Star.
London, England, 1825-08-11 00:00:00

121 First Innings
168 Second ditto

Total
'sex 177 runs.

DES TR U CT, E FIRE. •
Yesterday morning, about three o'clock, the inhabi-
tants of Old-,treet and its vicinity were alarmed by the
discovery of a destructive fire, which broke out on the
premises of Mr. Robey, an apothecary, situated at the
corner of Anchor-court, Old-stten. The fire, it 'ap-
pears, originated in the inwer part of the house, and
had communicated to the first floor whenit was dis-
covered by a w itch man, who gave the alarm. The only
persons in the' house at the time were Mr. Robey, his
sister, and an infant child, Mrs. Robey being from
home. A favourite spaniel dog, which slept in Mr.
Robey's room, by his barking and scratching on the
bed, awakened his master, who, on seeing their danger,
raised his sister and the child, but the flames had by
that time gained such ascendancy, that their escape
below was rendered impracticable, and, accompanied
by the faithful spniel, they tetrestted from the upper
part of the house along the parapet of the adjoining
house, occupied by Mr. Phillips, carpenter, through the
garret window of which they forced an entrance.
Meanwhile the fire raged below with indescribable
fury, and had communicated to the house of Mr. Phil-
lips, but the exertions of two parish engines prevented
the flames from spreading further on that side. Mr.
Robey's house being situated at the corner of a court,
without any other outlet, and inhabited chiefly by
labouring people, their situ scion, penned up as they
were, was dreadful in the extreme.

About an hour after .the discovery of the fire, the
engines began to arrive, at which time four houses in
the court were on fire, and the inmates of the court
then made a breach in a wall, at the end of the court,
to the premises of Dr. Rice, Rt.ctor of St. .Luke's,
through which a man, with an infant in his arms, and
a woman far advanced in pregnancy, escaped without
any other covering than a blanket. A horse kept in a
stable belonging to Mrs. Howard, a tallow.chandler in
the court, being brought to the opening in the wall
which was less than tour feet in height, is said by his
keeper to base crept through it like a dog, and two
other horses also, belonging to MT. Blake, a farrier, in
the court, were taken through the opening. Theliames
threatening the premises of Mr. Boulton, a cooper, and
of MT. Davis, a distiller, the horses from their stables
were also removed, but the firemen having obtained
admission to the rear of the court, and being plentifully
supplied w ilh water, the progress of the devouring ele.
ment was effectually checked. About half•past five
o'clock, the walls of Mr. Robey's house fell with a
dreadful crash, and Vann, the police officer, who had
been actively engaged, and other persons, narrowly
escaped being buried in the ruins. Not a vestige of
property frcm Mr. Robey's or the other four houses,
was saved; but we are happy to add, that no loss of
life was sustained.

WHITE BAIT.—It hal long been a mystery,
with those who most delipted in the taste of tl
•ourite City dainty, under wlat species of fish it
be classed. It has recently been ascertained, that
bait, of which so many thousands are devoured
sight of Black wall' and tir,enwich in the course
seAson, ale, in fact, the rou:►g'of the shad.

, even
his fa-
might
It white
within
ate

SUMMER A SSINE S.

