Star.
London, England, 1813-09-10 00:00:00

THE RIDICULOUS STORT.

The Public has been for some time amused with
foolish stories about the reappearance or resurrection
of the late Premier, Mr. PITT. The monstrous ab-

surdity of the thing induced us to pass over the mat-
ter without material notice. A statement, however,
of the case has been published, from which we ex-
tract the following particulars for the amusement of
our Readers:

•6 One Frapcis Murray, now of Green-street,
Lambeth, locksmith, was, in 1788, employed as a
constable to watch the 'French emigrants here, in
which service he expended .C3O ; but his immediate
employer (Mr. Mason) dying abroad, and Mr. Pitt,•
as it was said, having died in January, 1806, he lost
all hopes of getting his money. Passing, however,
along London-road, St. George's-fields, one evening
in 1806, he met Mr. Pitt on horseback. From this
time, being well acquainted with Mr. Pitt, having
seen him every week for twenty years together, Mur-
ray began to talk of the circumstance (first taking
care to watch and see the Right Hon. Gentleman
several time s), in consequence of which be was
deemed by some a madman, and by others an im-
postor, by which he lost his connections in trade,
which made him rather liackward in the business.—

Still he kept on watching till 1808, and traced Mr.
Pitt to Richardson's stable-yard, in Westminster.

mad, where he went by the nante of Chapman.—
Calling again at these stables about a week after, he
was infemed that the Gentleman had removed his
horses
.to Somers's stables, opposite the Asylum.
Here be watched, and in three or four days saw Mr.
Pitt outer the place, leave his horse, and proceed on
foot, to Lord Castlereagh's Office, in St. James's
Park: Murray followed, and at the door of the
Office challenged him as being no other than the
Right Hon. William Pitt, late Prime Minister of
England, whereupon he tooled exceedingly terrified, and
hastened in door: without :peaking a word.' •
a About a fortnight after he again met Mr. Pitt
in a gig, when he again challenged him upon
which he bowed and drove off. In April, 1809, he
also challenged him at the door of Lerti Liverpool's
Office, when he looked terrified as before. In the
evening, Murray, accompanied by a friend, saw Mr.
Pitt pass Westminster Ilrit!ge, escorted by four Bow-
street horse patroles. In September, October, and
November, 1811, he saw, accosted, and convtrsed
with Mr. Pitt several times, on one of which occa-
sions he said, in a low tone of voice—' You are all
mistaken.'
66 In June, 1812, he again stopped Mr. Pitt in the
street and demanded his money; upon which, says
Murray, finding he had no means of escape, he
. gave me his word ;and honour that he would enquire
'into the particulars, and that I shotild be-paid.'—
Nothing, however, being done, though Mr. Pitt said
he had written to Mr. Conant, the Magistrate, on the
• subject, Mutray called upon the Magistrate, who
said that he must go to the Treasury and enquire
for Mr. Chapman, for in that name hepassed, and
that he was one of the clerks.' He accordingly went
-off to the Treasury, saw Mr. Pitt coming out of
Lord Liverpool's Office, told him of his visit to Mr.
Conant, and explained to Rita the nature of his de-
mand ; but nothing then followed.
a On the 10th of July, 1812, he again accosted
Mr. Fitt, in the presence of twenty or thirty by-sta.u..i
tiers, at Gallen's livery-stables in King.street, when'
Mr. Pitt told him plainly, that all his pains were
useless.' Here Murray says he lost all patience, called
the Right Hon. Gentleman a shuffier, an impostor*,
a traitor and threatened to take him to the bar of the
'House of Commons, and expose him to all the world !•
Mr. Pitt made no reply, but bung down his bead
ind drove off.
"About this time the indefatigable Murray called
• . ppon Mr. Whitbread, and rave him some papers on
the subject, which he promised to read. On the 12th
July he was going to bed tit hand's at Kensington,
to tell him of tl,e d.ctimstance, when he met Mr.

