The National Register.
London, England, 1811-03-31 00:00:00

DREADFUL MISTAKE-
William Townley was executed on Saturdersennight, at the
drop in front of Gloucester gaol, agreeably to his sentence at the
late Assizes, for burglary. He was turned off a few minute, •
before two-o'clock, in presence of a vast coucourae orpeople,
and apparently experienced no protracted struggle or suTering.
On Friday se'ntilght (says the Bath Paper) 4'-a reprieve for the
aboveman was put into the post-ogee of Hereford, addressed
by mistake, to Wilton, Esq. UnderSheritf,Herefordshire,"
instead of Gloucestershire, some time after the post letters for
that night had been delivered out, and of course remained there
till next morning, when about half-past eleven it was opened by
Messrs. Birctund Wollaston, Under Sheriffs for the county of
Hereford, and immediately the importance 'of its contents to
the wretched objtct of intended mercy was ascertained, an ex-
press was humanely sent off with the utmost celerity, by Mr.
I3ennett, of the Hotel, at his own expence, who vaned from
thence about 29 minutes before le o'clock, and arrived at Glou-
cester a little after two, twenty minutes after the culprit- had
been turned off, and who was then suspended at the drop!
The life of a fellow-creature should at no time be trusted to
any other conveyance than a special messenger, and it there is
not a provision for this small expence, the Representatives of
the country ought to create one.

The Election of a 'Member to represent the University of
Cambridge, in the room of their lute Member, the Earl of
Lupton, pow Duke of Grafton, came on at ten o'clock, ou
Wednesday, in the Senate 'louse, Dr. Pearson in the Chair, in
Cie room of the Vice-Chancellor. The polling continued
throueli the day with great spirit, and closed at nine o'clock
that night, when the numbers were,—for Lord Palmerstone,
459; for Mr. Smyth, 357 ; majority, 102, who was accordingly
elected.
The Emperor of Rusta and •he Arclidlle Charles of Austria,
are said to be the Sponsors of the infant Napoleon.
Buonaparte has extended his burning system to letters. All
letters, whether coming from or going to England, have been
ordered to be want, tog:Mier with the contents.
Seven millions eighteen thousand pounds of Exchequer Bills
was the amount funded on Wednesday, it being the last day
allowed.
A black seaman of the Bittern, entered last week on board
the Ete,ex United States frigate, at Plymouth, saying he was an
American citietei ; presently the Lieutenant of the Bittern came
alongside the Essex, and ashed Captain Smith if he had not a
black seaman ? He atmswered it the affirmative, and ordered
the man on deck. The black not being able to nroduce any
papers of his citizenship, Captain Smith very politely gave him
up to the Lieutenant or the Bittern ; lint the seaman going below
to fetch his clothes, seized a hatchet, laid his left hand on a gun,
and chopped i: off clu-e to the wrist.
The inhabitants of Guildford were thrown into a state of great
alai an, enWednesday se'neight. by an over-droveoxen,which ran
furiously at several persoes. Two gentlemen in particular were
violently attacked, one of whom was carried on the animal's
horns a considerable distance by his clothe, but was extricated
with AA mu.:ll injury ; the other was dashed' with great violence
against the bridge, and much hurt. The ox then ran into the
river after a blacksmith, who sought refuge in the mud, tinder
one ct the arches of the bridge. Although immediately after
secured with ropes, the animal was so ungovernable, that, from
the number of persons sleeted in the street, many were thrown
down, and injured by being trampled on, &c. After several
hours the animal was at length completely exhausted, and con-
veyed away on a sledge.
I'hc following, wager was decided on Tuesday last, by a
person named Baines, of Saffron Walden, Essex, who is upwards
of
from
sixty tNac,
ra yearsld e n of age
ai betteda aistoannec
distance
guinea
re
ltvheant 1
ihl
ees , wouldare
b !back
again, in five hours, which he accordingly pertormed in ten
ar-leoc;kheL;
minutes less than the given time, to the astonishment of those
who witne,sed it.
bliss Marsh, of the New Inn, at Sandgate, under the influ-
ence of a disappointment in love, drowned herself in the sea last
week.
On Friday afternoon, a destructive fire broke out in the die-
il tillery of Mee:rs. Castle and Co. at Bristol, which raged with
great fury, and for a time threa-ened destruction to the surround-
ing neighbourhood. Owing to the-flakes of fire alighting on the
roofs of some adjoining houses, a second conflagration wa-
kindled, less destructive, but not less alarrbing, as the contiguous
6 buildings were with difficulty preserved.

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