The Reverend Mr. Hugh Percy Bennett was charged, on Wednes-
day, at the Queen Square Office, with cutting and damaging the trees sag shrubs in Sr. James's Park. He was taken into custody by one of the Park-keepers ; who preduced several brunches of laurel, lilac, stud other shrubs, which had heen cut by Mr. Bennett. When questioned I/ she Magistrate, he said that he was a clergyman, without fliends in
town, but ist..11 knot\ n at the Craven hotel, where he bad been living for twelve months.
He had t Ikea a walk out early in the morniog in the Park ; and be saw several shrub, that wanted trimming and putting into preper form ; and this being the proper seasun fur pruning trees, he took out his knife, and contmeuctd trimming then in the stine manner he trimmed his own shrubs in the country. Mr. Greg the said, that he should be the last man to put any uncharitable conclusion oa his conduct ; but, to say the least of it, it was very absurd to cut
the shrubs. • Mr. Renam—" I don't mean to defend it. I certainly had no business to cut shrubs not my own property." Mr. Gregorie said, that by the act of Parliameut, he had committed wilful damage.
Mr. Renuer—" That I deny; I have not counnitted any wilful damage; on the contrary, I have benefited the shrubs. I have had a shrubbery in the country myself for the last six years, and I particularly understand about laurels; and wherever I cut off a branch it win shoot out durable. [Ile then produced a small pruning-knice, which he said he had cut the trees with.] Mr. Gregotie said, that such conduct could nut be allowed ; and he must therefore pay the damage, Is., and he must also impose a flue of Is. for damaging the shrubs.
There was a rather serious affray, on Tuesday, between some Irish- men and others in the neighbourhood of the Bagnigge Wells Road. Several tenants of small cottages our a spot of ground called the Swin- ton Estate, having been turned out of them iii deffiult of paying their rent, made an attempt to recover possession. They were beaten off by a number of stout Irishmen, stationed there, and armed with spokes of wheels, to defend the landlord's rights. One young man was seriously hurt. A crowd of more than a thousand persons was collected on the ground, and it required a strong party of Police to restore order. Three men belonging to the landlord's party were taken to the Hatton Garden Office, and required to find bail. The next day, a Man and his wife, very pugnacious people, belonging to the tenants' party, were also held to bail.
Twelve convicts, who were found guilty at the Middlesex Sessions, when tile &mous " mistake" was made, had very nearly effected their escape foam Newgate on Monday last. Mr. Cope, the Marshal, dis- covered, that they had suet-ceded in pulling away and lousenieg a num- ber of bricks in the wall of* their cell. There were three or four brick- layers, two carpenters, and a mason among them.
On Friday week, an inquest was held at the London Hospital on the body of William Cox, aged seventeen, who was killed by the eceidental discharge of a pistol from which he and a 'playfellow had been vainly endeavouring to extract a bullet by unscrewing the barrel. 1 hey then attempted to lire it off, but without success. Ultimately, in joke, they went through the ceremony of a duel ; when, although there was no powder in the pan, the pistol went off, and shot Cox. Verdict, " Ac- cideetal death."
An old woman, living in the neighbourhood of Bethnal Green, was strangled yesterday week, in a si ttg ular manner. She lived with her hushaed at a house in Collingwood Court ; and on his return home in the afternoon, he was unable to open the door of his room. lie ob- tained alssistantv ; and found his wife haegirte by the door-lateh. She
wore round her head a handkerchief, e she tied in a bow under her chin. By some ttecident, this bow hed caught the nob of the spring- tell of the door ; and the deceased heiug unalde, by reason of her in- firmities, to extricate herself, she was strangled.
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