Star.
London, England, 1818-10-19 00:00:00

POLICE.

- -
THE NIGHTINGALE AND biLOW-WORNL

The Sun from the West had receded afar,
The Moon shed her silvery light,
The iiicense of Flora enrich'd the cool air,
And sweet sung the Songstress of Night.
The vesper she warbled seem'd Gratitude's note,
For Nature's indulgent behest ;
The music melodious llow'd from her throat,
Whilst all other birds were at rest.
The moon-beim' refulgertly play'd on my shoe,
Reflected by Tuassa's bright gloss,
And rays of rich splendour by accident threw
On a Glow-worm recliii'd on the meal.
The envious reptile, elated with pride,
Emitted her twinkling light,
As if to transcend the pure lustre she tried
Of the luminous Goddess of Night.
The Nightingale ceas'd for a moment hn. song ;
The glittering worm caught her eye ;
And instantly darting the herbage among, •
Condemu'd the vain reptile to die!
Thus tEnsty its own fatal punishment brings,
Whilst Modesty shines in the shade ;
Thdhoney of Pride is surrounded with stings,
By its own wit-importance betray'd !
• RICIIARD TURNER, 114, London-Road.

A PROFESSOR OF SIGNS;
• OR, TWO WAYS OF TELLING A STORY,

King James VI. on removing to London, was wait-
ed upon by the Spanish Ambassador, a man of eru-
dition, but who had a crotchet in his head that every
country should have a Professor of Signs, to teach
him, and the like of him, to understand one another.
The Ambassador was lamenting one day, before the
King, this great desideratum throughout. all Europe,
when the King, who was a peevish sort of man, said
to him—" Why, I have a Professor of Signs in the
northernmost College in my domiaions, viz. at Aber-
deen; but it is a great way off, perhaps 600• miles."
" Were it ten thefusand leagues off I shall see him,"
says the Ambassador, " and am determined to set
out in two or three days." The King saw he had
committed himself, and writes, or causes to be writ-
ten, to the University of Aberdeen; stating the case,
and desiring the Professors to put him off some way,
or make the best of him. The Ambassador arrives,
is received with great solemnity ; but soon began to
enquire which of them had the honour of being the
Professor of Signs ? and being told that that Pro-
fessor was absent in the Highlands, and would not
return nobody could say when ; says the Ambassa-
d6r-44 *I will wait his return though it were twelve
months." Seeing that this would not-do, and that
they had him to entertain at a great expense all the
while, they contrived a stratagem. There was one
Geordy, a butcher, blind of an eye, a droll fellow,
-wish much wit and roguery about him. He is got,
told the story, and instructed to be a ,Professor of
Signs ; but not to speak on pain of death ! Geordy
undertakes it. The Ambassador is now told that the
Professor cf Signs would be home next day, at which
he rejoiced greatly. Geordy is gotoxed, wigged, and
placed in a chair in state in a room of the College,
all the Professors and the Ambassador being in an
adjoining room. The Ambassador is now shewn into
Geordy's room, and loft to converse with him as well
as he could, the whole Professors waiting the issue
with fear and trembling. The Ambassador holds up
one of his fingers to Ceordy, Geordy holds up two
of his. The Ambassador holds up three ; Geordy
clenches his fist and looks stern. The Ambassador
then takes an orange from his pocket, and holds it
up;• Geordy takes a piece of barley cake from his
pocket, and holds that up. After which the Ambas-
sador bows to him, and retires to the other Profes-
sors, who anxiously enquired his opinion of their
brother. "Heis a . perfect miracle," says the Am-
bassador ; " I would not give him for the wealth of
the Indies !" " Well," say the Professors, "to de-
scend to particulars." " Why," says the Ambassa-
dor, " I first held up one finger, denoting that there
is one GOD ; he held up two, signifying that these-are
the FATHER and SON. I held up three, meaning the
FATHER, SoN, and HOLY GHOST ; he clinched his
fist, to say that these three were one. I then took out
an orange, signifying the goodness of GOD, who
gives his creatures not only the necessaries, but the
luxuries of life ; upon which the wonderful man pre-
sented a piece of bread, shewing that it was the staff
of life, and preferable to everyluxury." The Profes.
sors were very glad that matters had turned out so
well ; so having got quit of the Ambassador, they
next got Geordy, to hear his version of the
" Well, Geordy, how have you come on, and what
think you of your man ?" " The rascal," says Geordy,
what did he do first, think ye ? He held up one
finger, as much as to say you have only ae ee 1 Then
I held up twa, meaning that my ae ee was perhaps
as good as baitl; his. fhen the fellow held up three
of his fingers, to say that there were but three ten
between us ; and then I was sae mad at the scoun-
drel, that I stcekit my ueeve, (clenched my fist) and
was to come a whack on the side of his head, and
would ha'e done it too, but for your sakes. Then the
rascal didna stop wi' a' his provocation here ; but for-!
sooth takes out an orange, as much as to say, your
poor beggarly cold country cannot produce that
I sheaved him a whang of bear bannock, meaning that
I didna care a farthing for him nor his trash neither,
as lang's I hae this ! But by a' that's Guid (conclu-
ded Geordy) I'm angry yet that I didna thrash the
hide o the scoundrel !"—So much for signs, or two
ways of telling a story.

