The National Register. — London, England, 1821-04-30 00:00:00

Oxon.—During the last week the inhabitants of Truro have been amused, astonished, or alarmed, according to the different degree. of nerve and judgment possessed by each, by the mischievous freaks of a ghost, whose pranks have excited no small degree of interest; and who has hitherto eluded ev cry attempt to discover its retreat or detect it in the exercise of its vagaries, though numbers of persons have been on the watch for that purpose. Near Carclew-street, a part of the town lately built, a house has been hired as a depot, in which the arms of the militia regiment of Royal Millers are deposited. On the evening of Wednesday se'nnight She person who resides in a part of ibis house, and who takes care of the arms, was alarmed by the breaking of his windows: he ran to the door; but could not discover the spot from whence the stones pro ceeded. Still the missiles continued to fly at intervals, and several panes of glass were demolished, not only in the depot but in the adjoining house, which is inhabited by the serjeant-major of the regiment, mimed Candye This continued for some lime, and the affrighted armouree ■std serjeant-major applied to the officers resident in the town, who repeated to the spot; bat though they saw the stones strike the house, and break the windows, and were occasionally struck themselves, every attempt to discover the person who threw them, or the precise ■pot from whence they came, was Ring. This continued through the night, and the people in the neighbourhood Insisted that the stones were directed by no mortal hand. ♦t length the Mayor was applied to, who, with the active constables of the parish of Keawyn, Messrs. Cletneuce and B►own, hastened to the place, accompanied by numbers, eager to witness the proceedings. The scene of attack was now changed from the front to the rear of the houses; and though the stones continued to fly, and the civil power was on the alert, and scouts were sent out in all directions, no discovery was made. The ghost appeared to enjoy the confusion it had excited, for both his Worship and his as sistants were struck with moues whilst endeavouring to un ravel the mystery. After the activity of the scouts and the ingenuity of the constables were exhausted, sentinels were placed at various points; some of the cavalry in the barracks which adjoin eke spot were engaged to assist, and the ma &trate and constables withdrew. Still no detection took place, though the stones continued to be thrown occasionally, and In utter hopelessness of wearying out the invisible es salient, the windows of both the houses were barricadoed on the outside with boards. The attack has been continued up to the present moment, and in the presence of hundreds of persons of all descriptions who have gone in crowds to view the premises which are subject to this most persevering and extraordinary annoyance. The lower classes, who have always a taste for the marvellous, are fully persuaded that this is a supernatural visitatiou by some troubled spirit, and numberless tales of the must extravagant nature h.tve been circulated. Some assert that the stones smell of brimstone; others, that they are quite warm; and one person who re sides near the place very gravely assured us that the stones continued to eater the rooms and break cops, plates, he. though the windows were barricadoed and the doors shut ; sud that a few minutes before we arrived, he had heard (WO NO inside. As the sport has been so long canalised, we should think it very probable that the ghost will overact Its part, In us finally to lead to detection. At all events, it appears to be susceptible of fatigue; for its attacks are only ✓esumed at intervals, and but one stone is dung at a lime.-- The houses attacked are open both at front and rear; on the one side are several newly-built sud uninhabited houses, and on the other are bat racks, from which two companies of the I titla Lancers have marched. ATROCIOUS OUTRA•R.-011 the night of Monday the 16th inst. a most barbarous murder was committed in the neighbourhood of Bannagher, in the King's county. Between the hours of twelve and one, a body of villains, in number about thirty, most of them armed with muskets and fixed bayonets, attacked the house of a man of the name of Murphy. On their shooting the dog outside the house, Murphy took the darns, and had scarcely put on his clothes, when the door was burst in, and five or six fellows entered, against whom, having Belted a pitchfork, he defended himself with desperate resolution. The villains hissing retreated, had not con rage to enter into the house a second time, but despatched three of their gang to a short distance fur fire, with which to burn the house and inmates, consisting of Murphy, his sister (a woman about 40 years of age), his aged, old blind mother, and his nephew (a boy about ten years old.) The roof being first set on lire, Murphy's sister first endeavoured to escape; but on her coming out, one of these savages stabbed her in the eye with