The Sun.
London, England, 1802-09-29 00:00:00

.t.7‘ E i‘!rc H 110 D N.;") LE R.

• Fr is supposed that the Lady of ccnsumpti've ap-
pearance, who robbed het' lodgings a short time
'since at Richmond, had been previously labouring in
her vocation at Monmouth, as a letter from thence,
dared the 23d inst. states the following particu'ars :
" A woman of genteel appearance, dressed in
mourning, of a delicate habit, about 3o years of
age, and marked a little with the small pox, came
by the coach to this place about three weeks ago,
and engaged-, a lodging, saying her name was
Evans, the widow of a linen..draper, who had lived
at No. 45, Oxford-street. In the course of con-
versation, she pulled out a hand Some gOid watch,
and inquired of the miatress of the house if she had
one, who replied that she had, but that she never
wore it. The lodger expressing a desire to see it,
the unsuspeaing woman also produced a gold
watch in a double case ; and being called 'down
stairs, left it in • possession of a new acquaintance,
who, the same evening, hired a post-chaise to go to
Ross the next morning, wirh an intent to see a
relation, observing th,!:;:ne shoUld return that night,
instead of which, •she sent word hack by the post--
boy that, she had changed her mind, and should
not return till the day after, when she begged
that 'a handsome dinner might be provided for her
relative and herself, ixhich was accoi4ingly done ;
but the expeled guests not ayri--vAig, the land-
lady began to stripea that she was duped, and re_
collthing that her lodger had forgotten to return
the gold watch,-.exarnined her trunk, in which she
found not gold but a leaden weigh:, used in the mil-
linery business, which the fugitive had borrowed of
her on pretenCe of working, remarking, which cer-
tainly Was true-enough, that "she hated idleness,
and liked to be..employed."• •
The same• manoeuvre of the watch having been.
exercised at Richmond by a female, exaaly answer-
ing the, above description, there is little doubt but
the trick. Was playedby the ingenious absentee from.
Monmouth ; and we insert this, with a view of
cautioning such persons as are in the habit of letting
lodgings, against ladies of consumptive appearance,
even though. adorned With the splendid appendage
of a sold -watch. - •

The following are some further particulars re-
spefting the fire on Monday morning, at the Store-
house., in Store-street, Bedford-square, belonging. to
the house of Messrs. Gyffard and Co. (now Messrs.
COMBS and SHum) : _ _

The flames'were first .perceiVed to ascend from
that part of the building nearest the street, and pro-
ceeded with great rapidity, devouring the timbers
of the roof, and making irresistible havock until the
arrival of the engines, which, in consequence of the
scarcity of water, were obliged to be supplied with
beer. In about• three quarters of an hour the im-
mense roof of the center premises fell with a prodi-
gious crash, involving in- its fall the side wall that
was parallel with Tottenham-coutt.road. At this.
moment the conflagration become general, and pre-
sented an awful and sublime spedacle. The im-
mense store vat in the interior of the building,
which was capable of, holding zOOO hogsheads 'of
porter,, next became the victim of the flames, and
having taken fire at the upper part, a circular blaze
ensiled, which burnt rapidly for several feet, until it
reached the beer, by which it was extinguished. At
ten o'clock the flames had in a great measure sub-
sided, at least so far that do further devastation was
to be dreaded, arid the remainder of the day was
spent in preventing' the posSibility of the embers
rekindling. The damage. sustained is calculated
from 3o to 40,0931.. Which must ultimately fall
Upon the Fire-Offices, as we understand the pre-
mises were insured in different offices to the amount
of 63,0001.—Large quantities of valuable -stores
have been saved, and; among other thihgs, we are
happy to find, that all the hops have escaped the
destrudion; upwards .of- I,oob bags were seen
rolling in
.Cheyney-mews, Gower-street,, and the
avenues adjoining, which might have suffered con-
siderable deterioration and pillage, - but for the ac-
tivity of a squadron of Lord CATHCART'S Dra-
goons, which kept the Multitude from pressing too
near the premises, and the thieves from practising
their accustomed depredations. A considerable deal
of malt ha 3, however, been -conSumed, and the de._
srruaion of this article would have laen greater, but
for a most excellent precaution, that-of stopping up
all communications with the rooms-adjoining to those
on fire, which was effected by bricklayers, with
brick and mor tar, in the most expert way ; ,it
afforded a singular sight to see those men em-
ployed building up walls amidst- the burning em.
hers, • whilst the firemen kept up a constant supply
of water around the avenues they were engaged in
blocking up, and- greatly, added to the success of
the undertaking. The More-room, containing the
beer, in which were seven large vats, is entirely
destroyed, vats and all ; and t)ut- of which the
engines, dire&ed' to a Particular part of the build-
ing, were at one time obliged- to be supplied.
---
The occasion of this misfortune, as in. all similar
cases, cannot be accounted for with any degree -of
accuracy. Various are the tales told ; among the
most probable is that of the iron funnel of a copper
becoming heated, and of setting fire to some pieces
of timber in the chimney, _;he. buildings 'being very •
old, which communicated to the rest of the pre-
mises. This copper, the .only one on the premises,
was used for the purpose of boiling liquor to season
the casks against the workmen came in the morn-
ing to fill their. huts from the reservoirs alluded to,-
consequently the fire was always going at night—
but was attended by a Watchman, who had.been in
their service for many years, and on whose care -and
attention not the smallest degree ofsuspicion attaches.
Mr. Alderman COMB e was extremely adive in
his endeavours to save all the property he could,
and was instrumental in urging others to do the
same by his example. The Brewery., of which the
above Premises are the Store-houses, is in a street
at the back of Long-Acre.. The populace guzzled
so much of the beer, which they took away in
buckets, that-they lay in nurni)ers ir, the adjacent
ground-anti streets, like so many drunken' swine, in-
-capable of rising, and "Consequently unable to'-com-
mit plunder, or to afford the least assistance.