The Sun.
London, England, 1841-01-07 00:00:00

PRETENDED MAGIC.

(From the Gazette des Tribunaux.)
Paul Lasserre, born in the commune of St. Rade-
gonde, of a labourer, is himself a labourer ; but ambi- '
tion and that thirst for fame which are the great evils of
the present times, assailed him in the midst of his honest
labour. A thousand chimeras arose in his imagination,
and in the excited state of his mind he arrogated to him-
self the power ot curing diseases, and, in case of need, of
preserving fields from the destructive visitations of
Heaven. A great sensation was immediately created
in the village, which soon spread like wildfire throughout
the whole commune. The story mentions not what
impression was made on M. lc Maire, but this it does
testify—namely, that an important functionary under his
immediate command, the garde cliampetre, placed im-
plicit faith in the report, and that the sanction of his
belief added considerably to the credit of the visionary.
The crowd flocked from the surrounding hamlets, a
crowd of livid faces and bandaged heads, imploring the
gift of health in return for a few coins which they
brought as a tribute.
We give a few of the answers given by this oracle :-
4. Take a St. John's cross ; at midnight carry it to a
cross-road, and there deposit it. This done, draw a few
paces back, and, should any animal approach it, stand
under no apprehension. Four minutes after you have
returned home, tie the cross on the sick man's breast,
where it must remain for a fortnight. Should this prove
neffectual, take a large toad and place it under the
heel. You will see the reptile absorb the malaly, and
gradually waste away, while the sick man grows better
and better ; or, if you prefer it, let him wear these
talismans about him, but you must not seek to discover
their composition or properties ; or, again, he may rub
himself with this liquor. Perhaps the medicine may not
operate immediately, but do not let this discourage you.
I have seven Fridays to myself for effecting the cure.
And now, let it be understood, that I have entered into
a compact with the demon to whom I am accountable.
Give then, but give in odd numbers, for such are dear
to the evil spirit."
Some gave five francs ; some gave much less, but
or, none, as may be conceived, did the remedies operate.
At last, one of the patients rose one day from his bed,
and lodged a complaint with the Justice of Peace, who
referred ;he case to the Procureur. An inquiry W4S
instituted, and when summoned before the Magistrate
Lasserre did not make his appearance : he had taken
flight. After having during two months escaped the
.authorities, he was apprehended, and was brought to
ihumilia.te his science before the Correctional Bench.
lie wis condemned to a month's imprisonment,• a
penalty of IGE, and the costs.

