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wife during the time of their marriage, and all purchases made with the husband's money in the wife's name, are, when the insolvency of the husband is proved, ipso jure, so far null and void; and the things so given or purchased, which are still in existence, with the exception only of the necessary clothing, linen, and beds, shall be added to the estate.

TRIAL AND CONVICTION OF THE GOVERNOR OF KENTUCKY's SON FOR MURDER.-The son of the governor of Kentucky has been convicted of murder. After the conviction, it was alleged, that, in order to intimidate the jury who tried him, a piece of paper was by some means or another conveyed to the jury-rooom, on which was written a threat in these words'If the jury do not bring in a verdict against the prisoner, Isaac B. Desha, they shall be hung in effigy and burnt." In consequence of this the verdict was set aside, and a new trial granted. The following are the circumstances of this atrocious murder, as they came out on the trial.

The late Francis Baker, esq., was a gentleman of learning and talents from New Jersey, who was educated as a lawyer, under the late attorney-general Woodruff, and removed to Natchez about nine years ago, where he became the proprietor and conductor of a public journal.

In September last, he set out on a journey to his native state, on horseback, and had necessarily to pass through the state of Kentucky, An attack of fever on the road compelled him to remain some days at Lexington, to recover sufficient strength to pursue his journey. In this enfeebled state he left Lexington on the 1st of

November, and rode to a place called the Blue Licks, where he lodged. The next morning he rode to Doggett's Tavern, where he fell in with Isaac B. Desha, the son of the governor of Kentucky, and breakfasted in company with him and a large party of Desha's acquaintances. In this vicinity resided the murderer, his father, and father-in-law.

The deceased was an entire stranger there, but he knew that captain Bickley, with whom he had become acquainted at Natchez, lived in the neighbourhood; and feeling still too weak to continue his journey, he inquired the way to his house, with the intention of remaining there a day or two. Desha professed to be well acquainted with captain Bickley; said that he lived off the main road; that he was going to ride that way himself, and offered to show him the house. This offer was accepted; and after breakfast they rode off together from Doggett's, each on horseback, in the presence of a number of persons; Desha with nothing about him but a horse-whip, heavily loaded with lead, and dressed in a jacket, with no coat or over-coat. In two or three hours afterwards, or between ten and eleven o'clock, Desha was seen in possession of the horse, saddle-bags, and pocket-book of the deceased, under the following circumstances. On a bye-road, or bridle-path, gloomy and retired, leading from the main road to Desha's, and in a country mountainous and covered with wood, lives a man of the name of Ball, about two miles from Desha's. To this man's house the horse of the deceased ran up, and one of Ball's sons got on him and rode off in search of the owner. He had not pro

ceeded far when he met Desha on the path very much agitated, his hands and clothes stained with blood, and carrying a pair of saddlebags on his arm, which were afterwards found in the woods with the ends cut open, and proved to be those with which the deceased left Doggett's. Desha claimed the mare (it was a white mare of a remarkable appearance) as his property, and said he had just bought her of a man who owed him money; he got on her, and took the boy up behind him and rode off. In a few minutes afterwards Desha's horse ran up to the same house, without a bridle, and another son of Ball's put on a bridle and rode off in pursuit of Desha, whom he knew to be the owner. He had not gone far, when he met Desha and his brother on the mare; a pocketbook was in Desha's pantaloons' pocket, which one of the boys had a good opportunity of observing, for it dropped out of his pocket, and he dismounted and handed it up to him. The pocket-book was afterwards found in the woods cut to pieces; and in evidence it was proved to be the same with which the deceased left Doggett's, and the same that was seen in Desha's pocket. When Desha left Doggett's he had neither saddle-bags nor pocket-book; it would have been observed if he had, for he was clad in a roundabout jacket, with shallow pockets. It also appeared in evidence, by a man residing at Desha's, that, on that day, he did not come home until evening, that he then walked round about the house with a pair of saddle bags on his arm, peeped in at the door, but went off without entering, and returned in two or three hours without the saddlebags. He had been married not quite a year, to a respectable

woman, who was so terrified at his manner and appearance, that she insisted upon going to her father's next morning, and actually left his house.

