The Sun.
London, England, 1822-12-25 00:00:00

EXECUTION.

MAIDSTONE, DEC. 4.—Yesterday morning,
pursuant to his sentence, John Smith, a Greenwich Pensioner,
paid the just forfeit of his life, at Penenden Heath, for the mur-
der of Catherine Smith, at Greenwich, on the 4th October last.
This wretched man had attained the great age of seventy-eight,
when jealousy, that baneful passion of the human breast,
prompted him to embrue his hands in the blood of a defence-
less woman, with whom he had for some months cohabited.—
From the time of condemnation to his death, the unhappy
prisoner behaved in the most penitent manner, he spewed
the greatest contrition for the heinousness of his crime, and
assiduously employed the few short hours alloted him in
preparing for his approaching dissolution. In this pious
duty he was attended by the Reverend Mr. WINTER,
the Chaplain of the Prison, who was unceasing in his en-
deavours to impress upon him the awfulness of his situa-
tion. Shortly. after eleven o'clock, the aged culprit left
the prison in a waggon for the place of execution, attended by
the Under Sheriff, the Governor of the Prisons, and the usual
escort of officers and javelin men. When he came forth from
the portal gate, he looked about him with seeming indifference,
but on his way to the heath, we could perceive, by the moving
.
of his lips, and the raising of his eyes towards heaven, that he
was engaged in inward prayer. When, from the brow of the
hill at the entrance of the heath, he obtained a view of the scaf-
fold on which he was to suffer, the tear was observed to trickle
down the furrows of his aged cheek, and by the heaving of the
bosom, and the lifting of his hands, his feelings at the time ap-
peared most acute. When arrived at the fatal spot, he joined
fervently in prayer with the worthy chaplain, and with uplifted
eyes he prayed to theGop of mercy to forgive his sins -rid receive
his wicked soul. At the conclusion of their devotions, t, eChaplain
took hisleave, and th e Under Sheriffhaving ascended tl e waggon,
told the prisoner if he had any thing to connnunic., to to the
spectators to do it then; lie replied "he had nothi: gto say,
any further than that women had been his downfall; they. had
all through life been his ruin, and they had at last brought him
to that untimely end." He implored the surrounding specta-
tors to pray for him, and he trusted GOD would forgive his
transgressionF. He ascended the scaffold with a firm step, con-
sidering his advanced age, and while the executioner was adjust-
ing the rope, he ejaculated " Lord have mercy upon me, Christ
have mercy upon me," which he continued to repeat, till the plat-
form fell, and launched him into eternity. His sufferings were
but of few moments' duration. After the body had hung the
usual time, it was, by order of the High Sheriff, given over to
Dr. Vance, of Greenwich Hospital, to which place it was con-
veyed, where, according to the sentence, it is to be dissected and
anatomized, and it will be then placed for exhibition in the Hall
of that Institution. The unhappy criminal was a native of Wick-
low, in Ireland, he had served many years on the American
station, and as a reward for those services, he was admitted into
Greenwich Hospital, where he had been a pensioner nearly
twenty years. We hope the fate of this wretched man made a
suitable impression on the assembled multitude who witnessed
his execution, and that it will be a warning to the young and
old to beware of indulging in ungovernable passions, for this
aged criminal fell a victim to the pangs of jealousy, which cor-
roded his mind, and caused him to commit an act the most ab-
horrent to all the feelings of humanity.—( Maidstone Journal.)

