The Sun.
London, England, 1827-08-04 00:00:00

WESTERN CIRCUIT.-SALISBURY, Aim. 2.

John Manic' was indicted, charged on the Coroner's
Inquest with the manslaughter of Thomas Strange, at
flureford, near Amesbury, on the 18th of June last.
Mr. POLLEN stated the case. He said that there were
two coaches, called the Celerity and the Defiance, running
from Exeter, and which were in opposition to one another.
The Defiance had been established about three years, and
the Celerity about one. On the night in question the De-
fiance had conic from Andover, and was going towards
Exeter. 'At the foot of the hill where the accident hap-
pened the Defiance was going at a very slOw rate, and just
at that period the coachman of the Defiancepereeived the
Celerity about two, hundred yards off, at the top of the hill,
and approaching at a very' rapid pace. On this the
Defiance coachman drew off the road as much as possible,
and the Jury would hear that, when the accident hap-
pened, the near wheels of the Defiance were two feet on the
turf, the whole road, from bank to bank, being about 36
feet, and, when the coach lay overturned, it was entirely
on the turf. Another strone proof of the side on. which
the accident really originated was, that no person was se-
riously injured by the upset of. the Defiance ecacli, while
several, besides the unfortunate gentleman who had been
killed, on the Celerity, were severely bruised.
Thomas Beadley Neylor, examined by Mr. Hatcoara—
I a student of Magdalen-hall, Oxford ; I was going on
the night between the 17th and 18th of June, by the De-
fianee, and was seated on the box ; it was not a very dark
night, and the Defiance bad its lamps light€4l'; when I
came within three miles of Exeter I saw another coach ap-
proaching ; we were then rather upon alba, with an ascent
-..nonediately in front; when I first saw the other coach it
was about 20 or 30 yards a-head ; the Defiance coital-
manballoed out ; we were then on our right side, the road
cpnsisting of hard road in the middle, and turf on either
side I our near wheels were as near the turf as eoesible, if
not en it ; the other csaeh came on very fast, and had its
lamps lighted ; when they approached, the coachman said
to me, " We shall be over, Sir," and immediately after
they came in contact, and I felt our coach going over ; we
bad been going quite slow, not above six or seven miles an
hour ; from the manner of the approach, and from after
examination, it appeared that the fore-wheel of the coach
awroacbing us struck our fore-wheel, carrying off the cap,
and then went between the hind-wheel and spring; there
wee decidedly room for the Celerity to vase without striking
us ; Do one was hurt on our coach; the head of our cowl*:
so nearly reached the extreme bank of the road, that you
could not pass between ; our coachman seemed to endeavour
to pull up immediately before the clash ; the Celerity fell
in the centre of the road as near as possible, four or five
yards from our coach ; it fell across the road, and not in a
line parallel with the banks, like our coach.
The prisoner being called upon for his defence, said, that
all lie had to say was, that when be got within fifty yards,
and as soon as be sew the Defiance, he hauled the horses in
to the near side, and kept as close as he could to the turf, till
the accident happened. It was now that the most interest-
ingpart of the case came on, and on which the whole matter
went off. The indictinent contained four counts, in. two
of which the death was described in different ways to have
happened to a person of the name of Strange, and in the other
two to have happened its the same way to a person un-
knower,. It was, therefore, quite clear that those counts
which chstraed the prisoner with the death of Thomas
Strange, fell to the ground, for there was not a tittle of
evidence to prove that that was the name of the deceased.
But to this Mr. Follett added •a curious objection, which
wise, that in the three last counts the coach was described
as being drawn by two geldings and two mares, and that
no evidence to that -effect bad been adduced. After hearing
. a great deal on both sides of the question, the Chief Justice
decided that the objection was good, unless the horses were
proved to be mares and geldings ; for this purpose Barrett,
ate coachman, and Waters, were celled back ; but neither
of thews could state any thing on that head. The case,'
theedore, was gradually dying away a natural legal death,
when it was Alecovered that Mr. 'Woodward, a part pro-
prietor of the Ceteeity, was in Court. This lighted up the'
prosecuting Counsel, and in a similar degree drew darkness
upon "flux*/ Of the adveree faction." Mr. Follett said that
the witness could refuse to be sworn ; that the prosecution,
having concluded their case, had no right to call further tea-
r:mane. 'f he Chief Justice said, that it was in his power
to adMit, at any time evidence on a mood to
ob-
jection ; that he should like •to see 54. Wood warand refuse to
le sworn. Ale. Woodward was sworn ; bra r. , ough he
knew that there was no stallion in the coach, because he
had none in his poieeaii.on, it was quite impossible, out of
his extensive stack, to tell evbat four the horse-keeper had
put in harnest t'u that particular night. This testimony
again transferred the light and shads ref the picture, which
was completed on his Lordship's deelaring ;that all the ob-
jections were good, and fatal to the indictment in by 9.
The matter .was now, of course, anpposed to be entirely
settled ; but not so. The Jetty wanted to find a verdict
ae.ainst the prisoner, although there was aeueh a glorious
point of law to get over. At length, after a TOIL-ter of an
hour's battling, they condescended to be persuaded, and a
verdict was returned of " Not Guilty." •
His LORDSUIP then said: that had the man been...found
guilty, be should have passed a light.senteniv on him, be-.
cause it appeared that he was not the regular coachman.
The propzietori, however, were highly to blame in trifling
in this manner with the lives of the King's sui4ecte; and,
indeed, should any one, after the public notice which tic SYT.O
ti en giving, be tried before him, and be clearly convicted,
he 4hould undoubtedly sentence.bim to be transported for
life. Maule then, by the advice of his Counsel, traversed
the indictment for furious driving till -next elasizes, and the
caw closed, he being discharged on giving