The day after the murder a glove was found, which produced no alarm; but the following day the saddle-bags were found in the woods, empty, and the ends cut open. This excited suspicions of some foul deed, and led to a further search of the woods, when the pocket-book was found cut to pieces, and in a hollow tree, not far distant, eight shirts, with the marks cut out, a vest, a handkerchief, and four pair of stockings, and Desha's bridle tied to a tree, where his horse had slipped it. The search was prosecuted, and the spot where the murder was committed was identified from the appearance of the ground; but the body was not found until the 8th, six days after the deed had been committed, when it was discovered in a gully, where it had been dragged about 190 yards down a hill. The skull was fractured by repeated blows of a heavy loaded whip or bludgeon; there was one stab in the breast, two bruisesinthe shoulder, and the throat was cut from ear to ear. There was a deep cut on the left thumb, from which it would appear that there had been an endeavour to ward off the fatal knife, and that the helpless sufferer was still conscious of his dreadful situation. The body was stripped of every thing but the shirt, which was marked "Francis Baker," with durable ink, a vest, stockings, and one glove on the right hand. The next day the pantaloons were found, very bloody, and in thewatch-fob 70 dollars in United States bank-notes, wrapped round a silver dollar, which had escaped the eye of the murderer;

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the watch was gone; and at the distance of 200 yards the coat and hat were found, the latter much broken by the blows on the head; and at a short distance, Desha's loaded whip, the butt-end shattered to pieces. The discovery of the horse of the deceased in the possession of Desha led to his apprehension, at the house of his father-in-law, who was so satisfied of his guilt, that he and his wife at abandoned him to his fate. Indeed, it is but too probable that this is not the first murder he has committed. Mr. D., a member of the bar, residing at Natchez, declares, that Desha attempted to murder him in the same manner about a year ago. They were riding together on horseback, when Desha made some excuse for falling behind. A short time afterwards he looked round, and saw Desha with a club uplifted in the act of felling him from his horse; he clapped spurs to his horse and escaped. He was silent from prudential considerations; being unwilling to provoke the resentment of a family so powerful and influential.

FATAL CONTEST BETWEEN TWO ETON SCHOLARS.-On Sunday, the 27th of February, about the hour of two o'clock, two young gentlemen, scholars at Eton, the hon. F. A. Cooper, a son of the earl of Shaftesbury, and Mr. Wood, a son of colonel Wood, and nephew of the marquis of Londonderry, were in the play-ground, when some words arose between them. From words they proceeded to blows, and had fought for several minutes, when the captain came up and separated them. It was subsequently determined that they should meet on the following after noon, and terminate their differences by a pugilistic contest. Many

of the scholars were present to witness the battle; the combatants stripped at four o'clock on Monday afternoon, and commenced fighting. Mr. Cooper was under 15 years, and his opponent, who was half a head taller, was near 17. Mr. Wood had the advantage in point of strength, but the quickness and precision of Mr. Cooper was remarkable for one so young, and he declared that he would never give in. In the 8th, 9th, and 10th rounds, he became weak and exhausted, and it was then evident he was not a match for Mr. Wood, and he ought to have been taken away. Some of the "backers" had brought a quantity of brandy in bottles into the field; and the second of Mr. Cooper, having, in the eleventh round, poured a portion of it down Mr. C.'s throat, he recovered his wind and strength. The young men continued fighting from four till nearly six o'clock, and when they were in a state of exhaustion, they were plied between the rounds with brandy. They fought about sixty rounds; and at the end of the last round, Mr. Cooper fell very heavily upon his head, and never spoke afterwards. He was carried off the ground to his lodgings, at the house of the rev. Mr. Knapp, by his brothers, who were present at the fight. He was put to bed; but no medical assistance was sent for till four hours had elapsed; shortly afterwards he expired.

Attwo o'clock on Tuesday, a jury assembled to hold an inquest on the body. The jury and coroner proceeded to the house of the rev. Mr. Knapp, and viewed the body. The temples, eyes, and upper part of the cheek bones were very black, and there were other external marks of violence about the ribs, breast,

&c. The following evidence was then taken :

Christopher Teasdale: I am a student at Eton college; I knew the deceased; he is the son of lord Shaftesbury, and I know his antagonist, Mr. Wood, the son of colonel Wood. I saw them set-to about the hour of four o'clock on Monday afternoon. I saw repeated blows, during the fight, given to Cooper, on different parts of the head; I remember, in one period of the fight, a severe blow being given on his temple: the deceased instantly fell, and lay on the ground about half a minute. There were loud shouts from Wood's party in consequence of his being the best. It was a fair fight; I saw no unfair advantage taken. A young gen

tleman named Leith seconded the deceased; the fight lasted above an hour; the deceased's spirits were kept up in a most extraordinary manner by Leith giving him brandy in the 11th and subsequent rounds. I remember that before the last round, Wood said he wanted to go to his tutor, Mr. Ottery, to attend his private business (studies), and he would make it up afterwards. Mr. Leith, the second, said, that as Wood wanted to go, he would appeal to the deceased's party, and hear what they had to say. The deceased's party exclaimed, "we will have another round, we are in no hurry." The parties fought another round, and the deceased at the conclusion fell from a severe blow; Wood fell heavily on him. After this round, Wood said, "he must go, and he would make it up." Leith advised it to be made up on the spot, and directly the proposition was made to make it up, the deceased fell back senseless. Wood walked up to the deceased and lifted

his hand. I did not hear Wood say any thing.

