Star.
London, England, 1824-08-27 00:00:00

ITALIAN BRIGANDS.

The Chevalier de Angelis, in a Paper on Italian Man-
ners, just published, speaking of the Brigands, relates
that one of them, covered with wounds, and having lost
a leg, continued to defend himself against the soldiers
by whom he was attacked. Another set fire to a hay-
left, and they perished in the midst of the flames, in or-
der not to expose themselves as trophies to their enemies.
Some Ca‘abrese banditti having been pursued by a
numerous body of troops, were arrested in their flight
by a river, which the continual rains had rendered im-
possible to be forded. Despairing- of their safety as',
well as of their pardon, they destroyed their ammu-
nition, embraced one another, and disappeared together'
in the midst of the torrent.

Bizzarro, the terror of the Calabrias, was always ac-
companied by his wife, who made him a father at the
moment when his life was exposed to the most imminent
danger. Fearful that the cries of the infant might dis-
cover his retreat, he determined to sacrifice it; and
tearing it from the embraces of its mother, he mur-
dered it in her presence. The wretched woman stifled
her grief, not to expose herself to the same fate;
but no sooner did she perceive Bizzarro overwhelmed
with sleep and wine, than she seized his arms, and
avenged the death of her son. A reward had been set
upon the head of this monster; his widow came to de-
mand it, confessing her crime, and exhibiting the tt unk-
less head of her husband.

A chief of bdnditti was taken, and condemned to lose
his right hand before being. hanged. The executioner,
who was inexperienced, having failed in his first attempt,
was. about to repeat it ; the criminal requested and ob-
tained permission to cut it off himself. He chopped off
.his hand, and presenting it to the executioner, said to
him coolly, " Learn another time to be more expert in
your business 1"

BRIGHTON, AUGUST 26.--This morning, at seven
o'clock, as the workmen, nine in number, employed in
erecting the large building at the end of the Steyne, had
arrived at the top of the house, the front wall gave way,
and fell with a most tremendous crash, and two of the
unfortunate men were plunged from the top to the
ground ; there are no hopes of their recovery ; the other
seven got hold of the scaffolding, and hung suspended
in that manner until assistance came to their relief.

Sattirday after noon, as the Rev. Mr. Read, of Stone-
aston, was returning from Chewton, in a four-wheel
pony.carriage, in which were also his wife, his son, and
a man servant, the animal became restive, ran away,
and in turning out of the road close to Chewton turn-
pike-gate, the carriage came in contact with a wall,
part of which was broken down, and it was upset, when
the whol.e party were thrown out. Mr. Read was so
dreadfully injured that he died the following night; as
did likewise his son an hour afterwards. Mrs. Read is
also so seriously hurt thatslittle hopes are entertained of
her recovery, her skull being badly fractured, and one
of her arms brciien. The servant also had his shoulder
disloiated; and was further much injured. Mr. Head
has left a family of seven children to bewail his lois.
FASmoicsm,E,BEQGlN9.—Extractnf a letter, dated
Keswick, August 18 :—Mnch..attetntion .has been .ex-
ci,ted in the region of the Lakes;by the following
dent. A few days ago, a very genteel young man, TO
a real or affected Scotch a.ccent, made his appearance
in the character of a beggar and ballad-vender, attended
by another young man, about his own age, apparently
his servant, who deals in threads and bobbins, and such
small
.gear.. A certain nunivaisc.honte—a!rjaaptaess to
the business of a mumper—ibout the first-mentioned
personage, excited suspicion, and led to a very narrow
observance of his 'notions; tire result was, tcpretty. clear
:conviction that be, is not osily.not a, metrcheant and ven-
ljer of ballads, ,bt4 a
,petstin of much gentility and in-
; formation, it not, , klgh birth. Rumour, as usual, is
'busy. It is whiipered that the young wanderer is the
'son of the of and that he has left his father's.
mansion under pretence of visiting an old preceptor.,
I but, in reality, to undertake this frolic, to which he has
been led by a bet with a fellow-cnllegian, that he will,
•in a month's tours return with 101.. in his pocket, the
fruit of public chaiity and ciedulity. The discovery
which bas been made, or. which is said to have been
mide, will in no wise frustrate hil object, as every one
who hears
.of the- circumstance appears anxious, not
merely to line his purse, 6ut also to line his stomach
with cates of the choicestooler. The dress of the par-
ties is quite opropec to their assumed, character; hut
their pedestrian powers irre,evidently much superior to
those ofehe wandering wit', in general.
. .
How TO IDENTIFY
.4 WRITTXN ISSTAUMENT,.-At
the late WatetforCi Assizes, much
,amusement was af-
forded on one occasion in the Criminal Court, by the
method taken by A witness who could neither read, nor
Iwiite, nor speak English, to identify a piece of writing.
His name. was Charles House, and, he was the prosecu-
tor in a case in which two fellows stood indicted for de-
ft auding him of money, under pretence of having a civil
bill decree against him. Through the medium of an
interpreter, House appeared to be one of the most stupid
and incomprellensiblenf witnesses, though, as it would
seem, he really was not deficient in understanding. The
prisoners, when they, had, obtained the prosecutor's
moneTishad given him a, receipt foi it, and this receipt
it became necessary, in the cow se of the examination,
to prove. It was shown toklonse,;.and be was.asked.if
he could swear it wristhe•same which, had been given
tp bim ¢I the prisoner'? oterky made.no answer, but
with great deirberatiOn proceeded to.search his pockets.
4t length he drew for-,ch an old jin snuff-box; opened.it
with great caution,. ;Waist last, produced a bit of paper.
This precions ortivreeethe then, without uttering a word,
applied to the paper which he was called upon to iden-
tify ; when it at once appeared that the scrap had been
torn from this paper. The thing was evident, and re-
quired np words. During the laughter which this dis-
play of cuteness occasioned, Charky looked about him
with a smile of triumph and self-congratulation playing
on hii lips., The Chief Justice afterwards remarked,
6, that the only intelligible evidence which Mr. Charks
House bad given, was that in which he said nothing."
A poor Irishman, who kept dry lodgings in a sea-
port town on the west coast, lately called in great haste.
upon a surgeon to go down to his houie and see a man
who was 6, either. dead or dying." On the surgton's
arrival he found the patient actually dead, with ilarge
bone sticking in his throat; and, upon inquiring into
the circumstance, " mine host," with a mixed expression
of sympathy and native humour. said-46 Fait, doctor,
I can tell you no more about it than this: as Molly and
I were eating some pork and praties, the man came in
just off a voyage from the dear country, and fell
to, and, he ate and he ate away, and nothing at all
would do hjm, till at last I gave hias.apig's foot, and
by that done him! "—Glasgow Herald.