LENT ASSIZES. FORGERY. — John Williams, attorney in Liverpool, was tried at

the Lancaster Assizes for the forgery of a deed purporting to be an indenture of demise for securing the sum of 6504 to Elizabeth Mather, on certain lands and hereditaments in Birkenhead, in the county of Chester ; and for having forged a receipt for the money, purporting to be signed by Mr. William Garner. It appeared that the prosecutrix had been on terms of intimacy with the wife of the prisoner, and happening to be on a visit at his house about four years ago, she told him that she had a few hundred pounds, which she wished to put out at interest. Some time after, 'Mr. Garner re- quested the prisoner to eudeavour to procure him the sum of 300/. upon mortgage of certain premises at Birkenhead; and the prisoner, upon that application, wrote to Miss Mather, requesting her to send the sum of 6501., which he said he had an advantageous opportunity of investing. The pri- soner, instead of advancing this money to Garner, told him hebhad not been able to meet with it. In the following August, however, a regular mortgage deed was drawn by the prisoner, and engrossed by a law stationer, and a name and seal were affixed to it, purporting to be Garner's, and his own name was added as an attesting witness. The interest was regularly paid through 1826, hut in 1828 the interest for a year and a half was in arrear. In the mean time, Miss Mather had married a Mr. M'Clelland, who made applica- tion to Garner for the interest supposed to be due ; and then the forgery was discovered. The prisoner was found guilty and sentenced to be executed. His wife died on the day of his conviction, and also a child bowl since he was committed. Williams attempted to commit suicide shortly after he was apprehended.

EM BEZELEM ENT.—Thomas Eyre, postmaster at Marlborough, was con- victed of having embezzled 9s. 8d. the property of the King, received by hint in his office of postmaster. He was sentenced to seven years' transportation. There were a number of other indictments against him.

Mr. Austen, the late Deputy Treasurer of Greenwich Hospital, appeared on Wednesday at Maidstone' to take his trial upon several indictments for embezzlement. The counsel for the prosecution, however, having stated that he had no evidence to offer in support of the indictments, an acquittal was directed.

THEFTS AND ROBBERIES:At Clanton, a poor man was prosecuted by a clergyman for having stolen a piece of coal from him, value -Id. The pri- soner pleaded guilty, and was fined one shilling. A substantial-looking farmer here rose, and said, " My Lord, I've known the man from a child ; he was always an honest, hard-working man. He is in great distress, my Lord." The Chief Justice—" Then, in that case, Sir, perhaps you will pay the shilling for him." The farmer immediately paid the shilling. The Judge refused to allow the expenses of the prosecution.

Thomas Rutherford was tried at Chelmsford for havisg stolen six pounds of tea from his master. This, it appeared, was only one of a series of deprecia- tions committed since 1826: he had even set fire to his master's premises in 1827, and, along with some accomplices, attempted to fitsten the act upon his master, to prevent his recovering the insurance. Cock, Westwood, and Woodacre, were also tried for receiving the stolen goods; and all of theta having been convicted, they were sentenced to fourteen years' transportation.

Elizabeth Simpson, aged seventeen, was convicted of having stolen a sum. of money from a young lady,a boarder in the house where she was a servant. Sentence of death recorded.

John Kelly was tried at Lancaster for having robbed his master, a flier. chant in Liverpool, of above 500/. in notes and gold. He had been intrusted to carry his master's cash-box from the dwelling!house to the counting-house; but in place of going to the counting-house, had shipped himself on board a vessel,—where the prisoner, the box, and the cash were found. Verdict— Guilty. Sentence—two years' imprisonment and hard labour ; d r. Justice Bayley observing, that the prisoner was indebted to the humanity of his mas- ter for not being indicted and punished capitally.

