Star.
London, England, 1821-12-27 00:00:00

MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT.

•
Tuesday afternOcnt six persons, three young men
and three females, respeEtable tradesmen's sons and
daughters, hired a skiff of a bbat-builder for the-pur-
pose of taking an airing on the water; two of
and
the
young men rowed the boat up to Millbank,
about five o'Clock.returned toward Somerset-House
with the ebb tide, which flowed very rapidly. The
young men found the boat unmanageable, and they
were carried on the Surrey side of the River with
great velocity, in a direction where a number of
barges lay moored off. They, with all their exertions
to alter the direction of the boat, became alarmed,
and called with all their might for assistance • but
before any one could arrive, the skiff ran foul of the
roads, and stresk under :he heads of the barges, near
Mr. Loris umber-yard, with great force. By the
violence of the concussion, two of the party were
thrown into the water, and the other four were in
imminent danger. The screams of the unfortunate
persons were heard by the officers on board the
Thames Police brig, and by the watermen at Strand-
lane stairs. George Heath, senior, a waterman, took
a boat, and, accompanied by one of the Thames
Police officers, rowed to the spot from whence they
heard the cries of distress. It was very dark, but the
shouts of the distressed led them to the place, and
they saved four of the party. Two of them had been
carried by the tide down the River, and sunk to rise
no more. The persons drowned are MARY ANN
LACCOHICE, aged IS, the daughter of Mr. LACCOHES,
a respectable grocer, of Union-street, Southwark ;
and BENJAMIN LAwsoN, a young man who paid his
addresses to her. On information of the melancholy
circumstance being given at the house of Mr. LACCO•
HEE, it was found that he was gone to Norwich, and
what is most affecting, she was his only child, and
he lost his wife very recently.

Thursday, a wayfaring man stopped at Coal Barn,
in the Parish of Benenden, Kant, and talked to the
thrasher apparently in good he4lth, but, on turning
away, he dropped down dead. He is supposed to be
a native of Leigh.
An Inquisition was taken yesterday, at Bartholo-
mew Hospital, on view of the body of Atm Cosgriffi,
a fine girl, aged eleven, who died of the injuries she
received in consequence of her clothes accidentally
catching fire, during a temporary absence of her pa-
rents. Verdict— •“cidental Death.

The Sovereign steam-packet, which had been un-
deigoing some repairs in the Canal Basin, at Glou-
cester, exploded on Saturday last, forcing out the
off side of the engine-room, and carrying the frag-
ments to a considerable distance. One man was
forced overboard, after being scalded in a small de-
gree, but was almost immediately picked up by 1,
the boat, which, being employed in carrying out an
anchor, had just cleared the scene of danger. A boy
was much scalded, and carried to the Infirmary in a
dangetous state; as was an eminent scientific Gentle-
man, who happened to be in Gloucester on business,
and was induced to witness the trial of the machinery.
lizaring the explosion, he threw himself oa the floor,
and beil.g in a confined place, he could not very
readily be extricated ; but every effort was made,
and, when got out, he was found to be dreadfully
scalded from the knees downwards, and otherwise
much injured.
Several' houses in and about Union-street, in the
Borough, were on Tuesday last suddenly inundated
by the overflowing of the common sewers. The acci-
dent was occasioned by the sluice-gates of these chan-
nels having been incautiously left open at a time
when the tide was returning ; and it has doile very
considerable mischief, as the lower parts of the houses
in that neighbourhood ale made the deposituties fur
the different descriptions of merchandise.
During the gale, on Sunday morning last, a barn,
at Horsebridge, belonging to Mr. A LLiVORK, was
blown entirely down. At the same time the ball on
the top of the steeple of Hellingly Church was struck
by lightning, and nearly destroyed.
A few nights ago two young men obtained lodg-
ings -at the Dundee Arms, High-street, Wapping,
under pretence of setting off next morning in one of
the Gravesend boats, which takes passengers, &c. to
and from thete. They retired to bed eitily, and in
the course of the night, it is presumed, previous to
the landlord, Mr. MINSHAW, going to bed, they
contrived to enter his roam, and rifle the desk therein
of £224, ,in notes and gold, with which they escaped
unperceived by the family. One of the notes, which
was for £lO, was traced next day to the Bank, and
others to the possession of a slopseller in Rosemary-
lane, who, it appears, had received them in payment
for apparel. Information being given to the Police,
one of the fellows concetned in the robbery was ap-
prehended by two of the Lambeth-street officers. He
and the slopseller were examined yesterday at the
Thames Police-office, when the former was remanded,
and the latter held to bail for a misdemeanour in re-
ceiving the notes, which appear to have been paid
him by the prisoner and his accomplice, after the
robbery being advertised.
A Heastir.—Last week two men at work in the
grounds of St. Pierre (Colonel Lawns's), were sur-
prised at the appearance of a column of smokt arising
from the middle of some very thick coppice, almost
impervious to human approach. Upon further scru-
tiny they were alarmed by the discovery of an apex-
Lute, which, upon examination, conducted them into
an excavation, where they discovered a being scarcely
of this world, in appearance' t least. His body was
hardly covered with the remnants of former habili-
ments, and a beard almost patriarchal. On being
questioned, nothing satisfactory was gathered • and,
except stating that he had not been a resident Of this
cave for more than three months, no answer could-
be obtained. His first discoverers made a penny of
'their hermit, as they termed him, by exhibiting him
at two-pence a-piece at a public-house in Chepstow,
for some days, until his commitment to Monmouth
jail for three months by Colonel Lawns, as a rogue
and vagabond. Whether an escaped felon or frau-
dulent debtor, his beard bespeaks his cause of retire-
ment of no recent date, although it is conjectured
that when shaved and humanised he will prove more
juvenile than his present aspect bespeaks. No means
of subsistence appeared' saving a few remnants of
potatoes, stolen from the net siting and a
quantity of bean-smell.

