Excommunicated mice

A ceremony, which, perhaps, might have been very good in the 15th century, but which one is astonished to find in an enlightened age, has been performed this week in the catholic districts about Basle.

A solemn malediction and excommunication has been pronounced against the mice guilty of  committing depredations in the fields.

Mangled in a manner too horrible for description

A shocking accident occurred at the gig-mill of Mr. John Carr, at Armley. One of the straps by which motion is communicated to the gig-engine having started, a young man of the name of Lee attempted to replace it, but in the effort his arm unfortunately became entangled in the strap, and he was drawn among the machinery,and instantly killed; his body was mangled in a manner too horrible for description.

Mephitic gas

The gardener of Mr. Sherbrook, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, suffered a melancholy death. Mr. S. had frequently previous had his pinery robbed, and on Thursday night the gardener determined to sit up and watch; he accordingly posted himself in the green-house, with a loaded fowling-piece, where it is supposed he fell asleep, and in the morning was found dead on the ground, with all the appearance of suffocation, evidently occasioned by the discharge of mephitic gas * from the plants during the night.

* air exhausted of oxygen and containing chiefly nitrogen.

A dog touched his gun

As Dr. Saunders, of Blundeston, Suffolk, was shooting on the premises of Thomas Fowler, esq. a dog which he was caressing for bringing him a bird touched his gun, which was on the full cock, and shot him under the arm: he was carried home, and amputation was the consequence, but without good effect, for he died immediately.

Accidentally shot

An inquest sat on the body of Mr. James Clement, of Mere, Wilts, who was killed by a most melancholy accident. It appeared that the deceased went shooting the day before with Mr. James Glover of Mere, and that while pursuing their sport, Glover fell into some deep water, and called to his friend Clement to assist him, who immediately took hold of the muzzle of Glover's gun, in order to pull him out of the water; but while in the act of this assistance, the gun went off, and its contents entered Clement's left breast, who instantly fell, exclaiming "Lord, have mercy upon me!" and died in about five minutes. He has left a widow and two children.

The jury brought in a verdict - Accidentally shot.

Eaten to death by maggots

A coroner's inquisition was taken on Monday last, at Osbournby, near Falkingham, on the body of a man named Page, who had died under circumstances of peculiar horror. The deceased was a pauper, belonging to the parish of Silk Willoughby, but not choosing to stay in the workhouse, he was in the habit of strolling about from town to town, subsisting upon the provision which he begged.

It was his custom to deposit what he procured in this way beyond the immediate cravings of nature, within his shirt next to his body; and having considerable store of meat and bread so placed, he, in the early part of last week, it is supposed, feeling unwell, laid himself down in a field in the parish of Scredington, to sleep. The meat, from the heat of the weather and of the man's body, soon becoming putrid, was struck by flies; and in a short time the maggots which were so occasioned, not only preyed upon the inanimate pieces of flesh, but began literally to consume the living substance.

Favoured by the drowsiness and sloth of the wretched man, these vermin made such havoc in his body, that when, on Tuesday, he was found by some persons who were accidentally passing in the field, he presented a sight disgusting in the extreme. White maggots, of an enormous size, were crawling in and upon his body, and the removal of the outer ones only served to show hundreds of others, which had penetrated so deeply, that it was clear the very vitals of the miserable man were invaded by them.

Page was conveyed to Osbournby, and a surgeon was immediately procured, who dressed the parts affected; but the sufferer died in a few hours after.

The jury returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased was "eaten to death by maggots!"

Shrapnel shells

The company of flying artillery, under the command of captain Smith, passed through Brighton, from Lewes, for Hive, for the purpose of practising with shot and shells, at a target, on the beach, nearly fronting that place. Several of the Shrapnel shells, loaded with musket-bullets, which were not intended for use that day, had been fixed, in boxes, to the carriages of the field-pieces, for the inspection of the general; and to one of these boxes, containing four shells, a spark, by some means, found its way, when three of the four shells were presently exploded, and their destructive contents dispersed in all directions. Major-general Hamond had his lip cut through; lieutenant T. Blaker, of the local militia, was stunned by a fragment of the gun-carriage striking him on the back part of the head; and two of the artillerymen were severely hurt, though neither had any bones broken.

Female courage

The following story of female courage is related in a foreign journal of the 2nd instant.

"Yesterday afternoon, two robbers, taking advantage of the occasion when people were at church, got into a detached house, situate between Vasiore and Vantoux, two villages near Metz. They got over a hedge, and were making their arrangements for breaking in the door of the house, when a little girl, ten years of age, who was the only person remaining in the house, having perceived them from a window, ascended to the garrett, in order to call for assistance, and afterwards placed herself in another window over the door. She then raised with difficulty a pick-axe, and let it fall, but the ruffians evaded the blow; and arming themselves with the pick-axe, burst open the door.

The girl, by no means disconcerted at this, seized two pistols, which the proprietor of the house had left in his cabinet, and killed on the spot the first robber who presented himself. The other took to flight, and diligent search is making after him."

Liberated from the tiger

A person viewing the royal menagerie at the Tower, on Thursday, imprudently ventured to touch the paw of one of the tigers, who instantly seized his arm with his mouth, and drew him close to the den, notwithstanding the assistance of two or three other men.

He was at length liberated from the tiger, by a person's succeeding in forcing a stick down the throat of the beast. He was carried to a surgeon, with his arm dreadfully lacerated.

In order to conceal himself

A dreadful accident happened last week to a son of William Davis, of Bourne, Lincolnshire.

A new threshing machine, which had been lately erected in the neighbourhood, excited the curiosity of several people to see it work; among others, the above lad (contrary to the injunction of his father) went for that purpose; the father happened to go also; and the boy perceiving him come, crept under part of the machine, in order to conceal himself, when one of the wheels caught his clothes, and drawing him among the works, broke his collar-bone, one of his arms in three places, both his thighs, both his legs, and cut his head in a dreadful manner.

A leg of mutton

A most horrid attempt was made by a man who resides near Dockhead, on Friday last, to poison his wife and three children.

He took a leg of mutton home, and ordered it to be roasted for dinner. His wife accordingly roasted it, and got it ready by the time he appointed. He did not come home to dinner, and the wife and children made their dinners from some provisions that were in the house, and did not cut the leg of mutton.

The husband did not arrive till supper-time, and made an excuse for not coming to dinner. His wife offered him some of the leg of mutton for his supper, but he declined it, saying he had brought home some fish, which he wished to have fried.

His wife fried them with the dripping produced from the roasting of the leg of mutton, and he ate heartily of the fish. In the night he was taken extremely ill, and has continued in the most excruciating torture since.

He inquired how the fish had been cooked, and being informed, and also that none of his family had partaken of the mutton, he acknowledged his guilt by saying, the deadly and diabolical scheme he had laid of poisoning the whole of them had fallen upon himself, having laid the leg of mutton in a quantity of arsenic for a considerable time, and also having rubbed it into the meat.

The miserable wretch is languishing in the greatest torture of body and mind.

So dreadfully injured

On Monday se'nnight, while Mr. Dowle, jun. of Oxenham, Gloucestershire, an officer in the local militia, was out shooting, in passing through a hedge, with the but-end of his gun advanced before him, something caught the trigger, when the piece exploded, and the whole of the charge entered his breast, some of it passing through the back part of his shoulder. Although so dreadfully injured, he contrived to walk home, where surgical assistance was procured, and he underwent a very painful operation for the extraction of the shot. He lingered, however, in excruciating pain till Friday evening, when he expired.

She sunk with a full cargo

A dreadful accident happened a few days ago on board the Jason, a vessel of Boston, lying about four miles from the town, in a part of the Deeps called Clay-hole.

Mr. Massam, the master, was on business in Boston; but before he quitted the vessel, be had carefully locked up the cabin, in which were some swivel cartridges, and a quantity of gunpowder. The mate of the vessel, to relieve the tedium of waiting for a wind, imprudently broke open the door during the master's absence, took out some powder, and went from the vessel to shoot sea-fowl, leaving on board only a boy about fourteen years of age.

The youth, thus left, amused himself by getting a handful of gunpowder, and throwing it in small quantities into a fire on board; but having, it is supposed, scattered some between the cabin and the fire-place, the flame ran along the train, and in an instant, by the tremendous explosion of all the powder kept for the guns which the Jason carried, the whole stern of the vessel was swept away, and she sunk with a full cargo of oats on board.

Providentially the boy was not hurt by the explosion, and was taken from the sinking vessel by a boat which was put off from the Tre Madoc, lying near.

The wrong chimney

A poor chimney-sweeper's boy lost his life in a most shocking manner, in a chimney, at a house in Orchard-street, Westminster.

He went up a chimney to clean it, and got out at the top. On his return, he got into a chimney belonging to the same house, by mistake, which had a fire at the bottom, in which he got stuck fast, and was suffocated before relief could be rendered him.

Till death closed their mortal career

On Tuesday morning, the 15th instant, when the men employed at the lime-kiln near St. Catherine's, Waterford, went to their work, they found a man and a woman lying dead on the edge of its eye. The parties were.soon recognized; the young man having lived in the immediate neighbourhood of the kiln, and the unhappy woman, who, we understand, was the widow of an industrious carpenter, at no great distance from it.

The wretched youth was known to have been drinking at a late hour in the neighbourhood the preceding evening, and it is thought the parties must have found their way into the yard at low water, through the sluice at John's Hill.

Incapable of reflection, they had suffered themselves to be so much attracted by the heat of the kiln, as to seek repose on its very crown, where, rendered senseless by the mephitic vapour, they were retained till death closed their mortal career. When found, one side of the man was literally roasted.

Walked through the water

At Fishtoft, Mr. Smith Sessop (formerly in trade as a grocer at Boston) lost his life in endeavouring to rescue some of his father's sheep. On Saturday night, old Mr. Sessop, accidentally looking out of his house and mistaking the approaching deluge for a fall of snow upon the ground, exclaimed to his son that care should be taken of some sheep on his pastures.

The deceased immediately went forth, and before he recovered from the astonishment excited by the scene, walked through the water, in his way to the sheep into a pit, where he was drowned before any assistance could be rendered.

