The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-09-14 00:00:00

EXECUTION AT LANCASTJ

On Saturday last, Patricrirrierti, aged 22, convicted of hav-
ing robbed Mr. Dennis Clipshant, on the highway, near Manches-
ter, and John Wainwright, aged W, for assaulting and stabbing
Thomas Pomfret and Joseph Moors, with intent to disable them,
were both executed on the drop behind the Cadre at Lancaster.
From the time of their condemnation, they were both extremely pe-
nitent, admitting their guilt, and the justice of their sentence.
On Thursday Rafferty was visited by his wife, who had come
over from Itathone, in Ireland, the native place of her husband, to
tak her leave of him. Wainwright was a native of Ashton, in
this county; he was also visited by his wife on Friday, and their
parting was extremely affecting. 'Pie prisoners partook of the Sa-
crament about eleven o'clock, and at twelve o'clock were brought
on the fatal seafthld.
The platform on which the unfortunate men stand is divided In
the middle, and hangs upon hinges, so that one half falls on each
side, and each is upheld by a screw or bolt at each end of die drop.
After the Chaplain had read the burial service, die executioner pro-
ceeded to turn the handle, by which the bolts at each end of the
platform are withdrawn ; but in consequence of the two halves of
the platform not being placed exactly square, only one of the bolts
was unfastened, and of course only one half of the platform fell.
It happened that both the men were standing upon the half which
remained, and were consequently left standing. They were evi.
dently much agitated by this unfortunate circumstance, for each
part of the platform being heavy, the fall caused the whole machine
of death to vibrate, and the wretched criminals were apparently pe.
trilled with horror.
Two men instantly went down to assist the executioner, and
the remaining part of the platform, on which they were standing,
was then forcibly hurled down, and they were both launched into
eternity. Their sufferings seemed to be of a very short duration.
After they had hung for an hone, they were taken down, and
the body of Wainwright was given to his friends, who were'
waiting to take it away. Rainy was buried In the evening' a:
Lancaster.
We understand that the drop le made after the manner of the
one used at Newgate ; and when the immense -
had dispersed, the men who had the manage
several times put up the platform sad caused
to limiest the defect, ead.rsaidy N fee Ibel
Memory, Sept. 12.

A most destructive fire broke out in the Latta belonging to the
Lodge Flinn, in Woodham Mortimer, on Thursday morning. last,
about eight o'clock, the cause of which is involved in much mys-
tery. A man named Rule, with his son-in-law,' a youth abou. 13
years of age, entered the barn about six o'clock, no other person
being present, and at no shoe were both absent from that barn, um
ail the lire.discovered itself. Ten minutes before the alarm of fire
was given, R'ule's boy left the barn ; on his return, he saw his
father runering from it, with his clothes on his ems, calling out
"tire!" Twenty minutes before this occurred flute had bean upon
the bay where the tire was first observes?, to throw down a fresh
floor of sheave; ; at which time he declares he saw no tire, neither
did he smell any : but within the twenty minutes, as the
man himself acknowledges, the bay humwhizh lie hat! thrown
the sheaves presented a blaze of fire ; that before he saw
the tire, his attention was arrested by the cobwebs filling
upon him ; and the roof of the horn, he says, fell in at the
same instant. Before we proceed in our detail, in order time Rule
May have the benefit of the good character which be beaus, we
deem it but justice to state, that he is looted upon by his muter as
an honest and inoffensive Individual. flow inestimable is sintrac-
ter ; dud which now operates so powerfully in favour of the
thrasher and his boy ! In what manner then is the tire to be ac-
counted tor? There was no storm passing over trans which any
electric fluid could descend. The peas in the barn, or the barley,
it has been suggested, may have heated. Rule declares that he dal
not smell any thing like heat,' or perceive that which would bare
I been the effect of it. The tire began withinside of the barn, which
no person could eater unperceived. In the yard opposite the barn
was a man dressing sheep; equally near were some labourers sho-
velling up dung. Under all these extraordinary circumstances,
the cause of the dreadful conflagration which followed remains in
I obscurity ; but we hope, ere long, justice will overtake the ofFender,
if such originated in malice. '1 he estate belongs to Jeffery Grim-
wodil, Esq. of Cresaing Temple, and is occupied by his son-in-
law, J. IL Cozens, Esq. The buildings had but just been finished I
they formed a most complete humestall, with die stack-yard
i adjoining. In a very short tithe the whole was involved in flames
and so rapid was the destruction, that the buildings, fences, and
stacks were quickly levelled by the devouring element. The pro-
' duce of near's, fifty acres of wheat, ten acres of pease, seven acres
of barley, two stacks of hay, and some implements, a quantity
of corn brought from an adjoining estate; of all this property,
scarcely twenty shillings in value was rescued. The residence
stands some distance, but it was at one time in danger ;
the indefatigable exertions, however, of the gentlemen of the
neighbourhood who were present—several from Mahlon and the
adjacent parishes—set such an example to the numbers which
quickly assembled, as to be the means of preserving the coach.
house and stables, as well as a timber building ; the latter appear
to have been preserved by a miracle. The engines from Mahlon
and Chef:ll46rd were worked in a praiseworthy manner; indeed the
exertions of all present are acknowledged by Mr. Cerens in the
must grateful terms. Legal means, we understand, will be taken
to recover from the Hundred a portion of the loss. We have long
thought it to be bad policy in farmers to bring the whole produce of
their land to one spot. In the event of a fire, experience has taught
them, from whatever cause it may originate, no part can be les.
cued ; ard to add to the calamity, the buildings also, in such
cases, meet the like fate, the stacks being improvidently placed
directly adjoining them. So long as this shall be the practice, M-
atted of reducing the premium, Fire Offices would be warranted
in charging such property as doubly hazardous; and such it was
formerly considered ; we therefore doubt the fairness, as well u the
soundness of policy, in the reductions which they have made upon
this description of insurance. Mr. ofinnwood and Mr. Cozens hold
policies in the Essex Economic Association.—Essex Herald.

