The National Register.
London, England, 1821-03-12 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER

that she had struck her, and from a concern for the
safely of her soul hereafter, she did strike her, that she
might not incur the dreadful guilt of perjury. The de-
fendant was, however, convicted, and sentenced to be
imprisoned for one month in the common gaol.

U♦RING ♦TT♦C[ UPON Tee SURREY POLICE BY •
R E►CUE OA NG. •

Two men, named Davis anti Hail, were tried upon an
indictment for having assaulted Lawrence, Blackburn,
and Herring, officers of the Surrey Police, with intent
to rescue a prisoner in their custody under a charge of
felony.
Mr. Barrow stated the case to the Jury on the part of
the prosecution. The case was afterwards more fully
detailed in evidence. Tue learned Counsel remarked,
that it was fortunate for the. prisoners that the attempt
which he charged them with having made, had not
succeeded, as their punishment would have been of a
much more serious nature than could be inflicted outlet
the present indictment for the misdemeanour only.
G. Blacklturu, a Surrey Police Officer, stated, that
he was on duty in Kent-street, on the 24th of February
last, when, he met a thief, whom he knew, named
J s, with a boy upon his hack, in company with the
prisom r Hall and another man, vvhoin he helms-v.(l to
he Dat is. The witness pursued Junes, and overtook
him with die box upon him, which lie was afterwards
convicted of having stolen. Sonic other officers came
up, and they attempted to take the man and the prnperty
hefore a Magistrate. They had got as far as the White
Bear G miens, in Dover road, when a party of men
cline op to Bum, and one, who appeared to be the
leader, cried out, " Here they are, kill or murder the
b—s, for we'll have him away." The cry of Rescue
was set up, and a most furious attack was made upon 'he
officers, who drew their cutlasses to defend themselves.
Tney were attacked with large stones and sticks, when
the witneFs received a severe blow Irom Hall, whom he
instantly made a blow at with his cutlass, and cut him
down the face. The edge of the cutlass was turned by
the tees hof the prisoner. The prisoner has a sere
wt nod across the face. Seeing their associate wounde
hey retired. The party were not strong enoug hto to
any of the gang, which consisted of upwards of thirty
persons ; but the two prisoners being koovvet, they were
afterwards taken into custody.
David Herring, another police officer, and George
Lawrence, one of the foot parole, corroborated the
statement of the above witness.

Tne Jury, n idiom hesitation, found both the prisoners
Guilty.
The Chairman said, that the attempts made by gangs
of thie,es to rescue their accomplices, had of late been
so frequent, and of so daring a nature, as to call upon
him to mark the ofl...nce of the prisoners with the most
exemplary punishment that the law would allow him
to inflict. had the officers shot any of them when the
outrage was committed, the law folly justified them in
so doing. The Chairman proceeded to semence the
prisoners to be imprisoned 24 calendar months each in
the common gaol.
Tile Court expressed their approbation of the cou-
rageous manner in which officers had behaved during
the attack.

SINGULAR FRAUD.—There is great reason to suppose
that considerable depredations have been committed by
a person of great ingenuity, as the following case will
slicw, taking advantage of the cupidity of heir. expectant,
and persons respectably situated, by bringing the news
of the death of distant itiends or relates es, with the snore
acceptable news of a legacy, and an order from an attor-
ney upon a banker for the payment of it. It is for the
purpose of plating the public upon their guard that we
give the particulars of flue following case:—
On Monday last a young maii, of genteel address and
respectable appearance, waited upon Mrs. E. Stone, a
respectable lady, who keeps a boarding school at Dept-
ford, and presented her with a letter written in a regular
lawyer's hand. The following is a cop,
r To Mrs. Elisabeth Stone.

Bath, March 2, 1521.
" Madam,—My clerk waits upon you for the purpose
of paying you a legacy of 5 >l. due to you, under the will
of the late Mrs. Mary Harris, of this place, and to take
your receipt and discharge fur the same. The legacy duty
being ptovtded fur by the will of Mrs. Harris, there is
only the expenses of my clerk's journey in attending you
bet ein to be paid.
"I .on, Madam, your very obedient servant.
" To Mrs. Elizabeth Stone, School-
mistress, Deptford, Kent."
Enclosed was an order upon a banker, of which the
following is a copy :
" To Messrs. Faller and Co. Bankers, London.

"Bath, Alm eh 2, lat.
" At sight hereof, pay to Mrs. E. *tone, or to her order,
the stun of litty pounds stet hug, which place to the
account of
"

The pretended clerk only charged 41. 13s. Id. the precise
amount of the expellees of his journey, but the good lady
did nut stint her generosity to the piecise sum, but feasted
iiiin and gave hint fur the welcome intelligence. The
o hole hail so business-like and official an appearance,
and the ch.; k too, so like a solicitor's clerk, that not the
least suspicion was entertained, particular ly its the good
lady had a female acquaintance unit .d Herrin, from whom
she had some remote expectations. It is almost needless
to say, that on arriving iii town the next day, and present-
ing the order at the banker's for pa) Iwo', the fraud was
'They knew of no such person at Bath, and
pronounced the order to he a forgery.—The 111111 in per-
son is *ppm roily about Si/ years of age, of Jar k coin•
plexion,with pat titularly dark eyesoniddle bard, decently
dressed, and of genteel address.

