Star.
London, England, 1830-05-08 00:00:00

'Amiss' PIIIISZ.

Mr. Norris's Fencer

Mr. Markey's Louisa.
Mr. Staine's Madame Vestris

Two others started—not pbteed. A beautiful race between Pence:
and Louisa; they were running head and neck, at the last heat,
when Louisa fell. Mr. Norris's horse, Fencer, rode by Mr. Cassidy,
came in in splendid style.

THE AUTHOR OF " LACON."

It is melancholy to reflect that men of the greatest
genius are frequently the victims of their own wayward-
ness, vices, or indiscretions. The most brilliant talents
are too often eclipsed and rendered useless to society by
errors of conduct. There is, perhaps, no human being
now living who affords a more striking example of the
truth of these remarks than the Rev. C. C. Colton, late
rector of Kew, and author of one of the most valuable
works in the English language, exclusively of many
other scattered and fugitive productions. This gentle-
man, it may be remembered, disappeared under very
mysterious circumstances about the time when the mur-
der of Weare by Thurtell and his associates caused such
an extraordinary sensation in the public mind. It was
well known that the Rev. Mr. Colton was in the habit of
carrying large sums of money about his person, and that
he was not unaccustomed to visit those dens of iniquity
commonly called " hells," in some of which he had met
with John Thurtell. These circumstances, and the re-

ports which obtained circulation of that criminal's mur-
derous plans, induced a very general suspicion that the
reverend gentleman had been inveigled and destroyed
by Thurtell and his companions. Thurtell, however,
on being questioned a short time prior to his execu-
tion on the subject of Mr. Colton's remarkable absence,
denied all knowledge of what had become of him, a de-
nial that turned out to be perfectly true. Mr. Colton, by
gambling and other extravagances, had become involved
in debt to a very large amount, principally for jewellery,
and unable to meet the demands of his creditors, he em-
barked with the utmost secrecy for the United States.
He continued in America for a considerable time, and
afterwards returned to Europe, but not to England. He
took up his abode at Paris, and there became known to the
frequenters of No. 9, and other gaming saloons of the
Palais Royal. So successful was he in his speculations,
that in the course of a year or two he acquired as much
as five and twenty thousand pounds sterling, and happy
would it have been for him if he had then forsworn
gambling for ever, and invested his money, as he often
talked of doing, in the American funds. He collected
a considerable number of valuable paintings ; and his
lodgings in the Palais Royal, though the interior suffi-
ciently marked the eccentric character of the owner, af-
forded a great treat to the admirers of the finer arts.—
But inveterate attachment to the gaming table rendered
him some time since a beggar. He became the victim of
a conspiracy, and the fancied security with which he con-
ducted his operations was the fatality by which he was
ruined. Outlawed in England he made a vain attempt
to prevent the deprivation of his living at Kew. He lost
it by a decree of the ecclesiastical court. He is now liv-
ing at Paris in the most pitiable circumstances—a melan-
choly example of the vice of gaming. With a mind emi-
nently endowed by nature with the stores of inexhausti-
ble learning—with powers of conversation of the highest
order —with talents and acquirements fitted to adorn any
rank or station—he now prowls for a subsistence in the
vilest haunts of the French metropolis.—Northern
John Bull.

An attempt was made on Wednesday night, by some
of the prisoners in Newgate, to escape from the gaol,
by cutting up their straw mats, of which it was in-
tended to make ropes of sufficient strength for the pur-
pose ; and these were to be thrown across the outward
wall, by means of a piece of lead, and held, of course, by
persons in waiting. The prin,,however, was disclosed
to Mr. Wontner, the Governor, in sufficient time to pre-
vent its execution, and information of the attempt having
been conveyed to the proper authorities, Mr. Sheriff
Ward, and Peter Mallard, Esq. a magistrate for Middle-
sex, went round to the different wards of the prison, and,
in conjunction with the Governor, means were adopted to
prevent a repetition of the attempt.
On Wednesday an inquest was held before Mr. Stir-
ling, coroner for Middlesex, at the Sun, public-home,
Lisson-grove, on view of the body of Mr. Jeremiah Wil-
son, who committed suicide by hanging himself. Mr.
Frederick Pillon stated that he lodged in the house of
the deceased, who was a baker in an excellent business,
and was a married man with a large family. For some
months past the deceased had been in a very dejected
state of mind, the cause of which witness was unac-
quainted with. Several of the relatives of the deceased
had been similarly affected. On Monday afternoon wit-
ness was alarmed by violent screams from Mrs. Wilson.
He ran ont and met her in a pitiable state of agitation.
She exclaimed, " Oh, for God's sake, Mr. Pillon, run
up stairs to the bed-room, my husband has hanged him-
self." Witness did so, and discovered the deceased sus-
pended to a rail of the bedstead. He instantly cut him
down, but life was quite extinct, and medical aid, which
was instantly procured, was of no avail. The widow
was stated to be in a condition of mind bordering on
phrenzy, and the jury declined wounding her feelings
further by calling her before them. Several witnesses
were examined, whose evidence satisfied the jury of the
state of mind of the unfortunate man, end a verdict of
" Temporary derangement"was returned.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

VICE CHANCELLOR'S COURT, MAY 7.
In consequence of his Majesty's birth-day having been
ordered to be kept to-day, his Honour and the King's
Counsel appeared in their full Court dresses.

MORDAN V. PULLEN.-EVER-POINTED PENCILS.

Mr. LOVATT applied for the dissolution of the injunc-
tion granted in this case, restraining the defendant from
selling boxes containing black lead pencil points, with
cards and labels, similar to those used by the plaintiff,
with the words " Mordant and Co.'s patent pencils" on
them. The Learned Counsel made the present applica-
tion on the ground that the plaintiff had no patent for
these pencils, although the public were led to believe so ;
the fact was the patent extended only to the cases. The
plaintiff having no patent, the defendant had as much
right as any person to avail himself of the advantage.
Many others had resorted to this course, and why should
not he ?

The VICE-CHANCELLOR considered the Learned
Counsel's argument amounted to this, that A might pick
B's pocket, because C and D had done it before.
The COURT, after hearing Mr. KNIGHT and Mr.
GIRDLESTONE, jun. on the part of the plaintiff, and Mr.
LOVATT in reply, dismissed the motion with costs, con-
sidering the course adopted by the defendant to be highly
injurious to the plaintiff.
COURT OF KING'S BENCH, MAY 7.
At the sitting of the Court this morning, Lord Low-
ther, Lord Amherst, Lord Howe, and Sir Herbert Tay-
lor, took the Oaths of Allegiance, as prescribed by the
Act of last Session, for persons holding certain Offices ;
and it being the day appointed for the celebration of his
Majesty's birth-day, the Judge and King's Counsel ap-
peared in full robes.