Epitaph

0n a Monument lately erected in Horsley-Down Church, in Cumberland.

"Here lie the bodies Of Thomas Bond and Mary his wife.
She was temperate, chaste, and charitable;
BUT
She was proud, peevish, and passionate.
She was an affectionate wife, and a tender mother;
BUT
Her husband and child, whom she loved,
Seldom saw her countenance without a disgusting frown,
Whilst she received visitors, whom she despised, with an endearing smile.
Her behaviour was discreet towards strangers;
BUT
Imprudent in her family.
Abroad, her conduct was influenced by good breeding;
BUT
At home, by ill temper.
She was a professed enemy to flattery,
And was seldom known to praise or commend,
BUT
The talents in which she principally excelled,
Were difference of opinion, and discovering flaws and imperfections.
She was an admirable economist,
And, without prodigality,
Dispensed plenty to every person in her family;
BUT
Would sacrifice their eyes to a farthing candle.
She sometimes made her husband happy with her good qualities;
BUT
Much more frequently miserable - with her many failings:
Insomuch that in thirty years cohabitation he often lamented
That, maugre all her virtues,
He had not, in the whole, enjoyed two years of matrimonial comfort.
AT LENGTH
Finding that she had lost the affections of her husband,
As well as the regard of her neighbours,
Family disputes having been divulged by servants,
She died of vexation, July 20, 1768,
Aged 48 years.
Her worn-out husband-survived her four months and two days,
And departed this life Nov. 28, 1768,
In the 54th year of his age.
William Bond,brother to the deceased, erected this stone,
As a weekly monitor to the surviving wives of this parish,
That they may avoid the infamy
Of having their memories handed to posterity
With a patch-work character."

A dreary road

This day a post-chaise was hired at the King's Arms Inn, in Salisbury, to go beyond Collingbourne. After setting down his fare, the driver was returning at night towards Collingbourne, a dreary road, with which he was unacquainted, and it was so dark as to make it impossible to see the road.

Thus situated, he unfortunately dгоvе over a precipice, at the bottom of which he was found dead the next morning. The chaise was nearly broken to pieces, and the horses so much hurt as to render them nearly useless.

Playing on a straw-stack

As some children were lately playing on a straw-stack, belonging to Mr. Coulson, of Bottle Barns, near Morpeth, one of them, Mr. J.'s daughter, was sliding down, when a fork, which had been left upright against it, penetrated her side and caused her death.

Here goes!

At the execution of Matsell, at Birmingham, for maliciously firing at and wounding a watchman of that town, being desired to give a signal the moment he wished to be turned off; when every thing was ready, he threw up a handkerchief that he held in his hand, and exclaimed, "Here goes!"

In their hilarity

This evening, on finishing a house in Brick-lane, Spitalfields, the bricklayers went on the most elevated part of the building to drink a gallon of beer, with three huzzas. In their hilarity, four persons fell to the ground; one was killed on the spot, and the others were taken to the London hospital; one of whom is since dead, and the other two not likely to recover.

Mistaking a paper of gun-powder

A melancholy accident happened at a cottage adjoining the city walls in St. Stephen's, Norwich, on Saturday last, by the occupier mistaking a paper of gun-powder for black lead, which she used in cleaning a stove, when it suddenly exploded, and herself with three children were so dreadfully burnt as to endanger their lives. They were all conveyed to the county hospital.

Blown into a tub

Joseph Gardam, an old man, aged 70 years, was, by a strong gust of wind, blown into a tub of boiling glew, at Hull, by which he was so severely scalded that he died.

Wife for sale

A man named John Gowthorpe exposed his wife for sale in the market, at Hull, about one o'clock, but owing to the crowd which such an extraordinary occurrence had gathered together, he was obliged to defer the sale, and take her away. About four o'clock, however, he again brought her out, and she was sold for 20 guineas, and delivered in a halter to a person named Houseman, who had lodged with them four or five years.

In shooting birds

A lieutenant of the navy, in shooting birds at Fratton, near Portsmouth, as he inadvertently attempted to divide the briars with the butt end of the piece, it being on full cock, the trigger caught to a bramble, and the contents of the gun were discharged through the officer's heart, who expired immediately.

Shot her through the head

The following melancholy accident happened at Southburne, near Great Driffield:- three or four warreners having been their rounds in the rabbet-warrens adjoining, on their return deposited their loaded pieces in the house of one of the party. Shortly afterwards one of the guns was taken up by a boy of eleven years of age, who levelled it at the servant girl, aged fifteen, and shot her through the head. She died in great agonies.

Azotic gas

This morning, an excise officer, named Littlejohn, was found dead in a vat of strong beer, in a state of fermentation, at the brew-house of Mr. Thornton at Horsham.

It came out, in evidence, before the coroner's jury, on a view of the body, that the deceased went to the brewhouse, on Monday night, to make his accustomed survey; and that in leaning over the vessel, the azotic gas, arising from beer in such a state, might suffocate him, and cause him to fall into the liquor; they therefore returned a verdict of accidental death. The vessel containing about 16 barrels of beer, was by Mr. Thornton's direction, thrown into the common sewer.

His leg got entangled in the rope

A singular accident happened at the new church, Dagenham, Essex. The society of Cumberland youths were invited to open the new peal of bells, which they performed in the morning, by ringing 7008 changes of Oxford treble-bob-royal, in four hours and forty nine minutes; but, in the evening, Mr. Channon, master of the society, wished to oblige the inhabitants of the village with another peal, when, unfortunately, his leg got entangled in the rope, which drew him up to the next loft, and falling thence on his head, he was killed on the spot, the upper part of the skull being beat in so, that the brains oozed out through the cavities.

Crushed entirely flat

This day as a cart, laden with sand, was coming up the lane from the Bell Sand Wharf, in Upper-Thames-street, (which is so narrow that, except in a space where a warehouse door is fixed, the wheels graze the walls) a young man, a lighterman, met it as he was going down. The carman warned him of his danger, and requested him to go back, which he refused, but ran on, hoping to gain the door-way; unfortunately his head and the wheel came in contact with the wall, the poor young man's head was crushed entirely flat, and he was left a shapeless and nearly headless corpse.

He sunk and rose no more

A man, who some time ago leaped from London, Blackfriars, and Westminster bridges into the Thames, in three-quarters of an hour, undertook, for a wager, to perform the same exploit again.

Having leaped from London bridge into the water, he sunk and rose no more; when the body was found, it appeared, that having gone down with his arms in a horizontal, instead of a perpendicular position, they were both dislocated by the force of the water.

When his foot slipped

A lad, of Castor, in Lincolnshire, who had been witness to the execution of Pidgeon, at Peterborough, was explaining to his younger brother the manner in which the culprit made his exit; and, to make his representation the more striking, he fastened a rope over a beam in the barn, got a ladder, and placed a noose round his neck; when his foot slipped, and before the family could be alarmed, he was dead!

Worried him to death

At Harrowgate a servant had been riding a small stallion poney, the property of a physician at Manchester, and on alighting, slackly retained the rein whilst he stood with his back towards him. The poney directly seized the man, threw him on the ground, knelt on him, and in the most vengeful manner worried him to death. The mangled corpse, was rescued with difficulty from the devouring beast.

Shockingly mangled

This evening the following dreadful accident happened:- A very genteel dressed man having got behind one of the Stratford stages, he unfortunately got entangled in the wheel, which at length drew him almost double between the spokes, and impeded the progress of the carriage.

To extricate the unhappy man it was found necessary to take off the wheel, when his head appeared nearly severed from his body, and otherwise shockingly mangled. He was taken to the Plough, at Mile-end, for the inspection of the coroner's inquest.

A most horrible project

The French papers mention a most horrible project which was attempted to be carried into effect by a miscreant at Lyons.

He had hired a sort of stable having an entrance from the street; in this he had dug a pit about six feet square, and twenty in depth. This was covered by planks moving on a swivel, which at one end were confined only by a slender thread. There was a lateral hollow in one side of the pit filled with straw, which by an apparatus he could set on fire, for the purpose of smothering his victims, with a sort of windlass to draw them up, and in an obscure corner a grave for their interment.

He first tried this infernal machine on a country woman coming to the market with fruit. She being called in, sunk into the trap, and he attempted to set the straw on fire; in his haste he happily failed, and being affrighted by her loud and reiterated cries, he took to flight. The woman was extricated by the neighbours with but little injury.

The villain was arrested, and will undergo the punishment due to his crime.

Unnatural reprobate

At the Monmouth assizes, Mr. W. Sanders, an old man of Liverpool, was found guilty of manslaughter, and discharged, on paying 6s. 8d. His son had violently beat him with a stick and horsewhip and threatened to murder him on the first opportunity that offered, with a view to intimidate him. The old man loaded his gun and presenting it at the unnatural reprobate, shot him.

Killed by his cat

DIED.- 9th. In consequence of an extraordinary accident, Dr. Hoare, master of Jesus college, Oxford, and prebendary of Westminster. As he was sitting at tea, somebody moved the table upon his favourite cat, and gave the animal such pain, that it flew directly at the doctor, and the wound by its claws occasioned a mortification, which put a period to his life. Dr. Hoare was upwards of ninety years of age. This gentleman attended the late earl Harcourt to the court of Mecklenburgh Strelitz, in 1761, and had the honour of marrying our gracious queen.

By some accident blew up

Several barrels of gunpowder, in the stores of Messrs. M'Intoss, Inglis, and Wilson, in the centre of the town of Inverness, by some accident blew up, spreading devastation round them; some houses have been rased to their foundation, others unroofed, and not one that has escaped some injury. Fragments of the buildings were driven a great distance, three women and two children were buried in the ruins; and two Miss Frasers, of Fanellan, unfortunately passing, one was killed on the spot, and the other so desperately wounded, as to render her death a desirable event. Many other people were wounded, but not dangerously. The shock was felt many miles round.

Inclosed in an oak coffin

A hair-dresser, at Brussels, having lately quarrelled with a woman to whom he was attached, shot her through the head with a pistol, and, finding that she still gave some signs of life, he killed her with the butt-end of a musket. When the guards entered the place, he threw himself on the dead body, and before he could be seized he blew out his brains with the musket.

