Star.
London, England, 1820-04-08 00:00:00

ATTEMPT TO BURN HEREFORD COLLEGE.

On Sunday last, before the conclusion of Divine
Service at the Cathedral, Mr. Hayter, the organist,
who 'has rooms in the College, had occasion to
leave the Church, which adjoins the premises, and
in proceeding to his apartment, he perceived smoke
issuing from the roof of the eastern angle of the
south quadrangle of the Iniilding ; he instantly pro-
ceeded to the spot, and found part of the wood work
cf the roof in flames, which, with assistance, he
succeeded in effectually suppre:sinz. As the fire
was making rapid progress, there is little doubt, but
for the providential circumstance of his observing
the smoke, in a very short period the whole of the
roof would have been on fire, and the destruction
of a great part of the College inevitable.—On the
flames being extinguished, it was discovered that the
beams and joists where they commenced had been
partly saturated with spirit of turpentine, a quantity
of brushwood from besoms taken from a room near
the place, hay, straw, and some matches, were also
disposed so as to spread the destructive element.
and, in short, every arrangement carefully and skil-
fully made to envelope the building in a mass of
flame before assistance could' be rendered ; the spot
and time chosen for the fiend-like attempt, were like-
wise selected with singular discrimination ; the place
is in a part of the College seldom frequented, difficult
for water to be conveyed to, and the Vicars were ab-
sent on their.clerical duties, and the servants attend-I
ing Divine' Service.
A • little before twelve o'clock, the alarm became
general ; the congregations of the different Churches
left them, and the most active alacrity was displayed
to afford assistance, which the judicious exertions of
'Mr. Hayter fortunately rendered unnecessary, of the
flames were happily subdued before the engines ar-
rived. It is a most singular circumstance, and clearly
proves .that when the smoke was first discOvered the
diabolical incendiary must have been superintending
his evil work, for the butler of the College, who has-
tened to render assistance on the first alarms found
near the spot on fire a Florence oil-flask, which evi•
dently had contained turpentine ; and afterwards,
11 when the fire was suppressed, on searching for it, the
flask was discovered in an old cask in a hole•under
the stairs, near the place ; the wretch must therefore
have escaped whilst Mr. Hayter and the butler were
procuring water, and every circumstance proves, that
whoever this diabolical fiend may be, he is one well
acquainted with the College, and possessed of daring
and wicked cunning eqn4 to the horrible crime he
attempted to perpetrate. It is also remarkable, that
within a few feet of the spot,- nscribed on the wall in
Old English characters, ill the following sentence•=
The ewes of Me Laisb are in every plow, behekting
the evil an-t
.the goad !"—Trov. :v. 3.
I The Custos and Vicars immediately issued bills

o 'tiring a reward of 100 guineas for the discovery
the incendiary, and the villainous attempt of cou,e
excited a strong sensation in this city, where such a
crime has hitherto been unknown. On Mnnday the
Mayor called a Meeting of the inhabit Ants, w'oen Re-
solutions were unanimously adopted, and the reward
here stated, in addition to the one by the Cosecs and
Vicars. offered for the discovery of the offen.ler, ‘vv hick
we sincerely hope may have the desired
We have now little doubt but the stables were par-
posely fired, partic:ilarly as the following letter was
received by the h:itler of the College shortly after
their destruction, the author of which nearly fulfilled
his threat, with no common degree of relentless
daring :
" SlR—Ple:se to tell yo-.r nmsters to take care on thrintlres,
for they will be viqiteci soon by a gall that they won't
Friend.—To 41r. Coneuble, Colledge of Here:Jed."

NVednesday everl7ng, as Mr. .!'A MUET. Pr.rztn, cf
Jamaica-street, Commercial-read, Limehouse, Iva*
going through Sepr.ey Fair, he was surrounded by
a gang of thieves; rive or six in number, who hustled
him from one to another, and r(bbed him of.a valu-
able gold watch, a cln:in, two gold scab, a ler, and
a silk pocket handkerchief.
DARING ATTENIPT AT itOSSERT AND !1t.'177`ER....6
Thursday night, between twelve and oLe c z!:, the
family of Mr. Rolec, of Claphain, .were alarc:ce. oy
a noise resembling heavy footsteps, in the lorve,. cart
of the hotre. Mr. Reits get out of bed, and ar:::ing
himself with a sword; took his bed-room larhp, add
went down stairs. The. first thing he saw was a
quantity of linen tied in a bundle, in the. passage,
ready to be taken away: not doubting but tilte. es
were in the houe, lie gave an alarm to a man rto
slept in the upper part of the house, alla immedi. ea
two men rushed out of the parlour, one:of whor:,, as
he passed, attempted to sta..) Mr. Roles with a
but he avoided the blow, by steppiiv hack, and
the same time gave the robber a cut with his swo.s.,
srblch brought him down. Mr. Roles ran to seize
hini, on which the second man knocked him down
Kith a croiv-har; the light went out, and. tire r •Y:f:s
then escaped at the street-door. On examination; it
was found that nothing hatilleen taken away.
AN Istroaron.—Thursday, • as..llaniel 'He: on, a
Constable of Southwark, was. coming oA the coach
from Guilford, he saw A person in female attire walk.
ing very confusedly along the road side. The iiinbs
of the supposed Lady appeared so very clumsy, and
unlike those of the fair sax, that Heron tispected
there was something wrong in the business, and ac-
cordingly got off the coach, and followed the object
of his suspicions some distance. At length. he took
the liberty of looking under the bonnet, and inin.e-
diately discovered a well-known acquaintance, with
a rough beard and a carroty pair cif whi•kes, which
he attempted to 11:de under tne ears of a la, e
tage cap. After the first salutations had pase../.
Heron asked him " what scrinv he was then open
to which he answered, " that he vas getting on
queerish=no Lai:a...Fs was to be done at all in this
part." Heron-searched him, but could find nothing,
and having no charge against him,. he let bias go;
but he soon afterwards learned that he had passed a.
quantity of forged notes through-the county, and hr 4
adopted his female garb the more effectually co escape.