FATAL NIIIITAILE.—A few days ago, the wife of
Mr. George, who keeps the Union-inn, at Stow-on.
the-Wold, Gloucestershire, sent to a druggist for an
ounce of salts—an ounce of oaalic acid was sent by
mistake, which Mrs. George took, and though every
effort was made to pave her, she expired in great

79

Elopetana in high Life.—Within the last few days•
which has given rise to much conversation in the fa-
shionable circles, and is likely to prove a source of profit
to the gentlemen of the long robe. An officer of high
family, who has served with distinguished honour its
must of the Peninsula campaigns, was quartered at
with a portion of his regiment, and the station
being likely to be permanent, he removed his lady and
domestic establishment there. A short time ago a liete.
tenant, who was there on regimental affairs, was intro.
dnced to time domicile of the gallant officer, and so in-
sinuated himself into the good graces of the lady of the
mansion, as to induce her to forget her solemn obligass
lions to her husband and family, and to elope with him.
The husband communicated the circumstances to the
friends of the lady, who immediately etideavourad to
adopt means for her rescue from a state so degrading,
and requested his aid in furtherance of their object, he
beluga course the only person who could exercise any
legal authority over her. The request was at first in-
dignantly spuroed at, but he was at length prevailed
open', and application being made to a magistrate at
Haw-street, an active and intelligent office (authven)
was desired to assist the parties in their search. After
a tedious inquiry of several, days they were traced to
Surrey, but when the pursuers arrived there, they had
Had, and ad trace of them was lost. The officer. how-
ever, obutined such information as convinced hint that
the fugitives were not far off, and he disptchcd a mes-
senger to Hampton Court, who learned that they had
been lodging in vie neighbourhood fin the last two days,
but were then gone out on foot. While the pursuers
were consulting at their inn as to the best mode of
action, the person himself was seen walking.at a saun-
tering pace up the street, so/us. The party immediately
sallied forth, and a rencontre of no eery amicable nature
took place, it being waft the utmost difficulty that the
injured husband (who was armed) could be restrained
from violence against the offender on the spot Being
commanded to produce the I sdy,he hesitated, but while
they were talking, the frail fair one issued from a shop
in a view of the whole party. She was for a moment
thunderstruck. The lady was taken from her para-
mour, and conveyed to her fa, her's house.
FIRES.—About six o'clock on Sunday morning, a
cow-lodge, on the King's Lines, Brompton, belonging
to Mr. Freeland, caught fire, and in a very short time
was burnt to the ground, and ten cows and three hones
were burnt to death ; inur cows were extricated from
the flames, but dreadfully scorched. Mr. Freeland was
iu the lodge, and conjectures that the candle accident-
ally caught some loose straw, but so rapid were the
flames, that lie had not time to save the animals ; form-
'lately the stock and prem'ses were insureds—Monday
evening, about seven o'clock, the village of Lower Clap-
too was thrown into the greatest confusion, in conse-
quence of a lire breaking out its the mansion of --v•t•
Hamilton, Esq. which burned with the greatest fury.
The flames were first discovered bursting through the
attic windows, by a gentleman who was passing, and
who gave an instant alarm. In a short time the engines
belonging to Hackney parish arrived on the spot, but
were not sufficiently powerful to conttoul the fury of
the devouring element, which had attained fresh power
by commumeating to the house of Mr Janson, nearly
adjoining. A poor woman, who had lived in Mr. Ha-
-11111t011.9 family for years, and had saved about 1001. lost
it all in the fire, and did not even save a change of
wearing apparel.
About half-past four o'clock on Sunday afternoon,
Hr. Humfrey's, mill, near Cambridge, was struck
by lightning, annd so great was its force, and so
rapidly was the electric fluid conveyed through the
various parts of the building, that the destruction
which has been caused by the lightning affbrds an
interesting spectacle to the observer of the operations
of nature. The lightning first struck the sails of
the mill, and not only burnt the canvas to atoms,
but so shivered and broke the wooden beam, that
its remains literally present a bundle of splinters.—
After passing through the brick work, the fluid
entered the building, shattered the windows to
pieces, tore up the floor, singed the ropes, broke a
barrow, and in its way taking its course through the
successive stories, regularly pursued its destructive
career. Though the fluid passed through the greatest
part of the mill, yet fortunately little or no damage
has been sustained in the machinery. The miller,
who was in the act of shutting the door which
opens on the stage, was suddenly struck down by
the lightning, but being perceived by some persons
who were near, was soon removed from his perilous
situation; and though much hurt in one eye, and
on the fece, yet he is, we understand in a fair way
of recovery. A sow, which was in an adjoining
yard, was killed on the spot, and a cat in the mid
was singed on its back.
On Thursday morning, (the 224 ult.) about
seven o'clock, two fishing boats belonging to Monks-
town, fell in with a large wounded whale, about
S. W. of Poor Head, outside of Cork-harbour. Out
getting it to Monkstown it was dead, and appeared
to be a large whale of the pike-headed species, the
Sabena Boops of Linnaeus. Its body measures up-
wards of SO feet from the tip of the nose to the tail,
and is supposed to weigh bAween three and four
tons. The animal is to be removed to the strand
near Mr. Hargrave's,. on the tirickflelds-road.
The day after the act passed for allowing a pro-
vision of 50,0001. a year, to her Majesty to corn
mence from Jan. 18:20. she had, on application, a
draft for 15,0001. signed by the Lords of the Trea-
asurv, which we suppose, wioi the monies pre-
viously advanced, make up the whole of the year's
allowance ending last January.