The National Register. — London, England, 1822-11-17 00:00:00

~r.-----r-; : .- . .. . ~ ...r The prisoners for part of a desperate gang who have long infested the above neighbourhood, but who have eluded the searches of the officers until Litely, when one of o tem , a man named Risrridge, was taken and commit ted to Maidstone gaol, A few days ago, the a b ove name d prisoners Pre taken by S. Miller, an officer, of Lambeth divert police office. They underwent an examination before the magistrates at Lambeth-street, and were sent to Greenwich, where they were examined on Tuesday. The following magistrates were present :—The Rev. R. Davis, A. Constable, E. %V. Foreman, R. Smith, and W. Waco, Emgra„ William Atkinson, landlord of the Britannia Tavern, Woolwich, deposed, that his house was entered on Sun day evening, the lOth of September, between eight and nine o'clock, at the back bed•room wiiiilow, by means of a ladder, and that a coat and sonic handkerchiefs were taken therefrom. On being bil..Wll a coat by Miller, the °herr, w itness could not swear it was his coat. Charlotte Atkinson, his wife, deposed to the same effect. Robert Atkinson, son to the preceding witnesses, swore to the cost as being his fathers. Miller, the o ffi cer, staled, that he went to the %V Arms p ublic home, in Baker's-row, Whitechapel, on the 19111 of Ocinhei ; in the bar he saw a coat, which he took notice of; next day the coat was Belli to his Inflame, and is the same now produced. lie afterwards received infor mation of the robbery at Mr. Atkinson's and according to tin thee information , lie apprehended th e prisoners Lewis and Oliver. Frederick Ingram, landlord of the Weavers' Arms, stated, that he bought the curt of a Mall named kturridge, fur 235., and he ottered it for sale at SOS. Several prr• eons were in his Itou , e at the time he bought it, amongst whom was Oliver, but Lewis was not there; witness kuous both Oliver and Lewis. John Clay, coachman to one of the Blackheath stages, stated, that on Sunday evening, the 1.11111 of September, between eight and nine o'clock, he drew lip his 4 °act' at Deptford Broadway; at that place a man named Laws got into some altercation with one of witness's passengers, end for the purpose of abusing him he got upon witness's coach ; wiliness mounted his box to push Laws oil, and in the scuttle the former lost his watch, chain, and two gold arab ; as soon as the setae ended, three persons, who hail got on the coach, jumped of, and refused to go by the coach; witness cannot swear to any of the prisoners being then on his coach, bid thinks Oliver to have been one. The watch now produced is his watch, having had it Is years; the seals produced were not his. William Crosby, allotment' to Mr Christie, pawnbroker, 85, Whitechapel, said, that the watch and seals produced were pledged with him uu the lUth of October, in the name of White. Susannah Kent, of the parish of Charlton, deposed, that that on the gist of October she went out to Charlton fair, having previously fastened she windows and door of her house; uetween eight and nine o'clock her son informed her that her house was broken open. Among a great many articles stolen were six silver tea spoons, one silver table spoon. and some old coins. Without Kent, the last witness's son, staled, that on the Slat of October, about six in the evening, he went to his mother's house, but found the door and w Milos,. closed ; however, on trying the dour, it opened, and he went in ; he found the room in great contusion, and suspecting something amiss, he looked up the stairs, when he saw a glimmering light ; witness called out " holloa," when two or three men rushed down stairs towards the dour ; the gala man struck at witness, who seized him, though struck by the second; they both fell into the road together, and then, by the united endeavours of the three, the first man was extricated from witness's grasp, and they ran off; witness pursued about 4 or 300 yards, when he was again knocked down, but on being joined by a man named Brooks, kept up the pursuit. The man who was pursued at length became quite exhausted, and was forced to sur render ; this man was Burridge. Witness and Brooks then took him to the watch-house; in his way thither he took something from his pocket, which lie threw away ; he also tore oft the laps and body of his coat. and threw them away; when witness had lodged his prisoner safe, he returned to look for the articles which had been thrown away, and in the spot found some skeleton keys; to the pockets of the coat which had been thrown away, lie found some more skeleton keys, two pit ks, and a knife.