An innkeeper, returning from taking a walk with his wife, was so affected at the spectacle as to drop down to all appearance dead; the medical persons who were called in declared him to be lifeless. The next day he was inclosed in an oak coffin, and deposited in a chapel till the funeral was to take place.

Some of the neighbours hearing a noise in the chapel, ran to the place, and found the poor man bathed in his blood, and really dead, having, as it-appeared, made most violent but ineffectual efforts to break his coffin.

So much liquor

Two labourers, employed in a warehouse at Deptford to remove brandy; took occasion to broach one of the hogheads, and by means of a reed, sucked so much liquor, that they were both found dead by the sides of the casks. One of them a few hours before, was seen at a public-house, seemingly sober, drinking a pot of beer.

Missing balcony

Died 21st. At two o'clock, at his house in Upper Harley-street, in consequence of a dreadful accident he met with on the preceding Wednesday night, about eleven o'clock, William Bosanquet, esq.

He was making some alterations in his house, and, amongst others, had removed the balcony from his back drawing-room window: unfortunately forgetting this circumstance, he walked out, and immediately fell into the area, and, in his fall, broke the vertebrae of his back, and was otherwise most severely bruised and injured.

He was sensible of his inevitable dissolution, and bore his sufferings with a fortitude of  mind almost unparalleled, dictating, in the extremity of torture, some additions to his will. He has left a most amiable lady and ten children to lament his loss.

Mr. Bosanquet was a son of the bank-director, and himself a partner in the banking-house of Foster and Lubbock.

Boiled the baby

A child of Mrs. Dandy, of Rotherhithe-wall, near Dock-head, being about to be put to bed, and crying vehemently, the servant, Anne Vines, to quell its obstinancy, threatened to put it into the copper, unlens it consented so go quietly to bed.

Persuasion and remonstrance being in vain, the servant suspended the infant (not three years of age), over the place of terror; when it slipped from her arms, and sunk at once to the bottom of the boiling copper. It died immediately, in a most shocking state, the very skin coming off with the clothes, when taken out.

The jury sat the next day, and, after a minute investigation, returned the following verdict: feloniously killing and slaying, by putting the child in the copper, but not with an intent to kill.

Anne Vines has since been tried at the Surry assizes, and found guilty of manslaughter.

The campanilogers art

A short time since, eight members of the society of Cumberland youths made an attempt to ring 15,136 changes of Oxford triple-bobs on Edmonton church-bells. It requires upwards of ten hours time to perform this task, at 25 changes a minute. They had entered the ninth hour, when an unlucky accident befell Mr. Cross, the composer of the peal: making an attempt to slacken his knee-buckle, his leg entanged in the coil of the rope, by which he was elevated to a considerable height, and, thence falling down on his head, he broke his collar-bone. Had it not been for this accident, no doubt the feat would have been accomplished, and the performers crowned with perpetual honour, as nothing to be compared with such an achievement of strength and skill can be found in the records of the campanilogers art.

Apparent negligence

This afternoon, as the Chatham and Rochester coach came out of the gateway of the inn-yard of the Golden-Cross, Charing-Cross, a young woman, silting on the top, threw her head back, to prevent her from striking against the beam: but, there being to much luggage on the roof of the coach as to hinder her laying herself sufficiently back, it caught her face, and tore the flesh up her forehead in a dreadful manner. She was conveyed to an hospital, where slie died on the 19th.

A coroner's inquest was, on the 22d, held at the Westminster-Infirmary on the body of the above young woman, who, it appears, was only 19 years of age; and brought in their verdict, accidental death; but, on account of apparent negligence in the coachman, they fined him five pounds.

It appeared, that the deceased had come to town to visit a lying-in sister, and was on her return to Chatham, when the accident happened.

Death by tea

A few days ago, two women in De-la-port-court, Hull, were suddenly taken ill aster drinking tea in the afternoon. As their illness seemed to be the effect of poison, the kettle was examined, and in the water were found spiders and other insects, which, it is supposed, had remained there so long as to make it putrid, and to occasion the death of both mother and daughter. The former died shortly after, and the latter on Tuesday last.

Discovered in flames

Last week, the cabin of a boat at the canal-basin at Chesterfield was discovered in flames, and two young men were taken there-out burnt to death, in a manner too shocking to relate. It is supposed, from the severity of the weather, they had made too large a fire in the cabin, which set the boat on fire, and caused them to be suffocated.

Killed by her petticoats

A poor woman was killed at Burnley, owing to the wind blowing her petticoats into the machinery of a cotton-mill, by which she was literally torn to pieces. She has left five infant children.

Such a dreadful explosion

Plymouth. A melancholy accident happened yesterday evening at the gun-wharf in the dockyard at this place. Mr. Brace, with his son, about 12 years old, G. Newman, R. Herden, and G. Searles, were employed in removing a quantity of bomb-shells, landed from the different French prizes lately brought in here, and purchased by Mr. Brace at public sale, when, by some accident, one of the shells took fire, which communicated itself to several others, filled also with combustible matter, and caused such a dreadful explosion, before any of the above persons could gel out of the reach of its destructive influence, that Mr. Brace and his son were killed on the spot, G. Newman had his right thigh blown off, and the other two were dangerously wounded. Many others had left the spot only a few minutes, by which providential circumstance their lives were saved.

The explosion was distinctly heard at Castletown, three miles and a half distant from the spot. A young midshipman was also brought to the Royal Hospital from the Castor, dreadfully mangled in his face and hands, having been blown up by letting off some loose powder from a priming powder-horn.

The strength of the current

Manchester Gazette. - A coach driver, late on the twenty-sixth of last month, (near the hour of twelve) drove his vehicle into our river, near the Old Bridge, for the purpose of washing; when the current being strong, the horses were soon driven into the centre of the stream, forced under one of the arches, and, in that state, (too shocking almost to conceive) they swam, with the man on the box, through Blackfriers-bridge, fighting and struggling for their lives, till one in the morning.

The poor fellow, in his endeavours, had entangled his legs in the reins; but from them he extricated himself with a knife; when, fortunately coming nearly in contact with a dyer's flat, he, by an astonishing effort, jumped from the box upon the same, where he lay several minutes in a state of insensibility. The horses, after swimming about the river some time, followed their master to the flat, and attempted to raise their fore-feet upon it: the poor man, with the little strength he had left, held up the head of one of the creatures, till, with a convulsive groan, it expired in his arms.

From the active assistance of several persons, attracted by the cries of the coachman, they had so far succeeded in rescuing the other horse as to extricate him from the reins, and had got him nearly half up Mrs. Duxbury's steps, when, owing to the tempestuousness of the night, he slipped from their holds, and again plunged into the river; after which nothing more was seen of him.

Happy would it have been had the calamity ended here: curiosity (early on the morning following) called crowds of people together to see the bodies of the horses floating; among others, a group of nine or ten women and children very incautiously got together on a dyer's stage, hanging over the river near the New Bridge; when, shocking to relate, the bottom of the stage gave way, and they were all in an instant precipitated into the river.

Three were recovered before life was gone; the strength of the current rendered every endeavour to save the others ineffectual, and they were all swept away. On how slender a thread does human life hang! The insecurity of these stanges, from the number of years they have been erected, renders it a matter of astonishment that even an individual will trust his person thereon.

The following are the names of the unfortunate sufferers: Miss Martha Rhodes, Miss Anna Reed, Miss Jane Holiday; Ellen Neild, Sarah Petty, (Mrs. Duxbury's servants) and Richard Boardman. A woman and her child are also said to have perished.

A boy, who was saved, was fetched out by a dyer's dog. The sagacious animal returned for a woman, but, it was too late.

By the changing of the tide

A melancholy circumstance took place on Tuesday afternoon, near Dover: as some artillerymen were firing the great guns in Archcliffs fort, one of the shot unfortunately struck .his majesty's sloop Osprey, and killed two men on the spot, and shattered another poor man's arm so badly, that he died yesterday.

His royal highness the prince of Wales, hearing of the above, was much affected, and immediately ordered the greatest possible care to be taken of the wounded man, and of the families of the deceased. It appears the gun had been pointed some hours before it was fired, and, by the changing of the tide, the Osprey was in its direction.

Not supposing it to be loaded

An unfortunate accident happened on-board the Endymion, two or three days before she came into Portsmouth. Some pistols lying on the gun-room table, Mr.Thompson, a marine officer, took up one of them, not supposing it to be loaded, and presented it at Mr. Hogg, a surgeon, saying, "I'll shoot you;" when it unfortunately went off.

The ball entered at one ear, and came out al the opposite side, carrying away part of tbe tongue. Mr. Hogg was sent immediately to Haslar-hospital, where hopes are entertained of his recovery.

The horse was drowned

On Thursday evening a gentleman in a single-horse chaise, accompanied by a lady and child, drove into what he conceived a shallow part of the Serpentine River, Hyde-park, in order to wash the wheels of his carriage; but going to the brink of the declivity, which is said to be near fifteen feet deep, the chaise was overturned; and the whole party were precipitated into the water. We are happy, however, to add that by the exertions, of several persons, who fortunately happened to be on the spot, the lady, gentleman, and child were saved; but the horse was drowned it being impossible to extricate it from the carriage.

Absorbed in her reflections

Bath. A melancholy accident happened here a few days since.

An elderly gentlewoman, returning from lady Huntingdon's chapel, being, as it is supposed, absorbed in her reflections, walked over the precipice, which is at some distance in front of that building, and fell into a mudrpool below. Being discovered by some chairmen, she was taken first to a surgeon's, and afterwards, her person being unknown, to the Casualty-hospital.

The cranium was so violently injured, that she died next morning.

It was, after some time, discovered, that this unfortunate sufferer was no other than Miss Mackworth, sister of the late sir Herbert Mackworth, bart.

Employed to kill a pig

The following distressing circumstance occurred at Bilston, in Staffordshire: a butcher had been employed to kill a pig, at a house at that place; and, after having hung it up, he imprudently left his knife behind him, when a boy, about four years old, who had seen the pig .killed, took the knife, and (shocking to relate) stabbed an infant, under the ear, as it lay asleep in a cradle; alarmed at the blood which flowed from the wound, he immediately ran into the yard, to his mother, who was drawing water at a well; the sight of the bloody knife, and the boy's cries, so terrified the poor woman, that the windlass slipped from her hands, and struck the boy with such force on the head, that it killed him on the spot! The distress of the mother, after losing two children in this dreadful and sudden manner, may be better conceived than described.

