Star.
London, England, 1825-03-15 00:00:00

SINGULAR STORY.

• es•MMMINPI••••.•

The Constitutioneel gives from the Gnat of..
the following curious article t
The Count L. I. a Frenchman by birth, was travel.
ling in Italy in 1765, and stopped at Modiglians, in
Tuscany, for the accouthement of bit wife.-He was very
anxious, from interested motives, to have a son, but
hitherto his wishes had been unavailing ; arnil he now
resolved, if his wife was delivered of a daughter, to ex-
change the child for a. boy, and proposed doing so with
a person named Chiappini, the tailor of the town, whose
wife would be confined at the same time as the Coun-
tess. A short time after the bargain had been con-
'eluded the Countess was delivered of a daughter, the
tailor's wife of a son ; the children were exchanged, and
the girl was baptized the 17th of April, 1773, as the
daughter of Chiappini. At the age of four years she
was carried to Florence, and there her reputed father
received from the Count and Countess B. of Faenia,
friends of Count I. a certain sum annually for the edu-
cation of the girl, who from the age of.seven devoted
herself exclusively to music; and at twelve years was
forced to go upon the stage, where she had great suc-
cess. Lord Newborough travelling in Italy saw the
young singer at Florence, fell deeply in love, and mar-
ried her. He gave to her father Chiappini ten thou-
sand crowns, besides a house in the country, and two
farms, and soon afterwards set out fix England with
Lady Newborough, where she gave birth to two sons,
who are now living. Some years afterwards Lord
Newborough died, and his widow married the Rus-
sian Baron Ungern Sternberg, by whom she had a son.
This Lady, wishing again to see her country, after an
absence of several years returned to Florence, and was
surprised at finding her father receive her with S 3 much
respect, but without affection, and calling her his be-
nefactress, and not his daughter.—ln December, 1821
Chiappini had a stroke of apoplexy, which depiived
him of speech, and on Madame de Sternberg hastening
to him, and testifying her grief for his sufferings, he
pressed her hands earnestly, kissed them, made eager
but vain efforts to speak, but could only utter the word
baratio, bewail° (exchanged), of which she could not
comprehend the meaning.—The following day Chiap-
pini recovered his speech, but his son, who had seen his
intention of confessing the secret, prevented further in-
tercourse between them.
In a short time Chiappini d'ed, and Madame de
Sternberg defrayed the expenses of his funeral, caused
a tomb to be erected, and left Florence to reside at
Sienna.—Three months after that she received a letter,
containing a declaration, written by the deceased in his
own hand, revealing the secret, hut without info' ming
her of the name of her father.—The hand-writing was
verified, further proofs were sought for, and two eye-
witnesses found still living, who established the facts,
when the Lady applied to the proper Court at Faenza,
and after a solemn inquiry, the Judge pronounced, on
the 29th of May, 1824, that Mule Stella was the
daughter of Count Louis de 1— and his Countess.
Lady Newborough, or Madame de Sternberg, who
is at pie,era in Genoa, has written to the constitutionnel
to give notice, that if any perwir in France is in posses-
sion of any evidence, or letters, respecting her rirents,
upon supplying her with them, such persons Hill be
rewarded.

A physician of the name of residing at Ilam-
burgh, has lately invented a new surgical instrument,
by means of which he can amputate a eg in one second.
The inhabitants of Southsea have lately been greatly
annoyed, and the' female part much alarmed, by the
nocturnal pranks of some_ idle thoughtless fellow, vi ho
hai assumed the appearance of " a Ghost." oaWed-
nesday evening, about eight o'clock, the inhabitants of
Gwen-lane were called to their doors and windows, by
a Amber of children shouting, " here comes the ghost r.
tad down stalked a tall figure covered with a sheet :
two boys, more bold than the rest, pulled the sheet from
.off the figure, when it appeared that one Thomas Ware,
an apprentice to a shoemaker, had got another lad on
his shoulders, who slipped down and ran away. The
alarm occasioned by this foolish prank was the cause of
a poor pregnant woman's death. Ware has since been
apprehended for an assault otv one of the boys.
Yesterday week, the inhabitants of Fore-street, De-
vonport, were greatly alarmed by an explosion of gas
in the streets, which tore up the pavement., in different
places, to the extent of nearly two hundred feet ; this,
on examination, was found to proceed from the igniting
of some foul air, which had accumulated in a drain
running under the pavement, and which was miggled
with gas then brought into the drain for the firstNlme,
a portion of 'which had, by some means, escaped from
the pipes. The occurrence happened as follows :—t-1
ervant, in the employ of Mrs. Lidstone, fringe•maker,
having observed a great quantity of vapour escaping
into the cellar of the house, informed one of tl.e men
cvnuccted with the gas-works, and at the same time
incautidusly approached the spot with a ligbied can-
dle; the inflammable air immediately ignited., and
communicated to the whole of the vapour in the drain
No accident occurred.
At the Lancaster Assizes a trial took place wherein
a person named Cooban had brought an action against
a clergyman named Holt, of Waltern, near Liverpool,
for defamation of character. The plaintiff had assisted
some one in the defendant's service, and the slanderous
words which the defendant was alleged to have used
were these: " that lie was a notorious thief; and that he
might send him to trial as soon as he thOught proper,
in order to give him as opportunity of proving that he
was one; that he had taken bread, butter, flour, milk,
tongues, and wine."—The Attorney-General of Lan-
caster, who appeared for the defendant, admitted he
had charged the plaintiff as a notorious thief, and he
called witnesses who proved that the plaintiff had re-
ceived loaves of bread from a female servant, and when
the theft was discovered befell on his knees and said he
was sorry for it. The Judge told' the Jury, that they
were in the first• place to•consider whether the plaintiff
stole the bread, &c. and if they were of that opinion, the
verdict would be for the defendant on the justification ;
but, inasmuch as the plea of justification did not go to
the full extent of the words spoken, their verdict must
be for the plaintiff upon that part of the declaration.—
The Jury gave the plaintiff 40s. damages; and found
for the defendant in the justification.
At Reading Assize, not less than nine prisoners were
capitally convicted of the crime of burglary.
Monday se'finight, a man named Dominick Brows, was brought
to the Head Police Office, Dublin, in custody of Peace-officer
Irwin. He underwent an examination before the Sitting Magis-
trate, charged with uttering a forged one pound note at Mr. Pdb-
ington's shop, in George's-street. Mr. Pilkington caused him to be
detained and searched, when other forged notes were found upon
hint, viz.—two notes purporting to be thirty shilling notes, and three
purporting to be one pound each. Henry said be had bought them
from a man named Scully, a serum Ogg of pine. Be was fully
"committed for trial.