Star.
London, England, 1824-07-22 00:00:00

CATERPILLAR CLOTH.

The following discovery has been announced at Mu-
nich :—Lieutenant Hebenstreit has invented a process by',
which he makes a species of caterpillar spin a kind of
wadding which is of a fine white colour, and water-proof.
Ile made a baboon of this stuff, and raised it by means
of a chafing-dish, with spirits of wine, in thelarge ware-
house, where he keeps his caterpillars at work. He
makes them trace ciphers and figures in the wadding.
He accomplishes this by moistening outlines of figures
or letters with spirits of wine. The caterpillars avoid
these tracings, and spin their web around them. Thus!
any fine figure which has been drawn is represented in
the stuff. A piece of wadding, seven feet square, per-
fectly pure, and as brilliant as taffeta,• was made by
about fifty caterpillars, between the sth and 26th of June.
NEW SHIPPING FLOAT.
Mr. Matthew Robertson, of Glasgow, has contrived
a float, similar in principle to those used by the Dutch,
for enabling a loaded ship to pass up and down rivers
whose depth is not equal to her usual draught of water.
It consists of a decked flat-bottomed boat, twice or
thrice the size of the ship, with an opening in the mid-
dle large enough to receive her. This flat boat is formei
in two pieces, which are united by a strong hinge at the
prow, and a strong clasp at the stern. The clasp being
loosened, the two sides of the boat are made to diverge;
die ship sails into the open space in the middle ; after
which the sides are again closed, and fastened. Four
strong chains (more it necessary) are then passed across
under the ship's bottom, and attached to screws fixed to
the deck of the float ; the screws are then worked by
wheels and pinions, the chains are shortened, and the
vessel is gradually raised by transferring the pressure to
the float. The weight of the vessel is thus diffused over
a surface twice, or if need be, thrice the size of her own
hull, and of course the draught of water is propor-
tionably diminished. • It may thus be effected, that a
ship, drawing sixteen Piet of water, being raised nine
feet by the chains, shin depress the float three feet, and
so her actual draught will be reduced to ten feet.
• The state of Buthiriii: one of three which form the Province
of Great Bocbaria, which es between the parallels of 35 and 44
North Ist. and extends from 10 to 72 East long.

A YORKSHIRE BULL.--The annual conference of the
Methodists, which occurs only once in six years, is this year to be
held in Leeds.—York Copra*.

SURREY SESSIONS, JULY • !
Mr. Lewis Moses, a person of the Jewish persuasico,
and of apparently great respectability, was indicted
for feloniously stealing from Mr. Henry Gompertz, five
sovereigns.
Mr. MANOLES opened the case for the prosecution.
Mr. Henry Gompertz was called, and examined by
Mr. Musicale, the prisoner's Counsel, as to his reli-
gious creed. He stated, he was formerly a Jew, but
was baptized some years ago, and is now a member of
the Protestant Church. Mr. Gompertz then deposed as
follows :—I was, until lately, a Gentleman Pensioner to'
his Majesty, but both before and since I carried on busi-
ness as a merchant, and have had commercial dealings
with the prisoner, also a merchant. On the 12th of
June, I called on the prisoner, at his residence, in New-
ington Causeway, up two pair of stairs, and after some
desultory conversation, in which our balance did not
agree, I received a violent blow with a poker from the
prisoner, between my shoulders; I jumped up, and
caught a second blow (aimed at my head) on my arm,
by which I was badly wounjed ; a noise took place,
and the prisoner's wife and servant came into the room ;
I was then endeavouring to escape, but by their entrea-
ties I sat down again, and the prisoner's wife and ser-
vant left the room, thinking we were friends; the pri-
soner then locked the door, and put the key in his
pocket; he then went to the closet, and secreted about
him what I considered to have been a knife, but I did
not see it; he again took up the poker, brandished it
about, and used- a number of opprobrious epithets, and
demanded 20/. or he would rip me up. I told him I
bad not 201. but whatever I had, he should have. Ile
ordered me to empty on the table what money I had
got, which I did; there were fi.e sovereigns and some
silver; he swore he would have 201. or my life. Ile ob-
served my watch and appendages, which he said would
pawn for 151. and I assented to it, and o tiered to ac-
company him to a pawnbroker, but he refused to let me
leave the room. During this time he got a bottle of
spirits out of a closet, and drank two or three glasses,
observing that he took them to give him nerve to go
through with the attack, and that he would ei:her have
money or revenge. The servant was called up, but
after some conversation between them in the Hebrew
language, which I do not understand, the design of
pawning was abandoned ; the servant left the room,
and the door was again locked ; the prisoner at that
time had the five sovereigns, but did not keep the silver.
I had some bills of lading, which he said he would have
instead of the remaining 151. and 1 gave them to him.
I was all the time in a violent flurry and fear: at the
prisoner's wife's request, and on purpose that he might
let me go, I said I would not say anything about what
had occurred, and I shook hands with him ; he then un-
locked the door, and set me at liberty.
Cross-examined by Mr. THESSIGEIL—I have been ac-
quainted with the prisoner four years, when I was in the
Rules of the King's Bench, and I then had some deal-
ings with him. I did not tell him I was a diamond-
merchant. I won': swear I did not tell him so. I was
indebted to him in some sum; I gave him a draught
for 251. on my bankers, in Berners-street, which was dis-
honoured; it was an accommodation draught. I wrote
a letter to him, requesting hint not to present the draught
for p tymenr, as it would injure me; 1 owe him no
balance of 70'. I did not request him to draw on flue
for two sums of 351. each as the balance, but to accom-
modate him. I then lived at Carshalton, but removed
from thence before they were due, and went to Tooting;
my goods were sold by the Sheriff: On the 12th of
June I called to see Mr. Trayer, who resides in the
same house as the prisoner; and while there, I sent to
the latter to know if he wished to see me? I owe Traver
probably 3001. and piiid him that day .51. I did not tell
Trayer that the reason why I could only pay him 51.
was because I had to pay the prisoner some money ; I
did not offer to pay the prisoner the five sove:eigns. I
did not ask for the loan of 5 )1. on the bill of lading ; the
bill of lading was not a forged one for a che,t of indigo
bought seven years ago at lid. per pound.
Mr. TIIEbSIGER.—How much did it cost per pound?
Prosecutor.—l appeal to the Court whether I am bound to an-
swer that question?
The CHAIRMAN (R. Hedger, Esq ) said the question could not be
material to the case.