Ft RE.—An extraordinary excitement evinced itself yes-
terday morning in the neighbourhood of Portland New Town, at
the upper end of Paddington, in consequence of a discovery being
made by the watchman, at hall.past three o'clock, that the premises
of Air. Hark, a tallow-chandler, at the corner of Pool-row, had
taken lire. The inmates were soon aroused to a sense of their im.
minent danger, and were glad to leave the premises in a state
bordering on nudity, as the flames appeared to have taken a firm
hold of the upper stories. Every exertion was now made by the
assembled watchmen and neighbours to remove as much as pos.
Bible of those materials from the shop and cellar as were likely to
add to the fury of the devouring element, which now appeared to
bid defiance to any attempt that might be made to check its pro.
gem. In about half an bout after its commencement (no engine
having then arrived) the roof fell in with a tremendous crash,
forcing a part of the front wall outwards. At the moment a
young man named Dilworth was leaving the shop with a drawer on
his head, and was struck to the earth by a portion of the falling
brick-work, which, but for the drawer, might have been attended
with fatal effects; he, however, escaped unhurt. Strong fears were
entertained that the fire had communicated itself, previous to the
roof falling, to the adjoining attics on either side, and this was pee-
-1 tinily confirmed by the appearance of dense smoke from one of the
windows. The arrival at this time of two engines fostered the hope
that the majority of the damage might be confined to the building
from whence it originated; nor was that hope futile, for the exer-
tions of the firemen, assisted by a tolerable good supply of waver,
soon banished the fears for the neighbouring houses, to which a
very trifling injury has been done. Before five o'clock it was com-
pletely • stinguished, but not until the whole of Mr. Harle's pre-
which were rather exstenive, were reduced to a pile of
smoking ruins. The cause of the fire remains at present a mys-
tery. as there had been no fires in the house on the preceding
evening, and the lights had all been seen safely out by Mr. H.
himself previous to retiring to rest. The property was fully in.

On Mondsy last a
ting in Link Wood,
Esq. of Rushbrooke,
gun : the contents were
she• was conveyed home
sixth aFcident by spring-
wood within the last fr

are set more caution

(at ibis is a reading ,
left al etery hoax. in
lie where spring-guns,

On Friday a splendid dinner was given to Lord .11eivile the
Lord Pr,,vo,tl Magistrates, and Council of Edinburgh, in tee.
Iti.yal I ibr the purpose of testifying to his Lordship he grate-
ful sense they entertain of the important services rendered Liy hint to
thecity, in many public measures connected with its prosperity, and
especially in the arrangements recent!) adopted, vespecting the part
of Leith. The company was numerous and respectable. About
ninety sat down to dinner. The Lord Provost was supported on the
right by Lord Melville, and on the /eft by Lord Abercromby. net,
were present Lord Binning, the Lord' Advocate, the hoed Clef',
Register, Baron Hume, the Solicitor-Deneral. Sir John Hope, Sh
John Dalrymple. Sir John Entkine, Sir Philip Durham, K.C.K.
Sir Henry Jardine, Colonel Thackeray, Colonel Thornhill, Colonel
Farmihniton, Keith Douglas, Esq. M.P. Captains Tait, Stbddart,
Deans, Wauchope, and Hodgson, R.N., the Commissioners of
the Leith Harbour and Docks, the Honourable Henry Hondas.,
M.P. fm Rochester, the Honourable Charles Dundu, R.
Duntas, Mr. Buller. &c. The Lord President and the Sheriff
were prevented by indisposition from attending.
After the usual preliminary toasts, the health of Lord Melville
was proposed by the LORD PROVOST. in terms of great feeling
and eloquence, in which he alluded to the deep interest his Lordship
had always taken in every thing relating to the welfare of Buthind,
and of this filen:ninths in particular, and expecially.xoticed she gnat
personal labour he had bestowed in making the arrangement, now
so happily carried Into effect. respecting the port of Leirb—ein ar-
rangement calculated to benefit the public at large; and to increase
the revenues of the city of. Edinburgh. The Lord Prevost also
very feelingly adverted to the obligations Scotland owed to the
father r f Lord Melville, from whom he might he, said td Lase
received, as an hereditary succession,. that regard for its interests
which he had so nobly And amply exemplified.
Lord MELVILLE, in that dignified, powerful, and impressive
manner, for which he is so much distinguished, replied to the topics
alluded to in the Lerd Ptorost's address. After personally compli-
menting the Provost for the able and successful manner in which
he had discharged the arduous duties of his high (Alice, he proceed..
ed to state his attachment to the interests of this nietropelis—bite
anxiety to promote its prosperity by every exertion in his power—.
his satisfaction at finding that what lie Itad done had met with ap-
probation—a satisfaction enhanced by the recollection of the lost
and intimate connexion that had subsisted between his family ana
the city of Edinburgh ; and added, that he should at all Braes be
gratified by having an opportunity to exert any influence he pos-
sessed in favour of its improvement and advantage.
The health of the Lord Register, the Member for the city, being,
drunk, he made an elegant and appropriate reply, in the course of
which he dwelt upon his obligations to Lord Melville, to whom he
was much indebted for co-operation and support whenever lie hal
occasion to apply to him on the affairs of the city of Edinburgh.
' To the toast of his Majesty's Ministers," Lord ME.noiLLK
returned thanks for himself and his colleagues. and stated, in an
energetic manner, the great anxiety they all felt, in a time of no
common difficulty, to adopt and pursue those measures which
seemed best calculated-to promote and secure the prosperity of Ito
nation.

