The National Register.
London, England, 1817-08-25 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

INQUESTS.

On Tuesday night, at eight o'clock, an Inquest was held at
the sign of the White Haven near the London Hospital, on the
body of John Chambers, a weaver, residing at No. 3. Pear
street, Spite Melds, whose death was caused by his wife stab-
bing him with a knife, in the breast, of which W1.1111(1 lie died
in about six hours atter. Several witnesses were examined,
and two medical men, upon which the Jury returned a ver•
diet of—Manslaughter, against the wife of the deceased.
Au inquest u as held at the Grapes, Paternostersrow,Spital-
fields, on the body of D. Itarraelough, who blew his head to
atoms. The wife of the deceased stated that he was a shoe
maker, and lit ed in Whi'e Liumstreet. He kept a fowling
pivee, and powder and shot in the home, but in consequence
of 'di deranged state, she hid the powder and shut from him.
and when he missed them he ordered her to produce them,
that he might load the gum to blow his brains out. She re-
fused, on which he said, "if you will not give me the powder,
there are knives, awl I can eat my throat , and if that does
not do there is a pond not far off. and I can di own myself."
Oa his askiog a second time for the powder, and she I eillbing
to give him it, he beat her with a strap. She then left the
room, anti on her return shortly after, she beheld the deceas•
ed standing in the middle of the flour with the muzzle of the
gun at his forehead, and the butt end on the floor and be fore
:-he could either prevent him or give the alarm, he palled the
trigger, and blew his head to pieces, and covered her with
his brains.—VerdMt—Died by ►hooting himself in a state of

COUP.: MARTIAL—A Court-martial was held at Ports-
mouth on Saturday, on hoard the Cloven Charlotte, to try
Captain Murray Maxwell, and the officers and crew of his
Majesty's late fiigate Alceste, for the loss of that ship, in the
strait of Gaspar, on the 16th of February last, w hen returning
front China, with Lord Amherst and suite on board. T' c
sentence of the Court was a inn and entire acquittal f
Captain Max well, his ufficers, and crew. The opinion of 1..
Court was most handsomely expressed, that Captain Maxwel:
had, before the lo:: of the ship, conducted himself in tl •
most zealous and officer-like manner; and that, after dm
striking of the ship, his coolness, self-collection, and exec
tions, were highly conspicuous, and that every thing was don,
by him, his officers and skip's company, within the power of
men to execute, to preserve the ship, and her stores ; and
that to such conduct alone is to be attributed the saving oral!
their lives. Captain Maxwell's narrative was an affecting
detail of the exertions and sullerities of himself, officers, and
crew, and recorded his warmest thanks to his officers and
crew, who had looked up to him ill the hour of distress with
the most submissive confidence. A rant peculiar good look-
out was kept np when the accident happened; and but for the
circumstance t,lat theses was, at the moment of her strikin:,
covered with the tish-spawn, the rock would doobtiess have
been seen. The ship had no more sail on her than enabled
her to withstand 011 unfavourably strong current ; and the
very track she was puraning was laid 110%111 for the ship by
Lieutenant Ross, of the Bombay marine, who had been ten
years surveying the chinese seas. At the moment of their
deliverance trout the wreck, they were surrounded by 62
prows manned with 600 Malays. Their whole stock of am-
munition consisted of only 72 ball cartridges, and a few ear-
tumuli cartridges, which were drawn trout the gnat-ter-deck
guns on leaving the ship : from these the guiltier made up
sixteen d rounds, and balls were made flout the
marines' buttons, and whatever lead or pewter could be cut
ham off the w eck. A few boarding pikes were saved ;
the rest of the men were maned with dirks stuck on sticks,
and sticks with the ponds tempered by Me. An abattis of
wood-woik was formed by the carpenter, and a diagonal
trench cut ont from the hill, tin wh;ch they fixed their abode,
to the only landing place, which enabled them to bid defiance
to the ferocious savages who surrounded them, and who se-
veral times attempted to cut off their boats.
The presents exchabged by the Emperor of China, and
his letter to the Prince ltegeat, with Lord Amherst's own
documents, relating to the embassy, were all saved from the
wreck of the Alreste ; but the specimens of the geologist,
mineralugist, and the botanist were teat ; the drawings ot
those gentlemen were saved. The presents from the Emperei
are said to be of very trilling value ; the articles consist of
purses, and a large supite ; which latter article derivrs
its chief salute from the kind, whenever discovered, being
delivered over to the Emperor, and therefore can only lief
bus:towed by Trim : 4e invariably gives one as a testimony ot
satisfaction, whenever any service is rendered to the state.
Saturday noon a smart young fellow, offered a bad shil-
ling to William Westrop, Collector of the toll at ►Vaterloo
ltridge, Strand, which he refused to charier., the Collector
stopped him, and he immediately threw a lianilfot tit the' same
over the nridge some of widen have bees picked rip by the
waternien. Hs was taken to the (ace in llow-street, and
conunitted to prison for farther examination. Ile sa., s his
name is M'Derinott, and that he lives at No. 6. Cow-cross,
near Smithfield.

A very curious ancient gold ring was lately dog lip in the
Barden of Sarah Hai ilett, a poor woman who rositks at It-
che•ter. It is of a tat ge size. weighs above nil ounce, and is
composed of a gold coin of the Emperor Alexander bent tits
in the highest premervatioo, act within a border as a slim, the
revel ac of the coin appears on the inside. The pour wu.
wan, in whose possessuna it is, has bccu bid forty guineas for
it.
.1 few mornings since, one of the awn belonging to the
Ilusithy.inills, near 1% +nibs it, in Hertfordshire (one of
is a paper aril', the other a flout-mill), going to hit work,
co‘ereil the premises to be in Ilatac.I he i+anaedi.•cely gave
the alarm to Mr. 'event., the tenant, Gli .1 hit fau.t y, fortn-
:lately caravel] unhurt ; and by the exertions of tad neigh.
. oin mg farmers and their servants, most of the Iscr,seltold
studs WCle ILoCnelt fi ten .!est ruction ; Leto at e sot ry to add,
that, nutty foul engines I lay ed with comide I able
elf( ct, both mill• st ere too lit to Ike ground t the dwt Hinz-
Moor so emelt damaged as to he a enderril omen:swanky ;and
a cousidetaltiC stet k of 'leper and rags, w►th a few rdei.ti of
dont, were cousimied. •I'ht• drytne.home, which was vet%
h of paper, brit detached, ere• poi the devout mg element,
'file property oat I(ll4lircil.-- CI SGiy Cilfolfiefe.