The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-08-16 00:00:00

COURT OF ASSIZES, METZ•

A case full of singular and amusing details, but of severe conse-
quences to the accused, was heard here on the 4111 of August.
In September, 1824, Julie Terhoon, the widow-of-an of Seer, -sad
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residing at Volmerange, offered to discover to the widow Ann Son-
tag, who is rather a weak-minded woman, certain treasures con-
eea!ed in the barn by the husband of the latter. According to the
invariable custom of sorcerers, she demanded in the that place a
considerable sum of money, the pretended object of which was, to
have masses said for the repose of the soul of Sontag, who was still
in purgatory. She also required that during the nine days of the
search a crown-pieee should be left on the side of the trench, and
that all the doors anti windows, as well as all tire chests and presses
in the house., should be left open. Operations immediately com-
menced, but they were stopped on the fourth day by circumstances
which opened the eyes of Ann Sontag. Madame Terisson had
taken care to bring with her two companions; on the night of the
16th September, she found fault with the oil of the lamp, and per-
suaded Ann Sontag to accompany her, while she Nought for better.
The oil was procured ; but the sorceress did not find it her interest
to allow her companion to return too soon, so she led her to a
bridge at the other extremity of the village, when a curious scene
took place. "Do you see," said she to the widow Sontag, " those
flames flickering on the surface of the water ?" " No, I see no-
thing of the kind." " What ! not see that blue flame alternately
appearing and disappearing? That is the soul of your husband,
which is still in purgatory ; we must immediately have masses."
Sontag, however, was determined to return home, and on her ar-
rival found the companions of Terisson busy in the work of plun-
der ; the ahrM was Instantly given. The guilt of Terisson attd of
her companions was manifest, and they have been condemned to
suffer seven years' close imprisonment.
A curious fact deserves mention. Ann Sontag, doubting some-
what or the possible success of the arts she was about to employ,
went to consult the curate of the village, and at the same time to
beg of hint to say a few masses ; the curate declared to her, as she
deposed with great simplicity, that he could not answer for the suc-
cess of the search after the treasure, but that the masses could not
fail at any rate to be of use to the soul of her deceased husband.

The Tribunal of Commerce of Marseilles, in its sitting
of the toth of July, decided a cause of great interest to
operative manufacturers, and to all persons in general who
are liable to suffer themselves to be seduced by the offers
and proposals made by the agents of his highness the
Pacha of Egypt. It is well known that in spite of the re-
gulations of the penal code, which still prohibit the seduc-
ing of French workmen for foreign manufactories, a great
number of our operatives are every (lay engaged to work in
those of the Pacha of Egypt ; but the result of these pro-
ceedings is less known. This is. that in spite of the .pro-
mises and the advantageous conditions by which they have
been allured, when once arrived iu Egypt they are made to
undergo a thousand vezetions, and a thousand attempts are
resorted to to obtain from them a diminution of the prices
agreed upon in their engagement, while eventually far dif-
ferent conditions are imposed upon them than those that
were agreed upon previous to their departure. A great
number of these workmen, unable to put up with the non-
performance of contract and their bad treatment, have re-
turned to France; they are now attacking the brothers Zi-
zinnia, Greek merchants settled at Marseilles (the same
who have made themselves remarkable as the agents of the
Pacha of Egypt), as being the persons who signed the
agreements with them, for the injury done to their inte-
rest by the non-performance of the contract entered into
by them on the part of the Pacha of Egypt. The Tribu-
nal of Marseilles has listened favourably to the suit of the
Sieur David Vieden Roller, in giving damages against the
house of Zizinnia. Several other affairs of the same nature
are yet in progress before this Tribunal.—French Paper.
THE ORACLE; OR TIIE INTERRUPTED SACRTFICE.—
Mr. Arnold, the spirited proprietor of the English Opera
House, has been peculiarly fortunate in his late importa-

dons cf operatic music from the Continent, but more par.

