The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1822-11-23 00:00:00

ALFORD, Novnista 19.

Sons after seers o'clock on Sunday evening last another
awful visitation took place at Alford, through the diabolical
act of en incendiary, who set fire to two hsy.sineks, a stack
of straw, and a hovel, the properly of Mr. Wm Trolley;
and, strange to say, nutwitlistaadiug the shoal onspicions
which are entertaieed, no absolute clue has pet given an op.
portutaity to convict the offender. The evil spirit which
pervades this place is truly alarming, as may he inferred
when a retrospective glance is given at the scenes of last
winter, continued even to the face of the broad daylight of
May moot.. The harvest bad not eloped again ere the cotn-
mrncemeul house breaking sod highway robberies, which
have continued without the intermission of a single week;
and now the must alarming feelings are revived by the am-
&pelletal of Sunday evening. In the coarse of the past week
no less thou three delinquents bare been committed to prise■
from this place, mud the offences of wiadow-breaking, pigeon-
stealing, and general small thefts, are innumerable. A few
days ago a quantity of bees were demolished, by the turning
over the hives belonging to the Rev. Edmund Dawson, in
whose garden a quantity of gooseberry trees were also teen
up : indeed, no species of mischief seems beyond the inven-
tion and practice of some persons in this place; to guard
against w►ich,t we must undoubtedly revive the nightly
watch, and it would be advisable to direct that watch's par-
ticular attention to tbearnotions of the suspicious, es well as
to the objects is danger; surely this ought to be attended to
both by night sod by day. After a tragedy it is common to
give a laughable farce. Take the following :—lt is stated
to be the opiuiou of the credulous that such scourges as are
at present enduring may proceed from some supernatural
influence, excited by the displacing of so many of the peace-
ful inhabitants of the chloral-yard, whose remains were re-
moved a short time since, for the purpose of levelling and
otherwise improving its appearance, whirls the work cer-
tainly did; sod notwithstanding the removal of a few grave-
stones produced at the time so mach turbulence smart
the living, let es trust, for the good of our departed friends,
that it never reached those peaceful mansions of the defunct
(Stamford Mercorry)

t4W
COURT OF EINGN RENCFit Warhol'sTsit,
Eli NoYsmaiti !f.

..
Tilt RINo u. iltdl.ll. '
The Defendant being placed on the 'ffpor *eit the
Court,
' Mr. Justice BAYLRY proceeded to pass sen-
tence on him in the feltotring terms ;-"You have
been found guilty hyaiury'of.yeur toinfry, slid ark
bow to stand to receive the judgment of this Court
for unlawfully punishing a young man, 'timed (lard=
ner, about 18 or 19 years of age. ire 111 undei
sentence of death, but his sentence nits "canifnused
to imprisonment in the House of 'Corrfbtion: tb lii
pot to hard labour for 18 months"' ItliP.ptiiis that
whilst he was in your custody he' wok Inliiisbeillfor
offences committed within' the gaol. • Hi the ni4tills
of November 1810, he complained he wits ilt; but
on the Surgeon's examining kiln the Sorgeon ifer
dared he was not. Hanes confined in a solitary self
between which and the' punishment an unfortunate
interview took place betseiest yeti' end the Surge On.
Prior. and according 19 the idffdaVits he suggesli4
to you to apply a blister 19 this 'unit); ' !tether tht
suggestion came either ftosifiaiWne thi iei. male.
no difference; both were in thOtrolig I suffer 'iti
Ici
application of that kind: It if et imrioiiattee to
gaolers to know that they shoolt Itiep Within ' the
limits of their duty to preoetve stilmedinitiliii, and
if be go beyond that limit, stiliovdniatiun'irin'cestee.
It is important to prisoner., tb know that when
gaolers exceed those limits, they will' be' pu-
nished. It was a blister ealCillisieff to
.produce
pain, but not to have dangerous consequence v.
For many days be was kept in a Strait waistcoat.
It is the duty of the gaoler to report any thing un-
common that may happen in the course of the dis-
charge of his duty in an occurrence book. No
mention is made in the occurrence book of the
punishment of Gardner. You must hove been con-
scious at the time that you were not acting correctly
or you would have mentioned it, that it might have
met the eye of the visiting Magistrate, who would
have given his opinion whether it was proper to be
continued or no. While the man was in solitary
Confinement there was no reason why the strait
waistcoat should have been applied. It was not I
punishment likely to endanger, but it was ti'devia-
bon from your line of duty. From the evidence
it appears he misconducted himself ; bat that does
not justify you. A good character has been given
you by many respectable persons. It appears that
you were ander the eye of a Capt. Smith fur many
year., and had his highest approbation. In the
general tenor of your dory you have conducted
yourself with great propriety, which has been taken
into consideration by the Court. It appears that you
even went beyond your duty as a gaoler; in attending
to the comforts of the persons under your charge,
and that you even exposed your person to danger in
visiting persona who had contagious disorders,
to see if they had every comfort their situ-
ation required. I sineerely believe it is a so-
litary instance or a deviation feit' your duly.
The Court look whether it has not produced
soy inconvenience to yourself. • It has contributed
to your removal from your situation at Mes-
ter, end you have suffered great uneasiness of
mind. You are conscious that a man will
be brought to punishment by this deviation
from duty, and that you have sacrificed your
character. Great bitterness most be produced
by this thought; you are conscious that you
are looked upon with a different eye from what
you were before. What you have suffered will
deter nnother man from following your example
(for, from what has occurred, it is not likely
that you will be in a situation to commit it
again). The keeper of a gaol is to keep in safe
custody all persons committed to his charge, but
is not to annoy them in any manner. The COURT
do not think it necessary to visit your offence with
imprisonment, but for the purposes of justice. the
Court do order and adjudge, that you pay a fine to
the King of 501.. and be in the custody of the
Marshal of the Marshalsea till such fine be paid."
The Defendant immediately paid the film, and
bowing respectfully to the Court, withdrew.