The Sun.
London, England, 1822-12-10 00:00:00

MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT.

GREENOCK, DEC. 6.—Yesterday forenoon a
lamentable and fatal accident occurred at the New Chapel of
Ease now building in Blackhall-street. The principal masonry
being entirely finished, the joiners were proceedinfl with the
erection of the roof, with every prospect of a successful comple-
tion to a work which had previously advanced in the best
manlier; and were yesterday, to the number 'of 16 individuals,
including 'one of the superintending contractors, etnployed
upon the scaffolding which had been raised for constructing,
the roof, when a prop, which temporalily supported one of the
tie-beams, shifting suddenly, the latter gave way, and preci-
pitated the scaffolding which was resting upon it, and on which
the men were at work, down upon the front gallery. The accu-
mulated weight having forced the main cross beam of the gal-
lery from its place, the joists which rested upon it were conse-
quently left without support, and, pressed by the superincum-
bent mass, acted as so many levers upon the partition wall
which their ends were placed) which divides the body of the
Church from the main entrance and staircases of the gallery.
By this means part of this wall was forced out, and imme-
diately thereafter ,the portion above the opening, to an extent
of probably thirty'feet wide and twenty in height, fell to the
ground. The whole was the work of a few seconds, and
the unfortunate men on the scaffolding had scarcely
time to perceive their appalling situation till they were
precipitated from a height of forty feet to the ground, and
overwhelmed .by the accumulated mass of materials before
stated. 'Of the entire number of persons but one camped un-
hurt ; yet, considering the dreadful predicament in which .they
were placed, it is surprising the catastrophe was not more fatal
than it proves to have been. One man only, of the name of
Asher, a joiner, from Perthshire, was killed by suffocation. The
remainder were all in a very short time extricated, some slightly
but most of them seriously wounded, yet not so at to endanger their
lives. Almost all the medical gentlemen of the town were upon the
spot in the shortest time.possible, and administered their pro-
fessional aid to the sufferers. Five of the men were carried di-
rectly to the Infirmary, and are receiving in that excellent insti-
tution every alleviation which surgical skill and unremitting at,
tentiorkcan bestow. The others were carried to their respective
dwellings, and we understand all of them are doing well.

CURIOUS CASE OF EXTORTING MONEY.
[From a French Paper.]

ASSIZE COURT OF HAUTE GARONNE.

This Court was crowded to excess to hear the trial of a man
named Dupont and his wife, upon a charge ofa rather novel nature.
The following are the facts of the case :—Sieur Vigouroux was
smitten with the pretty face of the female prisoner, who served
in a coffeehouse at Toulouse, and he met her by appointment
one morning at live o'clock, at a house in the town. Vigouroux
had scarcely entered the room in which the lady was waiting for
him, when her husband burst open the door, and stood before
the astonished lover, Dupont gave a significant glance at his
wife, which induced her to retire immediately; he then placed
a pistol at Vigouroux's head, and made him consent to pro.,
ceed to a notary, and draw up an attested bond for the pay-
ment of 15,000 francs to him (Dupont.) Vigouroux ,was so
completely under the influence of terror, that he allowed him-
self to be led to a notary's, where he signed the bond in the pre-
sence of witnesses, without offering,the least objection. When
Dupont had got possession of the bond, he said to Vigouroux,
"i ou may see my wife now when you please." Vigouroux
recovered from his fright at the expiration of a few hours, and
caused Dupont and his wife to be apprehended. Both the
prisoners were found guilty, and the Court sentenced them to
be imprisoned for 10 years, and to be once placed in the pillory.