AUGUST 9.
['Vim,' %howls, a pauper, of more than 60 years
At age, and wretched eppearance, was indiczed for the
wilful murder oi Jenkins, perpetrated by sta.
ing him with a piece of wood, on the Szh of May last.'
The prisoner was unable t si:eak or understand Eng-
lish, arid the proceedings were acci.rdingly explained
to him by an intcrpie.ei. Trootigh the medium 4.f that
(intletnair, lie a,iplied to the Court for the assistance
srE Couns:;, !)eing linable to retain any in the usual way;
and, at the desire of the Lzai Ere! Judge, Mr. WA-rso.s
under for k the defence.
Mr. Pint Li:•.; stated the case for the prosecution.
He described the deceased as a young man of weak
inzelle r, and; like the priemer, a pauper in the work.
lr.,use (it tli. rari.li of St. Merlons, by the Cherch-
wardens -tild Overionts of which perish the prosecution
vr. is lost:toted. Te support the case, he called the
following v:i4nest•es:--
Catlierint Thom-ea live in the poor-house of St.
Meliens, in an adjoining room to the prisoner. There
eas a pas-age leading by both rooms and to others oc-
cuprei by a man named Davis. At the end of the
pa-sage is a room in which the deceased, William
J:i.krits, lived wi.h his mother and his aunt. We used
to go out to bring home fire-wo el fur our use. Be-
tw:q n eight and nine in the evening of the 13th or Nay,
the prisoner came in from his work, and sat dawn in
ray room. Soon after Jenkins went into the room with
vood, and• the prisoner left it. I could hear what
p rssei in the passage. I heard the prisoner say to
William Jenkins, " Thee got a rail to-night, Will."
Jenkins replied, " Yes, I've got a piece ; I hid it from
John And ews, who glee it to me." The-prisoner said,
" You are a liar, John Andrews would not give it to
you." ' At this time they were walking up the passage.
. Jenkins said, " Yes, indeed, John Andrews
gave it me.' The prisoner asked, " What John An-
di ews ?" T. e deceased replied, " The servant of Mrs.
Evans." They tlitn went into the room of Jenkins's
mother. The prisoner then said, "Thou stole the tail
from some otte, and I won't mind for a pin to give
thee a blow of it." William Jenkins said, " Thee take
care what you do to me." This conversation was in
Welsh. I then heard a blow and a heavy tall. Before
that I heard Jenkins's mother say to the prisoner,
Wiliam Thomas get out of my room, you old mur-
derer." This was just before the blow was heard. I
then went to the room of the prisoner's mother, and
saw Jenkins on the floor senseless, with a mark on his
temple. No one was in Lite room but his aunt and
his motile-.
Miry Harris, the aunt of the deceased, said—l re-
collect my oephew, on the 13th of May last, coming
home from Mrs. Evans's in the evening. I was at the
time in his inot• er's rwm. William Thomas followed
Jenkins into the Imam, and asked him where he had
the stick ? Jenkins said, " I had it from John An-
drews." Thomas said, " You stole it." Jenkins said,
" Leave me quiet, if you please." Thomas then struck
him with the stick, which he held with both his hands,
and he fell. Tile blow struck Jenkins on the left side
of his head. He said nothing after he fell, and there
di.l not appear much life in him. The mother of the
deceased had, immediately before the blow, said, "Get
out of the room, you old murderer." The prisoaer,
having struck the blow, went to bed, and remained till
he vial taken by the officer.
The stick, were) was of great size and length, was produced
an! identified by the witness.
Mr. Brewer. who examined the deceased, attributed his death
to a fracture caused by the blow.
This was the case for the prosecution.
The prisoner left his defence to his Counsel, who called Mr.
Phillips, a Magidrate for the county, whose tenant the prisoner
-eras, sod who said he sever heard anything against his character.
Tie knew him to be a passionate man.
Ur. Justice Bus Lova), ezp:ainesi to the Jury the distinction be-
tween murder and manslaughter; the first being homicide from
malice, the latter from passion; and gave his opinion that the case
ranged under the latter description of crime.
The Jury. after deliberating sonic time, returned a verdict—
Guilty of Malufaugiter.
hit. Justice Busisoutiu, after stating that though the offence
was only manslaughter, it was of a very aggravated nature,
and that the prisoner's ace alone saved him from transportation
for life, sentenced him to be imprisoned and kept to hard labour
for two years.
CROYDON, AUGUST 9.