POLICE.

GOILDITALL-.-A handsome young woman, far gone
in the/Cosily way, was yesteiday brought up for exa-
mination. She had gone to market on Saturday night,
and being there seized wish a longing for a very large
fat goose, which her pecuniary circumstances did not
enable her to become the purchaser of, she took it
up, and was walking off with it, when the poulterer
discovered his loss, pursued, and gave her into cus-
tody. The complainant, however, having recovered
his property, did not attend yesterday to pursue the
charge, and Alderman "Snow; discharged her with
a mild admonition.
Martitioaounu-sTam.—Yesterday a watchman
of St. James's Parish entered this Office with a boy
of very prepossessing appearance in his custody, as
a vagrant. The prisoner was raggedly dressed, and
appeared to be very much dejected, but his appear-
ance and address bespoke something above the com-
mon order. The watchman stated, that about three
o'clock yesterday morning he found the prisoner asleep
in one of the buildings in the New street, and on ques-
tioning him, he said he had no home, and it would
be a Charity to shelter him in the watch-house. Mr.
DYER, the Magistrate, remembered the prisoner
having' been once before at the Office in the course
of last week, under a similar charge.
Magistrate—How de you get your living?
Prisoner—l have no means of getting my living.
Magistrate—Have yen any friends in Landon?
Prison?—Yes, Sir, • I have a father.
Magistrate—What is your father?
Prisoner—A Gentleman.
Magistrate—What sort of a Gentleman?
Prisoner.--Latterly be has been in an eminent way of bug.
ness in the London-road, near the Obelisk—his name is Weiler.
Magistrate—And why are you not with your father. I sup-
pose he has discarded you fur some misconduct?
Prisoner—(ln tears) - He has your Worship--its too true.
Magistrate—Well, you had better write to your father, ex-
pressing your sorrow, and beg of him to forgive you.
Prisener—That I have done so repeatedly that I fear it would
be a vain effort to gain his pardon.
Magistrate—l don't know what to advise you to do else.
In answer to other questions put by the Magistrate,
lie said that his father was formerly a Lieutenant-
Colonel in the Army, and was one of the Commis-
sioners of the Lottery. He then resided at Black-
heath Cottage, and was a person possessed of con-
siderable property, but he did not receive any as.iit-
ance from him. His brothers and sisters lived with his
father. The prisoner's mind seemed to be absorbed in
thought, when he said that his life was so very mise-
rable that he would willingly go into the workhouse,
if he knew how to proceed. lie was advised to ap-
ply to his parish, but ultimately ordered to wait for
the parish officers. His tale excited great sympathy.
MARY-LA-BONER OMCE.—Yesterday, an ill-look-
ing fellow was brought before the Sitting Magisti ate,
charged with feloniously stealing a tin tea-kettle, a
tea.not, a pair of stockings, a nightcap, a handker-
chiehandker-
chief,aud a piece of flannel, the property of Robert
Daniels, bachdor, of James-street, Manchester-square.
The prosecutor stated, that Christmas-day was a
day above all others in the course of the year. .on
which he indulged himself at the shrine of Bacchus,
and being invited by some of his friends to spend the ,
day with them, be consented, but the effluv:a of
Hodges's best, &c. which was handed about rather
'freely, began to have effect upon him, and he was
making the best if his way home, when he staggered
