The National Register.
London, England, 1821-10-07 00:00:00

TIE NATIONAL ItEGIgTEIt

A 'saw's° Ohctialtarce.—On Thursday-iffetneen
the v icinily of Oxford-mail:et, Oxford-street, was thrown
into considerable alarm and cousternatitin by the falling
of three houses situated at the corner of John-street,
• Oxford-mat ket. The shock was so ,udder , and tremen-
dous, that the persons residing in houses near the spot
were so terrified, that they fled from their dwellings,
and ran to ascertain the cause or the tremendous shuck
which they hail heard. On arriving on the spot whet e
the accident had happened considerable horror was ma-
nifested, as several persons were reported to have been
kniried in the ruins, as two of the houses were inhabited.
Inn sl•orttime they fortunately sticereded in resetting
two Wolltell and a man front their most perilous situation,
who had sustained considerable bruises. They were
carried to the Middlesex Hospital. One of the females
is an elderly woman near 90 years of age; fortunately Ito
other person received any material injury. The work-
men were b t,ily eniployed during the evening in mum-
•the rubbish, and endeavouring to weenalt whether any
other persons were in the rums. It happened extremely
fortunate that several of the inmates were absent at the
time of the accident. One of the houses is a complete
pile of ruins, the walls of tit:: others only remain standing.
ThiltSday morning, allOtit four o'clock,
an alarming fire broke out in one of those retreats of
poverty and wretchedness, situated in Church-lane, St.
Giles's. The 'louse being a receptacle for the acconium-
dation of persons of the very lowest description, who take
up their nightly lodgings, was much crowned. On the
alLrtin of fire being given, a scene took place which baf-
fles all description. Men, womeh, and children, were
seen running in all directions, in a half state of nudity,
to escape from the devouring element, the poverty-stricken
appearance of whom presented a must finished picture oh
human misery. By the active exertions of the watchmen
and other*, the fire was fortunately subdued, without
extending its ravages beyond the house in which it began.
On Thursday morning, about I I o'clock, Mr. W.
Woodin, a master bricklayer,_ residing in Grub-street,
%iris repairing the roof of the Louse belonging to Mr.
Wheatley, a fruiterer, in CrovimAtrect, Fnisbury-square,
when suddenly his foot slipped, and he was precipitated
into the street, a height of 50 feet, and falling on his
head, his scull was dashed to pieces.
In the evening of the 17th ult. the post boy convey-
ing the Dublin mails from Castlebar to Balling arts at-
tacked on the road within a mile of the town of Bally.
vary, by two armed men, who dragged him oft his horse,
beat him with relentless cruelty, and robbed him of the
mails. A reward of 501. has been offered for their ap-
prehension. On the evening of the 10th ult. the post
boy conveying the Dublin Lag front Raihkeal to Askea-
ton was attacked by four armed men, who robbed him
of his mail, after treating him with similar barbarity.
Ascent (if )Jr. Green—On Tuesday last upwards of
30,000 persons assembled in Black Rock Bottom, Brigh-
ton, on the adjacent hills, to witness the ascent of Mr.
Green, in his Coronation Balloon. The weather was
foie, and the atmosphere particularly clear, with a smart
breeze from the north-west. Twelve was the time an-
nounced Inr the ascent; but, front sonic cause or other,
the public was kept in 311):1006 suspense until eight mi-
nutes past two, when the balloon was seen to rise in a
slow and majestic style. The aeronaut waved his hat
and was cheered by the spectators. Front the weight it
bore, the balloon took a south-westerly direction, de-
scended so low .15 to admit Mr. Green to touch the earth
with one of his feet, about a hundred yards from the
gasometer, whence lie ascended. By throwing out bal-
last, however, it again ascended, taking a north-westerly
direction—that is, carrying Mr. Green wit to sea. The
balloon for the space of twenty-six minutes was visible
to the naked eye, and for a short time afterwards was
perceptible by the means of a telescope. Late in the
ufterinion the mate of the Unity packet, Captain Clear,
arrited at Brighton, express from Seaford, with the in-
telligence that Mr:Green with his balloon, bad been
picked up at sea, about four miles front that place, by
the above vessel.

