Star.
London, England, 1826-10-30 00:00:00

APPREHENSION OF THE NENTISH
'SMUGGLERS.

_-.~-

There are some particulars connected with the appre
hension of the eight smugglers, who Were fully commit-
ted from BOw-street, on Friday, which have not yet
appeared, and which are very interesting, as sheaving the
mode of life pursued by these men, and the habitual fear
of justice, and consequent caution observed by them.—
The facts savour something of the romantic stories re-
lited of the freebooters of old.

The village of Aldington is situated in as wild a part
of the country as can 'well be conceived ; it is a consi-
derable distance from any plate of consequence, and
close on the borders of Romney Marshes on the one
side, and a mountainous district on the othel. The
manner in which the apprehension of these men was
effected, reflects the greatest credit upon the officers
concerned. When the information given. by the ap•
prover Horne reached B rw-street, Bishop and Smith
left town by separate conveyances, and arrived at
Fort Moncrieff in the most private manner pos-1
sible, secrecy of the most perfect kind being quite
indispensable. Having procured guides,. well at-
quainted with the wild district through which they had
to pass, the blockademen were divided into small parties.
And took different routes. Nothing can be conceived
more dangerous than the passage through the marshes
at night. There are here and there deep pits, or ponds,
over which planks are thrown, at cti win places, and
these spots are well known even on the darkest nights
to the smugglers, bin to their. pursuers the pits have
several times proved fatal; for it is a common practice
for the pursued, after crossing themselves to take up
the temporary bridge, and thus the pursuers are at
once plunged into the gulf. The parties, upon the
present occasion, after a dangerous and difficult jow-
-1 ney, in the course cf which two of the blockademen
were plunged to the neck in water, arrived near the
village, and the Bow-street officers, there being
strong breeze at the time, frought it best to go to
leeward of Ransley's house, that they might avoid,
as long as possible, being scented or heard by the
dogs. They had approached very near to Ransley's house,
when one of the dogs set up barking, but was immedi-
ately dispatched by the cutlass of one of the party. As
has been before stated, the houses inhabited by the sus-
pec;ed persons were e ich surrounded by a party of armed
men, so, that at a given signal, a knock was given at
each door, and, upon an answer being given, the officers
at once made their business known, and called upon the
persons named in their warrants to surrender quietly.
The usual officers who accompanied the expedition had
proposed, going along, to burst at once into the houses
and take the accused by surprise; but Bishop, like a wary
old officer, said, no, Gentlemen,we know what sen t of men
we are going after. TheprobabiLty is, that they are well
provided with arms, and if sse break suddenly into their
houses, in the middle of the night, they we likely to use
them, and will have a fair excuse, perhaps, for having
done so. How were they to know but we are thieves? they
will say. Let us tell them our business, and then they can
have no excuse for resistance. Mrs. Ransley answered
the call of the officers, and delayed a considerabletiene

before she opened the door, pretending to be dressing ;
that she had not got her stays on, was not fit to be seen,
&c. A daughter of Ransley's, in the Mean time, got
out upon the roof of the cottige, and called out, with
astonishing strength of voice, " war-hawk 1" that being
a signal to assemble the inhwbitants of the village in
ca•cs of danger. She was warned that her cries were of
no use; and at length the door was opened, and It Insley
was secured ; he did not attempt resistance, but sur-
rendered with quietness and firn.ness.

The prisoners Were conducted to Fort MOnciieff, and
there embarked on board the Antelope, King's Cutter,
and brought in her, in the custody of. Bishop and Smith,
round by the river to Deptford, %%here they we:e landed,
and brought to London. Bond, and 'other officers, were
after ltqnsley three times, within thelust five years, and
totally fAiled in their endeavour• to apprehend him, so
well laid were his plans to evade justice.

No additional information has been received respect-
ing the late murders at Fetcham. Mary Apes mid
Cobbler Will have still eluded'-the vigilance of the po-
lice; and the gipsy's information has led to nothing.
A FEMALE GA 61BLER Magiitrates of Windsor,
as,embled in the Town Hall on Thursday, committed a
unman to the county gaol at Reading, for two months
to hard labour, convicted of unlawfudy playing at dice
the day belore, at Windsor Fair.

Thz.:town of Stamford was visited last week with a
terrific storm of thunder, lightning, and rain. One of
the pinnacles of Burghley House, the seat of the Mar-
quis of Exeter, was struck by Vie electric fluid, and the
stones were driven to a great distance. "
Yesterday was the anniversary of Sir Walter Raleigh
being beheaded in Palace Yard, 1618, and bir.ll of
James 13oswell, the biographer of D:. Jo'.r.san, 1740.
GEORGE THE SECOND.—EI's MAJESTY, on on. Of his
annual nips to Germany, was driven by stress of wea-
ther to land at some unfrequtared sea Tort, where he
tamely stopped to breakfast. When the bill was given
to some of the King's attendants by the landlord, the
'charge made was s exorbitant, that a demur arose as
'to paying it; the circumstance attracted his MAJESTY'S
notice, and he was to'd the whole affair ; tl:e KING sent
for the master of the inn, and told him he thought his
charge for breakfast, which amounted to a sum equal
to thitty pounds sterling, was exorbitant. The man
bowed, but said nothing. " Why," said his MAJESTY,
" we had nothing' but a few eggs—are eggs so 'very
'scarce here ?". " No, Sir," said the landlord, bowing
still Tower, " but Kings are !"—s'lt is needless to add,
as the jest books say, " that the Kix° laughed heartily,
and paid the money."
EASTERN CUSTOMS.—It if customary in the East for'
people to crowd the place where persons are dead, and
to bewail them in a noisy manner in token of respect.
--Sir John Chardin says that the concourse of people
where persons lie dead is incredible. Every body runs
thither, the poor and the rich ; and the former more
especially make a strange noise. Dr. Shaw says, that
upon funeral occasions, tt is customary in the Etst to
hue women to act the part of mourners, who, like
moutning women of old, are skilful in lamentation, and
great proficients in those melancholy expressions. And
indeed, he says, they act their part with such proper
sounds, gestures, and motions, that they rarely fail to
work up the assembly to an extraordinary pitch of
thoughtfulness and sorrow.
Identical copy of the direction of a letter which lately
passed thrones the bands of the Dumfries letter.earrier ;
44 To Scodand Dentfries
Care of Jobe Lowary of
blaxweßtowa of Pat Roney
Slaxwelkowo CoUedje Street •
Or Marty lillCann or Jobs
DP Cann oe Tat WCaaa"