The Sun.
London, England, 1831-05-21 00:00:00

A DASHING SWINDLER AT BRIGHTON.

Brighton has been lately visited by one of those
impudent swindlers who often carry everything be-
fore them at the watering place?, by stringing to-
gether lies about their condition in life, which 'or-
dinary means will often fail in detecting. The ad-
venturer alluded to on this occasion exercised his in-
genuity so dexterously as to fix himself in an exten-
sive and elegant acquaintance in the town. He is
an EllglikohM in, but represented himself as a Colonel
in the Russian service, come here to arrange some
family affairs, thrown into confusion by the death of
an old uncle, who died intestate. He was full of
Russian anecdote, boasted of an intimacy with the
Duke of Devonshire, whom he described as a very
liberal good fellow, to whom the British Government
were under great obligations for the early informa-
tion he was in the habit of communicating an Rus-
sian affairs, facilities being afforded to him by his
intimacy NI ith Count Diebitsch. Nobody doubted the •
veracity of the Colonel, until he thought proper to
give a finishing stroke to his importance by the intro-
duction of a Polish Princess, and then his fortune sod-
denly gave way, and his elegant associates found they
were the dupes of a regular " victimiser?' As he
progressed on the good opinions of those whose circle
he graced, he at one time threw a par;y of Reformers
into dismay by telling them that lus friend, Lord
John Russell, with whom he had dined that day at
Lord Egremont's, had assured him confidentially
that the Bill would be mulled in the Lords—an in-
timation with which he was not a little pleased, as
although lie loved a little Reform to prevent the
bawling of the multitude, he did not like to see pro-
perty, which ought to be as sacred as the grave,
divided amongst a myriad of vulgar robbers. After
having excited consternation of this kind, be joined
a whist party, and astonished them in another way.
In the management of the cards consisted his pecu-
liar excellence. He had a most graceful way of
shuffling, which he called combing, and he won
with so kind and-obliging an air, that even those
who were losing took pleasure in seeing him
comb. When engaged in this recreation, as he
calfel it, he never spoke a word ; and when asked
the reason in private, he said, " No, no, I never
speak when I play. I speak a little when I comb; but
I never speak when I play. I then make the cards
speak for themselves., After whist it was usual
with him to propose a new round game called
" Fright," in which he had extraordinary luck, for
he invariably struck terror into his antagonists, and
never lef, them till he combed them into mere appa-
ritions. At last this Polish Princess made her
appearance at Brighton, and put up at one of the
most fashionable hotels, where she assumed a title
hard enough to cause a lock jaw in pronouncing;
but she was not there long when she was recog-
nised as an obliging acquaintance from the romantic
neighbourhood of Hull. Her Serene Highness's
bill was soon made out, and she departed in the
Red Rover coach for town. This:led to the inquiry
by which the Colonel was at once found to be a Lon-
don victimiser, and to have been formerly a lock-
smith in the neighbourhood of Smithfield. He
bolted from Brighton after having obtained, amongst
other valuable things, a splendid set of teeth and
gold palate for his Princess, who had unfortunately
had occasion for such articles, in consequence of a
cold caught in her native country, in her alarm at
the aggression of the Russian troops.

THE LATE LORD AND LADY WALSING-
HA3I.—(From a Correspondent )—The property destroyed
iu the late conflagration (exclusive of the building) is
estimated at 7,0001. The jewellery of her Ladyship had
been some time previously deposited at a banker's. The
building was insured in the Sun Fire Office at 4,6001.,
and the furniture, pictures, &c. at 6,5001.—in the whole
11,1001. The life of Lord WA LSINGIIAM and that of his
Lady were also insured for 10,000/. When his Lord-
ship's body was discovered by PENA:II, the foreman of the
Sun Office, the only part that remained entire was his
Lordship's heart and a small portion of the upper part of
the fate. Archdeacon (now Lord) WALSINGIIAM, takes
n arly the whole of the property left by the deceas.A.
A IfldfCrOus scene occurred on Thursday at
Epsom, In the line of vehicles of all descriptions which.
(law up in the vicinity of the grand stand, a stage-coach,
full inside and outside, was also amongst the number.
A few minutes previously to the starting of the horses for
the Derby stakes, a young man, dressed out in the very
pink of fashion, desirous of viewing the race from an emi-
nence, endeavoured to get on the roof of the stage, an at-
tempt which was resisted by a farmer, awl a fat dame,
his wife, who were outside passengers, and who, if the
gentleman had succeeded in his attempt, would have been
rendered extremely uncomfortable. The intruder, although
strongly advised to desist, made the most vigorous exer-
tions to obtain a footing on the roof, and in the scuffle,
he struck the farmer a sharp blow on the nose, which
made it bleed. The instant his wife saw the purple stream
flowing from the prominent feature of her better half, she
went to work in right earnest, and being a woman possessed
not only of considerable strength, but also of some share:
of pugilists:, science, she gave her husband's assailant
such A teaser on the side of the lug, while he stood on
the hind wheel, making efforts to raise himself still higher,
as to stun bins for some moments. Enraged at tt,is at-
tack, the young man redoubled his efforts to gain his
point, and in the contest between him and his female ass
gailant, her gown, which was of pink silk, gave way at
the back part and under the arms, by which mishap the
tattered garment, nearly separates! from her person, floated
in the Nem., to the great amusement of the gazers. No-
thing daunted, however, by the accident, she continued
to " leather away" at the unfortunate Wight, whom she
at length succeed in heating down of the vehicle. The
whole of tViiia extraordinary ?encounter was witnessed by
the Diachess of KENT and souse other members of the
Royal Family, vc'nase carriages were drawn up near the
spot, and none appeared to enjoy the scene more than
they till, The farmer's wife was loudly cheered f;
bpvery and prowess she displayed on the occasion, a:.
scene
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hraaenrndg eddrilv husband'see
driven
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ouch sacrifices.
she bad enjoyed the race, to view which she had made