THE DREADFUL FIRE AT SHEERNESS.

( Front the Conterbyry 11t7:01d, Aug. 2. )
rthonua PAILTICULAntIe
On Tuesday night, dreadful and meet destructive
fire broke out at Sheergeo, and the consiNuences
have been most calamitous • g large part of Blue
Town has fallen a prey. to the devouring element.
The fire broke out on the premises of Igr, Clarke, a
linen-draper, and from the combustible natur4,a the
houses, being principally built of wood, they .cotati-
•nued to ignite one after the other.until 45 dwellings
were entirely destroyed; every assistance was given
by troops and sailors belonging to the men of war,
and the guns of the guard-ships continued to Are,
during the whole of the night, which, together with
;be .conflagration, exhibited a scene that we hope we
mai never have to look upon again. It is at present
itaposOble to state the amount of the loss of property
which noist ensue from this misfortune, but it must
be very cOiisiderahle; although many, of the 'sufferers
are ;mitred. The scene was truly dreadful, and I
shall send further varticulars for your next.
ANOTRIt.S. ACCOUNT.
Sheerness has again been visited by another cala-
mitous fire, the moat extensive and disastrous that
ever- occurred at that town • forty five houses are
burnt down, and one hundred thousand pounds' of
• property is, supposed to be destroyed.• It. broke Out
:it a quarter past eleven o'clock on Tuesday night, at
the shop of Mr. William Clarke, linen-draper, High-
street, Blue Town, and raged with unabated 'fury
till seven o'clock next morning; most of the pre-
' anises, which are situated in High-street and Chapel-
street, consisted chiefly of shops, many of which
contained very extensive stocks. The scene at
present beggars all description, numbers are house-
' less, and will End it difficult to obtain places, there
being but feiv houses empty.