Louisa Catherine Jeffreys, sta'ed in the calendar tobe
14 years '.l age, and Louisa Birington, aged 12 years,
were indicted for conspiring, and confederating together
to set flue to the house of Jim Byng Banks, at St.
:dry, Bermondsey, on the 21st July. In another set
of counts the object of the conspiracy was alleged to be,
to attempt to set fire to the house.
The case excited extraordinary interest. The wretched
prisoners were overwhelmed with grief during the
whole vial. They had been in confinement since the
28th of July.
Mary Sweeting—l wink at Mr. Banks's factory, and"
have done so more than a year. The prisoners were
apprentices in the factory ; in the month of September
last I was confined to my bed with illness; early one
rnornii:g in that month the ptiioners came to my bed ;
Killington asked me if I could keep a secret? I made
no answer ; she then said, "1 am going to set the house
on fire to-night, at seven o'clock; b th prisoners said
they would set the house on fire; they assigned as their
reason that they wanted to get away from the factory;
they came up again to my bed side in the evening, at
seven o'clock-1 was still in bed; they brought a candle
up, and set st on the table ; they said to another girl,
named Christiana Slack, and myself, ,d We are going to
it ;" Christiana Slack said, "Pray don't—if you do,
tell master; they said, " Pray don't—it is only our
Jun r I don't know whether they took away the candle
"or not ; I did not know that they mere going to do it ;
I did not hear that the house had been set on fire.
,:ress-examined by Er. Au:names—There are tis children in the
ry:tcry; they sleep In two rooms. I am one of the little ones ;
' elere are many younger than me; I am thirteen years old. We
Ir. employed in embri.idaring lace. The pllsaners were arprenticed
alter toe. We go to work ::very morning at half past seven, and
c4tirce till half past seven in the evening; we work ogle twelve
hnrs a day. When tLe prisoners mid me they were gbing to set
house on ere, I thought it w• 23 r. bit of fun. %Viten we behave
thvy brat us with a cane.
Christiana Slack—l am Ef:cen years of age ; I have
sr;,lkeci two years uczt March at Mr. lianki's factory.
I ren;r:mber the last witness leing confined to her bed in
Eeptemter. I tern, tuber the prisoners coming into her.
roam one morning between eight and nine o clock ; I
was preJent. They said they were go ng to set the
Louse. on fire in the women's room. They said that
their object was to run away. I told them not to do it,
for I would tell of them. In the evening of that day I
saw Jeffreys in the work-room, about r.riven o'clock.
Bllington came ;_n; she asked me foe a candle? she did
ta-t gat one theq, tent she did afterward:. I went with
:Ism said tlity

were going to do it. I did not believe they were in
earnest then. I asked them if they were going to do it?,
They said they were. I told them not to do it, or I:
would tell of them. Both then said they would not do,
it. Then I left the room. A fire happened that night
in tl e women's room ; some women's clothes were
burnt. Both prisoners ran away that night from the'
factory, but returned next mornii•g. I never heard them
express any dislike to their work. They complained of
being too much confined. They never made any par-
ticular c'►tnpla'r:t. They said they did net like the
place; they would rot stop. I know nothing about the
fire in July.
C:oss.examined by Mr. Law.—There are some children as young
nine. ,a eirl;n the factory. They al complained of being tbo hard
wurlod. We breakfut at eight o'clock, and have halt an hour.
diue at one, and have an ho,tr. We leave off work at half past
seven. There is a achcol in the factory.
The Rev. Dr. 1-I.lrriton—l am well acquainted with
Mr. banks factory ; I visit it by the directions of the
Magistrates at Quarter Sessions; I have visited it twice
since June, 1824; I give Mr. Banks no notice of my
visits; I have never seen any cause of complaint;
quite the contrary; the children have been present at

the visits.
Cross-esamined by Mr. Anotroos.—T ha Lmn twice to
the factory since my arpointmcnt. I ant fatllipof a family 'midi.
As a man, a father, a clergyman of the Chorcia cf England, as a
Minister of that Gospel which teaches peace, charity, and compas-
passion to our fellow-creatures, is that a proper mode of treating
these tender infants?—(Greater hesitation) I ant not concerned in
business of this bind.
Mr. AcilLt IKS—What! can't you tell whether it is proper treat-
ment to employ children of the tender age of from nine to four-
teen, for twelve hours a day, in the manner which has been proved ?
Can't you tell me *that, Reverend Sir ?—No answer.
Mr. Baron GRAHAZi--I don't know that you can force him to
give an answtr.
Mr. Anotruns—The Reverend Visitor not giving me an answer
is just as satisfactory. I shill ask him no more questions.
Mr. Aronson, then addressed the Jury on behalf of the prisoner
Jeffreys.
Mr. Baron Osamu summed up the case at great length.
The Jury found both prisoners Not Guilty ; and they were de-
livered to their mothers, for the purpose of being returned again to
the factory.
WARWICK, AUGUST 8.
-