— Witness declared that Lewis was uue of the persons who rushed by him in his nstother's house, and he has every rea son to believe Oliver was there also. SHOCKING ACCIDENT. On Tuesday afternoon the oeighbourhood of Maryle bone, was 'Mown into the greatest slate of alarm, in consequence of an explosion I irking place at the house of Mr. Hall, a gunsmith, of Upper Itlarylelione-street. It appeared that Mr. Hall is a maker of the priming for percussion guns, and carried on such business in the upper part of his house in the above street, and two youths, of the age of 10 and Ise, were engaged in pre paring such composition. Mr. Hall being truni home, had left the two youths and his sou at work in making the printing, which is csmposed of potash, chin coal, and sulphur. Mr. Hall, junior, went 11011 U *twos from the won kehop, ■nd was in the act of returning when time ex plosion took place. On his return into the room, be found the beim ementioned boys lying un the floor, iu a mass of blued; every pane of glass, and part of the sashes bad been blown out ; the explosion, at this time, hail ex tended itself round the room, tearing down the Mune fire plaice, and actually taking the doors off the hinges; the force of it was so great, that the whole of the ceiling of the WWII underneath fell, and part of the wiudows un the staircase was blown out. On examining the buys, one was lound to be dead, and the other injured in so dreadful • manner, that i• the evening he also died.— There had been about five ounces of the priming in the room, and it is supposed that one of the boys was show ing the other the quantity he had made that day, when the spook of the candle accidentally falling on it, instantly caused it to blow up, there being at the time two ounce* in another part of the room. A coroner's inquest sat on the bodies on Wednesday evening in the surgery of Mid• illesex Hospital, before Mr. Stirling. The first st itness was Mr. Hall; who stated that the two boys, who were biutlitts, wire in his employ—that be was absent the whole of Tuesday, mid on Isis return at sit; iu the even• found a crowd around his dour, and was informed ou going in of the as led catastrophe. The buys had been employed in the compusitiow of percussion powder into cakes. Phis kind of gunpowder is equally as inflame*. bin as common gunpowder with • spars; ►hey bad been two years iu this branch of the business. This powder 5.•.. T THE NA' AL REGISTER is Intended to go off by a blow, of a spark. The room I where they worked was mist any time locked against • the boys'or ibe workmen, but the boys were not generally allowed to be in the room only when the men were there ; the boys always left off work at dusk; the day's work. was given out in the morning, end then taken. He em ploys two girls, one his daughter, and they are only aged 15 and 18—lie believes it a common practice in the trade to employ children at such work. He is. however, of opinion, that less citation had been need than generally is. Colbourn Hall, jon. rattled, he resided with his father in Upper hlarylebone-street ; was in the workroom about 20 minutes before the accident. There was about eight ounces of inflammable matter in the room. Finding a candle, he had a right to suppose one or both them must have taken it there. The candle was on a table, and ap peared not all affected by the explosion. The deceased boys were lying only a short distance from the table— they were nearly together, and he is of opinion that they acre both looking at it when it went—he cannot say how it became ignited—they had informed that the work had been finished , auil it was put away—he told them to put it in a drawer. One of the deceased l o ws was out of so errand, the other boy was at his tea in the kitchen.— They all went down to tea at a quarter past five o'clock; heard the explosion nitwit 20 ■ at•ter he left the room; but cannot state how it occurred, only by conjec ture. He went tip inunediately, but conkd nut enter the room for the smoke. He brought one of them clown stairs. They were both alive—the youngest &teased was a very lively boy, and from the dreadful injuries, he. his body displayed, the witness believes gut out the powder. The servant girl proved, that the youngest boy came tip stairs without his candle, and 011ie left a candle she had with him. She then quitted the room, and immediately after she heard the explosion. They work et that part of the bossiness which is not dangerous by candle light. The Cr:nailer, then, ailibessikg the Jetty, remarked that the melancholy death of the boys was caused by accident, and none could have the slightest hesitation in saying that a great deal of incaution was displayed in admitting such children to per form such work. He considered such conduct as highly culpable. Mr. Thomas Wood, house-snrgeon of Middlesex Hos. pital, was then called. He stated they were brought into the hospital a little before six; they were dreadfully burned; their deaths were caused by the accident.