There was yesterday evening a general re-
hearsal of the new Christmas pantomimes at
Drury-lane and Covent-garden, and both are
of high promise.—" When Greeks meet Greeks,
then is the tug of war."
ANTIQUITIES.—A peasant of the environs of
Avallon, with a view to improve a field which he possessed in
the vicinity of that town, on a mountain called Montmartre, en-
deavoured to remove some large stones which he found there in
abundance. After several days of continual labour he disco-
vered here and there sev..ral tiles, much larger and thicker than
those made use of at Avallon. This astonishel him, especially
when he considered the height and isolated situation of the spot.
He pursued his work more strenuously than before; his spade
struck against a hard and round substance. It was a head, and
appeared in such a size and proportion, that he imagined it could
belong to no one but the devil. The peasant, being dismayed,
returned to the town as quickly as he could, and, with much ap-
pearance of alarm, related the adventure. He was believed, and
no one would return with him, lest they should there find the
devils head. M. Malot, an old public officer, and a man of
education, had retired to this village, where he lived upon his
estate and was distinguished for his general knowledge. He
was soon informed of this adventure ; he removed the fears of
the peasant, and with some difficulty induced the man to con-
duct him to the place where he had made the discovery. Having
arrived there, the peasant pointed at some little distance to the
head which he had raised with his spade. M. Malot took it,
and having cleared it from the earth with which it was covered,
found it was a marble head of the most beautiful sculpture. 111.
Malot was much gratified, and the apprehensions of the peasants
being entirely dissipated, they continued their original labour,
and found other heads, many beautiful statutes almost entire,and
other curious objects of antiquity. A friend of the Arts, who re-
sides at Avallon, has purchased the field in question. lie gave
to the peasant the price he asked for it. Ile has employed se-
veral labourers who have no fears, and who work incessantly.
They have found not only the scite of an ancient temple clearly
marked by walls of two or three fact in height, but also a
number of mutilated statues of beautiful white marble, and
many coins of brass and gold, stamped with the impressicn of
the Roman Emperors. Mr. Caristie, the retired architect of
Government, who is residing for the benefit of his health at
Avallon, will soon make a report to the Institute on the subject
of these discoveries.—( Paris Paper. )
IMPOSTOR.—We feel it our duty to caution the
public against an impudent impostor, wl,o has lately been
levying contributions in York, wider false pretences. He 'a
supposed to be from Cambridge, is about five feet eight
inches high, rather stout, seems to be 35 or 40 years of age,
strongly marked in the face with the small-pox, and was dresses
in black. Whilst in York, he called upon several respectable
clergymen, and, with a large share of assurance, represented
himself as an unfortunate literary character, whose pecuni: ry
embarrassments obliged him to distress his own feelings by so-
liciting the aid of the benevolent. He also called at this office.
and stated that he was in quest of " a scholastic engagement," for
having been employed as an assistant in a large seminary, where
the master was a tyrant, he had exercised the privilege of an
Englishman, had spurned his usurpation with contempt, and had
issued forth to the world in search of better fortune. Many
other houses were also favoured with his presence, at each of
which he exhibited a great deal of personal accommodation
and of rascally ingenuity, and at several of which he re-
ceived money. The trick was, however, in the end carricd
too far ; for in the course of his engagements, he thought pro-
per to call upon a respectable surgeon, to whom lie introduced
himself as a professional gentleman of the fraternity, who,
through many unfortunate occurrences, had been reduced to pe-
nury. Relief, of course, was,rea.dily granted ; and soon after, the
circumstance was named to a neighbouring architect, on wholes
the villain called the same evening, with a pitiful story',
representing himself as an unfortunate brother of the ar-
chitectural fraternity. A violent altercation ensued—the be-
nevolent surgeon was sent for—the fraud was detected—and
the impostor, confessing his guilt, earnestly solicited for mercy.
—Ultimately he was permitted to depart under a promise
that he would " cease to do evil, and learn to do good." Habits
of this sort are, however, easily forgotten • and, therefore, un-
derstanding that he was gone towards Leeds, we are anxious to
caution the benevolent against the effects of a relapse, which it
is possible this " literary' scoundrel may yet unfortunately fall
into."—( York Herald. )
The bodies of the seamen belonging to the
sloop Lord Nelson, which was wrecked near llayle on the 6th
instant, have been picked up and interred in the churchyard
of Phillack. Some of the cables and anchors of the vessel have
been recovered and lodged in a place of safety. We have
much pleasure in stating that the disposition to plun-
der, too often manifested by the people along the coast
in shipwreck cases, appeared but in a very partial degree on this
melancholy occasion ; the inhabitants of the neighbourhood
generally exerting themselves to save the property and place it
in a secure situation. The few attempts to commit depredations
that were observed were made by females.—( West Briton.)
GHOST STORY.—A watchman came off his
round one morning lately, with pallid face and
trembling limbs, and related that he had seen
what he supposed to be a man, with two chil-
dren in his arms ; and that, surprised at seeing
them abroad at the hour " when churchyards
yawn,and graves give up theirdead," he followed,
what he followed—the apparition, until it ar-
rived at the site of the late fire in West Port,
where a man and two children perished in
the flames ; and there he saw what he saw
enter among the ruins, and immediately it dis-
appeared ! We do not possess the key to this
marvel of a diseased imagination, but we hear
that the poor man's mind has been estranged
ever since, as we suspect it must have been be-
fore he could have seen what he said he saW.---
(Edinburgh Star.)

THE LONDON JOURNALS.

ZYTRACTS FROM THE DAILY MORNING PAPERS,

December 25, 1822.

[MORNING POST.]