The vapour not being evaporated

A very melancholy and distressing calamity occurred at Mr. Meux's brewhouse, in Liquorpond-street.

A porter vat having been emptied on Thursday, and kept open above the usual time of six-and-thirty hours before it was cleansed, one of the men was let down across a stick fastened to ropes, to perform that service; he unfortunately, letting go his hold, fell to the bottom, and the vapour not being evaporated, caused instant suffocation; his companion, seeing his situation, and having procured a joint ladder, went down into the vessel, where, on reaching the bottom, he fell lifeless.

Mr. Squires, acting clerk, imagining he could bring the unfortunate persons up, persisted also in going down, though intreated to desist, and accordingly being supplied with ropes, he put one round the neck and waist of one of the men; but being desired by the persons above to shift it under his arms, while performing this humane office the effluvia overpowered him, and he dropped down dead.

The bodies of all three, after some time, were drawn up by hooks.

His Royal Highness the Duke of York, who happened to be at Mr. Leader's, coach-maker, at the time of the accident, went immediately to the brewhouse, and ordered every medical assistance to be procured. Several gentlemen of the faculty attended, and used the means of resuscitation for near three hours, but without effect.

The coroner's jury sat at eight o'clock in the evening, and brought in their verdict Accidental Death.

Mr. Squires was only twenty-five years of age. They were all of them married, and one has left four children.

Onconventional relations

The following curious article is extracted from one of the Paris papers:-

Citizen Finot, President of the Provisional Administration of the department of the Youne, formerly a hussar at Avrolles, and afterwards a member of the National Convention, has found the means of multiplying, by a single alliance (not indeed a very common one) his kindred and family connexions.

He married, as his first wife, the female Citizen Bribot, widow of Rose, by whom she had a daughter, now living, named Mary Ann Rose. The President Finot had, by this widow, another daughter, who is also now living. His wife died, and, on the 14th of January last, he married his daughter-in-law, Mary Ann Rose.

The consequence of this marriage is, that the president becomes the son-in-law of his first wife, the father-in-law of his second wife, and brother-in-law of his own daughter. Madame Finot becomes the mother-in-law of her sister.

If Madame Finot contributes any little Finots to the Republic, Monsieur Finot will be both their father and grandfather; and the first Miss Finot will be their aunt and sister.

Strangled by a sheep

This day, a man, who had the appearance of a labourer, was found strangled in a field near Camberwell, Surrey. It appeared that he had stolen a sheep, the hind legs of which he had tied together, and put them over his forehead in order to carry it away; but it is thought, that in getting over the gate the sheep struggled, and by a sudden spring flipped his feet down to his throat, for in that posture they were found, the animal hanging on one side of the gate, and the dead man on the other.

Preparing fireworks

Letters from Vienna state the unfortunate death of the archduke Leopold, palatine of Hungary, and brother to the emperor, on Friday the 10th instant. On that day, the emperor and his brother amused themselves at the Imperial palace at Luxembourg, near Vienna, with preparing fireworks, assisted by a page and an Hungarian chasseur.

The emperor had been some time superintending this business, when finding the room warm, he walked out for the benefit of the air. The archduke wished to try the effect of a rocket at one of the windows, but it rebounded back again, and set fire to the powder and other fireworks, which were there. Every one ran to lend all possible assistance as soon as the explosion was heard, but all efforts were in vain. The archduke expired, after suffering fifteen hours, of excruciating pain.

A very desperate attempt

This morning, between one and two o'clock, a very desperate attempt was made to rescue Isdwell Isdwell, a Jew, who stood charged, with some others, with being concerned in a late forgery of stamps, and who, in a scuffle, lost his life in the following manner:

Isdwell, who was confined in New Prison, Clerkenwell, persuaded two of the turnkeys, that an aunt of his, who was very rich, then lay at the point of death, and that he had been informed, that, could she see him before she died, she would give him a thousand pounds; and therefore, if they would let him out and accompany him to the place, he would give them fifty guineas each for their trouble; and that the matter might be effected without the knowledge of the keeper of the prison, or any other person, they having the keys of it at night, and the time required being very short.

To this proposal the turnkeys agreed; and accordingly, about one o'clock in the morning, the gates were opened, and Isdwell, with his irons on, was conducted in a hackney coach by one of them, armed with a blunderbuss, to the place directed, which was in Artillery-lane, Bishopsgate-street, where they gained immediate admittance on ringing a bell; and, on enquiring for the sick lady, were ushered up one pair of stairs.

Isdwell, went into the room first, on which several fellows rushed forth and attempted to keep the turnkey out; but not succeeding in that respect, they put the candles out, wrested the blunderbuss out of his hands, and discharged it at him. At this instant, it was supposed, Isdwell was endeavouring to make his escape out of the door, as he received the principal part of the contents of the blunderbuss in his back, and fell dead; the turnkey also fell, one of the slugs having grazed the upper part of his head; and the villains, by some means finding their mistake, though in the dark, beat him, in so shocking a manner with the butt end of the blunderbuss, while he lay on the ground, as to break it to pieces, fracture his skull in two places, and bruise him dreadfully about the body.

The noise which the affair occasioned, brought a number of watchmen and patroles to the house, who secured ten persons therein, mostly Jews. There is every reason to suppose that they would have completely murdered the turnkey, had not timely assistance been afforded.

Attempting to blow up flies

Brighthelmstone. A dreadful accident happened yesterday at Hove, in consequence of the inadvertency of a boy who was attempting to blow up flies with gunpowder, at a public-house. He had formed a train for this purpose, across the side of the room, at the end of which stood a closet containing a great quantity of powder. A spark of the former unfortunately got among the latter, and such were the dreadful consequences of the explosion, that the boy had one of his eyes blown out, and his face most shockingly mangled. Two soldiers have likewise suffered so much by the same that their lives are despaired of.

There were several more in the apartment who escaped unhurt. That part of the room, however, where the gunpowder stood, was intirely knocked down by the violence of the shock, and the house considerably damaged.

The arrest of a dead body

As the corpse of a gentleman was proceeding to the burial-ground, it was arrested by a sheriff's officer and his followers, under the usual warrant on a writ of capias ad satisfaciendum. The friends, who followed, immediately left their coaches, and told the officer, if he chose, he was welcome to take the body, but he should not have coffin, shroud, or any one particle in which the body was enveloped, as those things were the property of the executors; and farther insisted, that, as the deceased had, by his will, bequeathed his body to them, no execution would hold good against the corpse.

The bailiff, after attending to many literary and persuasive arguments, and having discussed the matter as fully as the time and place would admit of, was very properly convinced that the spirit of the law meant a living and not a dead body, and accordingly marched off without insisting farther on the legality of his capture.

This, it is presumed, is the first and only instance of the kind that has happened since the arrest of the dead body of a sheriff of London, not many years since.

Walking too near the edge

A young woman charged with the care of a child four years old, belonging to Mr. Pearson, merchant, at Whitby, walking too near the edge of the precipice, over the new half-moon battery at that place, the ground gave way, and she fell with the child in her arms from the height of near 100 feet perpendicular. The young woman was dashed to pieces, and her remains were conveyed from the spot a shocking spectacle; the child had its right arm broken; but providentially received little hurt besides, and is now in a way of recovery.

A most inhuman murder

Christian Jefferies and Wm. Harrison, the latter twelve years of age, were committed to Warwick gaol charged with a most inhuman murder, committed on the body of Wm. Sellard, a boy of only ten years old. The coroner's inquest sat four days for the full investigation of this crime, the cruelties of which are thus related: that these boys having the care of a boat on the Oxford canal left to their charge, they had exercised numberless and excessive cruelties upon the deceased; that after unmercifully beating and otherwise ill treating him, he was lashed to the rudder and then thrown into the canal, and dragged along to a considerable distance; and stripping off his shirt at another time, they had thrown it upon the top of a thorn, and forced him in that state to climb up after it, and that from divers abuses too shocking to relate, the wounds having at length mortified, they dragged him out of the boat to a bank contiguous, where he died.

So finished a short, foolish, and dissipated life

The right honourable lord Barrymore, conducting a number of French prisoners from Rye to Dover, by the Berkshire militia, under his command, the whole party halted at the turnpike at the top of Folkstone hill; after taking some refreshment, on regaining his seat in his vehicle, a fusee, which he carried with him, went off, and shot him through the head.

He died in a few minutes, and so finished a short, foolish, and dissipated life, which had passed very discreditably to his rank as a peer, and still more so as a member of society. He was born August 14 1769.

1793 global warming

The climate of England, in the opinion of many, has, of late years, undergone a considerable change.

Formerly we used to have smart frosts in winter; and hot, and sometimes dry summers. For some years back both winters and summers have generally been wet, with so little ice, that luxury, by its agents, has been obliged to procure it from foreign parts.

In the course of last year, those who kept a register of the weather tell us, there were but one hundred and three dry days. For the little that is passed of the present year, we have scarcely had six dry days.

He was his own assassinator

Barnet. The house of Mr. Adam, the architect, in this neighbourhood, in the absence of the family, was attacked in the early part of last week by a banditti, for the evident purpose of committing depredations. The husbandry bailiff was alarmed, and discovered them; on which he fired amongst them, and killed one of the gang.

A few evenings afterwards, a party of thirteen ruffians returned to their charge. The bailiff was again alarmed, fired amongst them, and killed two.

A few days after four persons, genteelly dressed, called on horseback at Mr. Adam's house, and addressed the bailiff, who was by their conversation drawn to some distance from the house, by answering questions, and making remarks on the grounds. The party then having by their manner unguarded all suspicion, they took an opportunity of shooting him, and left him for dead on the spot at two o'clock in the afternoon.

He survived, however, some days, and it was discovered, before his death, that the story was fabricated, and that he was his own assassinator.