A very serious accident from the incautious use
of fire-arms, and which might have been attended by the
destruction of the lives of two persons, occurred on Sa-
turday
at Beddington. It appears that on the day in
question several young men, who bad been out shooting,
entered the parlour of the Plough public-house, Bedding-
ton, and after being there some time they commenced
amusing themselves by discharging their percussion caps at
tSre candles to extinguish them. It appears that at this
time a loaded gun was standing in the corner of the room,
and one of the party, named Francis Lovell, took it up.
and, holding it in the direction of the candle, pulled the
trigger. The gun exploded, and the greater part of the
.charge entered the thighs and lower parts of the perions
sir two men named Laxmer and Burgess, keepers to Capt.
Carew, of Beddington Park. The wounded men were
immediately put to bed, and a medical man promptly at-
tended, and rendered them all the assistance in his power,
and extracted a great number of shot from their persons.
Information of the occurrence having been forwarded to
Croydon. Mr. Collier, an inspector of the R division of
police, went to make inquiry, and he deemed it advisable
that an investigation should take place before a Magistrate,
rand he directed Lovell to attend at the Town Hell, Croy-
don, where Mr. Sutherland the Magistrate entered into
in investigation of the circumstances, and the above facts
were deta,l-d in evidence. Lovell. on being questioned
by the Magistrate, said he was exceedingly sorry for what
bad occurred, and assured him that it was quite :in acci-
dent, and lie had not the least idea that the gun was loaded
when he took it fro:n the corner of the room liispeeter
Col'ier said that, from the inquiries he had made, he had
every reason to believe that the affair was the result of
'accident, and that Lovell Lad not the least idea of injuring
the two in-n. The Mtgistrate said it was a most dan-
gerous practice for persons to meddle with fire-arms, and
ti was continually the eccasien of most serious accidents,
and in the present in-tance two lives might have been sa
erdiced 'The Magistrate having ascertained that the tvi,,
wounded persons were going en favourably, ordered Lovell
,to surer into his own r:cogn:zance to appear at any future
time, should circumstances render it nee. ssary.
LIVERPOOL, DEC. 31.—We had a terrible
,st night, or rather this morning. About two
o'el ck j Ass alarmed by feeling the carriage in which I
ens sitting jump in a most extraordi.,ary manner ; it threw
me with considerable violence against the roof of the c r-
e A series of the most hideous jerks followed,
throwieg the unfortunate passengers in our carriage from
Bide to eAe like tennis.balia. The alarm was infinitely
nuts' than the jolting Knowing that there is no me-
dium in railway accidents, I at once set myself down, in
w th Cie rest of the passeogeis, for the sullect
of a• " Frightful ;accident" paragraph in the newspapers.
stoppA for a moment at Blisvvorth ate-
At last they
e
ion ; called out to a porter, who delayed to look to
lti,, tat ot our carriage till it was just time to start; he
then saw 103 late
• the accident that had happened, and
awed all !ratan:a• of expedients to stop the train, which was
, and we were doomed to
caule inure in motion, v'2in 'cum! scleas engine in the
theneet fear that the
be tiragged fifteen
would be dashed to pieces. I
carriagealc3 b y t:
nervously in my life—the
never rode fifteen ici!es so
minutes seemed hours. At last we stopped at Weedo.n,
and on examination we found the " break" (a' heavy ihne-
strument for stopping the carriage) was lying across the
rail, and still attached to the carriage, so that we rode over
lit on the rail several times ; how it happened that we were
liege, thrown off the line is to me a mystery ; else carriage it on the
was so shattered that we were obliged to leave
road, and get afresh one at Birmingham. It delayed us
sit an unfrequented station two hours. lam not much the
worse, but am as sore as if I had been well
respondent of a Morning Paper. beaten. Cor-
APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING TIIE EXPLO-
SION oe Smut BOILERS.— the
frequent explosion of
steam-boilers, caused in many instances by the steam being
confined until it acquires a density greater than the boiler
.can resist, has led to the invention of a Self-actingappara-
ells, intended to warn the engineer whenever the - a
teseeeda the proper degree of safety. The apparatuspressure
pion :0il•s
€Oll5 eructed on the principle that steam, in pro
density, will support column of water, or mercury, of.
given height, and that any fluid will find the same level in
or more vessels, provided there be a free communica-
tion between them. It may be called a mercurial safety-
,' ilre, and consists of a cylinder, within which are two ceps,
with two pipes dipping into them of a length proportioned
to the pressure of the steam ; these pipes are connected
at the top with two valves on one spindle, so arranged, as
that when one is Open the other must be closed. On
the top is a waste steam-pipe open to the atmosphere.
One pipe being filled with mercury, and the valve con.
nected with it being open, the mercury remains sta.
.tionary until the pressure of the steam exceeds its proper
point. It will then be blown out and fall into the empty
oup, allowing the steam to escape by the waste pipe, and
.e
:lying warning to the engineer by its noise. When the
presure is again reduced to its proper point the valve is
reversed, and the mercury will, on the next occasion of
an increase of pressure, bo blown back again, still giving
warning on the other side..—Herald.
THE FAIRY.—A box has been picked up on
Curton Beach, near Loweatoffe, containing papers with
the signature of Captain Hewitt on them, which no doubt
washed from the wreck of the unfortunate Fairy.