28] 
The defendants claimed those lands 
under this idot’s will. In support 
of the plaintiff’s case upwards of 
twenty witnesses clearly proved his 
idiotey, from his not knowing the 
value of money, or any other arti- 
cle of life; and many instances of 
gross imposition on him; and 
among others, that he never te- 
ceived one shilling of the rent of 
his lands ; ; that he was exempted 
from all offices, and particularly 
from serving in the militia, on oc- 
count of his incapacity ; and it was 
proved that be was taken from. his 
sister, the plantiff’s mother, and 
married to. a woman whom he 
scarcely knew, and that a fortnight 
after his marriage he did not know 
he was married; that his wife often 
corrected him, Oman he wouldery, 
and behave like a child. All the 
witnesses on the part of the plaintiff 
gave testimony of the testator’s 
idiotecy. On the part of the defen- 
dants many witnesses were exami- 
ned, who all proved, in the same 
words, that he was a man of sense, 
without. giving asingle instance of 
it, except that he could read, write 
his name, kept his chufch, remem- 
bered the texts, and other passages 
of scripture. The curate of the 
parish of Ashcombe, where the idi- 
ot lived and died, in support ofthe 
will, proved the idot to be a great 
divine, philosopher, and historian ; 
that he was timid and shy to stran- 
gers at first; yet, when be became 
acquaimted, and any person bad 
gained his confidence, he was very 
conversible, and all persons ac- 
quainted with him must court his 
company. After a hearing of near- 
ly ten bours, the jury, without a 
momeni’s hesitation, gave a verdict 
against the will, in favour of the 
plainof Bastin, to the satisfaction 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1796. 
of the court, anda crowded atdi- 
ence. 
At Bodmin assizes 16 persons were 
tried, three of whom were capital- 
ly convicted, viz. William Samp- 
son and Jobo Hoskin, for violent- 
ly assaulting Samuel Phillips; and 
William Bases for stealing out 
‘of the house of David Jones, in 
Truro, certain pieces of gold and 
silver value 40s. and upwards ; 
and they received sentence of death. 
o4th At Leicester assizes, John 
" Dawes Ross, jun. and Tho, 
Bankart, tried on a charge of man- 
latehiee on the body of Mr, 
Robert Hall, during the late con- 
tested election, were both found 
guilty ; the former to suffer four 
and the latter ten months imprison- 
ment. (The sentence of Ross has 
been since remitted.) 
Leeds. Last Thursday, as 
25th. j 
the workmen at the new 
church at Halifax were erecting one 
of the main bindings of the roof, 
the temporary prop gave way; the 
balk thereof was broken by the 
weight of the scaffolding, and the 
internal parts of the binding pressed 
upon it; in consequence of which 
the men fell down, and some. of 
*them were materially bruised, but 
no lives were lost. 
At the Surrey assizes, Edwards, 
late of Pleasant-place, and Doctor 
Gale, were tried for fradulently 
signing and counterfeiting certain 
certificates, attestations, &c. of re- 
cruits. Kdwards kept a recruiting 
house, which was burnt by the 
mob. The Doctor, being a good ac. 
tor, occasionally played the charac- 
ters of captain, surgeon and magi- 
strate, When a recruit was brought 
in, he stripped and examined him 
as surgeon ; approved of him in a- 
nother paghe and dress as captain 5 
and 