Sprung into the man's throat

We hear from Leeds, that about midnight two fishermen belonging to Hull being employed near the Spurn, one of them (Samuel Sallies) having both his hands employed in drawing the net, caught the head of a soal, which endeavoured to escape through a mesh in the net, between his teeth (a practice very common amongst fishermen). The soal, making an effort, sprung into the man's throat, who being thereby rendered incapable of calling out to his companion; went towards him, and made him sensible, by signs, of his melancholy situation.

His comrade instantly laid hold of the fish's tail, but not being able to extract the body, the man was suffocated very soon after he reached the boat. The soal (the dimensions of which were eight inches and a half in length, by three and a quarter in breadth) was found with the head near the upper orifice of the stomach, the teeth being fastened into the substance of the oesophagus, and its tail inverted.

One struck the other with a fork

A melancholy accident happened in the park of N. Scottone, Esq. of Chesham, Bucks. As two boys, about twelve years of age, were left to fodder the deer in the absence of the keeper, some words arose, when one struck the other with a fork, and made a push at him, and ran the tine five inches into his ear. The boy languished about ten days, and then died, in the greatest agonies, to the great grief of two kind friends, who had adopted him as their son.

A jury was called, who sat about seven hours on the body, and brought in a verdict, wilful murder. Upon which the boy was committed to Aylesbury gaol, to take his trial next March assizes.

Happily, only six lives were lost

The following melancholy accident occurred in the house of Mrs. Clitherow, fire-work-maker; near Halfmoon-alley, Bishopsgate-street: Mrs. Clitherow, with two journeymen, her son, and eldest daughter, being at work in her shop, to complete some orders against Friday, about half past one o'clock in the morning some tea was proposed as a refreshment; while this was drinking, some of the materials upon which they had been at work, by unknown means, took fire, when Mrs. Clitherow's eldest daughter ran up stairs to alarm her three sisters, who were in bed. Her sisters pressing her as to the safety of her mother, she came down again, but not till the flames had got to such an height, that, every attempt to get out of the front door proving abortive, she, with one of the men, got into the yard.

She there first perceived that her clothes were on fire, which the man had scarcely extinguished, by assisting her to get into the water-tub, before a beam fell, with the explosion of the roof, and broke his arm. At the same time, both the roof and the gable end of the next house, Mr. Gibbs's, was forced into the street, by which a person, who lodged in the garret, was thrown out of his bed upon the ground at several yards distance; this man's thighs were broke, and he is otherwise much hurt.

It was not till some time after the principal explosion, that the two unhappy people in Mrs. Clitherow's yard were found by the populace almost entombed in the smoking ruins: the young woman was conveyed to St. Bartholomew's hospital, and the two men to St. Thomas's - two of whom are since dead.

It is supposed that her mother and the other journeyman fell a sacrifice to an attempt to extinguish the flames in the shop below, as the principal part of the powder, which was deposited in the garret, was a considerable time before it took fire.

Happily, only six lives were lost, viz. Mrs. Clitherow, one journeyman, her son, and three daughters; nor were any other persons hurt than those above-mentioned.

Mrs. Clitherow's house is entirely consumed, but the two adjacent are only considerably damaged, as were the windows and tiling of almost all the houses as far off the spot as Broad-street Buildings.

It is remarkable, that the late husband of Mrs. Clitherow had a similar accident on the same spot about thirty years since, when several lives were lost

A most unhappy affair

A most unhappy affair has lately occurred on board the Fitzwilliam East-Indiaman, just arrived: Mr. Dawson and his niece were passengers in the ship from Bengal, having part of the captain's cabin, or round-house, assigned to themselves for accommodation, and lived at the captain's table; the gentleman was a widower, and appeared to be about 45 years of age, and his niece about 30; the former had been in the profession of the law, and was reputed to have some fortune, as had the lady, and both were from Yorkshire.

On Wednesday morning, the 28th ult., it was currently reported in the ship, that Mr. D. (a cuddy passenger) had, by looking through the keyhole of the door of their apartment on Tuesday afternoon, discovered them in an improper situation; that he had called another person to be witness of the same; that they alarmed the parties by knocking at the door, and retired.

The affair being universally made known, a reserve took place at table during dinner between the gentlemen and the parties, and an explanation was so far gone into as to convince the latter that their guilt was public. They accordingly soon retired from table, and remained that day and Thursday in their apartment.


On Friday morning, the 30th, upon a servant's knocking at the door, and not being able to obtain admittance or attention, a suspicion arose, and the gunner was desired to go over the ship's quarter, and look into their apartment, on which he discovered that they had destroyed themselves. The gentleman was found sitting in the quarter gallery, with a fusee and a pistol, with the latter of which he had shot himself through the head; the lady was lying in the balcony, and a discharged pistol near her, with which she had shattered her head in a shocking manner. They had been dead for some time, and it was about seven in the morning when this part of the melancholy business was publicly known in the ship. Their bodies were committed to the deep at mid-day.

Some letters were found written by the lady, addressed to several friends and relations; one to the captain, thanking him for his kindness; one to the person whose fatal curiosity had occasioned the discovery, upbraiding him for cruel officiousness; and one to a gentleman who was in the same ship, and who paid his addresses to the lady, assuring him that she esteemed him highly; but declaring, that it never was her intention to impose on him a woman whose conduct he could not approve, and whose affections were devoted to another.

Opened a cage

A woman in Turnmill-street, Clerkenwell, quitted her house, leaving two children alone therein, who opened a cage in which three ferrets were confined, when the latter attacked one of the children, and tore out its eyes.

Imprudently left the place

The following melancholy accident happened at Woodford, in Essex, on the night between Monday and Tuesday last: Mr. Thompson, surgeon, of that place, being alarmed by a noise, occasioned, as was supposed, by some thieves who were attempting to rob his house, rose, and having awakened a servant who had been a long time in the family, and who was much respected for his honesty and sobriety, they both armed themselves with blunderbusses, and went out into the garden. Mr. Thompson stationed the servant at a particular corner, by which he supposed the thieves must pass, if  they had not already made a retreat, desiring him to remain on the same spot till he should take a turn round the garden.

The servant having imprudently left the place where he was desired to watch, was met by his master in another part of the garden, who, taking him for one of the house-breakers, discharged his blunderbuss at him, and lodged the whole contents in his body. The man died almost instantly, four balls having lodged in his lungs.

They need not be discouraged

About the beginning of May died Mrs. Buchan, the leader of a few deluded people, and who resided in the neighbourhood of Thornton-Hill, near Dumfries, Scotland. Her followers were greatly reduced in number; but Mr. White, once a relief minister, continued with her to the last. Finding she was going the way of all the earth, she called her disciples together, and exhorted them to continue stedfast and unanimous in their adherence to the doctrines which they had received from her.

She then told them she had still one secret to communicate, which was, that she was the Virgin Mary, the mother of our Lord; that she was the same woman mentioned in the Revelations, as being clothed with the sun, &c who was driven into the wilderness; that she had been wandering in the world ever since our Saviour's days; and that for some time past she had sojourned in Scotland; that though she here appeared to die, they need not be discouraged, for she would only sleep a little, and in a short time would again visit them, and conduct them to the New Jerusalem.

After she died, it was a long time before her enthusiastic votaries would straight or dress the corpse; nor did they coffin her until they were obliged thereto by the smell; and after that, they would not bury her, but built up the coffin in a corner of the barn, always expecting that she would rise again from the dead, according to her promise, and conduct them to Jerusalem.

At last, the people in the country around, shocked with these proceedings, interfered, went to a justice of the peace, and got an order that she should be buried.

So black and atrocious an act

Dundalk. - A most shocking transaction took place on Friday night last at Forkhill, within two miles of this town; at the dead hour of the night, the house of the parish schoolmaster was surrounded by a banditti, who, having broke in, took the man, his wife, and their son, a boy of fourteen years old, and cut their tongues out of their heads; after which, they took the father and mother and chopped off their fingers. So black and atrocious an act stands unparalleled in the annals of this Country.

The fright had so great an effect

A few days ago,, while one Fenner, a turner, and Philpot; a carpenter, were drinking together at the sign of the three compasses at Tunbridge Wells, a quarrel arose between them, which proceeded to blows. During the battle, which was severely contested for some time, the fright had so great an effect on Mrs. Peek, the landlady, that she expired, though the most immediate and necessary means were applied for her recovery. But what is more extraordinary, on the news of her death being carried to a Mr. Field, at Mount Ephraim, about half a mile distant, and a relation of the deceased, the shock was so great, that he died while the melancholy story was relating to him.

Killed by a lobster

Among accidents of an extraordinary nature, the following may be recorded, and it is vouched for as truth:- A man who resided at Chichester, having gone upon the rocks in search of shell-fish, perceived a large lobster in a chasm, and rashly thrust in his hand to pull it out.

The lobster seized on his thumb, and the man, as it is supposed, actuated by the impulse of pain, thrust his arm forward to disengage his thumb, but was unable afterwards to draw it back, and the tide flowing, he was drowned. He was found in the situation described, his thumb dreadfully cut, and the bone broken.

Fastened to the crown of the balloon

Newcastle upon Tyne, Sept. 20.

Lunardi's attempt to ascend yesterday from the Spital ground was productive of a very melancholy accident. The balloon was about one-third full, and a great many gentlemen were holding it by the netting, when Lunardi went to pour into the cistern the rest of the oil of vitriol destined for the purpose.

This having caused a strong effervescence, generated inflammable air with such rapidity, that some of it escaped from two different parts of the lower end of the apparatus, and spread among the feet of several gentlemen who were holding the balloon, and who were so alarmed, that leaving it at liberty, they ran from the spot.

The balloon now rose with great velocity, carrying up with it Mr. Ralph Heron, a gentleman of this town, about twenty-two years of age, son of Mr. Heron, under-sheriff of Northumberland.

This unhappy victim held a strong rope which was fastened to the crown of the balloon, twisted about his hand, and could not disengage himself when the other gentlemen fled; he was of course elevated about the height of St. Paul's cupola, when the balloon turned downward, the crown divided from it, and the unfortunate gentleman fell to the ground.

He did not expire immediately, having fallen upon very soft ground; he spoke for some time to his unhappy parents, and to the surgeons who came to assist him; but his internal vessels being broken, he died about an hour and an half after the fall.

