21 SEPTEMBER 1833, Page 5

r' At the Westminster adjourned Sessions, on Saturday, three men

were charged, by Shackell a sergeant, and Pearce a private, in the A division of Police, with assaulting them on the 12th of August last, in the execution of their duty. The evidence of the Policemen was contradicted directly by other witnesses, and the defendants were ac- quitted. The conduct of the Policemen in this transaction had been made the subject of an investigation by the Commissioners, which ended in restoring them to their posts, from which they had teen sus- pended. Their conduct, however, if the evidence adduced at their trial is to be believed, proved them to be very improper persons for their situation. They produced riot and disorder in a public-house, instead of keeping the peace there.

On Saturday, the counsel of Benjamin Hancock, who was sentenced at the Suriy Sessions, on Friday week, to be transported for life for horse-stealing, had an interview with the authorities at the Home Of- fice; when he submitted, that as the horse had been purchased by the prisoner, two sovereigns paid as an earnest, a receipt given for that sum, and a subsequent agreement to receive the remaining 101. at a certain time been entered into, it was not a case of feloniously stealing, and that the conviction and sentence were consequently illegal. The re- sult of the application was, that the sentence should not be carried into effect until the whole matter had been again reviewed, and the witnesses on the part of the prosecutor and prisoner reexamined. Lately, a fashionably-dressed man, styling himself Captain, took lodgings in Paddington Street, Marylebone, and from his fund of anecdote gained great celebrity in the neighbouring taverns. An even- mg or two since, however, a tradesman at Pimlico recognized him as a fellow who had got himself on Colonel Evans's Committee at the late Westminster election, and run up a score amounting to 194 at Mr. Gosling's, of the Pine Apple, Graham Street, Chelsea. On the bit being given to him, he altered the account to 28/, and presented it to

the Secretary Of the Committee; who demurred to its extravagance,

and would advance only 10/. ; with which the swindler absconded. When these facts were known, a number of butchers, bakers, ant

others, congregated round the door of the Captain ; but he, and a &sit- ing female who lived with him, had made their escape. Mr. Gosling, however, happened to meet hun on Wednesday ; and having threaterred the Captain with an arrest, the latter begged his dear friend to accept

his watch and two sovereigns in part payment, and he gave his " word of honour " to pay the rest as soon as possible. He will no doubt be

soon heard of in another quarter of- the town. It may be as well to state, that he represents himself as the son of a military officer who commanded a regiment at Waterloo, and died in the Captain's arms, pathetically exclaiming, " Be kind to your mother."

A swindler, calling himself John Morris, has been attempting te obtain the signatures of some respectable country merchants, by wridng

to inquire the character of some young man who, as he pretended, had applied for admission to his employ. He has succeeded in some in- stances, by procuring franks, in an indirect way, from Sir John Camp- bell and Mr. G. F. Berkeley, under cover of which he wrote his let- ters of inquiry.

On Sunday morning about four o'clock, the United Kingdom Weeet Incliamar, from Jamaica, four hundred tons Imelen, was run foul of by the Queen of Scotland, an Aberdeen steam-ship, off Northfleet, near Gravesend. The vessel was riding at anchor; when the steamer, which was bound for Scotland, came down at a rapid rate, and notwithstand- ing the watch on the deck of the ship called out " Helm a port!" seve- ral times, the steamer kept her helm a starboard, and, bearing down en the United Kingdom, struck her on the larboard bow with such force that her timbers were stove in. The steamer rebounded from the shock, and her figure-head was carried away; but she sustained me serious damage, and she was enabled to pursue her voyage. The ship however, began to fill with water ; and the crew, in order to save the cargo, let go the anchor, and ran the ship on the Essex shore. This

was done with all possible expedition; but she turned over three times, and about seven hours afterwards, went over on her beam-ends, and on Monday nothing was visible above water but her masts. The owner of the United Kingdom is Mr. Fletcher of Shadwell; and she was laden with a valuable cargo of sugars, rum, logwood, and coffee, a great portion of which will be spoiled. Fortunately no lives were lost ; bat one of the seamen, named Thomas Andrews, had a very narrow escape. He was in his hammock in the forecastle, when the ship was struck; and being unable to find his way up the scuttle, got through the hole in her side, then under water, and swam towards the steamer, the people ii which refused to pick him up, and said there was a brig astern. FIT. was saved by a shipmate, who cut the boat's painter, and put off -to his aid.—Morning Chronicle.

Two young men were passing by St. Martin's Church, on Sunday evening, about half.past seven, in a cab, when the chain thrown across the street leading from the Strand to Pall Mall, caught the horse by the traces. The horse, cab, and passengers, were thrown violently forward ; and the two latter were dangerously cut and bruised. It was so dark that it was quite impossible to see the chain. These parlicn- lars are contained in a letter published in the Times of Wednesday; and the following remarks upon the subject appeared in that journal on Thursday.

