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.