The ingenious Mr. Spalding

The ingenious Mr. Spalding, accompanied by one of his young men, went down twice in his diving-bell at the Kishbank, Ireland, where the Imperial East-Indiaman was some time since wrecked, for the purpose of recovering some of her materials. He did nothing more, however than examine her situation, &. determining to go to work next morning.

Accordingly, Monday morning, about six o'clock, he and his young man went down, and continued under water about an hour, in which two barrels of air had been sent down for the supply of the bell; but a good deal of time having elapsed without any signal from below, the people on deck, apprehensive that all was not right, drew up the bell, and Mr. Spalding and his young man were both discovered to be dead.

Burnt on a gridiron

A few evenings ago, when the family of Mr. Pickett, goldsmith, of Ludgate-hill, who resides in Harpur-street, near Red-lion-square, were retiring to rest, his eldest daughter, as she stood by the fire side, was employed in some little act of dutiful attention to her father, when the fire unperceived caught hold of her clothes, and in an instant her whole dress was in a blaze.

The father was struck motionless on the occasion, but recovering a little, burnt his hand in attempting to extinguish the flames; and the young lady finding no relief, ran from room to room to seek it, but in vain. In her progress she set fire to the bed, which was with difficulty extinguished, and where she fell the floor was actually on fire. No relief could be given her till her clothes were totally burnt off her back, when her whole body was left as if it had been broiled, or rather burnt on a gridiron.

Medical assistance was soon procured, but it was impossible for human art to afford the least relief; and in this dreadful state she lay till the next evening, and then expired.

Stood in the pillory

One Read, a coachman, and one Smith, a plasterer, stood in the pillory, St. Margaret's Hill, for unnatural practices; the former of whom perishing before the time expired, owing to the severity of the mob, the same was taken notice of in the House of Commons. The Attorney-General was desired to prosecute the officer whose business it was to see the sentence of the law executed, and a hint thrown out for a new law to alter the mode of punishment.

Shot his wife dead

Last Sunday between four and five o'clock in the afternoon, one Garret of Sutton, near Retworth, in Sussex, shot his wife dead on the spot as she was sitting before the fire. The more effectually to execute his diabolical intention, he loaded the piece with two balls, and in the presence of his wife; who, remarking the singularity of his loading, and asking him what he was going to shoot with bullets? received for answer, small birds. But she soon found herself the devoted object; the fatal piece was levelled, and ere she could remonstrate, the balls had passed through her body, and killed her on the spot.

A dealer in wild beasts

The adjournment of the session was held at Guildhall before the lord mayor, aldermen, recorder, &c. to conclude the business which was left unfinished at the late adjournment, when the following extraordinary trial for an assault was heard:

Thomas Atkins, a serjeant at mace, went on the 24th of last June to serve a process on Mr. Henry Gough, at his house on Holborn-hill; he acquainted Mr. Gough with the nature of his business, who seemed inclined to settle the matter. Mr. Gough going up stairs, the officer followed, when he, Mr. Gough, turned round, and shoved Atkins over the bannister: Mr. Atkins not receiving much hurt, renewed the attack, and a general battle ensued between Gough and Atkins and Gough's man and Atkins's man.

Gough finding the officer too mighty for him to oppose without further assistance, unchained a large fierce animal, which Mr. Atkins affirmed to be a centaur, or griffin; however, it proved to be a man satyr: this had the desired effect, for both Mr. Atkins and follower, upon sight of the beast, wisely declined the fight, and made a precipitate retreat.

The charge being undeniably proved, Mr. Gough was accordingly found guilty, and sentenced to pay a fine of five guineas. Mr. Gough is a dealer in wild beasts.

The sun set fire to her clothes

Lately, at Uttoxeter, Miss Nangle: about two months since, while diverting herself with a spying-glass, the rays of the sun set fire to her clothes, and burnt her so as to occasion her death.

The unfortunate object of his love

This evening, as Miss Reay was coming out of Covent-garden theatre, in order to take her coach, accompanied by two friends, a gentleman and a lady, between whom she walked in the Piazza, a man stepped up to her without the smallest previous menace, or address, put a pistol to her head, and shot her instantly dead. He then fired another at himself, which, however, did not prove equally effectual.

The ball grazed upon the upper part of the head, but did not penetrate sufficiently to produce any fatal effect; he fell, however; and so firmly was he bent upon the entire completion of the destruction he had meditated, that he was found beating his head with the utmost violence with the butt end of the pistol, by Mr. Mahon, apothecary, of Covent-garden, who wrenched the pistol from his hand. He was carried to the Shakespeare, where his wound was dressed.

In his pockets were found two letters; one a copy of a letter which he had written to Miss Reay, and the other to his brother-in-law, in Bow-street. The first of these epistles is replete with warm expressions of affection to the unfortunate object of his love, and an earnest recommendation of his passion. The other contains a pathetic relation of the melancholy resolution he had taken, and a confession of the cause that produced it. . He said, he could not live without Miss Reay; and since he had found, by repeated application, that he was shut out from every hope of possessing her, he had conceived this design as the only refuge from a misery which he could not support. He heartily wished his brother that felicity which fate had denied him, and requested that the few debts he owed might be discharged from the disposal of his effects.

When he had so far recovered his faculties as to be capable of speech, he enquired with great anxiety concerning Miss Reay; being told she was dead, he desired her poor remains might not be exposed to the observation of the curious multitude. About five o'clock in the morning Sir John Fielding came to the Shakespeare, and not finding his wounds of a dangerous nature, ordered him to be conveyed to Tothill-fields Bridewell.

This ill-fated criminal was a clergyman; about four years ago he was an officer in the army; but not meeting with success in the military profession, by the advice of his friends he soon after quitted it, and assumed the gown.

The body of the unhappy lady was carried into the Shakespeare tavern for the inspection of the coroner.

When the news of this misfortune was carried to a certain nobleman, the Earl of S____ch, it was received by him with the utmost concern; he wept exceedingly, and lamented with every other token of grief the interruption of a connexion which had lasted for 17 years with happiness to both.

She had had nine children by the noble Lord, five of whom are now living, and have been instructed by her with motherly attention.

This morning, about nine o'clock, the Reverend Mr. James Hackman was brought from Newgate to the bar of the Sessions-house in the Old Bailey, where he was arraigned for firing a pistol at Miss Reay, as she was coming out of Covent-garden playhouse, on Wednesday the 7th inst, which killed her on the spot; to which indictment he pleaded Not Guilty; when the several witnesses were examined, they gave the fame evidence as they had given before Sir John Fielding, which being gone through with, Judge Blackstone, who tried him, called on Mr. Hackman to make his defence, or, if he chose it, he might leave it to his counsel.

After Mr. Hackman had wiped a flood of tears from his eyes, he pulled out a sheet of paper from his pocket, and read, the substance of which was nearly to this purport: "My Lord, I now stand arraigned for a heinous crime, and if found guilty, must suffer the death that the laws of my country have allotted in such cases; and as I have taken away the life of one whose life was dearer to me than my own, I therefore shall meet my unhappy fate with fortitude and resignation, and acknowledge the justness of my sentence."

The Judge afterwards summed up the evidence, and gave his charge to the Jury in an excellent speech, in which he said, that the letter found in the prisoner's pocket, directed to his brother-in-law, was sufficient to conclude he was not insane. The Jury, without going out of court, found him guilty, when the Deputy-recorder passed sentence on him, and he was executed the Monday following.

He preferred his servant maid

At Thetford assizes, Norfolk, this week, a cause was tried by a special jury, between a young lady, plaintiff, and a clergyman, defendant. The action was brought for non-performance of a marriage contract; when it appeared on the trial he preferred his servant maid, whom he married, although the young lady had a fortune of 70,000l. when a verdict was given for the plaintiff with 800l. damages.

A cask of gunpowder

Bristol, Dec. 26. Tuesday, about six o'clock in the evening, part of a cask of gunpowder being brought into the house of Mr. Deake, in Queen-square, and set down in the passage, the servant girl passing by with a candle in her hand, and seeing a strange cask, stooped down the candle to see what it was, when it unfortunately, dropped into the powder, which took fire, and killed the girl on the spot. There was a little child by at the same time, which had her cap blown off, but providentially received no harm, notwithstanding the servant was thrown a considerable distance, and the greatest part of her clothes torn to pieces. The poor creature's head and face were burnt to a cinder, and the flesh of her breast and arms lacerated in a manner that may be more easily conceived than described. The adjacent houses were shaken by the explosion, and the air for a considerable distance much agitated.

They were all poisoned

On Thursday night last, as Mr. Sharp, chymist, stopped in his carriage at his door in Bishopsgate-street, five villains observed a box in the coach, and whilst Mr. Sharp was getting out, they took the opportunity on the opposite side to take it away, with which they got clear off. The contents of the box were mercurial pills, lozenges, sugar plumbs, &c. of which the thieves had fed so plentifully, besides several others they had given them to, that, finding themselves strangely affected by the pills, and apprehending they were all poisoned, they yesterday sent a boy to Mr. Williams, chymist, in Smock-alley, Petticoat-lane, with the box, pills, &c.

Mr. Williams, being acquainted with the affair from Mr. Sharp, very properly detained the boy, who impeached his companions; and a sufficient number of constables being obtained, they went into Petticoat-lane, and secured as desperate a covey of thieves as perhaps ever herded together, who were, from the large doses they had swallowed, in as wretched a condition as ever were a nest of poisoned rats. Seven of them were yesterday committed to prison.

In a state of insanity till his death

There was lately buried at the parish-church of St. Giles in the fields a publican near Bloomsbury-square, whose death was occasioned by the following deep-laid fraud practised upon his wife.

About a fortnight ago four men, genteelly dressed (having, as supposed, watched the husband out) went to the wife, and enquired whether they could have dinner dressed, and have a room to themselves; being told they might, they ordered a handsome dinner, and were shewn to a room up one pair of stairs. After they had dined, they drank pretty plentifully, and seemed to be passing their time in a very merry and friendly manner.

About the usual time for tea, one of them came down, and begged the landlady to favour him with a dish, saying his friends above stairs were men for whom he had the sincerest regard, but that they were very hard drinkers, and were continually jeering him, because he could not keep up with them. The landlady and he then sat down together, and, when it was over, the test came down; and, after ridiculing the other as a milk-fop, paid the reckoning (which amounted to near thirty shillings), and all went off together in a coach.