-Whitbread com.ng out, who expressed his surprise
• Om.t he should still persist in his assertion respecting
Mr Pitt, bind asked when he saw him last ? After
some conversation, it was. agreed that a meeting
sbculd take place in Parham. nt-street, on Monday,
the lath. Mr Whitbread, about six o'clock on that
.diy, came out of the House of Commons with any,
air. Gentleman, and said he could not attend him-
#.elt, but that the Gentleman present knew Mr. Pitt
very well, and he would go with him. They went
into King-street, and Murray pointed out Mr. Pitt.
The Gentleman desired Murray to o back, which
ptetOded to dO, but watched therm. When the
Geoilemati came up toMr. Pitt, Murray heard him
For God's sake, turn back, turn* bask, Sir ;

you are discovered." Murray followed them; they
at last stood still, and beckoned him. The Gentle-
man, in company with Mr. Pitt, asked Mnnay ill*.
knew'who-he was ? Murray replied that be lees Mr.
Pitt. The Gentleman then said, his name is Chap-
' man.... Murray said•that it was talse—his name-was
Pitt. They desired him not to speak so loud, and
put-on his hat, After some further conversation. it
was settled that be should go to Mr. Whitbread's the
next trior,ning—he•did so, but the meeting was post-
poned till the 24,th, when all the parties were to-as-
semble there. Suspecting that some mischief was
, plotting against him, Murray wrote a. letter to Mr.
W. which his wife carried. Having, she says, ar-
rived at Mr. W.P3, she was waiting in the hall when
Mr. Pitt came in, and walked into the front parlour,
but while she was there, several ill-looking fellows
were let in and sent down stairs. Mr. Pitt and Mr.
Whitbread having remained in conference for about
a quarter of an hour, Mrs. Murray was called before
them, when the following dialogue took place :
" Mr. W.-4 presume you are Mra. Murray f—A. Yes
" Mr. W.—phis is the Gentleman your husband takes to be
Mr. Pitt, but he is not Mr. Pitt; he is tall, to be sure, like Mr.
' Pitt ; and he wears leather breathe., and looks like Mr. Pitt;
• .but his features are uut like Mr.. Pitt; his hair, his complexion,

his limbs, nor his feet, are like Mr. Pitt.
" Mr. P.—Does any body else say I am Mr. Pitt besides Your
husband ?—A. Ido not know, Sir, much about that. I have
beard some say you are the real Gentleman, and I believe it
myself, as well as many others; and there are those again who
will have it to be all false.
i• Mr. P.—Why, if I were to pay this 430, the whole world
would say I was the man.
" Mr. W.—Aye; but this is not Mr. Pitt, and on my oath
it is not Mr. Pitt. Is your husband right here ? (pointing to his
forekead)—A. Lord, yes! I never knew ai.y thing the matter
with him, and I have been married to hies these thirty-three