against the prisoner, who very kindly proffered his
services to support him home—they staggered home
togetlier. On arriving, he asked the prisoner to
make him some tea, while be laid on the bed to have
a nap. The prisoner thought it better to make of
while his" worthy host was clasped in the arms of
Morpheus, and instead of preparing the tea, he packed
up ready to start, when Daniels awoke, stomped his
guest, and exclaitned, Danis, you have done
that which you ought not to have dotte, and you
have neglected the tea." Dennis replied, bad not
rubbed him ; but an instant search was demanded,
when on undoing the handkerchief the robbery was
detected. Mr. D. turned constable, and brought
him to the Office. The prisoner did not deny the
robbery, and was committed to take his trial.
QUEEN-SQUA as.—Yesterday a young man, in the
family of Mr. J. Pollard, the master of Brompton
Boarding-school, was charged with felony. Mr.
Pollard stated, that the prisoner had been in his ser-
vice since April last, and had received warning
to leave, but waited till he bad put the house in
otder before he quitted the place. On Monday last
lie had a party to dinner; the prisoner waited at
table. After the cloth was removed, and the plates,
spoons, &c. had been taken to the kitchen to Be
cleaned, the prisoner came to him, and informed him
that the plate and some other articles had been taken
out of his knife.cellar, and that he suspected the
sei vants had played bins a trick. On enquiry among
the servants, they knew nothing u hatever of the
property that was missing. The prisoner then said,
that he thought some boys who reside at Chelsea had
taken it ; but being strictly questioned as to the truth
of his statement, he became confused, and gave such
contradictory stories, that he became suspected of
having stolen it himself. Being challenged with the
fact, he became exceedingly agitated. Maybank,
the constable, was sent for, and the prisoner was con-
veyed to Chelsea watch-house. After he was taken'
there, some of the school-boys stated that they had
frequently seen him go into the court adjoining
the house ; he (the witness) and the constable searched ,
die place: they found concealed, under some weeds '
and rubbish, four pounds of white and yellow soap
in a pillow-case, and other property which had been'
stolen. The prisoner being taxed with having placed
the property there, admitted the fact, and 'said that
his mother was to have come that night to take it
away. Maybank corroborated the above, and added,
that he had searched the house of the prisoner's mo-
ther, and had found four towels belonging to Mr.
Pollard. The prisoner was committed for examine-
don on a future day.
LAMERTR-STREET.—J. Barber and J. Burrell were
charged by Mr. James, proprietor of a Menagerie,
with the following robbery :—Mr. James stated, that
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he different Repositories'
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fancier, &e. in Whitbcliapel-road. Mr. Kent stated,
that on the 14th inst. Burrell came to his shop, ac.
companied by another man, of whom he purchased
the animal for £2 4s. The person who sold the ani.
mal was known at the shop, and it was not conceived
necessary to ask him how he came by the property.
The prisoners were remanded.
‘l7
iv oasntr-sraiter.—Yesterday, a long investiga.
don took place in the case of a Benefit Siciety v. one
of its Members, charged with imposing on the So..
ciety, by .• pretending sickness."—The business was
adjourned to Saturday next.