But the landlady, having occasion soon after to go up stairs, discovered that, while one of the pretended gentleman was amusing her at tea, the others had broke open the bed-chamber and a bureau in it, from whence they had stolen near 200l. When the husband returned, and was informed of what had happened, it had such an effect upon him, that it bereaved him of his fenses, and he remained in a state of insanity till his death.

Died of a fright!

The case of Mr. Chapman, the ingenious painter, who died lately, was as singular as it was dreadful.

About a fortnight ago he was overtaken in the park by a fellow, who asked him if he had any money. Mr. Chapman said, "'Tis an odd question, but I have four or five shilling." "Shillings! (said the other) If you had said guineas, it might have done." "What do you mean?" (said Chapman) "Why (cried the villain) you have attempted an unnatural crime, and I shall swear it."

This he did before a magistrate, and Mr. Chapman was obliged to give bail to answer the complaint; which so affected him that he lost all memory and recollection, being reduced to the condition of an idiot; and dying suddenly, a jury sat on the body, and brought in their verdict "died of a fright!"

Left holding the baby

Late one evening last week, as a young gentleman was passing by Scotland-yard, in a heavy shower of rain, a woman decently dressed begged the favour of him to hold a child she had in her arms whilst she shook the water off her cloak: the gentleman good-naturedly complied with her request. She then took off her cloak and shook it, and retired a little way up the gateway, which the gentleman imagining to be occasioned by a circumstance she did not choose to mention, waited contendedly with his face to the road, and the child in his arms, till he thought a sufficient time elapsed; and then turned round to re-deliver the child to her, but no woman was to be found.

The watch coming up, the gentleman informed him of the trick, and he with his companions made a diligent search for the woman, but in vain; and the unwary young fellow was obliged to carry the child himself to the workhouse in St. Martin's-lane, none of the watchmen choosing to relieve him from his burthen.

It is remarkable the infant continued in a found sleep till brought to the workhouse, where, on examining it, it proved a fine boy, supposed to be about half a year old, very neatly dressed, and with a supply of all the necessaries for a child of that age.

Suffocated in a subterraneous place

An inquisition was taken on the bodies of two men near Leiston, who were suffocated in a subterraneous place, in which was concealed a large quantity of liquors. The men were master and servant, the former of whom first went in to take out some of the liquor, but not returning the latter followed him, and he also not returning, a third person attempted to enter, but was happily prevented by touching the feet of the servant, who had fallen down dead close to his master, and near the entrance of the place, which from  the emission of prodigious damps and foul air, appeared not to have been opened for a considerable time past.

Her head-dress took fire

Last week a very melancholy accident happened to Miss Vane, daughter of the Hon. Mr. Vane, of Beilby, in Yorkshire; being sitting by her fire, she dropped her keys within the fender, and stooping to take them up, her head-dress took fire, and she was burnt so dreadfully before it could be extinguished, that she expired in a few hours.

A sack of carroway-seeds

A fatal accident happened to Dr. Sclater, as he was coming up St. Mary Hill between two and three o'clock in the afternoon, by a sack of carroway-seeds falling upon him from the slings, as they were craning into a grocer's warehouse, which killed him on the spot.

A singular Fraud

A singular Fraud. On Monday last, at noon, a woman, most handsomely dressed, and affecting the woman of fashion, went into the shop of a hosier in the Strand, and appeared (being without a hat) as if she had just stepped out of a carriage; and indeed this was the case. She asked to look at some silk stockings; several pairs were shewn her; and presently in came a fellow in livery, who, with his hat off, said, "Sir Thomas is in the carriage, my Lady." She replied, it was very well, she would be with him in a few minutes.

She then paid for two pair of stockings, went away, and got into a post-chaise standing in the street, and the footman followed her into the chaise, which then drove off. This latter circumstance somewhat surprising the hosier, he examined the different loose parcels of stockings that he had opened, and discovered that " her Ladyship" had stolen nine pair.

Wounded him dreadfully

A young woman at Paris, enraged at being abandoned by her lover; after many useless reproaches, at length waited on him a few days ago, and told him, that being unable to survive his perfidy, she was determined to fight him, and that she had brought two pistols with her for that purpose.

The gentleman took one, and, making light of the matter, fired it into the air; but she, not imitating his example, and become perfectly mad through despair, fired her's at him, and wounded him dreadfully in the face. The gentleman's name is handed about; he is said to be a man of quality, and an officer in the navy.

With his ears nailed to the same

At the sessions for the county of Norfolk, a tradesman of Norwich, for cheating at cards, was fined 20l. and sentenced to suffer six months imprisonment in the castle, without bail or main-prize; and, in case the said fine was not paid at the expiration of the term, then to stand on the pillory one hour, with his ears nailed to the same.

Endeavouring to save the life of a favourite dog

This day, at his seat at Newnham, in Oxfordshire, the body of Earl Harcourt was found dead, in a narrow well, in his park, with the head downwards, and nothing appearing above water but the feet and legs.

It is imagined this melancholy accident was occasioned by his over reaching himself in endeavouring to save the life of a favourite dog, who was found in the well with him, standing on his lordship's feet. His hat and right-hand glove lay by the side of the well.

Every possible method for the recovery of drowned persons was made use of for three several times, but unfortunately without effect.

Extract of a Letter from Italy

Extract of a Letter from Italy, Aug. 1.

"The brother of the Abp. of Spalatro was assassinated in the streets of Venice. Letters were found in his pockets apprizing him of the danger, but he neglected to take any precaution."

For robbing her father

At Huntingdon assizes, a girl, not 13 years of age, was tried for robbing her father, an innkeeper in that county, of 15 guineas; and being convicted, she was branded, and ordered to be imprisoned for six months.

At the same time a mother and daughter, governesses to a school at which the above child was scholar, were tried for receiving the above money from her, well knowing it was stolen, and were found guilty, and sentenced, the former to be imprisoned for a term of five years, and the daughter for three years.

For going in man's cloaths

A woman was convicted at the Guildhall, Westminster, for going in man's cloaths, and being married to three different women by a fictitious name, and for defrauding them of their money and deaths: She was sentenced to stand in the pillory at Charing-cross, and to be imprisoned six months.

The sex of the Chevalier D'Eon

This day came on to be tried, before the Lord Chief Justice Mansfield, a cause, the most extraordinary that, perhaps, ever happened in this or any other country, respecting the sex of the Chevalier D'Eon, formerly ambassador from France to the court of England, &c.

The action was brought by Mr. Hayes, surgeon, in Leicester-fields, against one Jacques, a broker and under-writer, for the recovery of seven hundred pounds, the said Mr Jacques having, about six years ago, received premiums of fifteen guineas per cent, for every one of which he stood engaged to return one hundred guineas, whenever it should be proved that the Chevalier D'Eon was actually a woman.

Mr. Buller opened the cause as counsel for Mr. Hayes. He stated the fairness of the transaction, and the justifiable nature of the demand, as Mr. Hayes, the plaintiff, thought himself now to be in possession of that proof which would determine the sex of the Chevalier D'Eon, and for ever render the case indisputable.

In proof of the fact, Mr. Le Goux, a surgeon, was the first witness called. He gave his testimony to the following effect;

"That he had been acquainted with the Chevalier D'Eon from the time when the Due de Nivernois resided in England in quality of ambassador from the court of France; That, to his certain knowledge, the person called the Chevalier D'Eon was a woman."

Being closely interrogated by the counsel for the defendant, as to the mode of his acquiring such a degree of certainty relative to the sex of the party, Mr. Le Goux gave this satisfactory account of the matter:

"That, about five years ago, he was called in by the Chevalier D'Eon, to lend his professional aid for her assistance; That the Chevalier D'Eon, unfortunately for herself as well as her sex, laboured, at that time, under a disorder which rendered an examination of the afflicted part absolutely necessary; That this examination led of course to that discovery of the sex of which Mr. Le Goux was now enabled to give such satisfactory testimony."

The second witness called on the part of the plaintiff was Mr. De Morande. He swore, "that, so long ago as the 3d of July, 1774, the Chevalier D'Eon made a free disclosure of her sex to the witness; That she had even proceeded so far as to display her bosom on the occasion; That, in consequence of this disclosure of sex, she, the Chevalier D'Eon, had exhibited the contents of her female wardrobe, which consisted of sacques, petticoats, and other habiliments calculated for feminine use; That, on the said 3d day of July, 1774, the witness paid a morning-visit to the Chevalier D'Eon, and, finding her in bed, accosted her in a stile of gallantry respecting her sex; That so far from being offended with this freedom, the said chevalier desired the witness to approach nearer to her bed, and then permitted him to have manual proof of her being in truth a very woman."

Mr. Mansfield, on the part of the defendant, pleaded that this was one of those gambling, indecent, and unnecessary cases, that ought never to be permitted to come into a court of justice; that, besides the inutility and indecency of the case, the plaintiff had taken advantage of his client, being in possession of intelligence that enabled him to lay with greater certainty, although with such great odds on his side; that the plaintiff, at the time of laying the wager, knew that the court of France treated with the chevalier as a woman, to grant her a pension; and that the French court must have some strong circumstances to imbibe that idea, therefore he hoped the jury would reprobate such wagers. The defendant's counsel did not attempt to contradict the plaintiff's evidence, by proving the masculine gender.

Lord Mansfield expressed his abhorrence of the whole transaction, and the more so, their bringing it into a court of justice, when it might have been settled elsewhere, wishing it had been in his power, in concurrence with the jury, to have made both parties lose; but as the law had not expressly prohibited it, and the wager was laid, the question before them was, who had won? His lordship observed, that the indecency of the proceeding arose more from the unnecessary questions asked, than from the case itself; that the witnesses had declared they perfectly knew the Chevalier D'Eon to be a woman; if she is not a woman, they are certainly perjured; there was, therefore, no need of enquiring how and by what methods they knew it, which was all the indecency.

As to the fraud suggested, of the plaintiff's knowing more than the defendant, he seemed to think there was no foundation for it.