— Alexander lived one hour, and John about two boars. No questions were asked them. They were ordered to be kept quiet. But faint hopes were entertained of their re covery—at first it was thought the youngest would live. The Jury theu retired to view the bodies, which pre sented a most shocking spectacle. Oa the return of the Jory, The Coroner again addressed the Jolty, and said, he earnestly hoped that from this awful circumstance no parents would ever employ children for the future In so dangerous a [unities'. The Foreman observed that he wished to retire with the Jury for 10 minutes. The Jury accordingly retired, and on teasing, the Foreman said that they had decided on their verdict, which was •• That the deceased's deaths were caused by the explosion of fulminating gunpowder." Deodand 51. _ The Coroner immediately ob d that they, he was afraid could not levy a deodantl; there was nothing to levy on : the gnnpowder was also exploded, and by law they could not ire) on any thing but that which caused the death of the party. The Foteman said they only wished it as a cantion— bust on the law being rlearly laid don't, they gave their verdict, leaving out the deodand. M YSTER lOUS OCCURRENCL—On Friday evening, girl, who had the care of an infant, at Ripley, in Surrey, gave an alarm that a man had taken the child out of her arms, and cut his thmat. She described his person par. ticularly, and stated that he paid if he could not revenge himself on the mother, he would on the child. The poor little infant appeared to be dangerously wounded in the neck. Pursuit was instantly made in every direction without success; and suspicion being excited as to this story, the girl, on fresh interrogations, confessed the whole to be a fabrication, and that she had accidentally let the child fall on a broken glass butte, which inflicted the wound. The child is not dead. %We have since learned that the infamous girl has confessed she attempted to cut its throat with a knife, which was Maud iii the next garden. A lady, residing at Copt - , lately received from a f r i e nd in the parish of Balinerino a gluttony of hen eggs, among which there was °lie ol inure than ordinary size. It was boiled and opened, and found to contain, lsesides its proper contents, a second egg, covered with a shell, well shaped, solid, and natural. The lady retains it as a curiosity. On Wednesday last, between five and six o'clock. as two genteel girls, residents in the vicinity of Sloane street, Chelsea, were passing under the wall on the Knightsbridge side of Hyde Park Corner, on their re turn from town, they were aeco‘teti by a man apparently about 40 years of age, of rather gentlemanly exterior. They paid 110 'MCIII . IOII to him. At last, however, he made overtures of such a tendency as to excite their in dignation, and led them to threaten if he did not leave them, to appeal to some of the passengers. He, how. ever, persisted, till they reached the .Cannon Brewery, when Miss W. was about to realize their threat, which the villain perceiving, instantly Mew a clasp knife. and made a lunge at her; fortunately, however, she only received a slight graze in the fleshy part of her lett arm. The shriek of her companion soon collected a number of persons, some of wbout pursued the mincreaut, but we have nut learned that any were so lortutiate as to overtake him. A dreadful accident happened between two brothers of the name of Davenport last week, in a held near Leo. HerefunisMre. Tory were engaged tit spread. ing the dung oil the land, and the younger one having greatly provoked and aggravated the other, he in an uti. guarded moment, took up a shovel that was close by and struck with it at his brother's head, winch knocked hint down and wounded the head severely; he was ini. mediately conveyed to laNaiiiiiister, and great doubts are eniertained of his recovery. The aggressor was after wards commuted to prison is wait the result of his bru the t's fate. r b6MOMPO .~ IM µ ~...~ ^4.4, 361 G‘MISTERS APPREHENDED:On Monday night the Mayor of Newcastle.npon.Tyne was informed that a gaining-house had been opened in Pilgritu.street. under the direction of two or three strangers, he accordingly despatched Mr. Scott, the TOWII Sergeant, and assistants. to the place. When they arrived, there were several liersons in the room, all of whom, along with the con. doctors of the gaming table, were taken into custody.— There were found on the table 100 sovereigns and 100 half crowns, all which were secured. The foreigners were committed to prison; the gamesters were obliged to give bail lor their appearance, and the owner of the house was fined 101. This example. we hope, will be followed all over the kingdotn, till those pests to society are extinguished for ever. On Friday sennight, Mr. T Thacker Saxton, book seller, of Bolton, Lancashire, was apprehended at that place, on a charge of exciting a breach of the peace. Od lie following day he was brought to the New Bailey, at Manchester, and on Monday was admitted to bail, on giving sureties to keep the peace, himself in 401., and two sureties iii 201. each. The charge against Mr. Sax. toil was, " having his hat bedecked with ribaitils, and vociferating with Stentorian lungs—Hunt and liberty." —Our readers may perhaps wonder what legal offence there could be iii thin; but their surprise will cease when they recollect that the transaction took place within • the jut isdiction of the Manchester magistrates. EXTRAORDINARY FOOTTAD.