went up, and saw Sarah Knowles and Dorothy Harding. Air. Wheaton and Swindells came in after. 1 did not see old Knowles that evening* I did not put ray name to any paper that evening. Wheaton said he should go up to see the old gentleman. He did~not go up, because Sarah said, 44 Lird, Jesus, not for the world,’9 because he was asleep, and could not be disturbed* Wheaton said he understood there was a former will. Dorothy said, he need not be afraid of that, for she had takencare of it* Wsn. Knowles came to me a few days after, on Ottery fair evening; it was about nine o’clock : he desired my son and me to go up to his uncle’s to sign his will* We went up, and found Sarah Knowles and Dorothy Harding, and that man (Tremlett); there was a paper on the table* Dorothy Harding and Sarah Knowles asked us to sign it, as it was their uncle’s will* Tremlett pointed with a stick where we were to sign* We did sign our names to the paper* I did not see old Joseph Knowles that evening* I never saw Knowles execute any will, except that brought by Darke* I never spoke to old Knowles after the first will was given me. This is the will I signed that night, and thisis my signature* Last Alonday fortnight, I saw Wm* Knowles; he desired me to go up Old-street, some one wanted me* I went up and saw Sarah Knowles; she desired me to run up, for some cue wanted me* I saw two men, Wm* Hare and Thomas Carter, they were waiting for me : the second will was put in my hands on the 5th of April, 1827* in the evening. Sarah Knowles and Dorothy Harding gave it me, and desired me to carry it home. The next morning, about five o’clock, Sarah came down and asked fur the paper again, and said her uncle was dead : he had been dead half an hour. I carried the will up to the house, and found Dorothy Harding and Sarah Kuowles there*Cross-examined.—I rented the property of old Kowles. I believe Sarah Knowles lived in the house. I will swear 1 did not see old Knowles between the time I saw Wheaton there, and the time I saw Tremlett there. I did notsee him the night Tremlett was there. 1 thought it was all right to put my signature, though I did not see the old man* 1 saw the old man sign it in 1825. 1 did not bear Joseph Dean say on the day of the funeral that the will was not old Knowles’s, and I did not say that it was as true a will as ever was, and that I would be sworn to, and that that was Farmer Knowles’s mark. I will swear nothing to that effect passed. I never made that answer. Carter said it was a very good will* 1 did not say on the Sunday after bis death that Farmer Knowles had given me the will, and charged me to take care of it, and not to let any one know what was in it* I pay rtiy rent now to Sarah Knowles* I have not paid her all of it. I have said, that if she exposed me about my rent, I would expose her*John Blackmore, jun., corroborated the evidence, so far as regarded the signing their names to the w ill. The “ K” at the end of ilie will now produced was not there when I signed it*The will was proved to be in the handwriting of the prisoner Tremlett. His former employer, an attorney, gave him a most high character: he had entrusted him with large sums of money, and documents of great value* He put every confidence in him, and, from his general conduct, he believed him incapable of committing the act with which he was now charged.The property was worth about 6001*This was the case for the prosecution*Air. Frazer then addressed the jury for the prisoners for an hour and a half, and then proceeded to call his witnesses.Thomas Carter.—I am a farmer, and know all the part;cs. Was present on the day of the funeral of old Knowles. Joseph Dean and his wife were there also. Farmer Blackmore read the will. Joseph Dean said, or his wife said, 44 That is not Farmer Knowles’s will.” Blackmore said it was as true a will as ever was made, and he could swear to it, at the same time putting his litger to the mark at the bottom of the will. I recollect Blackmore saying, that when Farmer Knowles sent for him, when that will was made, he charged him not to let any one see or know what was in it till after his death. He said he was sent for after the farmer had died, to bring the will. Sarah asked to see the will; but he said he would not deliver it till he knew the farmer was dead. I have lived in Harp ford from my birth. The prisoners have borne good characters.Wm. Heare corroborated the evidence of the last witness*Martha Pill* I knew old Knowles. I saw him a short time before his death : he said he was very poorly, that his age was passed ; that Sally had been every thing to him, tkat she had been a slave to him, but he had provided for her, and be hoped the family would besatisfied.Several respectable witnesses were called, who gave the prisoner Tremlett an excellent character, and some were called who spoke to the character of the other prisoners*In all there were 29 witnesses examined on the partof the prisoners*Mr. Justice Bosanquet then addressed the jury* He pointed out to them the contradictory evidence which they had heard, and commented upon the great interest the two Deans must have in endeavouring to ponyict the prisoners* If their minds were net satisfied, er if they wished it, he would read over the whole of theevidence to them*The foreman signified to his fordship that he thought they* were all satisfied*The jury then turned round for a few moments, and then resumed their seats.The clerk of the arraigus,—Gentlemen, are you agreed in your verdict tForeman —Yes.Clerk of the arraigns.—How say you, is Sarah Knowles guilty or not guilty ?Foreman—Guilty*Clerk—Is William Knowles guilty or not guilty ?Foreman.—Guilty*Mr* Justice Bosanquet—Gentlemen, before the verdict is taken you must allow me to read over all the pyidepce fn you, so that you may re*consider your ver* diet; I really thought yap werp all |atj*f)ed.Foreman.—My Lord, we are all agreed in finding theprisoner! guilty*.Mr. Justice Bosanquet said* that he should then certainly consider it necessary to read the whole of the evidence, The prosecutor had not taken a proper course; instead of proceeding against the parties in a criminal form, he aught to have brought a civil action, when the prisoner Tremlett would have been admitted as a witness. He remarked upen the contradiction given to the witness Blackmore by two of the witnesses fur the defence and that the two Deans must luive given their evidence with strong interested feelings. It was, however, their peculiar province to judge and to decide which of the witnesses wen intitled to most credit, Ills lordship thpQ recapjtulqted all the eyidenpe, remarking on various parts of it, which occupied two hours and m half.The jury consulted for a few minutes, and a second time returned a verdict of Guilty against Sarah Knowles and William Knowles, and a verdict of Not Guilty against the other two prisoners*The learned Judge then sentenced the prisoners (0six months* Imprisonment in the county goel*
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London Standard
London, Middlesex, GB
Sat, Mar 27, 1830
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