A scene of desolation presented itself on the coast near
Appledore and Bi.Leford, on Saturday morning last. It
w.,s strewed with the wrecks of property washed in by
tile tempestuous waves. A vessel belonging ro Corn-
wall was made a complete wreck, and her crew drown-
ed, but her sails and rigging were preserved through the
zeal and activity of the mariners of the place. A yes-
:,el, without any person on hoard, was also brought in ;
..ml sonic men belonging to a Clovelley boat, were pick-
cd up at sea, Lou, by the humane exertions of the &A-
rs. were saved from inevitable death.
FATAL MA R 1A02.-.-40h11 Kingston, a carpenter,
was lately. married at Anstiwd, near Castle Carey, to
Mary Aldridge, a respectable young woman of the sante
place, and on his rising to go to work early on the fol.
lowing morning, he observed to his wife that tlte
"looked pale ;" her reply was, that " she was very well."
In Italia!) hour after, the milkman called as usual, hut
could m .kc no one hear; this was observed by a female
neighbour, who immediately went up stairs, and found
the new-made bride a lifeless corpse.
An inquest was last week held by Mr Clare, on the
body of John Hillier, a shepherd of Savernacle, near
Tottenham-pat k, Marlhorough.forest. who, on Saturday
the gtul nit. meeting with his sou-in-law, Henry Broad-
way, threw himself into a very violent passion, accusing
Broadway of acting cruelly towards his wife (deceased's
daughter), soon after which he was hound dead.—
Verdict.—Died by the visitation of the Almighty.
Last week a flock of sheep, belonging to Mr. Kellam,
of Hyton-upott.Dunsmore, near Coventry, strayed into
a field of wheat which hail heen cut, and eat a qualitity
of the ears; in consequence of which two died on the
following day, and it wls thought necessary to slaughter
nineteen. _ _

.....
Caution against thinking to excess.—On Sunday week a
young man named Haygartli, of Denver, in Norfolk,
drank 18 glasses of gin in its neat state, at the White
Hart Inn, Dawitliam : the consequence was, that he
immediately became insensible, and continued alarm-
ingly ill till the folitiwing'llitirsday, when death put au
and to his stiderio6s.

garl Stanhope is pursuing the cottage-system to a
great extent on his estate in Devonshire. In that
county the labourers build cottages of mud walls
and thatched, which are done at a very easy ex-
pense: his Lordships lets to the labourer as much
ground as will suffice for a house and garden, on a
forty years' lease, on condition that he builds a
house, in a specified time, of not less than three
rooms, and a cow-house, for 2s. 6d. per annum; he
also lets him as much uncultivated land as he can
manage, which is generally about five acres, some-
times inure, on a fifteen years' lease, and for the
first five years, as it will be burdensome to him to
divide and subdivide the ground and erect fences, at
the rent of 2s. (id. per acre; for the next five years
at 5s and for the last 7s. Gd. making an average of
5s per acre for the whole period: and this is done
with every prospect of complete success. So desir-
ous are hushandmen to obtain ground on these con-
ditions, that one labourer came from the extremity
of Devonshire for the purpose, and his Lordship
had great satisfaction in complying with his request.
In consequence of the recent disgraceful outrage
in Charles-street, Drury-lane, the gentlemen con.
nected with St. Giles's have determined to put a stop
tosuch diseracefut praelees in future. At a meeting
which had been held, a resolution had been framed
and adopted that an extra patrol should be formed
at the expense of the parish, for the purpose of
parading this vile neighbourhood both night and
day ; and all suspicions characters are to be appre-
hended. The 'emote is to consist of four respect.
able persons, who ars: to be dressed in a kind of livery;
two of them rare to parade and occasionally relieve
each other during the s;x days, and on Sunday the
other two are to be employe s 1 ; and it is hoped that
this mode pursued by the parish itr ll not prove
ineffectual. The late circumstance of Thayers
being thrown out of a window in the above street,
gave rise to the institution of the above plan.
Female Aermmaul.—On Sunday the 9th ultimo,
Mlle. Cecilia ascended in a ballon at Marseilles; the
event very nearly proved fatal to the intrepid he.
roine. The balloon having struck against a mast
became entangled, and lost its power to ascend, it
could not clear a neighbouring house without beat.
ing hard against a balcony. Mlle. Cecilia received
a violent contusion on her side, and a severe injury
to her hand. She was indebted for her safety to her
unshaken courage ; aware of the full extent of the
danger, and that she must be precipitated from roof
to roof, she determined to throw out the ballast;
but having caught hold imperfectly with her wound.
ed hand of a sand-bag, the contents of which fell
into the boat: her courage enabled her to despise
this new accident. The balloon after much exer.
tion, was extricated from the mast and the house,
and taking a sudden spring, mounted majestically to
the height of 1,500 toises. The gas escaping in the
ascent through an aperture, the lady came down
sooner than she expected, at the distance of a league
from the too n.