Robert Haw was tried at Lincoln for a burglary in the house of a cottager. The prisoner was one of five or six men who entered the prosecutor's house, and excited alarm by their behaviour. They regaled themselves on what provisions they could find, and carried off a gun and some women's clothes. The prisoner was found gailty, and sentence of death was recorded ; but as no violence had been offered, Mr. Justice Burrough said he would recommend that his life should be spared.

Fote-aaisiso.—Jaines Cook a youth of sixteen, was indicted at the Chelmsford Assizes for having wilfully set fire to his master's barn-yard, by which property to the amount of 1500/. was destroyed. The evidence was purely circumstantial. On time evening when the fire occurred, the accused went out with a lantern, for the ostensible purpose of looking after some sheep ; and when he come back, he remarked to his master that two men had gone into the straw-barn. - They went out together. The prisoner first dis- covered the fire in time yard, and proposed to run to Witham for an engine ; but, when furnished with a pony for that purpose he only rode at a canter. The day before the fire, the prisoner had said to one of his fellow-servants, " When you come back, there will be something for you to see." He had said to the servant girl, previous, " I have dreamed that master's barn was on fire." When Perry told him that there had been a fire lately, he said, 01 dare say there will be some more soon." The day after the fire, when Perry informed him that she had mentioned his dream, be said, " How could you be such a fool—you will do me—if I had a bit of tinder found in my pocket, I should be hanged without judge or jury." On these facts the jury found the pri- soner guilty, and he was sentenced to be banged. When taken back to prison, Cook confessed his crime ; and said that he had been instigated thereto by a person named Ling, who had been discharged by his master on the day the fire took place. He was afraid that he should have been murdered had he in- formed against Dug; but, said Cook," Now that I ma to be hanged, its no matter." 'Ling has been apprehended.

THE GAME WAR,—John HOifillgSWOrth and nineteen others were tried at Chelmsford for shooting at Richard Warren, with intent to murder hint. The prisoners had gone into a wood at Wenden Lofts to kill game ; and the keeper and some assistants came upon them. As soon as the poachers saw the game- keepers with Nathan Warren at their head, they called out, " There's the old devil—shoot him—smash him!" A conflict ensued; and while Richard Warren was retreating, one of the poachers fired at him, and the shot touched his hack. The Jury acquitted the prisoners on this charge. Three of them were then tried for stealing fowls, and found guilty. The other seventeen were tried for having been found armed in open land for the destruction of game: three were acquitted, nine sentenced to be transported for fourteen years, five for seven years, and one to be imprisoned for twelve months.

At the Northampton Assizes, eight poachers were sentenced to be trans- ported for fourteen years.

Five offenders againSt the game laws, tried at Salisbury, were sentenced to be punished with various periods of imprisonment.

MANSLAUGHTER.—At the same Assizes, William Thorpe was indicted for having killed aman in what the Lancashire ruffians call—an ‘. up-and-down- -fight." The deceased fell; Thorpe got above him and seized hint by the throat ; the deceased never moved, but sobbed once or twice, and died in a few minutes. The prisoner was found guilty. Mr. Justice Bayley said that the evidence would have borne out an indictment for muraer, not ouly against the prisoner, but against all who had encouraged the fight.

Nanny Simpson a female quack, who distributed heanostrums to the igno- rant from a cellar in Liverpool, was tried at Lancaster for having killed William Burkitt. The deceased, who was unwell, applied to the prisoner for an emetic ; and she gave him a mineral poison, which he took, and died next day. Verdict—Guilty. Mr. Justice Bayley allowed the woman to go at large upon her daughter's recognizance to come up for judgment when called upon ; but warned her that if she ever again sold medicines, she would be severely dealt with.

William Kennedy, a private in the Fifth Dragoon Guards, was indicted at the Dorchester Assizes for maliciously shooting at the Reverend Henry Willoughby, with intent to kill him. The prisoner committed the crime on an evening in November, whilst the reverend gentleman was riding home from Weymouth ; but what motive actuated him does not appear. The prosecutor "as seoorely o-ounded, and was for some days in danger. The prisoner was !mint; putty, and sentence of death was passed. The prisoner sad—'My land, oeithet you. nor the Jury have done me justice, though I am to die.'