a bayonet, which pierced through to the back of her head, whilst others beat her about the face with their musket ends, until a musket-shot through the heart, from the hand of another, put an end to the period of her existence! The house being in flames, and part of the roof having fallen in, Murphy next rushed out, when he instantly seethed a musket-ball in It's head, which traversed skull ; a second shot passed through his heart, and lotlaed in a black of wood upon which he had fallen. The next victim was the poor, old, blind mother, whom they car. tied to a deep bog-hole, into which they threw her. Ou departing, they struck the boy with the butt cud of a musket in the mouth, by which several of his teeth were knocked out ; they then fired at him, and lodged several slugs in both his legs. Col. L'Estratige, of Aloystowu, a* toots as he was informed of the outrage, repaired with a party of his staff to his house, and shunted the unfor tunate man, who was still surviving, every assistance, and had him conveyed to die barrack at Banagherov here be now lies without hope of recovery. Nearly twelve months ago the house of Murphy was attacked by a body of ribandineti, who demanded his fire-arms. The assailants were repulsed, and filially beaten off, which is supposed to have been the cause of this dreadful outrage. HIGHWAY ROURRRT.--AS Mr. Matthewson, of Marshall -street, St. James's, was travelling in his gig from Cobham on the forest to Chertsey, on his way to Loudon, about four o'clock on Thursday afternoon, he was stopped in a lane about three miles from the latter Flute by three fellows undisguised, two of whom pre sented pistols and demanded his money, t. bast the third stood at the horse's head. He gave than 71 in notes and some silver, all he had about him, when they took his watch and his broach. The villains next cut the battiest and turned the horse loose, and then compelled Mr. M. to go in to t h e f urt h er en d o f a l arge field, threat ening his life if he did not comply, and the three en:uped without its being knuwu which way they went. THE NATIONAL REGISTER CORONER'S INQUIST,-.00 Friday afternoon at f our o'clock an Inquest was held at the Rubin Hood, Holborn, before Thomas Stirling, Esq. Coroner, on the body of F. C. Foreman, Esq. aged 21,a student at law. Ann Walker, of the George and Bine Boar, Holborn, deposed, that she only knew the deceased from his coining backwards and forwards to town ; be came to the George and Bine Boar about five o'clock on Wednesday evening last. After re maining till a quarter after eleven, he went to bed. At a quarter before eleven the following morning, the cham bermaid made an alarm, and witness immediately pro ceeded to the deceased's room. On entering the chamber, and observing the bed curtains uide, she discovered the deceased. and a pistol was lying on the bed Dr. Read was instantly sent for, and witness then understood de ceased had shot himself under the heart. Witness noticed when the d-ceased was going to bed, that lie looked very ill and dejected. He on former occasions was very plea sant in his manners, and witness thought it rather strange that he did not speak or answer when she spoke to him. He dined alone prior to his going to bed, and was sober; witneu, saw a landanam bottle lying on the table—it was empty. Mr. Richard Read, of No. 51, Lamb's Conduit. street, surgeon, deposed, that he was called upon about eleven o'clock to attend the deceased. found hint in the bed-room, No. 2, at the George and Blue Boar Tavern, Holborn. The extremities were quite cold ;on taking down the bed clothes. witness discovered a wound in the left side, between the fifth and sixth ribs, it was a pistol shot wound, and witness could pass his finger into the aperture. The body was warm, bat be was quite dead. He had no doubt that the wound occasioned the de ceaad's death. The pistol was on the outside of the abed clothes, and front the *Rotation it hid iu, witness had no doubt that it was fired off with the right baud.— Mr. Richard Briasley Peake, of Cliffories Inn, deposed. that lie had known deceased some years ; be was us the law. and about 24 years of age ; the letter produced was the hand writing of the deceased ; iodependent of that letter, wit ness never remarked any symptoms of insanity in him. Saw him on Tuesday last ; he was then dejected, and looked very ill. The letter above alluded to was directed to Mr. Peake. It mentioned that the deceased was much hurt at having received a note from last witness, in which be w" stated to have lost Mr. Peake's confidence. The letter via s written in a wild manner, and concluded by repeating " 1 am mad, mad, mad !" Another letter was alluded to. which it appeared that the deceased had sent to a yourng. lady, containing some trinkets. Some of the Jury expremtru a desire to he acquainted with the contents of the letter' but the For( luau urged that it should be kept private. from motives of delicacy. Verdict—That the deceased com mitted the act wheu in a state of derangemeat. On Thursday an inquest was held at