George Vaux, azespectable surgeon of the city,
was talking one day at Batson's Coffee-house ; and
after he was gone, . upon a person present in-
quiring,—" What is this Vaux ?" . Ball, a
quizzical old apothecary, replied, " Vox (Vaux)
et pra-terea nihil."
EkTRAORDINARY PENMANSHIP.-.411'. S.
Oliver, schoolmaster, of Shopten, in Hereford-
shire, has written in the circumference of a penny
piece, a task, we believe, hitherto unequalled,
the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, the
Apostles Creed, twenty-one Collects, beginning
with -the sth•.Sunday after Trinity, to the 25th
inclusive, Ins name, place.di abode, day of the
month, and the date of the
,year, together with
drawing of the Crucifixion of our Saviour.

CONFESSION OF SLADE.

(From the Iluntingdon Journal of this day.)

" On the morning of the 3d of July, I went
direct from the Swan public-house at about
halfoast two, being fresh at the time, and got
over the garden wall; I saw Peter Saby at his
door; I went to a straw wall near the dove-
house, and laid there till five in the morning ; I
had a sword hid in the straw wall, which 1 had
stolen from the Horse and Jockey public-house,
in Huntingdon, it had been hid in the straw
wall four or five weeks; I drew the sword out,
and left the scabbard in the wall, mid put the
sword down
_my trousers, by my thigh.' I went
into the garden, and saw Mr. Waterhouse then
in the yard, but he did not see me. The garden
door was not fastened : I opened the door and
went in, up stairs, and hid myself in the wool-
chamber till six o'clock, for the purpose of
plundering the house of any thing I could. I
was asleep from five till ten, amongst the wool,
and meant to have robbed him at night, but Mr.
Waterhouse happening to come up stairs, heard
me breathe, dare say I was snoring, upon
which he came up to the chamber and called out,
HollOa ! who are you ? what do you do
here?' I then got up, drew the sword, and kid
hold of him. He tried to go in at the chamber-
door, where the blunderbuss was, but I would
not let him. I led him down stairs, he trying
all the way to get up stairs. No conversation
passed in coming down stairs. When we
got down stairs, I Now, Mr. Water-
house, if you'll forgiVe me, I'll forgive you, and
if not, this is your death-warrant," holding up
the sword. He said—' No, I will suffer any
thing. first.' I was then standing opposite to
him, in the lower passage. When I.let him go,
he went to run by me to the kitchen door, to
call somebody. Upon which, just as he was
turning into the kitchen, I struck him a back-
hand blow, the great cut across the jaw, and he
reeled back, caught himself against the tub, and
fell baCkwards into it. He guarded his head
with his hands. When- in the tub, he looked
steadfastly at me, and said, Don't murder me,
what have I done ?' I then struck him several
blows with the sword, which he laid hold of
twice, upon which I drew it out of his hands,
and cut his fingers. I also stabbed him in the
throat, which was the last blow. He then said,
lam done,' and died immediately. I did not
hear the dog bark all the time, he would not
bark at me. He barked once, when I got
over the wall, but when he heard my step, he
knew me, and was quiet. The kitchen
door, leading into the yard, was wide open,
all the time ; no person came into, or near
the house, all the time ; no other instru-
ment was used hilt the sword, and no other per-
son was present, or knew any thing about it,
until I
.confessed to Mr. Brown, yesterday:—
There was no blOod whatever upon me, except
on my finger, which I spit on, and wiped on the
grass, and one spot on my Waistcoat, which I
scratched out immediately, and it was never seen.
Having committed the murder, which was all
finished by ten minutes past ten, viiich I knew,
as I had my watch with me,- I immediately ran
out of the house. I had pulled off my shoes
when I first went into the garden, at five in the
morning, and am sure that the footmarks alluded
to in the evidence on the trial, were not made
then. The one in the -garden may have . been
mine, aitl was in the garden the following day,
when I was examined at Mr. Waterhouse 's by
Mr. Torkington. On leaving-the house, I turned
immediately to the right, and threw the bloody
sword- among some young oaks near the priory I I
then ran at the back of the hay ricks, went over
that stile, where it was said the step was, without
my.shoes, which I put on,when f got up to the
top of horse close. In going through dovehouse
close, I saw Parker by the dovehouse, but he did
not see Me ; there was an old man at work in the
church-yard at the same thne but he did not see me.
After.getting over the stile, I turned to the right
and went across the closes into the tunnel, as
stated in the evidence, and saw the two women
on the hill ; I did not stay in it a minute, but
went down the dyke, and laid in Mr. Water-
house's field. It was about twenty minutes after
ten when I got to the barley-field ; I remained
there till seven at night, and then went to my
own house round by the town, had my supper,
and went to bed as I was going home,
I saw folks running about ; on Wednes-
day I was at work at Stannion's. All
that passed between Heddings and
_me at the in-
quest was as folldws asked him whether he
would go and drink with me ; he drew .on one
side, and said, What do yoti think of this
concern ?' I answered, I have a suspicion
of old Wright.'" He said, lam sorry he is
'dead, as lief all the folks in the town should
be dead as him, for J counted of having a quar-
ter of barley from him thia week.' I wish the
public to be acquainted with this confession,
which would have been made before it was, but
fwm a fear of meeting my family, with their
knowledge that I was-guilty. "