Mr. O'Reilly, surgeon, of Windsor: I was called to see the deceased last night; he was dead before I arrived. There were several contusions on the head; the eyes were black: there must have been a rupture of some internal artery. I opened the head, and found, under the dura mater, a considerable extravasation of blood, covering the whole of the left hemisphere of the brain, which was the cause of his death. I believe it was not produced by any blow that his opponent gave him, but by a violent fall; and I am of this opinion from the extent of the rupture, and the great quantity of blood that issued therefrom.

Coroner:-Would his drinking a great quantity of brandy have caused such effects?-Witness: Certainly not.

Dorothy Large: I am servant to the rev. Mr. Knapp, at whose house the deceased boarded and lodged; he was brought home_by some of the young gentlemen last night, about ten minutes before six o'clock; he appeared as if he was asleep, and he was put to bed; I asked his brother if I should send for a doctor, and he told me there was no occasion for it, as the deceased was fast asleep; I went into the room about seven o'clock, and he was still asleep; he was breathing. About nine o'clock I found him in the same state. His brother said he was very comfortable, and that I had no occasion to take any further trouble, as he would see him safe before he went to bed. The deceased had his trowsers on, but no shirt; he was wrapped in a blanket. A little after ten o'clock, the brother of the deceased came

down stairs, and said he was worse; a surgeon was sent for. Mr. Moss, a surgeon, first arrived; the deceased had then ceased to breathe. The jury retired, and were in consultation for a very considerable time; at a late hour in the evening they returned a verdiet of Manslaughter against Mr. Wood, the principal, and Mr. Alexander Wellesley Leith, the second. [See Chronicle, p. 28.]

MARCH.

1. DESTRUCTION OF THE SHIP KENT, BY FIRE, IN THE BAY OF BISCAY.-The Kent East India'man, which sailed from the Downs about a fortnight ago, was making her way in the Bay of Biscay, on the morning of Tuesday the 1st of March, across the heavy swell common in that part, when her progress was arrested by a fatal accident, in latitude about 47 deg. 30 min. and long. 11 deg. 40 min. An officer, who was sent into the hold to see whether the rolling of the vessel had disturbed the stowage, perceiving that a cask of spirits had burst from its lashings, gave the lamp he had in his hand to a seaman to hold, while he should replace the cask. Unfortunately, in the continued rolling of the vessel, the man let the lamp fall near the spirits, to which it set fire in a moment. The flames spread; attempts were made to smother them by wetted blankets and hammocks, but all was in vain, and they soon assumed an aspect so tremendous, as to show that it would be impossible to subdue them.

At this moment of despair the man at the mast-head exclaimed that a sail was in sight; guns were

fired, and a signal of distress hoisted.

The gale, however, was so heavy, that it was for some time doubtful whether the strange vessel perceived the signals, or was likely to turn aside from her course, but this painful suspense was soon removed by her approach. The boats of the Kent were now got out and placed, not alongside, on account of the flames, and the danger of staving the boats, but a-head and a-stern. Many got into the latter from the cabin windows, but the chief part were let down from the bowsprit into the boats a-head, the men sliding down by a rope, while the soldiers' wives were lowered into the boat slung three together.

The signal of distress had been perceived by the strange sail, which proved to be the Cambria, captain Cook, outward bound to Mexico, with a number of mining workmen and a cargo of mining machinery, shipped by the Anglo Mexican Company. It was at two o'clock that the Cambria received the first boat load of passengers, consisting chiefly of ladies and children, half clothed, and pale with fright and fatigue. The whole afternoon was passed in exertions on board the one vessel in sending off the sufferers, and in the other in receiving them.-The Cambria had amongst her passengers several stout workmen, who took their station at the ship's side, and were indefatigable in hoisting the poor sufferers on board; so that, out of 642 persons in the Kent, no less than 557 were safe in the Cambria before midnight. The remainder (85 in number), were lost, chiefly in getting out of the boats and into them, the swell of the sea being very great all the time. The captain of the Kent was the last

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