The healths of the Lord Advocate. Lord Abercromhy, Lord
Binning, the Solicitor-General, and other distinguished characters
present, were successively proposed, and followed by appropriate
replies.
To that of " the University." Professor IWILSOrr returned the
thanks of his colleagues to an eloquent manner.
The evening was spent with the utmost harmony and crawl-
vidity, and the noble guest and his friends left the room at a late
hour, apparently much gratified with the conduct of the entertain-
ment, and the attention which had been paid them.—Edinbarea
Paper.

SINGULAR CASE OF POISON FROM THE BITE
OF A FLY. •

The following has recently been published by M. Frank, Pro-
vincial Councii/ot and First Burgomaster of Magdeburgh t--
" According to information communicated by a physician of thi.
city, a labourer died the day before yesterday, in a neighbouring
village, outside my arrondissement, in consequence of the sting of
a fly, which he received on the back of Ins left hand, • few-treys
befOre. When a physician was called in, die wounded riall.ll hand
'*as already in a state of mortification, and he was allected with a
lock-jaw. An inhabitant of my departthent has been attacked in
like manner by an insect. on the right baud, and the pm has
tr.ortitied as far ea the elbow-joint ; ISa that there is little hope of
the poor creature's life being preserved.
" It may be looked upon as nearly a certainty that the ties
which stung those individuals took the poison which they commu-
nicated from an animal which died, or was sick, of an inftamma-
don of the spleen.
" The Government of this city has already, by a publication cf
the 11th of October, 1822, called public attention to the total cense-
quences which may result to the health of men and other animals,
from the poison which proceeds from the inflammation of • the
spleen, when treated without due caution In those animal:
which are attacked by it ; and it is enough for me, therefore, now
to refer to that publication. To the instances already given may be
added the report of the Regency of Potsdam, which states run Neve,
cal proprietors of cattle have, unfortunately, takes the infection
from having touched the mouth, or even a wound in the back.of the
animals affected. And there are other examples of people dying
who merely bled heifera attacked with this disease. Their bodies
were opened and an internal gangrene was discovered with the %Ow}
quite relaxed. At Spandau, a woman, who had drank milk. front
a cow so diseased, died. In fine, several dogs cad pigs have been
found dead, twenty-four hours after eating the Sixth of aeimele
that died of the mortification of the apleett. The skins even of
these animals communicate this dreadful dliease, and the Oovern-
mint of Konigsburg, therefore, has ordered that none such titian
be flayed for the future."'

girl of the name of Palfrey was nut- Five or six dsya ago, the inhabitants of :gal;shury-siteet,
I, in the occupation Of John Moseky, Edinburgh, complained of a dinainution in their supply of
who trod on the wire of a spring- water, and that what they did receive tasted strongly of
rere lodged in the poor girl's leg, and fish. Latterly, however, the water' Ceased running-snow
tome in a dreadful state. This is the gether, and measures having.been taken' to aseeittair the
ring-guns which has occurred' in this cause, it wu discovered on Thuriday, 'at-birth* iltEpipa,,
fourteen months. Where spring-guns that an eel,. t 8 inches long, and of peoPpttiotuibe.thiek-•
ought to be given, and we recommend nes4 had somehow introsluled itself into. the pipet
generation), that printed notices be it, completely clised.np- The . Plagn*s, OIL Catlin the
the neighbourhood, warning the phi)," pelii",rtuafeltelnatrelY thr the Ciefirlriiati •
as, &C. are set. atiellCl