The Sun.
London, England, 1852-10-18 00:00:00

THE LONDON SHARPER AND TUE

READING FLAT.

A most amusing instance, displaying the verdancy
of
.one of our Reading gentlemen, came under our
notice this week. Mr. 13--, a small tradesman in
this town, it appears, a few days ago purchased a horse,
bridle and saddle, at what he considered a bargain.
Being anxious to dispose of it as quickly as possible he
determined to sell it on Saturday if he could, and took
it down to the cattle market for that purpose. Ihe
horse, however, failed in captivating the eye of any
purchaser, and the owner very disconsolately was bring-
ing it leisurely back through the market• place, when he
was stopped by a rather gentlemanly•looking fellow,with
his hat cocked on one side, highly polished boots, &c.,
and asked what he would take for his " nag." They
entered into conversation and adjourned to a public-
house on Highbridge. After sundry offers, the gentle-
mane from town offered Mr. B--, in the g nuine Yan-
kee style of barter, six sacks of vetches for his horse.
A sample was produced,. and every way met with ap-
proval. But not knowing their value precisely, and
thinking it would not do to he taken in in this wicked
world, he sagaciously asked the value of a sack of
vetches; this ho found to be something like 11. This
was too good an offer to be allowed to pass, and the
horse-dealer therefore accepted it. His " friend," how-
ever, thought he was giving the seller too good a bar-
gain, and seemed to hesitate. This only increased his
anxiety to effect the bargain, and he therefore consented
to give the horse, saddle, bridle, and ss. for the vetches.
The London youth wrote out an order, directed to the
Great Western Railway Co., "Please to deliver to Dlr.
six sacks of vetches.—Your's, 84e., J. Swallow,
jun., Swiss Cottage, Maidenhead." This note was banded
over to the seller, who at once proceeded to the railwaY,
and inquired for the vetches. He was of course in-
formed that there were no vetches there, much
course
his
.),
surprise and alarm, and he at once proceeded so
Innen-
head, to Mr. Swallow, when he discovered, still more to
his disemnfitur, that the whole affair was wholly a
sell," and that Air. Swallow, jun., had not been at Re
ieg. Ile returned to his reside at once,. and made in-
quiries, but all in vain: the horse, and bridle, and saddle,
and man, and five shillings, had all gone., and he was
left to mourn over his loss, and sly within himself,
" what a flat I've been to be sure! He afterwards found
out, however, that the horse had been sold to a man in
the Butts, who,
who, as a particular favour, allowed him
to Nava it back ugain for paying 12s. Gd., and so ended
this eventful bistory.—Berkshire Chronicle.

FRIGHTFUL CASE OF SUICIDE.—OH Monday, the
11th inst.,a m
anutacturer,whose place of businesswas in Glass-
ford-street, committed suicide by cutting his throat with a
razor from ear to ear. The fatal act was done by the deceased
in his own house, and in the presence of two of his children,
who are young persons. Ile only survived about two minutes,
having literally bled to death. The deceased was a widower,
and is said to have been labouring under a melancholy de-
pression of spirits on account of being somewhat unfortunate
in business. Ile was about 95 years of age.—North British
Daily Mail.
A collier was killed last week by an explosion of
lire damp at a colliery in Dowlais.