A daring highway robbery was committed in Surly, at seven
o'clock, ea Wednesday evening. Mr. Hart, solicitor, residing at Reigate, was, sm his return from Epsom in a four-wheeled chaise, stopped by three race; two darted at the horse's head, and the third jumped into the Anise; all three presented horse-pistols. Mr. Hart gave up his purse, containing two sovereigns and a half; when the tallest of the three, who was in the chaise, said, " You have more." Mr. Hart recollected he had ; and took from his pocket a paper containing four sovereigns ara two half-sovereigns, half-a-crown, two shillings, and a sixpence (IL 15s. in the whole). The money in the paper was the amount of subscriptions Mr. Hart had received at a meeting he had been attend- ing at Epsom fur the Improvement of the Labouring Classes in that rafighbourhood. The miscreant then demanded his watch ; which he gave. They then demanded his pocket-book ; which he also gave them, after much remonstrance. One of the men then rifled his pockets, and took a small wicker flask with a silver top, ransacking the driving-box, &c. Mr. Hart brad just crossed the road that leads from Ewell Common fields on to the Downs, and was entering the lane leading to Lord Arden's, when his horse was seized. The tallest of the men was dressed in a round frock, with a slouch hat ; the other two were shorter men, and had on dark coats; one had a red comforter round his neck. They did not wear masks as the men on former occa- sions A man, with the usual number of aliases, who bad been in the em- plt7 of a coachtnaker at Liverpool, as a workman from London, for ten months, exhibited letters to his master and fellow-workmen, stating that 20,000/. had been bequeathed to his wife. On the streagth of this he quitted the workshop, and hired a large house in Bedford :Street, Abereromby Square ; ordered from tradesmen the necessary supplies for this mansion ; and, by way of payment, gave references to his late master, who, believing the story, told them he had got the 20,000/. ; and it appears that he found but little difficulty in getting possession of property to the amount of 1,400/. He likewise advertised for offices ; and Mr. Harrison, of Hanover Street, accommodated him with some; sohl him goods, and was under engagements for the delivery of more. Cbrumstances of a suspicious character induced Mr. Harrison to sus- pect the truth of his representations; and the result was the discovery that the whole was a fraud. Part of the furniture had been packed up and sent off to London ; but on Saturday, the creditors took posses- sion of what remained, and stopped in transitu some packages in the carrier's hands.—Liverpool Mercury.
On the 21st ult., at midnight, a robbery and murder of the most diabolical kind were discovered to have been committed in the town- ship of Newton, near Stockport, on the body of a man named Joseph Cash, the keeper of a public-house, the Cotton Tree, in the same place. The greatest excitement has prevailed throughout the neighbourhood ever since the melancholy affair has transpired, and the most unremit- ting exertions have been used to discover the assassins ; but for the present have been unavailing. On Monday last, an inquest was held. on the body, before Mr. John Hollins, Coroner. The inquiry com- menced at ten o'clock in the morning, and continued until twelve at night; when, after the most patient examination of the witnesses, dining which much contradiction and discrepancy in the testimony ap- peared, the Jury came to an unanimous verdict. of " Wilful Murder" against some person or persons unknown. Certain names of parties respectably connected have been, in some degree, mixed up with the barisaction.—Stockport Advertiser.
On Saturday week, a deaf and dumb fortune-teller was taken into custody by Mr. John Brearly, deputy constable of Halifax. Upon Toteng interrogated as to her name, place of abode, &c., she pointed sig- aafreantly to her ears, and made a number of signs indicative of her in- firmity. The case appeared somewhat desperate ; but Mr. Brearly lama; succeeded on a former occasion, entertained strong hopes of verforming a second cure. With this view, he told the sibyl that if she wanted any thing to eat, she would be supplied on asking for it. Of course no apparent notice was taken of this information, and her motions for food were unattended to. Monday morning presented fa- vourable symptoms ; the cravings of nature, after a day's fasting, be- came insupportable, and the dumb woman asked for food. Having
supplied her wants in this way, she was taken before the Magistrates, who committed her to the House of Correction for three months as a rogue and vagabond.—Leeds Mercury.
Mr. Thomas Taylor junior, of Thorpe Satchville, summoned a man before the Magistrates at Melton Mowbray, last week, for stealing twb
apples from a tree in his orchard. On appearing before the bench, however, the accuser was so much intoxicated, that the Magistrates fined him 5s.
Three prisoners attempted to escape on Monday from Exeter prison, by forcing their way through the roof, and dropping into the field below. One of them completed the descent without injury, but was retaken the next day; the other two were so much hurt by their falls, that the:, were thankful to be again lodged in the gaol.
A fellow assuming the cognomen of Wildsmith, last week issued bills at Worcester, stating his intention to deliver lectures at the rooms
of the Literary and Scientific Institution in that city, on his new plan
of arithmetic; and he succeeded in obtaining several subscribers, many of whom paid him at the time. The Lecture-room was well attended on Wednesday; but it was soon discovered that the lecturer had ab-
sconded ; and some wag contrived to lock the door of the lecture-room, detaining the disappointed company there some time. Mr. Wildsmith ,played the same game at Birmingham and Bromsgrove. —Bath Herald. David Marfleet, the runaway Whitechapel linendraper, who was captured in New York, and compelled to refund 1,9501. out of 2,0001.
with which he absconded from his creditors, was brought up for exami- nation in the Bankruptcy Court on Friday week. After all the legal expenses in America bad been discharged, about 1,5110/. remained for
his creditors, several of whom proved their claims at the meeting. The necessary documents will be transmitted to the British Consul in New York, who will receive the dividends for them.
In the night of Friday, some villains entered a field belonging to Mr. J. Phipps, near Farm Hill, in the parish of Stroud, and maliciously cut and maimed five cows. The wounds inflicted upon the poor beasts were from twelve to twenty-one inches in length, beginning at the hip- joint, and running in a direction to the back part of the thigh, and in some instances penetrating to.the very. bone. Mr. Phipps, we under- stand, has been an overseer of the parish of Stroud about six months ; and during that time, has had no altercation in his official capacity to
occasion any ;hat he is the least aware of.—Gloucester Chronicle.
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