The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-08-24 00:00:00

A FROLIC.

At t'nlon ilnll, yesterday, a medical student, named Brookes,
was brought before It. J. Chambers. P:sq. char:Tit with intruding
up and down in front of the Coburg Theatre, dressed in woman's
clothes. on Saturday night.
Clarke, the officer who attends the Coburg, stated, that being en
duty at the shove theatre on Saturday night, between nine and ten
o'clock, he observed a lanky-looking personage promenading back-
wards and forwards on the pavement, before the box entrance,
dressed in female attire of the most fashionable description. (The
clothes were here produrcd, and consisted of an elegant Leghorn
bonnet and plume of feathers, a 'splendid silk dress, together with
a reticule and false front, adorned with a profusion f auburn ring-
lets.) This dress, Clark said, the defendant appeared in on Satur-
' day night, and front his remarkable length (the defendant being
upwards of six feet in height), attracted together a multitude of
people by his singular appearance. The crowd increaaingfast, and
the accrues leading to the theatre being completely blocked up in
consequence, he approaelitti the defendant in order to request that
" she would move oil:" he (Clarke) conceiving it to be a visit
from a girl of the town, who nightly walks on the north side of
Holborn, between Leather-lane and I:ray's Inn-lane, nicknamed
the "31onument.” Ile, however, on examining the defendant's
featurts, diacovered his sex by a large pair of whiskers, and forth-
with put the question to the intendant, who answered in a squeak-
ing voice that he had as touch right ti; walk there as ail body else.
Clarke said he thought the reverse, and procetaled to take him off'
to the wateh-honse, which he had some diflieuny hi accomplish.
ing, being followed by an immense mob at their heels, calling out
" let the lady go ; you have no business with her." The de-
fendant, at the watch house, admitted his sex, stating that he had
dr -'toed himself in ladies' clothes out of a bit of a frolic.
The MAU ISTRAT —" 1 inn very glad he was IIICIL:41 up on
Saturday night." Then, addressing the deferdiew, he 'steal hint
who and what he was.
The defendant replied, with a chop-fallen countenance, that be
was a student of St. Thomas's lloapital, and resided in the neigh-
bourhood. where he was well known. Ile was prepared to brim
forward penitent to answer tiw his respectability.
Man IST MATE observed, that lie had acted in a very Coolish
manner, dressed up in the gewgaw things just exhibited.
The defendant stated, that the fact was, 04 the night in question
he was at a party, 111141,1 number of ladies being present, it was pro-
potted that he should dress himself up in one of their clothes. An
interchange of dress then took place, the lady potting on his, and
he the lady's. After having exhibited liiniselt for some time, to
the great amusement of the company, he thought he would hare a
" bit of a lark," and aeconlingly slipped, unperceived, out of the
brume, and walked down to the 'Coburg Theatre, where he was so
unfortunate as to be picked up by a constable, and lodged in the
wuteh-lintiar. lie now saw the folly of the thing, aud hoped
the Itigiatrase would look (war it.
The Ilortor was then discharged, and the clothe given up
Ito him, un his promise of not publicly appearing in theca spin.

DE•vn nv LIGIITNING.—At Leighton a fatal event bas
taken place. Mr. Henry Samuel, of the Cross Keys lon, was em-
ployed with his son William, another son, and a lad, in preparing
a field for its next clop, about a quarter of a mile from the town on
the south side, when 119lliam and the lad were struck to the ground
by a vivid flash of lightning. Mr. Samuel, on refoyering from the
shock, saw the lad rising from the ground, and his son extended
thereon with his face downwards, anti his stockings on tire ; having
extinguished the flames he raised the hotly and found it to be a life-
less corpse. At this moment his agonies may he better conceived
than described. It is supposed that the deceased had his hoe (with
which he had been at woek) string his right shoulder when struck,
which attracted the electric fluid, as the hair from the right side of
his head was singed, and it had deseeinted on his breast to his
feet, tearing in its pr.igreas his flesh and clothes. Thr hail which
fell was MI heavy. that it materially damaged the standing corn,
and nearly demolished the windows of several huaes.—Bock:
I Gazeltc.