His lordship then recited a wager entered into by two gentlemen in his own presence, about the dimensions of the Venus de Medicis, for 100l. One of the gentlemen said, "I will not deceive you; I tell you fairly I have been there, and measured it myself." "Well (says the other) and do you think I would be such a fool as to lay if I had not measured it? I will lay for all that."

His lordship then went on to state to the jury, that this chevalier had publickly appeared as a man, had been employed by the court of France as a man, as a military man, in a civil office, and as a minister of state here and in Russia; that there was all the presumption against the plaintiff, and the onus probandi lay upon him, which might, never have been come at; for it appeared, the only proposition of a discovery of sex that had been made to the chevalier, by some gentlemen upon an excursion, had been resented by D'Eon, who had instantly quitted their company on that account: it might therefore have never been in his power to have proved his wager, but for some accidental quarrels between D'Eon and some of her country men. His lordship was therefore of opinion, that the jury would find a verdict for the plaintiff.

The jury, without hesitation, gave a verdict for the plaintiff, 700l. and 40s.

Cut her to pieces

At Chester, one Sam. Thorley, a butcher's follower, for the wilful murder of Ann Smith, a ballad-singer, about 22 years of age. He decoyed her, lay with her, murdered her, cut her to pieces, and eat part of her. The circumstances are too shocking to relate. He was convicted, and has since been hung in chains.

No words can express the agony

A few days ago, as Major Balfbur, of the first or royal Scots regiment, and his brother, were out shooting, near Fort George, in Scotland, the Major, having fired his piece at some birds, desired his brother to fire also, when, unfortunately, as he was preparing to do so, the Major stept forward before the muzzle of the gun, received the charge in his head, and expired a few hours after. The Major was universally esteemed.

No words can express the agony of his brother upon this melancholy catastrophe.

With a view to promote his business

This night being the eve of a Sunday, on which a general communion was to be at the cathedral church of Zurich, in Switzerland, called Munster Kirk; and many thousands were expected there to partake of it; the wine was prepared and brought to the church, to be ready against morning; but, in the mean time, an incarnate devil dared to lay hands on the sanctuary of the Lord, and poisoned all the wine.

In the morning, when the sacrament was administered, there was a horrid confusion; several fainted away on the spot; several vomited; several were taken with a violent cholic; and, in short, the whole city was thrown into the utmost consternation. Upon this, an experiment was tried, and the poison discovered.

About eight had died of the poison when this account came away; and had not the bad taste of the wine given early notice of the intended mischief, many more must have perished: still some hundreds were dangerously ill.

After a strict examination, it was discovered, that one Wirtz, a grave-digger, was the perpetrator of this diabolical deed, with a view to promote his business, which had been slack for some time. The villain was immediately apprehended; but what is become of him, we have not as yet learned.

Buried alive

The body of a coachman, found without any of the common signs of life, in a stable at Fulham, to which he went a few days before, in a seeming state of good health, to put up his horses, was buried at that place. But when the funeral was over, a person insisting that, during the performance of the service, he heard a rumbling and struggling in the coffin, the earth was removed, and the coffin taken out of the grave; when, on opening it, there appeared evident proofs, that the unhappy man, though then absolutely dead, had come to himself, as his body was very much bruised in several places, some of which were still bleeding; and there appeared besides a quantity of blood in the coffin.

Surely, it is high time to put the office of searchers into better hands; and who so fit for the purpose, as the gentlemen of the faculty belonging to the Society for the recovery of persons apparently drowned, &c. who might be allowed a suitable reward for their trouble, payable by the parish when the friends of the supposed deceased were too poor to pay it; and a still greater reward, in case they should bring to life any person given over as dead by those they belonged to.

Two dead bodies in his coach

The driver of a hackney-coach was brought before the Lord Mayor at Guildhall by two Custom-House officers, charged with having two dead bodies in his coach. The officers account of the matter was as follows.

The day before about four in the morning, as they were going over London-bridge, they observed a coach driving very precipitately, which gave them a suspicion that some run goods were concealed therein; and on calling to the coachman to stop, he drove the faster; on which one of them presenting a pistol, and threatening to fire at him, two men jumped out and ran away, and the coach stopped; the officers proceeded to examine it for their supposed prize, but, to their great astonishment, they found the body of an elderly man and that of a woman, quite naked, with each a rope tied round its neck, put into two separate sacks; there were three bruises about the body of the man, and neither of them had been dead a long time.

The coachman said, he took up his fair, in Shoreditch, was ordered to drive to St. George's hospital, and he knew nothing more of the matter. However, on his taking the bodies, by the lord-mayor's order, to the officers of Shoreditch parish, they were found to be those of two paupers who had lately died in their workhouse, and which were supposed to have been stolen out of the burying-ground, for the use of the surgeons; a thing not very surprising, considering the careless manner in which such poor people are generally buried in London.

Four days after the remains of more than one hundred dead bodies were discovered in a shed in Tottenham Court Road, supposed to have been deposited, there by traders to the surgeons; of whom there is one, it is said, in the Borough, who makes open profession of dealing in dead bodies, and is well known by the name of the Resurrectionist.

Cleaned an old musket

The master of the Rose and Crown, the corner of Downing-street, Westminster, intending to get cleaned an old musket, which had been a long time loaded for the security of his house, drew out the slugs, as he thought, and gave it to a man to fire off the powder, which the man did; but, there being a slug left in the gun, on firing it, it went into the dining-room of Sir Jeffery Amherst, which is almost opposite; took with it the glass of the window, passed over Sir Jeffery's head as he sat writing, and, after striking against the opposite side of the room, fell on the floor. Happily Sir Jeffery had left the window about five minutes, or he would have been shot.

The landlord and man were sent for; but the circumstances being clearly proved, Sir Jeffery forgave them, as he had received no hurt.

Made use of a candlestick

The Stamford fly was attempted to be robbed near Stukely, in Huntingdonshire, by a single highwayman; but the guard fired a blunderbuss, and lodged two slugs in his forehead. Before his death he confessed that he was the person who robbed the Peterborough stage about a fortnight ago.

His corpse was carried to Huntingdon, when it appeared that he was an horse-keeper belonging to an inn at that place. He had no fire arms about him, but made use of a candlestick, instead of a pistol.

Hastily and unfortunately fired

A poor fellow was shot dead by the guard of the Exeter coach, on suspicion of his being a highwayman; but, on examination, they could find no fire-arms, or powder or ball, about him, nor any money in his pocket. He had only a pair of gloves, an apple, and a watch, in his pockets. His horse had saddle-bags, in which they found only two clean shirts, and one dirty one, three neckcloths, and three pair of stockings, one of silk,. and five or six bundles of hair, which appeared to have been just cut from different people's heads, as it was unsorted and uncurled.

Before the coroner's inquest it appeared, that he was an hair-dresser in King-street, Westminster; and it is said, that being much in liquor, and having first got entangled among the coach-horses, he afterwards rode round the coach, calling out to the driver to stop; upon which, the guard, without attending properly to his condition, too hastily and unfortunately fired.

Rash and hasty use of a deadly weapon

At a farm-house, near Amersham, between ten and eleven o'clock at night, the family were alarmed by a noise in the yard, which they imagined was occasioned by some persons endeavouring to break into the house. The master went up stairs with a loaded blunderbuss, and looking out of a back-window saw a man in the yard, at whom he immediately fired, and lodged the contents of the piece in his body. The neighbours, hearing the report, instantly assembled, and on examining the body, it proved to be the master's own son.

The unfortunate young man had been in London, and was not expected home till the succeeding day, but returning at the above time, and having the key of a garden-gate, let himself in, which occasioned this melancholy catastrophe.

This lamentable accident may be of use in its example, and prove a restraint upon others, from a rash and hasty use of deadly weapons.

The deplorable feelings of the unhappy father, will prove too fatal a memento of the regards due to humanity; and that however we may be covered by the law, we should not indulge our natural cruelty, by wantonly sporting with the lives of our fellow-creatures.

Occasioned by paint

Paris, August 5. A dreadful accident, occasioned by paint, happened here on Tuesday night this week. A milliner, her husband, child, and servant, were suffocated by the smell of a room which had been just painted, and in which they had the imprudence to sleep, at the sign of the Raven, in the street St. Honore.

He did not long survive

As Mr. Scott, carpenter at Mile-End, was returning home, he was met by three villains, who remembering, that about a twelvemonth ago, on their attempting to break open his house, he had fired at them, resolved to dispatch him; for which purpose one of them let off a pistol, the ball of which struck his arm, and shattered the bone in a most terrible manner.

On his falling to the ground with the agony, they fled with precipitation, thinking he was killed; but though, by that means, his life was saved for the present, he did not long survive the amputation of his arm.

Blown into the air

At Plymouth, the roundhouse of the Kent man of war suddenly blew up, and in its consequences exhibited a picture perhaps the most dreadful and shocking that it is possible for human nature to conceive. By the splinters of the deck in bursting, between forty and fifty brave fellows were (some of them) either so terribly maimed as to have had their limbs taken off, or scorched so as to be deprived of their sight, whilst others again are flayed all over. There are now 35 of them patients in the hospital at Plymouth, one having been since dead of two fractures, his arm and leg, he not surviving long after an amputation of the latter.

It is remarkable no officer received any hurt, except Lieut. Shea, of the marines, who is slightly wounded.

The accident happened in saluting the admiral, by some sparks falling into an arm-chest which stood on the after-part of the poop and great cabin. A drummer, who happened to be sitting on the lid of the chest, was blown into the air, fell overboard, and was picked up by the Albion's boat, without receiving the least hurt.

It is remarkable, that out of the small squadron that sailed with Sir James Douglas, the Egmont sprung her foremast, the Kent blew up, the Lenox sprung her foremast, the Dublin carried away her main and fore-top-mast yards and main-top-mast, the Albion a main-top-sail-yard, the Raisonable a fore-top-mast, and the Cerberus ran on shore on Penlee-Point.

Adultery with her own sister

A cause came on in Doctor's Commons, instituted by a gentlewoman against her husband for committing adultery with her own sister. She proving with child, the husband procured pills to cause abortion; but that failing, and being no longer able to conceal the criminality, the judge was pleased to pronounce the appellant to be divorced from her husband.