Star.
London, England, 1824-09-27 00:00:00

II ATTON-GARDF.N.

Elisabeth Griffiths, a woman about silty years of age, of most
wretched appearance, was brought up on Saturday, from Saffron-
bill watch-house, under the following circumstances;
A watchman stated that, on the preceding night, about eleven
o'clock, his attention was attracted to a crowd assembled in Cow-
yard, a small court off Liquorpond-street, Gray's Inn-lane. He
there saw this poor woman lying down, apparently in the last state
of exhaustion from want of sustenance; he took her to the watch-
house, where every comfort was afforded her, but of which she was
scarcely capable of partaking, so debilitated was her frame. The
appearance of the woman in the office excited general sympathy.
When asked by the Magistrate to account for her situation, she
stated as follows:—That she was an American by birth, bon' in
Philadelphia, of respectable parents; that many years ago she came
to this country, whet she was induced to marry a soldier in a
Scotch regiment. She accompanied him to Ireland, when his te.
giment was ordered there to quell the rebellion of 1798, when she
had the misfortune herself to witness her husband, as also two
brothers, being shot in battle. General Duncan, under whom they
fought, commiserating her situation, allowed her, during his life-
time, 51. a year. She was above twenty years its Bath, part of the
time in service, and latterly in business, in which having failed, she
was advised to come to London. Here she went about selling
various little articles in the hardware-line, until she was taken up
in thri neighbourhood of 'Brixton, and, under the " Hawkers' and
Pedlere Act," in defaiilt of having a license, was brought before the
Magistrates at Brixton, who committed her to prison for a month.
On coming out a few days ago, she was compelled to pawn the few
articles of wearing-apparel which she bad left for her subsistence,
and thus destitute and famishing, she laid herself down where the
Watchman and others found her. Her case excited strongly the
commiseration of the worthy Magistrate who presided, who, after
giving her pecuniary relief himself, sent her, under the care of an
officer, to the Mendicity Society, with a request that they would
take her case under their consideration. 1

THE KIDNAPPED CHlLD.—Charlotte Shaw was ex-
amined at Leeds, on Tuesday, upon the charge of child•
stealing. Had not the greatest care been taken, the mob
would haverorn her to pieces. Crowds of persons were
assembled round the .Court-house during the examina-
tion ; and On her return to prison, she Was assailed with
the most hidecius yells, and shouts of " Starve her, gaoler!
starve her !" So eager were the crowd to have a glimpse
of the little boy, that he was exhibited from a window
of the Court-house, and was loudly cheered by the po-
pulace. In the course of the examination it was proved
that the name of the prisoner is Charlotte Peck, and she
now states herself-to be a native of Hampshire. She
appears quite careless as to her fate, and refuses to assign
.any reason for her extraordinary conduct. The child
has been very ill-treited by her. She was fully com-
mitted to York *Castle, but owing to the irritated 'state
of the minds of the populace, it was deemed necessary
to detain her at Leeds, in close confinement, until Thurs-
day morning last, *hen, about five o'clock, she was re-
moved to York, where she will remain until March next.
Sunday se'nnight, while Mr Alexander Mackey, of
the Wesleyan Methodist connexion, was about to com-
mence worship in the market house of Smithfield, Bel-
fast, an Outrageous mob began to assemble, evidently
with a design to interrupt the worship, and disturb the
congregation. They commenced by shouting and huz-
zaing, so as completely to drown the preacher's voice.
But not content with this, they selected some persons in
the skirts of the congregation, whom they began to beat
and abuse most Violently, and having so fir succeeded
in creating a riot, the entire mob came in a body, with
tremendous shouting, and endeavour cello break throUgh
the congregation, doubtless to pit down and silence
the preacher. This design, however, was defeated by
the firmness of both, and messengers being dispatched
to the police-office, a constable was procured, who hav-
ing taken one or two rioters into custody, order was
partially restored. Several minor attempts had been
made on former occasions to disturb this Gentleman,
who gratuitously pre:lches in Belfast every Sunday.
THE DANISH FLEET.—About this time it was that
we learned the success of the attack upon Copenhagen,
by the English, which was the first derangement of
, secret stipulations of Tilsit, by virtue of which the
,Danish fleet was to be placed at the disposal of France !
-Since the death of Paul I. I never saw Napoleon
That
himself up to such violent transports of passion. That
which astounded him most in that vigorous stroke
(tigouleci coup•de main) was the pronotititude with
N h ich the English Ildinistry took their resolution. He
began to suspect some new treachery in the Cabinet,
and gave me Orders to ascertain if it had nothing to do
with the created by a late removal—that of
falleyrand from the office of Foreign Secretary.—:
fouche's MeMoirs.