The National Register.
London, England, 1820-12-31 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER

Wednesday morning, about seven o'clock, Mr. Smith,
of Saffron Hill, was returning to his residence; when
Le arrived at the end of Wardour Street, Soho, he was
attacked by 7 ruffians, who hustled him and knocked
him down; they' theta robbed him of his watch, Ike.
11. 7s. in silver and bis hat; one of the ruffians put an
old list on Mr. Smith's head, expressing a hope that he
would not catch cold; the attack was so very sudden,
and the robbery was so soon accomplished, that Mr. S.
had no opportunity of giving an alarm mail it was too
late, as the villains retreated down Newman Street.
BURGLARY.—Monday night, or early on Tuesday
morning, some villains, by means of forcing off the
shutters, entered the bar window of the Anchor and
Hope pablic-house, Brook-street, Ratcliff, kept by Mrs.
Jacks, and without disturbing the family, carried off a
quantity of wearing apparel, together with a small cask
from the bar, coma g about lour gallons of rum.
On IVednesday a poor labourer, who had just arrived
from Ireland, was at work attending on a bricklayer
repairing the tiles of a house in Sidiuouth Street, Spa-
fields, ascended by the ladder to the top, and never been
so high before, he became so giddy that he laid himself
down in the gutter, and uo persuasion could prevail on
hint to get up ; he lay in that situation several hours,
until he was nearly frozen to death by the cold. There
was no entrance hum ihe roof into the house, and the
melt were obliged to get a long rope and pithy, by which
he was lowered to ihe ground more dead than alive front
the fright. The sight attracted the attention of the
whole neighbourhood.
On Monday ni.zht, about 9 o'clock, a most dreadful
accident occurred at the house of Mr. Molly, Blue
Anchor Court, Whitecross Street. Mrs. Molly, who is
an elderly lady, was standing close to a large tire in the
kitchen, cooking something for supper, when her clothes
which were of a light kind, unfortunately caught the
fire, and she was almost immediately enveloped in Haute.
persons in the kitchen endeavoured to put out
rite fire, hut without avail, the confusion was so great,
the milintunate sufferer ran in a state of frenzy into the
street, where the flames were extinguished by rolling her
in a kennel, but not belore her clothes were almost
burnt to a cinder, and she dreadfully injured as to render
her recovery dubious.
A horse the property of Mr. Phillimore, of Dorset
Street, was backed on Wednesday for 50 guineas, to trot
one male in three minute, and ten seconds, such being
;it the rate of more than 18 miles an hour. The horse
was backed at 5 to 4 to win, and the ground was on the
new road between Hounslow and Sunbury COllllllol4
The Rinse went off in great form, hating gone 5o yards
back nil take the start when in action, and won cleverly,
having three minutes to spore.
PEDESTRIAN ALATC.I.—A short time since, Mr. D.
a gentleman of Gloucester, having undestaken for a
wager to walk twenty miles in four hours, the match
was decided on Thursday last at mar Spa \Valk. At,
nine o'clock Mr. D. stutted in very pod style, in tile
presence of a numb:r of spectators who were attracted
to the spot. At the conclusion of his first vile, he had
gainvd rievvn minutes upon time, and bets, which had
neen pre% Untidy upon time, had turned in his favour.—
He won the match impleting his task with apparent
ease in 3 hours and 56 mown:), being nearly lour mi-
nutes within the time abowed.

SIGNS AND TOKLNS.—The people of Reading were
a few years ago thrown into considerable uneasiness, by
certain signs and tokens with which their bread because
impresses' from the oven. One old laity could distinctly
trace at the bottom of a loaf which she received, the
outlines of a death's head and cross bones, and was so
shocked at what she imagined to be a most appalling
omen, that she immediately took to her bed. Another
person, in the bloom of life and health, saw imprinted
in the most legible characters " Died the 20th Sept."
and concluded that fate had taken this mode of warning
her of the day winch it was appointed unto her to die.
The bread of a third was ?tusked in large, but not bold
letters, the word " Resurgans." The amaze I purchaser
showed the loaf to an ingenious neighbour, who, dis•
carding the idea of any supernatural agency, thought
that the word MOIL be a harmless device of the baker's
to imitate his wish that bread might rise in price. The
wits of the whole parish were SOOII at work to account
for these marvellous appearances; and the inquiry which
ensued led to the following simple, though certainly not
very creditable solution of the mystery. It appeared,
that in consequence of some alterations in St. Giles's
church-yard, several large flat stones had become super-
fluous articles, since the persons user whom they had
beets placed had stink into the " marrow house" at so
distant a period, that no Iriend lived to insist on the
dead retaitainitig the little privilege of that sculptured
jacei, which duty or aiketion contributed to their
memory. It happened that the churchwarden for the
time was chief baker of the town, and he looked with
a longing eye on these nice flat polished stones, fur Its
oven wanted bOttOI LI I /lg. lie illyrOp rla led them to thus
use, and the consequence was as above stated.
t By advices front Jamaica to the 12th ultimo, it
appears that intelligence had been received thew, to
a late date, concerning the state of affairs on the
Spanish Main. The details are copious, and involved
in some confusion ; but it is evident that the Inde-
pendents are gaining strength. The Spaniards
maintained their superiority at sea till the end of
September ; but the arrival of a small squadron at
Savanilla, and the expectation of another, was likely
to transfer the superiority to Admiral Brion, and to
enable hint to attack the Spaniards should they ven-
ture out of Carthagena.
The price of poultry and provisions most parts
of the kingdom are very cheap, but this is very im-
material to the poor and industrious parts of the
community, if they have not the means to purchase
them. It however will enable the affluent to dis-
pense their charity in a more enlarged sphere than
usual in their respective ncighbourhouls.