Joseph Dickinson, aged ten years, was tried at Lancaster for having killed a boy about the same age. The boys were both in the employment of a nailer ; and having quarrelled, the prisoner struck the deceased with the red hot iron rod which he was working. It pierced the femoral artery, and the lad died in the course of an hour. The prisoner was found guilty.

A young man named Pickering, need nineteen, was tried for killing and slaying a youth of sixteen, named Nielitingate. It appeared in evidence that the prisoner and the deceased had been fighting together, and that the de- ceased had received a blow which ruptured the intestines. The prisoner was found guilty, and sentenced to be transported for seven years.

A REFINED APP RE NT IC E .—A boy named denkinson, the son of a clergy- man, was bound apprentice to Mr Sillitoe, a grocer and ironmonger in Staf- ford. The boy was desired by his master to clean a grate, a part of the ordi- nary employment of apprentices to such a business ; but the gentle youth declined the drudgery, though he was to have no breakfast till his master's orders were obeyed. The boy went away; and the master brought his action, at the Stafford Assizes:, for breach of covenant. The counsel on both sides made the most of their case. Mr. Justice Park—" A great deal has been in- troduced into this case which has no more to do with it than Pekin, in China ; because the facts are not upon the record, and so I shall tell the Jury. How- ever, let them take their course; it will weigh nothing at all in the case, if I have strength to say what I intend." Mr. Richards—" I beg your Lordship's pardon, your words escaped my hearing." Mr. Justice Park—" I am only muttering to myself, Mr. 'Rickards, which I shall continue to do as long as I like." Verdict for the plaintiff—damages 25/.

Loss OF A LEITH SMACK.-.-011 Saturday night, about ten o'clock, when two of the London and Leith smacks, the Lord Wellingtou and .Lord Mel- ville, were off the Fern Islands, beating to the northward, with a strong wind from the north-east, and a heavy sea running, they unfortunately ran foul of each other, and the Lord Melville went down in sixteen fathoms water. The violence of the concussion broke the Lord Melville's main boom, which, falling into the boat on deck, prevented the possibility of getting it launched ; hut the stern-boat was lowered down, and into this small skill were stowed the master, mate, and eight of the crew, atom, with three passengers and a child two and a half years old. The escape of the latter and its father was almost miraculous: in the agony of despair, the man leapt overboard, with his infant in his arms, and sank to the bottom, but still retained his hold of the child. Fortunately he rose close to the side of the boat, and the infant was instantly taken on hoard ; to take himself on board, however, was only to risk the lives of the whole sufferers, and for some time he hung on by the gunwale. His cries at length became so piercing, that two of the sailors caught hold of him, and, by a sudden effort, got him on board, where he found his child snugly rolled in a jacket, which a generous sailor had strip- ped himself of. Three of the crew, a man and two boys, and the mother of the child perished. The smack sunk about six miles off the land. The unfortunate crew after being eight hours on the water, were safely landed on the Fern island, and from thence taken to Leith by a revenue cutter.— Edinburgh Paper.

STORM AT LISRON.—On the 22d ulti wio, the day on which Miguel's return to Portugal was celebrated, a terrific storm burst over Lisbon two thunder- bolts fell with terrible explosions. One of them fell upon the main-mast of the Portuguese ship of the line John VI., which it split, killing two sailors, and wounding many inure, and the other on the spire of the handsome new convent of the Heart of Jesus, at Buenos Ayres. The electric fluid entered the cupola, where it tore away, and melted two iron balustrades,—came to the lower part of the church, where it tore down some of the marble columns, destroyed some pictures, wounded several people who were praying, and at last found its way out of the church by the front door, melting in the way a brass chain that went up to the belfrey, and finally prostrated the sentinel of police who is placed outside.—Leiter in the Times.