Prosecutor.-1 do not know who " Henry Coombe"
at the foot of the bill of lading is on my oath it is not
my writing. I made no noise in the house to give any
alarm, although several persons were in different rooms.
I saw Mr. Trayer when I came down, but I did not tell
him I had been rubbed of five sovereigns. I told him
we had had a quarrel, but w e had male it up and were
friends. At the Police-office, I did not say I had been
robbed of 3004 but I might have said the bill of lading
was worth between 2001. and 3001. Tile Magistrate
(Mr. Swabey) would not grant a warrant for felony,
but recommended the milder course of indicting for the
assault ; I did not appear to suppoit the charge of
assault, but preferred the bill for felony before the Gr and
Jury. The prisoner was bailed on affidavits in the
Court of king's Bench. The endorsement on the back
of one of the bills of exchange of the prisoner's having
received .51. on account from ,me, was not written in my
presence. I have been a bankrupt three times; the last
time my name appeared in the Gazelle was last Satur-
day ; Ido not know whether any, or what, dividend
has been paid to my creditors on account of the two
former bankruptcies. I have been tried in a Court of
Justice on one occasion.

•
Teesucee.—Wlien and where were you tried?
Mr. MeNoLes told the prosecutor he need not answer
unless be pleased.
Mr. THESSIGER quoted several cases to prove the
witness was bound to answer that question. In thecase
of " Frost v. Holloway," Mr. Scarlett asked a witness
whether he was not tried at Reading; the witness ap-
pealed to the Judge whether he was bound to answer;
and Lord Ellenborough said he would commit him if
he did not answer that question, but he was not bound
to say whether he was found guilty or not.
CHA InwAr.—Well, go on, it is the shortest way.
Mr. THISSIGER--Good Gon! Sir, it is ■ot because it is the
shortest way that I take it ; I will not accept it as a bonus or matter
of favour : but I claim it as a right.
CISAIRMA N.—Well, well, proceed.
Prosecutor.--I was tried at the Old Bailey three years ago, for
obtaining goods under false pretences, but was acquitted from a flaw
in the indictment. I was also indicted fur a conspiracy to obtain
36 bags of wool from a Mr. Ascalous, but that prosecution was
dropped; I however pleaded to it, " Not Guilty."
Alexander Gompertz, the prosecutor's brother, de-
posed to the prosecutor's arm being in a lacerated state
from the effect of a blow.
Cross-examined.—Witness offered on his own risk,
15s. in the pound to the prisoner to pay off the two
bills of 35/. each.
Mrs. Julia Jacobs stated, that the prisoner called on
her on the evening of the 12th of June, and in conver-
sation about the prosecutor, he laughed) and said he
was sorry he did not have his life.