Monday night a fire broke out in an uninhabited
qouse in Queen-street, Worship-street, Finsbury-
shuare, in consequenee of a spark flying amongst
mine shavings, which the carpenters had left in one
of the apartments. The house was completely de-
stroyed.
Two boys, of the ages of 14, wishing to see the
town and ships of Southampton, started from Salis-
bury last Tuesday morning, and reached Southamp-
ton by four o'clock ; after rambling about, one of them
lost his hat in a boat in which he was cast away in
the river. Meeting his companion again, they kept
looking round the place all night without a wink of
sleep , started for Salisbury on Wednesday morning,
and having neither friends nor money they never
ate a morsel until their return to Salisbury next day
at 12 o'clock. Captain Barclay's match is a trifle
to this.

Presence of ,Iliad.—An Irish labourer, near
Richmond (Virginia) who was blowing rocks at 200
feet below the surface of the earth, had prepared
his match for a blast, and was ascending in the
bucket to get clear of the explosion, when the rope
broke, and he fell 50 feet to his old place of labour.
lie immediately clapped his hands on the burning
match and extinguished it ! What an awful mu-
mem!

There are three brothers residing within the pa-
rish of Penicuiek, near Edinburgh, whose united
ages make 259 years, and all of them enjoy their
full mental faculties. _ _

On Wednesday last was sold, by order of the Sur-
veyor-General of his Majesty's Office of Works, a
large quantity of valuable materials used ibr fitting
up the coronation, and some taken from the Courts
of King's Bench and Chancery. There was also a
great portion of the timber used for the accommo-
dation of the respectable Italian witnesses, in Cut-
ton-garden.
By a letter from the agent to Lloyd's at Genoa,
dated the 22d ult. all vessels bound there from For-,
tugal, Spain (including Gibraltar), the South et
France, and Balearic Islands, are to be subjected to
ten days' quarantine in the Gulf of Spezzia.

INQUESTS.