DUEL—An affair of honour took place on Tuesday, at Islington, between two students of the new London University, Mr. M—t—1 and Mr. B—t—r. The time these gentlemen chose for an adjustment of their disputes was by moonlight ; when, after the disastrous and untoward circumstance of the pis-- tots flashing in the pan at the first attempt to discharge, a second and more successful attempt took place, and one of our yount aspirants was wounded in the arm. Some notice of their bloody intentions reaching the ears of the learned professors, every means was taken to put a stop to their proceedings ; the mediators, however, reached. the scene of action not until the parties had honourably settled their differences. The cease of this quarrel, we are in- formed from undoubted authority, was of the most serious nature.—Morning Journal.

Lieutenant Halstead, of the 87th Fusileeri, joined his regiment in Chester, after along leave of absence:on Saturday evening week. He remained in the mess-room after dinner with some of the other officers. In the course of the evening he rose from table and walked to the window, from n licit he fell to the ground, a height of sixteen yards. He was taken up dreadfully mutt- lated ; and survived the accident but a few days. As there are balconies at some of the castle windows, itis supposed the unfortunate gentlemaa had thought that he was stepping upon a balcony when he reached the window.

On the 12th current, the Warder coach, from London to Shrewsbury, broke down near Towcester. The coachman was killed on the spot and all the passengers were hurt: one gentivalan had both his thighs broken, another his collar.bone.

Fnts.—An alarming fire broke out on Thursday morning, about • half-pad three o'clock, bathe premises of Messrs. Evans, coopers, °Great Guildford- street. The stock of wood on the premises being extremely dry, the flames spread with inconceivable rapidity to the range of lofty workshops. The da- mage is estimated at nearly 6.0001.

During the cutting away of a part of the soil at the embankment on the Liverpool and Manchester railway, last week., a very large portion of earth suddenly fell down, amid killed one man on the spot, and injured another. veil severely. Two horses were also destroyed.

A CIIILD Kmta.tn RV RATS.—A brave old soldier of the seventy-first regiment has resided in Bridgegate since the Peninsular war. His habitation was not the most comfortable, but he had been too well used to hardships to complain. On a night lately, his favourite female child, while reposing in its mother's arms, was attacked by rats. and the forehead literally scalped, and the nose and face dreadfully lacerated by the tusks of the vermin. The mother was awakened by the piercing, shrieks of the infant, and the assailants were dispersed. The injuries done to the infantile body never healed, and as the parents say, " it never afterwards did any good."—Glasgow Chronicle.- On Saturday. a scavenger, who was sweeping the quay, near The Pont Neuf, had his foot run over by a cart. He contioaed to sweep as though nothing hail happened, till he found his shoe filled with blood. He then drew oil' his stockina, observing -to one of his companions " I think I am hurt," and found that four of 'the aces were crushed MT, and the fifth only held by the skin. With the greatest soma froid he cut off the latter toe, and walked off quietly to the Hotel Diem—Paris Paper.

A letter from Calais contains the following details of a deplorable event that occurred in that neighbourhood, it few days ago. A farmer at Audruick met his brother, who begged him to Aimd him relief, as he and his family were in great distress. " With all my heart,'' replied the farmer, " go to my svife, and she will give you what you want." The latter, however, less gene- rolls than her husband. refused iii harsh terms. The farmer having returned home, inquired whether his orders had been obeyed; and upon being answered in the neeative, sent a servant with alarge basket of pro‘isions to his brother. Presently the man returned with his burden, and said to his master, " your brother no longer needs bread ; he has juat been taken out of his well, • in which lie drowned his three children as well as himaelf." Exasperated at his wife's want of humanity, which was the sole cause el this calamity, the farmer seized his gun, and laid her d-ad at his feet.—Ideeneh Popo%

On Tuesday week, a warehouse in Manchester was dexterously entered at mid-day, by means of false keys, and 300/. in gold abstracted from an iron safe, the drawers of which had been battered to pieces with a sledge-hamther •