The National Register.
London, England, 1812-02-09 00:00:00

PROUINCIALS.

A curious and rather an extensive system of swindling has bees
carried on in the town of Leeds, since the 7th of December last, by
three Female Adventurers—a Matron and Ler two dashing daughters,
residing in Park-square. Those ladies, who describe themselves a; the
widow and daughters of a deceased Officer, have had the address ta
insinuate themselve into debt with a vast number of shopkeepers; anti
have, in the short space of about six weeks, obtainer! fron• different
dealers property to the amount of from three to Jimr hundred plunds !
without expending twenty ! Their creditors include innkeepers,
upholsterers, milliners, grocers, butchers, bakers, fruiterers, confectien-
ers, stationers, music-sellers, ironmongers, mercers, drat ere, and a lorg
et cetera, who have all fallen into the wily snare oE,theae adepts in the
swindling art. To lull suspicion, their first step was to take a handsome
house in Park-square, and the g iisral process then was, fur one or both
of the Misses to go to a shop and order a quantity of goods which were
directed to be sent to Park square, with a note, which Mama would
call to settle soon, as it was her custom to pay monthly ; and in this way
goods to the amount we have mentioned have been obtained. Not
content with cheating the people of their property, the heroines mixed
honour with their fraud. and hoaxed those they had cheated. For this
purpose, Monday-week last was appointed as the day of payment, and
their trades-people were requested to bring in their hills, and receive
payment on that day : so welcome a summons, in these pinching times,
was not to be neglected, and in thejnotning of Monday not fewer than
fifty of their dupes repaired to their levee, when, to their 7reat surprise
and consternation, they found that the whole family hasi decamped on
Sunday, having previously emptied their house of every thing portable,
and left their deluded 2reditors to laugh, if they were in the humour,
at each other, and to take a lesson of caution for the government of their
future conduct. So complete a thing we never knew in this place befor-;
in London indeed such maneuvres are not uncommon, but in the cowl-
try, where we are always an age behind the metropolis in knevery, as
well as in fashion, they are very rare, and the general cry was, 66 Who
could have thought it ?
Thursday evening, the folloWne dating attempt at robbery was made
at the Rev. Mr. Oldershaw's, at Stasrton, near Harleston, ..'orfolk
As that gentleman's nephew, Mr. Douglas, was reading in the library,
the:door of which opens into the garden, and was not fastened, a man
masked entered the room, and presenting a pistol to Mr. D. demanded
the money in a bureau which stood in the room; Mr. Douglas re-
plied, that there was none in it, and that he bad but seer:, Attie in his
pocket. The villain immediately seized Mr. D.'s gold watch, which
accidentally laid on the table, when Mr. Douglas very coolly observed,
that if he took the family seals it might lead to a discovery, but the
robber persisting, and sti.: holding his pistol in a menacing manner, Mr.
D. instantaneously seized the poker, and made a desperate blow at
I the villain, whose pistol missed fire, and Mr. D. repeated his veE
orts,
which the fellow avoided, and drawl's!! a large knife from his side,
plunged it at Mr. Douglas's body, who luckily drew back far citotoh
to prevent the attrociuus intention, but it ripped open his waistcoatand, shirt. The servants and Mr. Oldershaw being now alartaed, the
man fled, but was so closely pursued as to drop Mr. Douglas's watch
in the garden.
A pig, the property of a poor men at Downham Market, having
fallen into a well, a person of the name of Sarituel Hall, a chimney-
sweep, offered his services, and descended the well by
means t the
crevices and interstices of the en-rounding :.Nick-work; on getting be-
low, the whole po.alerous mass instantly gave way and ;inniured hint
therein. No sooner was it known, tams a vast concourse hastened to
e
the spot, aid by the assiduous and energetic endeavours of about
twenty taco, the object of their arch was extricated front ins tub-
terraneen prism!, :aria, eecept some slight bruises, (the consequence of
the pressure ay ich hedged ".ins in) unhurt.

et lllP,miman.e.

FEBRUAT.)..Y the lfth, all the 6 lAtr. LOTTERY will be Dra..vn,
only &100 eine contains Two of 20,4 001.;. Two ef 4,C001.;
1 iur of 1,0001.; and 1,594 Prizes from -VII. to 151.
RICH; RDFIN, GOODLU 'K. and respectfully inform the
Publ: that Tic;:eti ant Share are no Salc fur the above Lottery. at
their Offices, the Confer of &bilk-buildings, curb sill, anti facing the
King's Mews, Charing-mai&