The Assizes commenced here this morning, before Mr. Justice
PAax, sitting at Nisi Pries, and Mr. Justice ilommen. in the
Criminal Court.
Mr. Justice HOLROYD, in his charge to the Grand
Jury, expressed his regret at the great number of
prisoners (65), whose names appeared in the calendar,
and which was quite astonishing, considering the short
period which had elapsed since the last Assizes. He
had looked over the depositions, and was glad to see
that there were few cases of great enormity among
them. His Lordship, in allusion to the case of Stock-
man, tl,e pugilist, charged with robbing a man at a
recent fight in this neighbourhood, said he understood
that prize4ghting had been of late repeatedly carried
on in this neighbourhood, in defiance of the Magis-
tracy. He expressed acme astonishment that a more
effectual stop had not been put to assemblies so dan-
gerous and disgraceful, and for which the statute and
common law had amply provided. If the individual
authority of Magistrates was not enough, they might
call for the aid of the Sheriff and his posse. He wished
it to be generally understood, that not only the pro-
moters of such assemblies, but all who were present
at them, would be answerable for such consequences
as might ensue; and he wished Magistrates to remem-
ber, that they were entrusted with the duty of pre-
serving the peace, a not less important duty than that
of punishing those who should break it.. He was com-
pelled, and it was extremely. painful to him that he
was obliged to do this, to allude to a disgraceful and
inhuman spectacle, which had recently been exhibited
in this town. Nothing could be more cruel and dis-
gusting than the exhibition of wild animals of a ge-
nerous nature in sanguinary conflict, for the sake of
gain to the miserable people who kept these animals.
lo every sensitive and well-regulated mind, such a
spectacle must be revoking in the highest degree.—
The commonly received notions of society ought to
have prevented such an odious scene ; but since they
had not had that effect, he would inform the Gentle-
men be was now addressing, that the practice was as
contrary to law as it was repugnant to every principle
of humanity. It was laid down in Mr. Justice Black-
stone, and elsewhere, that all such exhibitions were
nuisances, and might be suppressed, and the persons
concerned in them fined. The nuisance became still
greater if it caused danger or alarm to the persons pre-
sent, and there could be uo doubt that the lives of the
keepers and other persons attending wild animals were
at every moment in danger. He trusted that if in
future any attempt should be made to repeat the dis-
gusting and unchristian practice he spoke of, the
Magistrates would recollect that they possessed the
power of preventing it, and that it was their imperative
duty to exert that power.
UNNRLS R. RIDLIR.

This was an action open the warranty ea horse.
The circumstances of the case were shartly these :
--The plaintiffs are horse dealers, the defendant is the
landlady of the Warwick Arms, Warwick. It ap-
peared that at her request the plaintiffs sent four horses
for her to choose, and a trial of their qualities took
place in defendant's stable yard on a Sunday. After
a good deal of bargaining, it was agreed that the plain-
tiffs should take two horses valued at 201. each, in
exchange for a mare, which vas valued at 451. the
remainder to be paid in money. The defendant had
warranted the horses as sound. Upon a journey to
Ila-tford Bridge, one of the horses broke down, and
since that he had been labouring under what was
called a chink in the back. For three weeks the horse
had never done any wink.
The defence set up was, that as this transaction had taken plate
on a Suuday, the contract was void.
Mr. Justice PARK slid, that after having been a
pity to breaking the Sabbath, by bargaining on that
.day, lie should not give his sanction to the defendant
taking advantages of her own wrong.
Sonic witnesses were called. in order to meet the plaintiffs' case,
but the Jury found for the plaintiffs—Damages 221. being the
value of the hone.

The herrings are now set in on the east coast of Fife.
On Thursday last some bo.'ts got upwards of two thou-
sand each ; and on Friday morning several boats got a
few barrels each. The fi hermen say that there is a
greater prospect of herrings this season than there has
been for several year's.
The sa'mon fishings on the Tay have been very suc-
cessful during the last month. One of the tacksmen
in the neighbourhood of Perth paid the year's tent of
o. e of the stations from the proceeds of the fish caught
at it during one day.
A mason at Vienna, recently digging for the founda-
tion of a building in the environs, found a Turkish
aigrette, valued at 30,000 flmins, it is surposed io have
been worn by an Ottoman Officer, killed under the
walls of Vienna, when that capital, besi.v:d by the
tuik4, was saved by Sobieski.

Ake prlun:er3 to a 100111 up atuin ; ul tl