Paris Journals to the 23d inst. reached us last
night by express. They are totally silent re-
specting the question of war with Spain, but con-
tain intelligence from various quarters,w hich is not
-without interest and importance. The state of Tur-
key seems to be at present one of great agitation and
danger. The Asiatic troops are said to have rebel-
lea ,and to have entered Constantinople,from w hich
they had been driven with loss by the Janissaries,
after a smart conflict. It appears more likely that
they were called to the rescue of the Saltan, when
the Janissaries surrounded his Seraglio, and com-
pelled him to dismiss his favourite Ministers, and
they were defeated by the rebels, instead of being
rebels themselves. The intelligence goes on to
say,—" that civil war was in consequence carried
on openly between the Aga of the Janissaries
and Ibrahim Pacha, who commanded the Asiatics,
and that the result of the contest would probably
decide the fate of the Porte." What added to
the dangers of the period, was the general
discontent excited by the late edicts, the
length of the Greek war, and the disastrous
intelligence which was received daily from
every quarter where the Turkish arms were
engaged. The destruction of the new Capitan
Paella in the Admiral's ship, where it is
said almost all the Captains of the fleet were as-
sembled and shared his fate, was known at Con-
stantinople. Indeed the news could hardly be
concealed, as the Greek fire-ships pursued the
Turkish vessels beyond the second battery of the
Dardanelles to the very walls of the capital, and
nothing but a calm that ensued prevented them
from taking effect. An idea may be formed of
the terror inspired by the enterprising heroism
of the Greeks, from the fact that notwithstand-
ing they had ventured so. far, the sailors who had
manamvred the fire-ships were allowed to return
safe in their canoes, although they had two bat-
teries to pass.

[THE TIMES.]
There is nothing important to be found in the
Dublin Newspapers, but accounts or notices of
County and other Meetings, for the expression
of public sentiment on the late disturbance of the
peace. With so strong an apparent feeling in
favour of tranquillity and mutual affection, it
seems wonderful how the Irish nation contrive to
be always, from some cause or other, in a state
little different from that of a house on fire. We
should rejoice to think ourselves justified in pre-
dicting a long duration to this unanimity amongst
the many-coloured professors of liberal politics ;
but we remember his Majesty's visit, and look
towards the future with a degree of confidence
not sensibly fortified by the experience of the
last sixteen months. When the materials of
combustion shall have been expended, but not
sooner, we may afford a wider swing to the ex-
pectation of perpetual concord.

Since the return of the Duke of Wellington,
th►e most anxious curiosity has been awakened in
the public mind, to ascertain what may be his
Grace's report of his mission, or his sentiments
on the present situation of affairs between France
and Spain. Without any direct knowledge on
the subject, we think we can infer the true
answer from the conduct of the noble Duke. It
is known that after his departure from Paris was
arranged, he received dispatches from home, de-
siring him to remain in the French capital if he
felt that the object of his mission was incomplete
—but he adhered to his first determination. his
Grace, then, had arrived at the conclusion, that
the reasons for his interference had ceased. Had
it been because war was inevitable, the Ultra
Journals of Paris had long ago sounded the
alarm : but they remain silent.--(Mid.)

[MORNI NG HERALD.]
The Irish Journals are somewhat apt, upon
ordinary occasions, to exclaim " most important
• day !" " new sera !" &c., and their announce-
ments sometimes give us neither disappointment
nor amusement. There is, however, truth and
discrimination in the importance which they at-
tach to the meeting of last Friday, at the Dublin
Royal Exchange, to address the Lord Lieutenant
upon the outrage lately offered to him at the
Theatre. " It exhibited," says one of the Dublin
papers, " a grand rally of all ranks, persuasions,
and all parties—but one—the first Peers of the
land, the Representatives of the old families—
the most distinguished barristers—the leading
merchants, all that is venerable—all that is public-
spirite&—all that is popular—all the good feeling
the talent—all the national spirit of the city,
animated by one sentiment, and governed, if we
may so express ourselves, by a simultaneous
impulse." The same Paper goes on to say, that
to the King himself this was the best homage
they could offer—that it was " the loyal answer
of his Irish people to his valedictory Address."
—The assemblage exceeding, it appears, five
lhOusand persons, exclusive of the crowds
that thronged the avenues leading to it, was
composed„ both avowedly, and in fact, of
'Protestants and Roman Catholics, without dis-
tinction—and in the speeches of the principal
persons there is a proof of a full-grown' libe-
rality and mutual benevolence. It would seem
indeed, in the words of a publication of the late
Mr. Grattan, in early life (not, however, bearing
his name), " that the time is corm! when Pro-
testant' and Catholic—their ancient animosity
subsiding, have made a rapid reconciliation--
whew a certain flame has rectified the humours of
persecution and superstition—when the Protest-
ant is liberalised—and the spirit of truth and
liberty has • descended upon the man, of the
Romish- persuasion, and .touched his Catholic
lips with public fire."