On the 2Sth ult. an inquest was held at Headington, on
view of the body of James Harris a labourer. This was a
case which excited considerable attention, and the exami-
nation of several witnesses.
It appeared from the evidence of Mr. Wingfield, surgeon,
and Mr. Rusher, apothecary, of Oxford, that the deceased
died in consequelice of taking corrosive sublimate on Sunday,
the DA inst.; lint how he procured the sublimate could not
be ascertained. Ile lingered in extreme agony until Sunday,
the Yid, on which day he died.
From the evidence given by Jane Harris, the wife of the
deceased, and other witnesses, it appeared that in May lust
she left her husband, rind cohabited tor about three weeks with
Henry Hyatt, a labourer, of Ileudington, a married al/m.-
11,mi is a young twee; her liudi.ind oirs only SI years of
age. She did not leave her husband on account of Hoy
quarrel. She left Ilyttit, and yield to her sister's, from
whose house her husband fetched her, lie never afterwards
reproached her. On Saturday the eth nut. sho was re-
turning from work with her husband, when Hyatt came up
to her, and asked her how she was, at which her husband
was much irritated, and challenged Hyatt to fight, oho de-
clined it then, hut said he would fight hint at any oilier time.
Barris and his is ife then went home. No conversation passed
beaters them iu goim; home. He went up sirii.rs and said
o. I will 7,0 away," and immediately rail dllll,ll stairs. His
wife overtook hint, HMI locked him in ; he then jumped out
of the window, and went away, but returned in a quarter
of an hour, mid %eat to bed. OM Hilt speak all night, hut
appeared much agitated and distressed iu niiiid. About
eight o'clock the nett morning she asked dun to get up nail
have his hieisklast ; lie refused. She them omit doors stairs
and fat hest some milk, which she took up stairs. Slowly
afterwards he said to hr r, " I have been and took some poi-
son," She linked at hint, and saw Min with it cup un his
hand, which she took from hilt], alit he had 'hawk the greater
part of the contents. Mr. !Lusher oils sent for, who examined
the remainder of the liquid in the cup, and found it to be as
before stated, corrosive sublimate.
Elizabeth White, a near neighbour of the deceased, and
one of the witnesses, stated. that, in her opinion, " this (IV-
ceased had not been in his proper tniusl fir some 011ie,"
which was evidently (ice:palmed by his jealousy of I I yatt.—
It appeared also, by the evidence of other witnesses, that
the conduct of Harris had latciy been very dilfereul to what
it had berm previou-ly to his wife's elopeeneut.
After the Coroner had summed rip the evidence, the Jury
!Monad a vs rdict—" That the deceased died in consequence
of having drank poison when iii a state of temporary insa-
nity." The Claimer then adds cased Jane Harris in strong
terms, pointing out to her the gross impropriety of her con-
duct, which was clearly proved to have been the cause of her
husband's premature death ; anal that, in fact, she was
tally, though nut in point of law, guilty of murder. lit
this address the Jury 1111:111iMOUSly C)) ))
THE AOCIDENT AT ST. l'AUL's C•Tii 0011 A L.—On Mon-
day, at noun, an Inquisition was token before 7'. Shelt )))))
Esq. Coroner for the City of London, at St. Bartholosnew'a
hospital, on the bodies of Thomas Melligan and James May,
who were unfortunately Is illtd by the falling of a scaffold
within the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral, on Saturday morn-
ing last.
James Delaney, one of the labourers, deposed, that on
Saturday morning, a little before seven o'clock, lie and
several others wete employed in hauliug up a pole, fur the
purpose of erecting the scaffold, when suddenly the center
ledger, which supports the planks, broke, and instantly the
whole of the %%oilmen, eight in number, came down with
the scaffolding, but most fortunately only the deceased per
sons were precipitated on the flag stones; the others pro-
videntially become jammed between the hoards, and were
soon rescued from their situation, without any material
injury; witness fell with them, but saved himself by catching
hold of a ladder. The height of the scallold was S 4 feet.—
Melligan came down upon his head, which appeared to be
dreadfully fractured, and when taken up was quite insensible
and covered with blood; lie died betiire lie reached the
hospital. May received several severe bruises on his body
and limbs, but was sensible. The poor fellows were instantly
conve)ed to the hospital.
Mr. Linguard, a surveyor, stated, that he and several emi-
nent builders have examined the scaffold, which is perfectly
secure and strong; it is their opinion the occurrence was
purely accidental. They have examined the center ledger
that broke, which appears to be perfectly sound, and in his
opinion the weight of eight men occasioned it to break.
On a question by a Juror, " Was it requisite to have so
many persons employed to !mod up a scaffold pole 2" Wit-
ness said " No; he considered six would have been quite
sufficient, anti that they had done it without any instructions
from their employer."
Mr. A. Maxfield, one of the House Surgeons in St. Ilar-
tholomew's hospital, then described the situ:, of the auf•
(eters. tie said, on examining Melligan, he found a severe
fracture of the skull, and that part of the brain had !well
beaten in; he was quite dead, May, the other individual,
had his left thigh and leg broken; his right arm and some
part of his bark bone appeared to have been driven in by
the (all ; he survived only a few haws..
The Jury, without a 1111 l meet's hesitation, retained a ver
diet of Accidental death."

Monday evening at seven o'clock, an inquisition, which
lasted several hours, was taken before 'l. Shelton, E.
Coroner tier London and Southwark, in the Hoard-room
of St. Thomas's Hospital, on view of the bud) of Joseph
Harris, aged 64, by trade a trunk-maker, who t ame to
his death tinder the following circumstances. l'he
iu-
r room was much crowded, as the case excited more
than ordinary interest, and several respectable friends of
the deceased were in attendance.

The first witness called was Joseph Harris. lie stated
that he is no relative to the deceased, and is a carpenter
by husiness. On the evening of last Saturday three
wet ks, shoot half past eight o'clock, lie was passing
along Orsci chinch-street, accompanied by his wife, and
ida...veil two coaches coming hoot Ltilldall-briages to•
ward, Corobill. They were each Mown by four horses,
and were driving at a lotions rate, and seemed to be
taring one against the oilier; one of them was a tittle a-
ilvatl. The tit ceased at that time was crossing from the
end of Loinbard.street towards Oraceclitirch-street ; the
coach which was in the rear got on first, and passed the
deceased; seeing that he was likely to be run over, he
(winless) called out to the driver of the latter coach to
pidl in., but he drove on, and before the poor man had
In gut mit ot• the way lie was knocked down by the
leaders; the driver then pulled up the hoists, and lie rail
and took hold of the reins to pi event the coach front going
over ham; the tore wheel passed over one of his lees, but
stopped before it went over the oilier. Several persona
as Nell os witting& called out to tint coaclauau to stop, but