the sign of the Oxford Arms, Hampstead road, Heir the Canal, before Tiumias Stirling, Esq. Coroner for the County of Mid dlesex, on the body of John Jones, a carpenter, who met with his death in the following extraordinary man ner :—James Henning, of the Mansfield Arms, Kentish. town, carpenter, being sworn, said he had known the deceased for some time ; he was a single man, and about 25 years of age. About twelve o'clock last Monday at noon, witness was in company with the deceased, at the George, on the Hampstead-road, where they came to dinner; after dinner each went to his separate employ, and witness saw him again between seven and eight o'clock in the evening after work. Witness was in his company at the George and White Horse, in Pond street, until 12 o'clock at night, when they came away together ; and when they arrived at the luck-house, the roams at the lock said they had no business there at that time of night, and to mind the stones at the bottom of the bridge. While the lock-keeper was speaking to him the deceased said " Jump into the lock I" and with that he immediately jumped in. The lock-keeper was pre sent at the tissue and saw it. Witness clinited down by the water-gate, and, with the assistance of the lock keeper, he got the deceased out in about three minutes. He appeared dead when taken out of the water; they carried him to the house, and witness went fur a doctor, and Mr. Roberts came and tried every ;stumble means for his recovery, without success. Alter witness and deceased left the White Horse, witness perceived he was ;litoxicated; but he had talked in a reasonable man lier, but did not mention any thing that distressed his mind. Witness cannot in any way account fur his jumping into the water, otherwise than that he did it in a stsce of intoxication. James Moore, keeper of the lock near this house, & posed he heard the testimony of the last witness ; and that part of it respecting his jump ing into the lock, at which witness was present, is quite correct; the deceased was four or five yards distant Irons the lock when he said he would jump iis ; and from his brine intoxicated, witness imagined he said he would jump its by way of juke, but did not intend to do so ; waa dark at the time; lie was taken out of the water in about four minutes. Robert Roberts, ut Camden-town, surgeon, deposed he was called to the deceased about one o'clock on Tuesday morning ; he had him rubbed for about an hour , he attempted to bleed him its the neck and arm ; he bled freely front the jujular veils, but never showed the least appearance of Isle. There were no marks of violence on the body, and ,witness has no doubt but he died from suffocation in the water. Here the evidence closed ; and the jury after some time te. turned a verdict—That the deceased was drowned in a state of extreme intoxication. Ayoung man of the name of Codrington, was killed in a field in Newington parish on Saturday afternoon, in -a pitched battle, with a Mall of the name of CuHinton. They had been fighting, two hours without doing each other much mischief; but it elided by the deceased get ting an unlucky fall upon the side the head, which stunned him, and though medical aid was promptly administered, he died soon after trom the rupture of a vessel in ills head. SupPosure ACCIDIINT ILT LIONTSINO.—Saturday morning, as some labourers were going thiough Globe fields Male-End. they found the body of a woman, be- tween 40 and AO years of age, with a great discolouratton all over her person, supposed to hare been struck data ly lightning which took 1/lace cu the e‘eititig of Uotbd licsday• She teas carnal to the Crown and Sceptre, Globe-lane, to be owuctl.—A Coronet's intiucat nt.l b held on the body. 181 FATAL ACCIDENT.—As some old Chelsea pensioners and soldiers were regaling in the club roomat theSnotv- Shoes public house, Chelsea. between ten and eleven o'clock on Sunday night, the conversation turned oti the Peninsular war, when James Rowden. one of the in. pensioners, warmed with liquor, and animated with the thoughts of his former battles, began to relate his various exploits, and how he would have acted in that war; he accompanied his words with various gestures and ma• nceuvres with his crutch; at length he became the butt of the room, and several tricks were played upon him, by shoving one another against him, and pushing him from one to another. Unfortunately, as he was going out of the room, a matt of the name of Robert Ullam gave hint a slight push, and he being standing at the stair head, was pitched down to the bottom, and killed on the spot. '1 he landlord sent i 111 l nediately for a con stable, and Ullam was taken into custody, and sent to the watch-house, he was kept in custody two days, until the result of the coroner's inquest was known, when it appeared from the evidence that the push given was a very slight one, and not given with any intention of injuring the deceased, who bore him no and that Ullatu, after the accident, expressed much sorrow at what happened, and did not attempt to escape. The