[MORNING CHRONICLE.]
The'offensive and defensive alliance which has
been concluded between Spain and Portugal is a
piece of intelligence highly gratifying to the
friends of freedom. The liberties of the two
countries must stand or fall together, and they

have, therefore, done well to agree to combine
their exertions.

Our contemporary of The New Times has
given us a piece of information for which, we
own, we were not prepared—that the treasuries
of the Holy Allied Sovereigns are in such a
flourishing state, that they are about to make
loans to the Spanish Regency, in order, if we
may use a homely phrase, to set it on its legs
again.—" It is confidently asserted (he says)
that the Continental Sovereigns have determined
openly to recognize the Spanish Regency, and
to supply the Army of the Faith with money,
arms, and ammunition, in the event of a rejec-
tion of fair and moderate terms, by the persons
at present exercising the powers of Government
at Madrid. Every man of information is now
aware of the great error which the Allies com-
mitted in the outset of the Revolutionary
war. Had they supplied the Vendeans and other
French Royalists with money and arms, moun-
tains of treasure and oceans of blood would have
been eventually spared." A rapid improvement
indeed must have taken place in the finances of
the Czar, the Emperor of Austria, and the King
of Prussia, if they can not only do now without
loans themselves, but even give money away
to others. The Czar was obliged, only a few
months ago, to come into our market for
money, to enable him, as was said, to withdraw
his troops from the Turkish frontier. The fi-
nances of France are no doubt in a better plight.
She is indeed the only Power from which the
Regency could hope to obtain supplies of money.
We are also of opinion the French Government
would do better to carry on the warfare here-
after as it has hitherto done, by supplies of money
merely. From all accounts, the sending troops
into Spain would rather be a dangerous specula-
tion in the present disposition of the French
army.—(Mid.)

[NEW TIMES.
The meeting held on Friday last at the Royal
Exchange in Dublin, for the purpose of address-
ing the Lord Lieutenant, was one of the most
numerous and respectable ever assembled in that
City. The individuals who took a lead in it
were of all political parties and of all religious
sects; and there was but one feeling of admi-
ration for the personal courage, firmness, and
energy of the Lord Lieutenant, and of indig-
nation at the violence effered to the Repre-
sentative of Majesty. It is certain that the
display of a contemptuous and hostile feeling
towards His Excellency was a matter of precon-
cert and conspiracy ; but we are disposed to be-
lieve that the act of violence itself (the throwing
a bottle at the Noble Marquis's box) was unpre-
meditated. It was probably the result of a mo-
mentary excitation in the mind of some very low
and ignorant individual : and for our own part,
we must confess we think the persons concerned
in planning the riot of the evening much more
deserving of punishment than the drunken me-
chanic (for such he probably was) who actually
threw the bottle. The effect of this outrage has
been directly contrary to the expectation of those
by whom the riot was planned. It has given to
the Marquis Wellesley more popularity and in-
fluence, and to the different political parties more
union than has ever before been known.

[BRITISH PRESS.]
The Foreign Papers of last night contain no
news of importance. The co-operation of Por-
tugal with Spain, though not unexpected, is an
interesting fact. The grand topic of detlarna-
tion with the enemies of the Peninsular Revolu-
tions is the treatment of the Queen of Por-
tugal, who has refused to accede to the Con-
stitution. She is said to be seriously ill, and this,
we are disposed to think, must be the reason of
her refusal, for the supposition of her refusing to
accede to the act of the nation and of her Lord,
in a sane state of mind is not itself, very reason-
able. Poor crazy Pari passu falls into his old
raving fits, on this occasion, against the late
Queen of Great Britain and the opponents of the
Bill of Pains and Penalties. The parallels of
Puri passu are infinite and peculiar.

The appointment of the Marquis Wellesley to
be Lord Lieutenant, was the first decisive step
of the present reign towards redressing acknow-
ledged wrongs in Ireland. In some of his late
measures that distinguished Nobleman justified
the expectations of those who knew him best.
For this reason he has been insulted and
threatened with assassination by furious Pro.
testants. The tide of feeling has consequently
set in strongly in favour of liberal opinion
and fair legislation towards the Catholics, and
will, we trust, sweep away in its generous flow
all the petty bulwarks of bigotry. The Lord
Lieutenant's reply to the Address of the Corpo-
ration is dignified and just, indicative at once of
his proud consciousness of having acted right,
and of his well-considered contempt of base men
who seek distinction by intolerance.—(Mid.)