Mr. TUMOUR submitted there was no case of felon?
to go to a Jury.
Mr. MANGLU contended there was abundant ett-
denceof a parting with money under the fear of menaces
and threats, which was sufficient proof of a robbery
having been committed; there were two kinds of lar-
cenies—one in fact, and one in law; and this was of
the latter description, or constructive larceny. Russell
on Crimes and Misdemeanors, page 991 :—" If a thief
stops a man, and that man has no money about him,
but even goes under the influence of threats and me-
naces, and brings the money to the thief, it is as much
a robbery as if the thief had with his own hand taken
the money from the man's pocket." This was an uni.
versal principle, and was sufficiently established in this
case, for Mr. Gompertz was induced by violent treat-
ment and horrid threats to deliver his money to the
prisoner, and therefore there was a parting with pro-
perty Against the will.
Mr. THESSIGER contended that the principle of his
Learned Friend was a very erroneous one; fur by that,
every creditor who went to an unwilling debtor would
be liable to be tried as a felon if the debtor did not part
with his money willingly : whatever proof there might
be of an assault, there certainly was none of a felony.
The CHAIRMAN said there was certainly no case fora
Jury, because there did not appear any felonious in-
tention : it appeared that an assault had been com-
mitted ; but there was nothing like a felony either by
construction or in fact.

Dr. Edwards (who was also on the bench) said he per-
fectly coincided with the Chairman in his observations.
—The Jury then returned a verdict of Not Guilty.
The prisoner was instantly discharged, and on his leaving the
Court he was congratulated by his numerous friends, some of
whom are anions the leading monied party in the City. The trial
lasted above four hours.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
M SION-HOUSF.

Yesterday three men were charged with having feloniously en-
tered the premises of a wine and spirit-merchant, in Idol-lane,
and stolen a quantity of spirits. A boy in the service of the wine-
merch.int was charged on suspicion of being an accessary before
the fact, and a man was charged with him nn suspicion of having
/seen an accessary after the fact. The premises that were entered
adjoin those of Mr. Nettleton], a Gentleman of respectability, who
.stated, that during Service time on Sunday last his servant came to
him in great alarm, stating that she had seen a suspicious man enter
Mr. Wagstaff 's premises, and that she was sure there were others,
there. Witness went, knocked at the door, end demanded to know
who is-as inside? a voice answered, that it was only Mr. Wagstaff's
servant. Witness knew by the voice it was not true, and made
them open the door, when he perceived three of the prisoners, one
of whom, to assure him that they were authorised to enter the pre-
mises, produced a key which opened the door. Preparations had
been made for the removal of some of the liquors in the cellars, and
witness thought it nece::siry to send for an officer. He had three
messengers abroad during three-quarters of an hour in search of
one, but-several who were found excused themselves from coming
—one saying that he was indisposed; another, that he had other
business to attend to; and a third, that it was nut in his district.
During this time witness was by no means in a pleasant situat.:•n,
as he was almost in the power of the three, who began to gain reso-
lution from the nen-appearance of the officers sent for, and had the
constable who came been later, a desperate contest would perhaps
have taken place.—On Monday morning, NlnWagstaffl'a boy, and
a man who accompanied him, were apprehended as they were going
to the warehouse with a quantity of bottles, with which it was sus-
pected they intended to carry off some of the liquors on the pre-
mises: The boy admitted he knew the three men found on the
premises, and stated, that he met them sonic evenings since at the
Theatre, when they persu,,ded him to sleep with them. In the
mon iog he missed his key of the premises, and sooner than risk
being discharged by acknowledging that fact, he got another key
made. The key with which the prisoners had entered the premises
was that he had lost. On being questioned, he could give no satis-
factory account of the bottles.—The defence of one of the prisoners
found on the premises was, that the boy had given him the key,
and appointed to meet him there. The other two passed acciden-
tally, and were invited to join the party, and take a little of some-
thing to drink.—Mr. Wagstaff said a quantity of spirits had been
removed; but on his cross-examination by Mr. Isaacs, who ap-
peared as Solicitor fur three of the prisoners, he could not swear
that it most have been removed on Sunday morning.
The Loan blavoa remanded all the prisoners.