17 SEPTEMBER 1831, Page 10

FATAL HORSEMANSIIIP.—AR inquest was held on Wednesday, at St. Bartholomew's

Hospital, on a respectable female named Earle, who died there on Monday. A groom, in the service of Mr. Charles Cochrane, of Alfred Road, Regent's Park, described the accident which led to Mrs. Earle's death. " About four o'clock in the afternoon of last Satur- day sennight, he was proceeding along. the Old Street Road, on a young horse, which his master had upon trial from a man named Smith, re- siding at Clapton, and which he was going to return, as the animal did not answer the description given of him. On his arrival opposite St. Luke's Church, the animal suddenly became restive, plunging most violently. At this time the deceased was crossing the road, a few paces in advance of him, and he called out to her to make haste out of the way ; but she appeared frightened and confused, and ran more into danger. The horse coming in collision with her, she was knocked down and trampled under the animal's feet, which he had not the power to prevent." To questions of the Coroner, the groom stated, that the horse was both vicious and unsound. When he got to Clapton, he found that

Mr. Smith had run away, and that his master had been completely duped. Smith warranted the animal to be perfectly sound, and docile to ride or drive, and that a child might easily manage him. The first time however, Mr. Cochrane tried him in harness, he bolted with the chaise, and dashed it to fragments against a brick wall. He was found also to be broken-winded, and nearly worthless; Mr. Cochrane had agreed to give 501. for him if he suited, and had paid Smith a deposit of 35/. as security, with which he had decamped. The animal was afterwards

sold at a horse-repository in St. Martin's Lane, for 10/. . The Jury

found a verdict of "accidental death," with a deodand of 5/. on the horse. [This case presents an edifying picture of our criminal laws. Had this Mr. Smith forged a bill for 20/. on Captain Cochrane, he would have been hanged. But he might cheat Captain Cochrane of that sum by a misrepresentation, which did cost the life of one person and might have cost the life of a dozen ; and an action of damages is the only re- medy for the private party—the public has no remedy at all. If a quack were to administer poison, knowing it to be poison, as a salutary draught, he would be held guilty of murder : should not he who de- scribes an animal which a practised groom cannot command, as so gentle that a child may manage him, and thus in intention places children in danger of their lives by inducing them to mount it, receive an equal condemnation and an equal punishment a]

DANGEROUS PLAY.—On Saturday afternoon, as some children were playing together on the steps of a house in Brighton, one of them, having some damsons, said playfully to a little boy named Charles Holford, " Open your mouth and shut your eyes, and see what God will send you." The boy immediately held back his head, and shutting his eyes, opened his mouth, when the other dropped a plum into it, which slipped into his windpipe, and there stuck fast ; and before medical assistance could be procured, the poor little fellow was a corpse ! STARVATION.—On Monday, an inquest was held at the House of Cor- rection, Coldbath Fields, before Mr. Baker and a jury, on the remains of John Somers, who died in that prison on Saturday morning. Mr. Henry 'Webster, clerk of the prison, produced the warrant of commit- ment of Mr. Walker, one of the Magistrates at Lambeth Street, in which deceased was committed on the 5th inst. for fourteen days' imprisonment and hard labour, as a rogue and vagabond, having been found wandering abroad, and sleeping in the open air. Mr. Chesterton, the Governor, saidle was in the yard when the deceased was brought there. He was in such a deplorable state, that it was with difficulty he could be got within the prison-gate ; and his weakness was such that he could not walk up the steps that led to the prison-door. He gave directions that the rags should be taken off with as much care as possible, and that nourishing food might be immediately given, which was done. Mr. Wakefield, the sur- geon, administered restoratives and nourishing food ; but he was too far gone, and died on Saturday morning about five. Mr. Wakefield attri- buted his death to want and starvation. The jury returned a verdict, " That the deceased died from extreme want, in consequence of having been refused relief by the parish of St. George in the East." [Is it neces- sary, as a formal part of the warrant of committal, that the party should be sentenced to hard labour ? If not, what must have been the negli- gence or inhumanity of the magistrate who could speak of "labour" in the case of a poor wretch almost in the last hour of existence, and inca- pable of crawling, much more of labouring?] NEGLIGENCE OF APOTHECARIES:A Mrs. Pickering, of Birmingham, fell a victim, on Wednesday last week, to the gross negligence so often noticed, but never amended, that prevails in apothecaries' shops. She had been indisposed, and a draught was ordered by the assistant of Mr. Wilcox, surgeon there. Instead of sending the medicine as directed, the apprentice, Charles Dalton, sent up a phial of prussic acid, which was lying on the counter, undistinguished by a proper label. Its fatal effects soon began to appear, and in about three quarters of an hour, Mrs. Pickering was dead. SWING.—Three fires took place on Mondaynight, near 1Vhitchurch : one upon a small farm belonging to Mr. Nimerley, at Prees Heath, where a stack of barley was consumed; another, in the outbuildings of an extensive farm in the holding of Mr. Darlington, at the Twemlowes, which were entirely consumed, with several stacks of hay and grain ; the third fire took place at the adjoining farm of the Twemlowes, held by Mr. Booth, and there the whole of the outbuildings, with seventeen stacks of hay and grain, were destroyed. The value of the property destroyed on Monday night last is estimated at from 2,5001. to 3,0001.—Salopian Journal.