SHOCKING ACCIDENT FROM SLIDING.-011
Monday last, about noon, as seven youths, of
about eleven years of age each, were sliding on a
pond in a brick yard at Leicester, the ice suddenly
broke at one end of the slide, when the whole
were successively precipitated into the water.
One of the boys escaped, and gave an alarm, but
unfortunately too lite for the little sufferers, four
of whom were taken out dead, and the other two
were conveyed to the Infirmary with hopes of
their recovery. It is almost needless to add that
the several parents are in a most disconsolate
state.

SINGULAR CIRCUMSTANCE.—Monday forenoon
a boy of Mr. Hawkins, farrier, riding on a horse,
in Mansell-street, Goodman's-fields, the animal
took fright, ran away, and darted through the
tap-room window of the George public-house,
the corner of Goodman's-yard, destroying every
thing before it. The boy, who was still on its
back, was much cut with the glass. The horse
was'much injured. Fortunately only one man
was in the room at the tiipe, A few minutes
later the consequences mightilave byen dreadful,
it being near the time of a number of workmen

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

EXTENSIVE ROBBERY BY A SERVANT.

GUILDHALL.—Amongst the numerous cases of robberies by
servants that have occurred at this Justice-room lately, there is
scarcely one in which the system of depredation has been more
regularly and more extensively carried on than the following,
which came under the investigation of Mr. Alderman THORP
yesterday.

The prisoner, Chas. Worman, an elderly man, who has been
in the employ of Messrs. Browning and Son, distillers, Smith-
field-bars, for upwards of four years, and whose supposed
good conduct had procured for him the greatest confidence
and encouragement from his masters, had been met by Turn-
penny, the officer, about seven o'clock in the morning, on
Sunday, the 15th of Dec. coming from Smithfield-bars, with
a loaded basket in his hand. He accordingly stopped him, and
examined its contents, which were found to be a two-gallon keg
full of brandy, and a bladder containing about a quart of chi..
namon. The prisoner, when charged by Turpenny with having
robbed his master, pleaded it was only a little drop he was tak-
ing home for his own use, and begged for mercy. The officer
having lodged him in the Compter, gave information to Messrs.
Brownings, and proceeded to search the prisoner's lodgings, 3,
Cloth-fair. Here they discovered he was a complete wholesale
dealer. The stock there found was a four-gallon keg full of
gin, another six-gallon cask which appeared to be his reservoir,
having a regular cock in it, about half full of the same liquor a
bottle containing three pints of rum, two bottles full of brandy,
one bottle of red port wine, a bottle of British brandy, a quan-
tity of Smyrna raisins, together with the necessary utensils for
measuring and carrying away the spirits, viz. pewter measures,
funnels, bladders, &c.

The prisoner, at his first examination, expressed great con-
trition, and confessed that he had been carrying on this sort of
depredation for upwards of a year and a half; that he was first
seduced to commence it by a coachman and guard, father and
son, whose names he mentioned, the elder of whom asked him
if he could not do as Bill Barratt used to do, the porter whom
he succeeded, and who used to furnish him with spirits cheap.
He was accordingly prevailed upon to act on this hint, and they
purchased the stolen property from him. He had never given
them to understand that he had a jigger (a private still) • they
were the only persons he had sold liquor to; but he hadnever
delivered any to either of them in the presence of a witness ex-
cept once, and that person was since dead.
A married daughter of the prisoner's, Jessy Butler, spoke to
her knowledge of the connexion between her father and the per-
sons he had named, but had never heard any conversation that
implied a knowledge of the property being.stolen, but had once
heard her father tell one of them he had a jigger. .
The prosecutors were very desirous to have brought the re-
ceivers to punishment; but whatever suspicion might attach,
there was no sufficient evidence of a guilty knowledge, and it is
but justieeio say that the son (the guard) was in attendance at
the first hearing, and willing to be examined, declaring that
both he and his father always understood the prisoner worked a
private still.

Wright, the porter at Messrs. Brownings, who sleeps on the
premises, deposed that the prisoner came there on the Sunday
morning with the basket produced, saying he came for a pair of
shoes. He lighted a candle, and went down stairs, but he (the
witness) did not see him go away.
A Cleric identified the kegs found as the property of Mesrs.
Browning; and the liquor was also swosn to be of the same
strength and flavour as that upon their premises.
The prisoner has a wife and three daughters, two of them
grown women ; they were all in attendance, overwhelmed with
tears, and-the man himself appeared deeply affected by his si-
tuation.—Committed to Newgate for trial.