The Sun.
London, England, 1825-06-07 00:00:00

SINGULAR IDIOTCY.

TILBOURG, MAY 15.—A few days ago an in_
teresting little girl, six years of age, suddenly disappeared from
home ; the most scrutinizing researches were made in the neigh-
bourhood without success. The unhappy parents, at the ex-
piration of two days, offered a reward cf 23 florins to any per-
son who could give them information respecting their lost child.
A youth, sixteen years of age, known by the name of the Silly
Shepherd (he had received this appellation from the general be-
lief that he was an ideot), presented himself to the parents,
and assured diem that he knew where the. child was to
be found ; they followed , him to a common, about half
a mile distant from their habitation—the ideot pointed
to a hillock, designating it as the spot where the lost
child was concealed. The distracted father tore away
the fresh earth, and he saw the feet of a human being;
it was carefully removed from the grave, and the wretched pa-
rents beheld their child deprived of life. The following are the
only particulars that have hitherto been collected respecting
this mysterious and dreadful event. The young shepherd,
whose natural imbecility of mind prevented him being employ-
ed in any other occupation than in tending a few sheep, had been
ordered by his master to remain on the common till the even-
ing ; at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon several children came to
this place, and the shepherd joining them in their infantile amuse..
rnents, it was at length proposed to play at what they calla fune-
ral. One of the children was to personify the departed indivi-
dual, the shepherd was to have the two-fold occupation of
clergyman and sexton, and the others were to be mourners.—
The idiot dug a hole four feet and a half in depth and very
narrow. They seized the unfortunate little girl, and having
placed her, notwithstanding her cries, in the grave, with her
head downwards, they all ran away, went to their respective
.homes, and thought no more about the poor child. The shep-
herd remained, filled up the hole with the earth, and then re-
turned to his dwelling. This dreadful occurrence has caused
the greatest sensation in this neighbourhood. The young shep-
herd has been sent to prison in Bois le Duc ; he has undergone
several exeminations, but all the investigations only tend to
prove that he is unable to distinguish between right and wrong.
Three children of the ages of nine, eight, and seven, have also
been examined ; they were of the party, but thought, naturally
enough, that the shepherd would not leave the poor little girl
, -
in the grave.

Letters from Paris of Thursday state that a
notice has been issued by the Bank of France to all those per-
, sons who have deposited French scrip or stock as a security for
money borrowed with that establishment, that the whole must
be redeemed within three months. As the scrip of the last
French loan has long been paid up, and the term of redemp-
tion has been once extended at the request of 'the holders,
there appears to be nothing in this notice which ought to be
construed into a deviation from the regular practice of the
French. Bank ; but the particular period at which the' call
is made will bear the interpretation which is put upon it in
some of the letters, that the Bank is drawing in all its dis-
posable capital for the purpose of assisting the Government in
the great measure of the reduction of the interest of the debt,
but- which i not expected' to succeed to any extent, notivith,
standing all the efforts of 31. de Villele and his adherents, the
general rate of interest throughout France not being sufficient to
lo* to produce' the requisite number of assents to the conversion
of the debt into etock of a lower denomination. '
DREADFUL Fi RE AT GENEVA,--A Letter,
dated Geneva, May 19, contains the following particulars:—
" Last night was a night of terror to the inhabitants of, this
town. A dreadful conflagration broke out in the Street des
Belles Filler, at about an hour after midnight. A fine new.
. building and three or four other houses have been wholly re-
due,ed to ashes, and eeveiel others have received considerable
damage. In addition to this sad catastrophe, we have to add.
the, melancholy intelligence' that 10 or 12 persofii have fallen
victims to their zeal and devotion. They ran to give their as.;
Sistance; thinking they weidel be best enabled to master the fire
from the leads, and not foreieeing the danger, the leads 'gave
way, and these brave individuals were precipitated, 'without a
chance of recovery, into the burning mass beneath. Amongst
the victims of this sad ealainity is the son of Mr. Synaic Vernet
Pietet; a-fine izornieing young man only 22 years of age,' and
several of the firemen. The desolation negeneral. The whole
City of Gen'e'va was exposed to the greatest danger. . The fire
would-have • been dreadful if the wind, Which blew Violently
from the north before mid-night, had not suddenly gone down.
It began to. blow again at six in the morning, but by that time
the fire was'nearly eictinghished.
THE LiON.NERO. AND THE DoGs.—fFrom the
Si rerssbury WhateVer may be the' result of
the ;preparations , for,this mortal combat, it 'is certain that
the field of battle is now already provided.. Mr. Wombwell
-on- Monday- last inspected the cage or'den(Whichhas been
built by Messrs. Draytoniana Rowlands in this town f," inciex-
PTessed great confidence of retaining,. not only his 5,000
guineas, but the lordly biute on whose head they are staked..—
The ' den is 57 feet in circumference, 15 feet high, formed of
'strong iron bars 7 or 8 inches distant from each other, and cover-1
in with a wooden roof, removable at pleasure with its board ed
floor. The whole will be fixed upon axle-trees and wheels. Mr.
Wonibwell will:hot say When the' battle is to take place. A
gentleman ofShrewsbury has offered to secure him 1,0001. if
he would fight it in this neighbourhood; this, at present, is
refused. The prices to see the battle will be as follows :
Boxes, 31. 3s. ; Pit, 2/..25. t' Gallery', It. Is.
• Friday night, a shocking .accident happened
at "the Caledonian Theatre. Edinburgh, to Young Woolford.
He was performing in the Battle of FV-Oerio°,
when his horse
reared and fell back'. %Vpolford torttinately fell to one side,
otherwise he might have crushed to death ; but his foOt
being entangled in the stirrup, was shattered to such a degree
ihif it was reared-at'npiatatlon Mould be necessary.