verdict of the coroner's jury was—" That the deceased came by his death by falling dowu stairs, occasioned by a slight push from Robert Ullam, he at the same time not designing the deceased any harm." After the verdict was made known, the prisoner was set at liberty. The following is related at Lille, and has created much interest among the inhabitants of the village of Frelinghien, where it occurred. At the commence ment of the French revolution a company of artillery was stationed in the above-mentioned village, where they remained during a very lung penod. An officer of the company fell in love with a girl of the villsge, and mar ried her according to the new ceremonies introduced— namely, by espousing her in presence of one of the civil ' authorities. A female infant was the fruitof this union. A short time afterwards the company commenced the campaign, and quitted the cantonements for the field.-- It appears that the uflicer obtained rapid promotion; his good fortune turned his head so much as to make forget his wife and child. At first he wrote but seldom, and at length abandoned them, and wrote no more.— The poor woman, than deserted by her unfaithful hus band, was reduced to poverty, and by the labour of her hands maintained herself and child i t s the best Mauna she poshibly could. Twenty seven years passed on its this way, when she one day received a letter dated front a fortress in the East. informing her that her husband, who had arrived at the rank of fieldonarshal, had just died, and left her all his property, which was very con siderable. At first she refused to believe this intelligence —hut a second letter set the matter beyond all doubt, and confirmed the happy event. It happened that an old soldier, a private belonging to the same company with the deceased, revealed to the poor woman every thing that had occurred; she succeeded in establishing her claims to the inheritance, and is now in possession of a brilliant fortune. They still reside in their old ob scure and humble abode, where they have now brought the splendid furniture of a French general. This advt.°. ture has caused a very great sensation in the village, and has raised the curiosity of all the inhabitants. Sunday night, about eight o'clock, a young man of respectable appearance, was observed walk.ng backwards and forwa , ds in a very agitated state on Waterloo-bridge. At length he suddenly sprang upon the parapet nearly over the cemie arch. A gentleman near the spot im mediately ran towards him, in order to prevent him jumping off, but before he could possibly arrive thither, the unfortunate young man precipitated himself from the bridge into the water. An alarm was instantly given. and some watermen succeeded in rescuing the body, and they carried it to Waterloo House, at the Surrey side of the Bridge. Medical aid was procured, awl every effort was made to restore the young nun, but all proved in effectual A dreadful injury was discovered on one side. which must have proceeded from his falling on the base of one of the pillars attached to the Bridge. In the course of the day he was owned ; it turned out that his name was Whitten. a coal merchant, near Backside. The cause assigned for his having committed this rash act is, that a short tint.: previous to the last execution at the Old Bailey, the deceased visited One of the culprits with whom he had recently been acquainted, and it had such an effect upon his mind, that ever since a degree of melancholy had attached to him, and his conduct at intervals bordered on madness. He was between go and 3U years of age. He has left a wife and three children to lament his unhappy fate. CUaloUll Couttralise.—A young gentleman and lady happened to be in the same pew, in a free church in America. During the course of the sermon, the youth read something in the eyes of the fair, which made a deeper impression on his mind than the pions lecture of the preacher. As love, although blind, is never at a loss fur expedients, he presented the maiden, whose charms had attracted his notice, with the follow. log passage, being the sth verse of the second Epistle of John--" Now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another." After reading this passage, the lady, in reply, promptly relerred her suitor to another passage, in the Old Testa ment. namely, the 16th verse of the Ist chapter of Ruth Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from fol lowing after thee, for t whiiher thou goest. I will go; and where thou Imhzest, I will lodge: Shy God." shall he ray people, and thy God shall be m y God." Thus was a treaty of alliance proposed, which, in a short time afterwards, was fully sanctioned, and ratified by the min Utter. entesupled Suicide--A linuse.niaid in a gentlenian'a faulile. In Sloane -street, atteitipte.l in destroy herself OR Thursday morning, in a water closet, in the house. She Wail tliworerrd susp..niled from a bruin, 6y a fellow servant, and fortunately she was cut down in lime to re.tore stivetuled aninfakion.—Pre , lauc) wss tit,: cause of the rash act.