Star.
London, England, 1810-12-06 00:00:00

DECEMBER 4.•••--NIASTERMAN AND CO. T. Met!,
- -

This was an action brought by the plaintiffs, emi-
nent bankers in this City, against the defendant, who
'is a bricklayer, and resides in the Ship Victory pub-
lic-house, Newnham-street, Mary-la-bonne, for pay-
ment of £319. 16s. 9.d. being the amount of a Bill
of Exchange accepted by the defendant, and paid to
the plaintiffs. The trial lasted the greater part of
the day, and as there was much contradiction in the
evidence, the case Was involved iu much obs..urity.—
On the part of the plaintiffs it was deposed, that the
defendant being indebted to Mr. Walker, a Brick-
maker, in the amount of the bill, granted him the
acceptance in question, who discounted it at the
Ux-
bridge Bank, whence it was paid in the way of busi-
ness into the plaintif. house. When the bill reached
them, however, they did not conceive the signature
vf the defendant perfectly regular, because it was.
written above that of the drawer, instead of beittg •
'under it, and they sent it again to Mr. Moore's resi-
dence td have it 'altered. It was Mated to have been
left with his landlAdy, a Mre: Webb, to begiven to him,
but wben'the messenger ailed for it again, she denied
having seen it, and said she was engaged at her busi-
ness at the time when the brewer's servants were in the
cellar, and she believed it must be lost, but she should
tel Mr. Moore know of it when he returned from the
country,. 'where he then was, and prevail upon him
to-grantanother on his return. Messrs. Masterman
then sent several notices to Mrs. Webb, to inform
Mr. Moore not to pay the bill- on any conSideration,
should it be.presentl/441, without their authority ; but
on its becoming due on the 3d of March last, the de-
fendant produced it, and informed the plaintiff's clerk
that he had-not heard of its being lost, but coming to
town on that morning to meet it, he had provided the
money, and not seeing or hearing from Mrs. Webb
during his abience, he paid the bill to a man-who
said he was a banker's clerk, and who presented it in
the morning, betwecu nine and ten o'clock.
On the part of the defendant it was proved, among
' other things, that on the morning of the 3d of March
he called on a Mr. Hooper, who is housekeeper to the
• Board of' Ordnance, at Rotherhithe, and borrowed
of him three, seloo bank-notes, Nos. 596, 597, and
. 598, all dated the 22d day of February last ; but
on cross-examination, it' appeared he had given seve-
ral contradictory accounts of Mr. Jones, the supposed
receiver of the money.—The Jury found a verdict for
the plaintiffs, thus negativing a -knajde payment by
the defendant.

I Yesterday morning a dreadful fire broke nut at
' throe "o'clock iu the premises of Mr. Werde, Tallow_
chandler, in Nightingale-lane, East Smithfield, which
entirely ccnswned the same, •and damaged the two
houses adjoining. Property to a very considerable
amount was lost.
Last week, as some men were cutting a drain at
Allanton, (Scotland), a large mass of earth bure d
ihem to suz.h a depth, that it required the united ex-
ertions of a great uumber of men for two hours, when
they.weze miraculously taken-out alive, and having
,iMMediate medical aid, we are happy to say, they are
likely to do v.-441.