The Sun.
London, England, 1803-10-27 00:00:00

MAIDSTONE, Ocr. 25.

YISTERDAY morning, at six o'clock, Captain
HAY WS Rifle Company marched from this town,
and took their route for Chatham. After skirmish.'
ing on the road to the Lower and Upper Bells, they
hatted and took breakfast. They afterwards ad.
yawed and formed in two parties, the one, repre.
seining the English, 'was commanded by Captain
HAYEI; the other, representing the Fiend); by a
Serjeant of the Rifle Corps from Shorn CHO. Having
recourse to the woods, the former kept on the hill,
whilst the latter took to the vale, and a severe sham
fight ensued, which continued in an extended man..
ner over a large track,Of woody country, and was
maintained with a great display of Military talents
on both sides. The French Party retreating, :form.,
ed a barricide round a hay-stack, and defended it.
self in a gallant manner,. but being surrounded by
the Reserve' PlatOon, was driven to an adjoining
field, where a. desperate combat ensued, at the point
of the bayoneywhon an Officer. Commanding in the
French Party losing/his sword, it was taken by a
Private of the English, the whole French. Party
then surrendered ; after which they partook of a
cold collation, near the Hook and Hatchet, form-
ing a flying camp. They then marched in,aline to
Chatham, and halted in a field where the Volunteers.
were drawn up for exercise. After continuing there
about an hour, • the.alarm was given by the skir.,
mishing Party for them to .pursue the. Enemy, which
was followed .up closely for, several miles on
„their
route through the woods back to Maidstone. A
number of Gentlemen from Chatham and the Coun.'
try round, struck with the warlike appearance of
this admirable Corps,' followed them a considerable
way, and were highly gratified at a sight .so strik.
ing and novel. .The men bore the great fatigue
and almost unparalleled exertion of the day, ad-.
mirably, and did not return till after six in the
evening.

IYlANstox.HoUSE.—Monday a Hackney Coach-
man, belonging to No. 83, was summoned before
the LORD MAYOR, charged with cruelly beating
and.' ill-treatintone of his horses. It appeared on
the evidence of three respeetable Gentlemen who
came forward, from motives of humanity, dial one
of the horses fell down, on which the Defendant
jumped from ofF the coach-box, and began to flog'
the poor animal must unmercifully, and not giving•
him time tolet up, he dragged him along with the
other horse which was to the coach. On being,
spoken to on the impropriety of
,hii brutal behavi.,
our, he 'clenched his fist at one of the Gentlemen,
and used very improper language,, alleging at the
same" time that the •horses were his own, and that,
he could use them as he,pleaspri ; and if.he,,,run one
of them thr6ugh, what wakit to any other-person,
as he must be • the loser. On being asked by the
Lotto MAYOR what he had
,to say, for himself ?' he
answeled that the horse was lame and very stubborn,
and that he flogged him to get up. On. which the
'Lotto MAYOR gave him a very severe reprimand,
telling him, at thesame time, that his 'defence was
'rather an aggravation of his. crime., As thc poor
animal was lame, and perhaps otherwise,unwell, he
shotild hate been suffered to rise without being
oished in that brutal manner for a fault he could not
help, merely becanse he was lame. His Lnrdship
looked'over the ACt of 'Patliamtint, and was going.,
to foie him 4.05. but taking his family into consi.
aeration (he 'having a'wife and four children), after
giving him 'a good admonition, and thanking the
Gentlemen, who stepped forward to 'bring such a
man to justice, with the consent of the Complainant:,..
hal forgave him this time, :on condition of his •pdb•
licly begging the Gentlemen's pardon, making a
public acknowledgment of his fault, and romising ,
never to be guilty of a similar offence in future., ,

Mr. DrsoN, of the King's Head Inn, in the Old
'Change, who went to.bed in apparent good health,
died. suddenly at two o'clock yesterday morning,
in consequence of a momenrairpain in his stomach,
before he, could speak five words to his wife,
was in bed with hint at the time-. who

Tuesday night, at eleven o'clock, a dreadful
accident happened at the foot of, Blackfriar's,
gridge, The ;trivet of a hackney-coach being in.
toxieated, muun'ted ttie box, accompanied by a WO;
man : when being- unable to guide the horses; the
anialals set
.off,. at full gallop over the bridge, and
ran with the.grzatest violence against the iron milt
cif Mr. Fowcaß'S house, the sign of tlw'cross Keis.
The shuck was so great, chat the tails gave svdy,
aukl both the horses fell irrto the afea:;.coue of them
was kiiftd, and the co.(ch, which also folio wed w
them down the area, was shattired'to pieces. The
eciaehroars and the woman were previously thrown
oif the ii)ox into the road: thecoac4 Went over the
latter 'and dislocated her arm: the man was tak,en
up beastly drunk, insensible of any injury. Wire
K's house is much damaged.

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