"It would appear that these chains are thrown across other streets in fin neighbourhood of the church, without a single light or other warning to in- dicate the existence of so novel and so dangerous an obstruction to passengers. With regard to the past, we recommend the persons who have been injured hp this malicious or ridiculous proceeding to indict, or bring an action against, the parties who directed the chains to be placed in these situations ; and, for the futfme, the cabmen or coachmen should carry with them a hammer stout enough ba de- molish the chains and restore the thoroughfares to their original state, if the congregation of St. Martin's cannot enjoy the celebration of divine worship without breaking their neighbours' necks, they would act much more lDr..e Christians in not going to church at all."

Some miscreant passing along the Strand on Monday afternocm, threw (out of a coach-window as it was passing by, is conjectured) some aquafortis amongst the foot passengers close to the crossing by Waterloo Bridge. It was not at first perceived, until the Ina of one gentleman, and the coat and tiousers of another, his companion, were observed to be smoking. Upon entering into a shop the mischief was discovered.

A sad accident happened, on Sunday, off Turpin's Road, south of Blackfriars Bridge. A wherry, having three gentlemen and twoladies, came down with the tide ; but coming in contact with the barges lying off Turpin's Road, the boat went down, when the two ladies and two of the gentlemen were drowned ; the other gentleman was saved by the exertions of Edward Williams, plying at Blackfriars Bridge.

Edward Price, the coachman of Lady Ann Barnard, died in St. George's Hospital on Sunday, in consequence of a fractured skull. On the morning of Thursday, the 6th instant, he was proceeding along the Clapham Road, on horseback, and having with him a led horse, when the animals suddenly took fright, and broke into a gallop. He endea- voured to pull them in, but not having sufficient control over the led horse to effect his purpose, and refusing to let go his hold, he was

self dragged off his horse, and pitched head foremost to the grouni.' Mrs. Allerton, a widow lady, upwards of seventy, residing in Park Street, Grosvenor Square, was left on Monday evening by her servant, reading a book in bed by candle-light. While the servant was engaged in the kitchen, she heard a violent screaming; and on running up stairs, she found her mistress in the middle of the room, with her night-clothes on fire. The servant immediately wrapped the hearth-rug round her, and succeeded in extinguishing the flames ; but Mrs. Allerton was so severely burnt, that only faint hopes of her recovery are entertained. She states that she was holding the candle, when by some accident...it fell on her night dress.

The premises of Mr. E. J. Massey, watch-manufacturer, of Z.. Tysoe Street, Wilmington Square, Clerkenwell, were broken into, sone time between the hours of one and five o'clock on Tuesday rnonring, and plundered of between sixty and seventy watches, cased and sirs- cased. Handbills, containing the particulars of the numbers of the

aratches have been published, and a reward of 50/. offered for the appre- hension of the burglars and recovery of the property.

The Exmouth Arms, a tavern in the Commercial Road, was de- stroyedby fire, early on Sunday morning. Mr. Reynolds, the land- lord, saved his wife by lowering her from the bedroom, by means of

sheets fastened together. The children were thrown out of the win- dow, and caught by Onions below. The loss of property was very considerable.

An inquest was held, on Monday evening, in the Fleet Prison, on the body of Dr. Gordon Smith, aged forty-one, a gentleman well known for his works on Medical Jurisprudence, &c. ; who expired, on Sunday, after an incarceration in that prison of fifteen months. The deceased had been a surgeon in the 12th Lancers, at the battle of Waterloo. After his return to England, he was appointed librarian to the late Marquis of Stafford. He subsequently published his work on Medical Jurisprudence, and continued to lecture at the Medical Insti- tution, Southampton Street. The office of Coroner for the City be- coming vacant on the decease of Mr. Shelton, the Doctor commenced anactive, but unsuccessful, canvass for the situation. He is said to have been so much mortified by his defeat, that lie gave way to drink- ing and irregular habits, which impaired his constitution, involved him in pecuniary difficulties, and ultimately brought him to prison. He was attended during his illness by Dr. Harrison, of Holies Street, Caven- dish Square ; an old friend, who evinced the utmost kindness for him to the last. Verdict—" Died by the visitation of God."

On Tuesday evening, an inquest was held at Guy's Hospital, on the body of Mrs. Mary Newland, of Lower Tulsa Hill, Brixton, whose

death was occasioned by fire. On Friday week, a spark from the bed- room fire fell upon her clothes, which were immediately in ablaze: she ran about the room for some time, and set fire to the bed curtains ; she then rolled herself on the carpet ; and soon after, a neighbour, alarmed by her screams, came to her assistance : the room was full of smoke, and he broke the windows to prevent suffocation. The poor woman was so much burnt, that she died the next day.