APPENDIX TO CHRONICLE. 



331 



consolidating and rendering more 

 effectual the several acts for the 

 purchase of buildings, and further 

 improvement of the streets and 

 places near to Westminster Hall 

 and the two houses of parliament. 



II. Brief Reports of some import- 

 ant Lata Cases, determined in 

 the year 1810. 



Feb. 12 Court of King's- 



bench.—The King v. Frances La- 

 tham, — Mr. BoUand opened the 

 case. This was an indictment for 

 perjury, in an affidavit sworn by 

 the defendant, charging Bar- 

 rett, esq. with the violation of her 

 person 



Mr. Serjeant Best, who, from 

 apparent ill-health, addressed the 

 court sitting, stated the case on the 

 part of the prosecution. He said 

 that the crime imputed to the de- 

 fendant was corrupt and deter- 

 mined perjury, in a prosecution 

 commenced against Mr. Barrett, 

 to ensure a verdict, whose result 

 must have been rain to him — a 

 death most certain and most igno- 

 minious. Before he concluded he 

 should show, not only that Mr. 

 Barrett was innocent, but that the 

 defendant was not deceived— that 

 there was no mistake in the charge 

 —that nothing could be imputed 

 to possible misapprehension — but 

 that the crime which he then was 

 lo prosecute, was wilful and inex- 

 cusable. The prosecutor in this 

 trial is a respectable trader in Lon- 

 don ; the defendant is the daugh- 

 ter of a most valuable and meri- 

 torious man. The jury were pro- 

 bably acquainted with the general 

 features of the case : — Miss La- 

 tham liQvinggotie down to Worth- 

 mg^ for the benefit of her own, or 



her brother's health, was, accord- 

 ing to report, insulted and brutally 

 violated by a stranger who then 

 resided near the town. A circum- 

 stance occurred in connection with 

 those facts, for which no explan- 

 ation had been given. In a few 

 weeks after the alleged crime, a 

 letter was sent to Mr. Barrett, de- 

 tailing the transaction, and charg- 

 ing him as the perpetrator. He 

 was then on the Kentish coast 

 with his family. On returning to 

 London, he was sent for by Dr. 

 Latham ; the defendant was in tiie 

 room. On being asked if he knew 

 her, he answered, " No ;" but that 

 he had heard of the affair by let- 

 ter. On this Dr. Latham retorted 

 on him, '* that it was evident he 

 knew all," and immediately gave 

 him into the custody of an officer, 

 who was then in the house. He 

 was then taken before a magis- 

 trate in Marlborough-street. 



The counsel here read from his 

 brief the narrative of the imputed 

 injury: — In the evening of the 

 10th of July, Miss Latham, walk- 

 ing in Worthing, as she passed 

 along a lane leading to the road, 

 was accosted by a stranger, who 

 said he had long wished to see her; 

 after some similai language, he 

 suffered her to leave liim, and she 

 returned homeverymuch terrified. 

 On the day after, as she was stand- 

 ing at her toilette, she saw him 

 pass before the house, witliout 

 being obsen'ed by him, and re- 

 marked his appearance distinctly. 

 On the 13th, between seven and 

 eight in the morning, returning to 

 her apartments after bathing, she 

 was disturbed by some persons 

 pressing against the door. She 

 conceived it to be the son of a Mrs. 

 King, who lodged in the house. 

 She vvxis so ittuch overcome by tcr- 