STEAM-BOAT Accmearrs.—On Monday afternoon, Adam Summers, an old and industrious waterman, on the arrival of the Hylton Jolliffe off the Customhouse, went alongside to ply for hire. He placed his wherry close to the paddle-box after the vessel had stopped ; when sud- denly the engines were set at work to bring the vessel round to a proper position, and before the Waterman could get out of the way, his boat was drawn under the paddles, broken to pieces, and swamped ; and one of the paddles catching Summers by the back, he went twice round with the wheel before the engine could be stopped.

Last week a collision took place between the Dunoon Castle and the Cupid steamers, when the funnel of the Cupid was carried away ; and in falling, killed the infant child of a lady and gentleman on board.— Greenock Advertiser.

THE ROTHSAY CAsTr.t.—It has been ascertained, beyond all doubt, that the number of persons on board this steamer, at the time of her sailing from Liverpool, was not less than one hundred and twenty-four souls. Out of these only twenty-two were saved. Wawa ov rue HERO OF Lavaeroota—On the 14th instant a distress- ing case of shipwreck was discovered to have taken place but a short dis- tance from the scene of the Aurora's destruction (Cape Breton). The first notice of the event was the sails of the unfortunate vessel upon the cliff, on which they appeared to have been dashed, together with a quan- tity of the rigging, by the tremendous surf, at the time she struck. Here also were found part of the stern, having on it the Hero of Liver- pool, and the cat-heads, &c., which were painted green. The principal part of the hull had sunk close to the shore in five or six feet water. Of She fate of the crew, nothing whatever is known.—simerican Paper.

Snocanco MUTILATION BY A LION.—On Wednesday, in the caravan of wild beasts now exhibiting in Bristol, a man named John Johnson, a York- shireman, was employed by Mr. Wombwell tokeep watch durieg the night. Be was a stranger, and had been only two days in the service. The man

got intoxicated, and in the morning, before the regular keepers came, foolishly undertook to show the animals to some friends. The lion was

asleep, but in order to rouse him, the man put in his right hand, and pulled him by the beard. This indignity Wallace resented by darting

his paw into the sleeve of the coat, and speedily dragged the man against the iron bars of the cage. The enraged beast then re-seized his victim very near the shoulder with both his claws, and in an instant stripped all the flesh and skin in ribands to the wrist, so as to leave the bones al- most perfectly bare, the elbow joint being also torn open ! Wallace then

took the lacerated limb into his mouth, and began to eat it, and the ill-

fated man was only set at liberty by the animal having bitten off the bones of the arm previously to his swallowing the great mangled mass of

flesh. The man was brought to the infirmary, where a surgeon imme- diately amputated the limb. Johnson lay all day in a state of stupid in- sensibility, but hopes are entertained that he will survive the accident. This is the same animal which fought with and killed the dogs at War- wick—Bath Chronicle.

SUDDEN DEATII.—On Tuesday last week, the Rev. Thomas Ilallam had gone on a visit to his son at Wormingford ; and on the Sunday

morning he, as usual, attended the church. As the Reverend Mr. Tuff-

nell was about to leave the Vestry, for the reading-desk, Mr. Hallam prepared to aid in the solemn services of the day. He began to read

prayers in a manner that struck many of his friends as indicating

greater energy than he had lately possessed. Towards the close of the Second Collect, he was observed to falter ; and at the conclusion of it he sank back upon the seat. He was led from the desk by Mr. Tuffnell into the Vestry ; where, without any apparent pain, he breathed his last in a few minutes after.—Esser Standard.

CAPTAIN NISEETT.—About a month ago, as Captain Nisbett, of Bret- tenham Hall, late of the Guards, was trying a horse in harness down the North Hill, at Colchester, the animal set off at full speed, and the reins breaking, Captain Nisbett, in attempting to get out, was thrown out ; his knee-pan was so dreadfully shattered that mortification ensued ; and he

died on Friday last, just three weeks after the accident occurred. This gentleman married Miss Mordaunt, of Drury Lane Theatre; he was but twenty-one years of age, and his widow is only nineteen. It has been remarked that he was in the habit of driving furiously.

SERIOUS FALL.—On Tuesday, Captain Wood, of the 2nd Regiment of Guards, was thrown from his horse in Albany Street, Regent's Park; by which his head was fractured and shoulder dislocated. GREAT FUZE AT CONSTANTINOPLE.—The particulars of this calamity are thus given in a letter from Constantinople, dated the 10th August. " It commenced in the morning at least half a mile from Pera ; but the wind blowing a perfect gale, it soon reached the English palace, and in the course of a few hours reduced all Pera into ashes. From the large burial-grounds outside of the town to the corner where Mr. M'Carthy lives, a distance of one mile and a half long, and one mile broad, not more than six or seven houses are left standing. Not a palace; except the Austrian, is saved ; the large stone houses, hitherto considered fire. proof, shared the same fate as the wooden ones ; indeed, their owners worse, as every thing, instead of being removed, was for security left in the house, and thus destroyed. At the least 3,000 to 4,000 houses must be burnt, and fully one half of all the Pera families totally ruined. I consider this a final blow to Pera, and do not expect to see it rebuilt."