--011 Thursday evening last about dusk, a young man named Thus. Bickerstaff was coining along the Vauxhalfroail towards the bridge, when he saw a fellow dressed in the garb of a beggar, with a wallet before and another behind him, coming in the same direction. They walked on to the end of the New•road, where Mr. 11• had occasion to call at a friend's house, but only waited aboot ten minutes and returned again. When he proceeded on the road about twenty paces, he saw the same fellow sitting upon a stone. He bid him good night, and was proceeding on when the fellow begged a few halfpence of him to en able him to get a lodging for the night, saying that he came Irons Birmingham, in! hopes of procuring work in London. Mr. B. observed, he could more readily get work in .the country, arid offered him four pence, being all the halfpence he hail about his person. The beggar looked him full in the face, and in a menacing manner said, he must hare more money—this demand he uttered with an oath ; hut Mr. B. said he had no more, and was proceeding on his journey, when the fellow in an instant felled him to the ground with a bludgeon, which he had not previously observed, and declared he would instantly cleave his head in two if be matte the least noise. Mr. B. thus completely in his power, was obliged to subrnit, and allow himself to be robbed. He took from him four half-crowns, three single shillings, a knife, a silver watch, and his hand. kerchief and hat. He then ran off with full speed on the high road, but not having passed over the bridge, it is supposed he tinned afterwards in through the fields to avoid detection. Acctoastr.—On Friday afternoon, about half-past three o'clock, a gentleman went into a coach-maker's shop in Great Queen-street. Lincoln's Inn Fields, leas'. ing his horse and chaise standing at the door in the care of a boy; the anittisl taking fright at something ran off at full speed to the great horror of those going along the street; no person could slop hint until he ran against the shop window of Nlr. Walker's, feather-bed ware house, in Drury-lane, facing Great Queen-street; he shattered the sash to pieces, aail received much damage. He was then secured and brought back to the owner, the chaise receiving no iljury. SIat•ULAR ATTEMPT AT SELF DESTRUCTION.—..OII Monday afternoon last, a decent elderly woman was observed walking in a melancholy manner about the wharf of Mr. Whitbread, near the Canal-bridge, Cau►- deu Town ; alter cautiously looking roued io see if she was observed, she knelt down and seemed to pray in a fervent manner, and shortly after plunged hers:•lf into the water, a depth of five or six feet, on which Mr. Coombs, a gentleman who observed her anions, hu manely jiimp,rl in, and at the risk of personal safety succeeded in saving her from her des; crate resolution.— She was immediately taken to the house of Mr. Early, the Oxford Arms, hear the bridge, and throutth the be nevolent and praiseworthy exertions of Mrs. Early, the landlady and others, she was shortly restored. Sue seems a well-informed intelligent woman, and says that she was provoked to the commission of the rash act in con sequence of the treatment of her daughter, who turned lies out of doors, and of !wish officers refusing to relieve her distresses. In the course of the evening she was removed to Pancras workhouse, where she was kindly received by the mister, and comfortably provided for ; she refuses to tell velicre her daughter rt sides, or what parish she belongs to; stud in reply to que.ttions put to her on the following moroing by some gentlemen who visited her, she only exclrinis—" Oh, my daughter, my cruel daughter, shall u know what becomes of me I" Last week a servant of Mr. Smith, of T:mstal, York. shire, whikt ploughing a find near that place, muted up a number of silver coins to the amount of 60, of a v..ry early date, but ill a high preservation. We have in our poss, scion at this time three of them, one of which has evidently liven coined at York. The other two have been struck in London. Et warthis lie: is on the rim of all three, awl the probability is, that they are productions of the reign of E (ward 1. A NOVEL CIRCUMSTANCE —Baptised at Leasinghans church on Thursday, Nov. 7, 1822, by the Rev. F. rector, twenty-one children, all of whom, except one, were hunt the paper-mill, Le..singitatismsoor, atoll seyetiteen of them of two tansilles--viz., nine of r. Cooper's. the eldest 16 years of age; and eight of Mi. Clark's, the eldest 15. Mr. Robinson, of Sleaford, and Mr. Clark, of the papermtill, imposed upon themselves an important duty as sponsors for the u hole twenty-one. —A large concourse of iseople from the neighbouring s ili a grs attended to witness the ceremony. TIM beta sung 'merrily throu,;hout the day. .mENNIMI ■ v ~-~ . ,_&?,