that a yyrNon, on Navin;

entered

• . . tagined ....--
ticularly from Germany. The grand opera of The Oracle, into such sureties, would be cor,•,ielled. to answer all charges of he '
say whether Ormerod had any thing in his hand: They went into
or She Inlerrniged Sacrifice, composed by the celebrated which the Magistrates at Sessions could take cognizance. The fidth
George 111. confined Latham is a wearer. I used to work with
German musician Winter, promises to become as great a its provisions expressly to cases wherein lihilenponnrlla°;lTvale town both prisoners shout eight or nine yearn.
fteourite with the town, and even to equal in popularity, accusedt;l:ledas ii n hadi been in custody or
.(t'lt. qattbatfilelfior a Pa." i°d
of
t Grace Oakes was. standing with me at the time. I did not see
IVeber's Der Freischutz. 'rite music has been arranged his LAY r.dship l'wut lesountiftto atatlrtteanotice a his presence, and tiCto.oucarli Latham do any thing with thc hammer.
, and adapted to the English Stage by Mr. Hawes, who, upon him to plead. But he begged to remind those who might Grace Oakes corroborated rho testimony of the last witness ari to
4* To these authorities let me add a few others, to which I beg to las musical director to the Theatre Royal, English Opera resort to such an argument, that Mr. W. Wakefield was in Court
), recalled—T apprehended the prisoner Ormerod, and
John I . .
ilekly•wletlr great obligations, for the valuable papers they hate House, has evinced talent and ability of the highest order, accidentally, and not in custody, and that it had been decided by a •
~ he told
timeme he was not there at all. Ile said he was at a stone dclf
L ttliam..
lattir afforded us upon Indian affairs. The various nature of their nue conferrin on himself th test credit for the
e_ grea majority of the Judges in the famous case of the vests Bisho
into CouPrl
(I)l4tocs, and the hostility existing between one or two of them, ' mannerg in whitl ' I h k in which it was held, that a person volun•arity coming
scientific
~ • i ne has execute( t e tas as.
are notorious; but their general authenticity is uninapcnched no the, was entitled to imparle. Under these circumstances he sub. John Morton was recalled, and he idcrtified Poworth as one of
at the of the riot.
questions in relation to which I have consulted them. The Qnar- signed to nun, and confirming those opinions which we had sated, that the Court (night not to call upon Mr. W. Wakefield the nun who went intohe factory yard. lloworth had in his
city and Iresinti,lster Reviews, Dlackwood's Migazine, the Ediu- previously formed of his musical eaabilities. The follow- to imparle. hand a hazie stick, with a large knob on it, I afterwards raw
14'441 Reviews and the Asiatic Jo•trnal ; the Ririe Ettcyclop- jug vocal pieces, the poetry by -lam
Napier, Esq. Mr. I. Wit.t.wts and Mr. 111notionast having on the other him make his escape out of a back window, which the mob had
'414,:t and lastly, though not least in importance, the oriental 1 v:z..--., Oh, when thine eye is thrnwing"—" When will *tae contended, that the stamte of flO (Ito. 111. did not apply to the broken.
r eraid.case eitlizr of Mr. E. G. Wakefield, or of. his brother W. Wake- Ann Seed—On the 25th of April. the day of the riot, I was at
i peace relieve my breast?"
—" There was a time ere stir-
' See Pennant's Ilindoortas. Sir John Maleolin's Memoir of - - .. hi
• row ow the plaguing i•ar i t teases .
1"—" The M aid field ; that the trip- die of the present indictment was the sante
.as Stoneyhurst, where I saw Thomas Bohm,, with tire or six alters.
re ,
"041 India, Fifteen Years in
in Sketches of India, Mrs.that of the charge upon which :Mr. E. G. Wakefield was commit- He said, "We here broken looms at Blackburn, and wt. ' w ill
Who'd wish to slumber"—and "The gloetny terrors of the ted, and he having been In custody upon that charge, and Mr. W break those at bow Mon before we sleep."
Graham's Narrative of a Residence in 1na..., Lord Valtutin'slie said, be had'been
Trawh, grave"—may be selected as a fair specimen of the whole. Wakefield having been out on bail upon a charge of mild meanour, what he called taken a priiontr; that he had 6.en in a roost thre:
4wili Hoegve's Travels in India, &c. Is.c. hey were not entilltd to iniziatle.