.We have reason to 'belivp that. his Grace the
Duke of WELLINGTON will shoot over the utpors of his
Grace the Duke of RUTLAND in the ensuing grouse sewn.
A gentleman in this neighbourhood has offered his seat
for the accomtandatlon of the Noble. Duke.—Sheffield
Courant.
A GENTLEMAN IN THE PUBLIC LINE.—
The fair and jolly dame of a pubVcan in this town, was,
*hiring the present week, thrown into no small trepidation
and pfirspiratlon, by the following occurrence :—An official
person paid her a visit, and politely asked the hostess, " if
she could trecortuaodate a gentleman in the public line with
a bed ?" The landlady always willing to catch a good cus-
tomer, replied " Yes." But her surprise and horror was
Ipexpresaible, when she discovered that she had absolutely
can* ?hick Ketch. The public functionary, however,
Was not permitLe.4 to put his cap on beneath her roof; the
landlady very justly remarking, that it was difficult to draw
a line of distinction in these days„-rani that the recollec-
tion of him whose arguments were too knotty to be an-
swered, had ever since kept her mind in a state of suspen-
sion —lhntinydon Journal.
TIGER 1.'4-NG.—A party of gentlemen
from Bombay, one day visiting the stupendous
cavern temple of Elephanta, discovered a tiger's
whelp in pne of the obscure recesses of the edi;
flee. Desirous of kidnapping the cub, without
encomit,ering'the fury of its dam, they took it up
hastily and cautiously, and retreated, Being left
entirely at liberty, and extremely well fed, the
tiger grew rapidly, appeared tame and fondling
as a dog, and in every respect entirely domesti-
cated. At length, when it had a.ttained a vast
size, and notwithstanding its apparent gentleness,
began to inspire terror by its tremendous powers
of doing mischief, a piece of raw meat, dripping
with blood, fell in its Way: It is to be observed
that, up to that moment, it had Veen studiously
kept from raw' animal fwd. The instant, how-
ever, it had dipped its tongue in blood, some-
thing like madness seems to have seized upon
the animal :—a destructive prinpipta, hitherto
dormant, was awakened—it darted fiercely, and
with glaring eyes, upon its prey—tore it with
fury to pieces-74nd greWling and roaring in the
most fearful manner, rushed off towards the
Mingles.--London Weekly Review,

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE,

FRENCH PAPERS.

