The Sun.
London, England, 1827-06-04 00:00:00

SINGULAR CIRCUMSTANCE.

The following singular circumstance will no doubt
be ranked amongst the marvellous and mysterious
occurrences of the present day. About a month
ago, a man very respectably attired and having the
appearance of a gentleman, called at a hardware shop
in Mansfield, and requested to be shown some cof-
fin furniture, which was accordingly done ; he se-
lected the best handles and other suitable decora-
tions, the breast-plate alone excepted, and after
paying for them lie desired to be recommended to
joiner, for the purpose of having the coffin made.
On being introduced to the joiner, he tendered hint
the dimensions for a large oak coffin, which he or-
dered to be lined and stuffed, and got up in the best
manner, and for further satisfaction, the stranger,
accompanied by the joiner, went into the wood-yard
and actually made choice of the best oak boards
from the stock for that purpose; previous to his de-
parture he gave directions that the coffin should be
ready on the following Friday. On that morning,
however, the joiner received a letter by the north
post, stating " that, as the interment would not take
place for a few days, the coffin would not be wanted
till the beginning of the next week ;" the joiner
felt somewhat daunted, and of course supposed that
it was a hoax, yet calmly contented himself with the
reflection that it would not be lost, and that it
might do for some of his fellow-mortals now in the
land of the living, but who, ere long, might be num-
bered with the dead. Early the next week his fears
were alleviated by the re-appearance of the stranger,
who, on inquiring, was shown into the workshop,
where he found the coffin placed upon tressels in
due form : he walked round it, surveyed it, and ex-
pressed himself much satisfied, be asked the price,
which being told him, he immediately took from his
pocket a large roll of notes, and paid the required
sum. The joiner now began to be in the inquisitive
mood, thinking it to be a good opportunity to in-
quire the name of the person who was to occupy the
collin, and with a proportionate share of becoming
sagacity, said, " Sir, shall I screw on the breast-
plate ?" He was answered, that an elegant one was
in the hands of the engraver, and would be affixed
on the lid when the coffin reached its final destini—
tion. The job was not yet complete—the stranger
then ordered the joiner to prepare a strong deal
packing-case, and requested that the coffin might
be therein deposited, and the whole to,_ be
firmly fastened together; the additional charge of
the case was also paid at the same time. The per-
son again withdrew, first observing that he should
call in a few days and take the package away; he
was punctual to his promise, and accordingly on Fri-
day night called, with a horse and cart, and convey-
ed the whole away. No clue whatever can be
traced, or an idea formed, as to the cause of the
stranger's mysterious conduct in the above affair.
Supposing the coffin was really intended for the in-
terment of a corpse, from the time it was ordered
to its being taken away, the body must have under-
gone a great degree of decomposition, unless it was
enveloped in lead ; and the only other supposition
• that the unknown wished to prepare in good
Is,
time a resting place for his own claey tenement.—
"coifing/lam Review.

On Tuesday se'nnight a, man was brought be-
fore a bench of Magistrates, at Sulihull, upon charges of
assault and battery ; which being established, the commit-
ment was making out, when the person addressed the Rev.
and Learned Bench :—" I know I have a bad name, and
you may as well hang me at once;" and instantly, with
leaped through the casement, to the astonish-
ment honto'uld'
f the Magistrates, Lawyers, and the Constables, who
were so surprised as to be unable to pursue the man, and
lie escaped. —.Dublin Morning Register.