Mr. Mr. Whitbread here wrote the following note to
Mr. Murray, with which he dismissed his wi!e:
" Mr. MUItRATI am very sorry you could not come. Your
wife and child are here, and in their presence, and in the presence
of Mr. Chapman, who is here also, and who is the man you.
take for Mr. Pitt, and I write that it Is not Mr. Pitt. He is thin
and wears leather breeches, and in these circumstances alone he
resembles Mr. Pitt. His features are not lake Mr. Pitt, his com-
plexion is not like Mr. Pitt, his hair Is not not like Mr. Pat,
his limbs and feet are not like Mr. Pitt, and he is net so tall as
Pitt. Upon my oath he is not Mr. Pitt. I therefore say to
you, after this solemn assurance, you must he satisfied and quiet.
I entreat to let this close the mutt. for cum—Your friend, •
" Dover-street, July 24, 1812." " S. warreasa.a."
Upon the receipt of this conclusive letter, Murray
was much exasperated; and sallied out in quest of Mr.
Pitt, whom he met going out of town in the evening.
He stopped him, and asked whether that was die way
he meant to pay him, by attempting to immure him
in a mad-house ? 44 I abused and threatened him,"
says Murray, "in the presence of the mob, who ga-
thered round." He appeared much terrified, and
said, " Don't threaten, for that is not the way to get
your money." On the 28th, he received a letter from
Mr. Conant, stating, that it he would call at his
Office, he had orders to do something for him; and
on the 23d of August, Murray received from Mr.
Conant £l2, out of the st3o, due to him. Finding
he could get nothing more from them, he resolved to
petition Parliament, and left a petition with Sir Francis
Burdett. Sir Francis sent a Gentleman to the Police
Office and to the Treasury, to know wha it was that
had ordered the payment of the 41'2 ? "He found,"
says Murray, .g that the pretended Mr. Chapman
did not belong to the Treasury, but to the Colonial
Office ' • on a strict- inquii y, he proved him to be the
Right Hon. W. Pitt." Through the medium of this
Gentleman, a negociation :was opened, and on the
sth of January, 1813, Murray received, in the hall
of Sir Francis 13urdett's house, in Piccadilly, a check
on Mr. Coutts for 420, by the hands of a Mr. Butts,
for which he gave a receipt, and signed a promise
that he would never again challenge Mr. Chapman,
or make any farther demand upon liini, they has ing
first promised, he says, to procure 11101 a place, to
compensate him for his loss of time, &c.
On the 17th of March last, Murray says he met
Mr. Pitt arm in arm with Mr. Chaptriaii,
Portland street. Mr. Pitt called out. Murray,
Murray,' and asked him it he had got his situation ?
lie said, no. Mr. l'itt said, he had sroken for him,
and would speak again. In May Murray presented
a Later to Mr. Able tt, the Speaker, concerning this
promise. Mr. Abbott merely said, he had no autho-
rity over that department. On the Ist of August, he.
met Mrs. Sparrow, widow of a King's Messenger
be told her, that if Mr. Pitt did not perform his pro-
mise, he would fulfil his, and he knew what that was.
On the 7th he received a letter from Mr. Conant,
desiring him to attend at the Office on the 9th. He
did so, and suspecting what they were about, took
three neighbours with Ijhm as bail. Mrs. Sparrow
attended, and swore that he had threatened Mr.
Chapman's life. Murray denied having mentioned
the name of Chapman. After some hesitation, the
Magistrate sent for Mr. Chapman; who, in about two
hours, made his appearance. Upon his entry, Mur-
ray said, that he was not Mr. Chapman, but .the
Right Hon. Wm. Pitt, of which he was prepared to
make oath. Mr. Pitt, alias Mr. Chapman, here de.
manded what all this meant ? Murray said, lie was
brought there to prosecute him, and he insisted that
he should he bound over for that purpose. Mr.
Chapman asked what he should prosecute him for ?
Murray then reminded him of his promise to get
him a place; which he did not deny, but said he had
it not in his power. He then asked, if the bail had
any personal knowledge of Mr. Pitt ? One said, he
had not the honour of knowing, but he knew enough
of Murray's character to believe what be offered to
swear to. Another replied,' Ido not recollect hav-
ing seen Mr. Pitt before he rose from the dead ; but
I am sure I see him now.'
" Mr. Pitt—Where ‘dia you know me, Murray At Sr.
James's, your Honour.
" Mr. Pitt—You may have seen me get Into my carriage ?
A. Yes ; and many a time I have h Iped you into your carriage.
" Mr. Pitt—How is that ?—A. Whrn your servants were out
of the way, 'and gone to take refreshment, and did not taped
you so soon:'
No inclination being shewn to let the law take its
course, Motaapetook his hat and left the Office with
his bail, first saying—
" Gentlemen—You seem to make a laugh of this
business ; you now see wlaa is right and who is wrong
—here is my bail, it yott-choose to take ity You will
rather, perhaps, choose to sake a few days considera-
tion :- do so, if you like it. You know where to find
me; I am forthcoming at any hour. •
'6 Being well aware of the childish notion which
has been entertained on the subject a my imputed
Thereby engage to Oring forward "00
madness,a , re-
spectable persons to refute that silty suggestirin.
(Signed) • "s.StinnAire"