From the Constitutionnel.)
JULY
" CORFU, 2.—Redschid Paeha was expected
to turn his arms against Acrocorinthus; but be has
just taken a route in the opposite direction, and has
turned_ his steps towards Western Greece. Some
people pretend that he is returning to Janina, to ap-
pease some disturbances that have broken out.there,
and also to raise recruits, seeing that he has only a
very small number of disposable troops, since he
has garrisoned Athens. It appears; however, more
probable that he is going to Missolonghi to compel
the Greeks, who are still in arms in and
Acarnania, to submit to his power. Between the
mountains Ilocossari and Anitios is a large piece of
level ground, which may be defended by a very small
number of armed men in occupation of the defiles
which lead to it. This plain is of considerable ex-
tent, and very fertile; in its neighbourhood are
pasturages large enough to maintain a considerable
number of cattle. The Generals Zongaz, Rangos,.
and Yscos the younger, deposited in that place their
own families and those of their soldiers, and des-
cended into the plains to continue tke war. They.
had thus forced the Turks to confine themselves to
the fortresses of Lepanto and of Missolonghi, and
had cut off all communication between RedsChid
Paella and Albania. The Seraskier, in marching
to Attica last year, had left in every village
through which he passed, a certain number of Turks
and Albanians to keep the roads open. The Greek
chieftains were wise 'enough to treat as friends, in
the descent which they lately made from the moun-
tains, all the Albanians who surrendered without re-
sistance.. They sent them under a strollg escort to
the very places where they wished to be sent. It
is asserted that Redschid Pacha is not on very good
terms with Ibrahim Pacha, and that it is on account
of the misunderstanding between them, that the
Seraskier has not marched his forces against
Acrocorintlius. The Arab . chieftain is still at
Vostitza. Having learned that Colocotroni was
collecting the forces of the Peloponnesus near
fripolitza, hS has just sent a reinforcement to the
garrison of that town, which was not very numerous.
This corps of Arabians met many impediments on its
march : at Tripotamos, the Greeks drew it into an
ambush, in which they killed some hundreds of their
enemies.

PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE.

VIENNA, JULY 22.—The news from Constan-

tinople pours rapidly in succession. The vigorous
resolutions' adopted by the Sultan do not, in the
least, alarm the Members of the Diplomatic Body
at Pera; for they all ask, how his Highness can re-
sist Russia ? It is whispered at Constantinople,
that the Porte have despatched agents to Teheran,

upon a mission to the Persian Government. It is
conjectured that it relates to an offensive and. defen-
sive alliance between Turkey and Persia. On ano-
ther hand, it appears that the Divan has given
orders for assembling a certain number of troops on
the right bank of the Pruth, to protect Moldavia
and Wallachia from any sudden aggression.
(From the Gazette. de France, dated Thursday.)

"ODEssA, JULY 15.—The letters from Constan-

tinople of the 7th, announce that the Porte had re-
plied to several 'demands of M. de Ribeaupierre re-
lative to the convention of Akermann, in such a man-
ner as to prove that the Divan neglects nothing in
the actual circutiltances for the punctual execution
of that convention. It was consequently hoped at
Pere, that immediately on the appearance of the
fleets of the Allied Powers in the Archipelago, the
Divan would accept the proposals relative to Greece.
It is now no longer doubted that the protocol of the
conferences of St. Petersburgh, reduced into the form
of a treaty after the rectifications of the three Courts,
will be presented to the Porte, as an ultintatzthi,
with a peremptory term of 30 days for its acceptance,
at the expiration of which the .measures resolved
upon may be carried into execution. Within two
months from this time the affairs of the East will take
a decisive turn.—Augsburg Gazette.

(From the Moniteur of Wednesday, August 1.)
CORFU, JULY 3.—.-On the 25th of last month,
Lord Cochrane had an action off Candia with the
Egyptian squadron of 120 sail. After a very brisk
cannonade, which lasted.4.B hours, he succeeded in
dispersing it, and sunk some of the vessels. The
Greek squadron consisted of 80 sail. The Egyptian
fleet had troops on board, and a great quantity of
ammunition. The Turkish squadron has fallen back
towards Navarin."—Journal du Commerce.,

" PARIS, JULY 3I.—M. IVleinard,. Commissary of
Police, proceeded yesterday to the honee of Messrs.
Achille Desanges, bookseller, Rue Jacob, and M.
Beaudouin Brothers, booksellers, Rue de Vaugirard,
where he seized the CEnvres Choises de Volney,
in 2 vols. 32m0: "