The Gazette of Saturday contains a mod curious
article: It announces to the,creditors of a London
Firm, who were Bankrupts in the year 1772, being,
a lapse of 46 years, that they, or their legal repre-
sentatives, may receive the full amount of their re-
spective debts, by applying, &c. The names of the
creditors are given—the lowest sum mentioned is a
glover's bill for 3s. 4d. the largest a banker's 9201.
The whole of the debts amount to about 5,500 k
Lately, Mr. Williamson, of Chelmford, pulled from
a tree in his garden, six apples, which averaged the
extraordinary weight of 17i ounces—one of them
weighed 20} ounces. There are many others on the
came tree of equal size, and scarcely any that have
been gathered weighed less than 14 ounces. Mr. Salt-
marsh, gardener, also of that town, has one in his
posscsbion weighing 22 ounces.

UNION HALLHORRID MURDER.—(Fu ilter par-
ticulars.)—Saturday a Constable of the Parish of
Aldgate stated, that he had been ditected by the
LORD Mayoa to bring before the Magistrates a,young
man, named John Williams, whom he had taken into
custody, on suspicion of being concerned in the mur-
der of Mary Albert, daughter of Mr. Albert, of Tho-
mas-street, Kent-road. The prisoner and Robert
Dean were in the service of Mr. Tyrrell, engraver in
Church-row, Aldgate, and lodged together at a house
near. On Friday night Mr. Tyrrell received infor.
mation that a murder had been committed on a child
by Dean, at a place in the Kent-road, and that the
prisoner had been seen in his company a short time
previously. Mr. Tyrrell directeclan Officer to go to
the lodgings of Dean and Williams, and take the first
who came home. Williams returned' about twenty
minutes after nine on Friday evening, and was se-
cured. He refused to give any reply to qunttens put
to him by the Constable, observing, that he should
reserve what he had to say for the ear of the Magis-
trate. Sarah Williams, grandmother to the murdered
child, residing with Mr. and Mrs. Albert, the parents,
Stated, that her grand-daughter was four years and a
quarter old. On Friday Dean came to the house of
Mr. Albert, about seven in the evening, accompanied
by the prisoner. They afterwards went out together,
and in about a quarter of an hour Dean returned,
alone. He had always appeared remarkably fond of
the child, and she was extremely attached to him.
She was playing in the street when Dean returned,
ind Mrs. Williams called her in, and told her that
Mr. Dean was come. She immediately left off play-
ing, ran to Dean, and upon his taking her up, put
her arms round his neck. H.! then said that he should
buy her some apples, and took her with him to a
neighbouring shop for that purpose. Not returning
immediately, Mrs. Williams went out to look for the
child, and observing her in Dean's arms, with an ap-
plein her hand, she was about to return, when Dean
requested her to go to a shop, a few doors off, and
purchase some articles for him. She did .as he had
requested, but had not been in the shop more than
two minutes when she heard a cry of murder, and
saw a great number of persons run towards her daugh-
ter's house. She made all possible haste to the same
place, and upon arriving there saw the child, being
supported by her father, and the blood streaming
from a dreadful wound in the throat. Dean was
gone. The infant languished about half an hour and
expired. Another wound was then discovered on the
lower part of the stomach. The circumstance oc-
curred about eight o'clock, or a quarter after. May,
the Officer, upon hearing of the transaction, went to
the residence of the parents. He arrived a little be-
fore nine. The child was then dead, and Mrs. Al
bert in a fit. The evidence given by Mrs. Williams
corresponded with what he heard upon the spot
where the murder was committed. Some other cir-
cumstances came to his knowledge, which appeared
to explain in some degree the motives for the per-
c,tion of the horrid deed. During the visit of
on Friday evening. Mrs. Albert chided him
with great severityfor having formed some connec-
tion with persons of depraved character, and for
squandering away his money upon his imn:otal assts.'
dates. He appeared to be extremely hurt, but said
nothing that indicated an intention of taking any re-
venge for the freedom with which she had spoken to
him. About eight o'clock, Mrs. Albert was horror-
struck on perceiving her child staggering into the
room where she was sitting, with a dreadful gash in
her throat, from which the blood flowed in a torrent.
The poor infant faintly cried—" Mother, mother!'
and fell down. The prisoner said, that he parted
with Dean at the Surrey Theatre between seven and
eight o'clock, and had never seen him since. Dean
said at parting, that he intended to go into the Bo-
rough, and went in that direction. Dean had not
been home to his lodgings since Wednesday. Priso-
ner could not account for his conduct. He appeared
a steady and good-tempered man when sober; but
was extremely ferocious when intoxicated. But he
was not aware that Dean was inebriated on Friday:
he knew nothing of the murder until taken into cus-
tody. Several persons came forward to prove that
the prisoner was at a considerable distance from
Thomas's-street at the time of the murder; that he
spent the evening with some friends of great respec-
tability, and went to his lodgings at his usual hour.
He was discharged.—Dean has absconded, but dili-
gent search is making after him. The wounds appear
to have been inflicted with a penknife; that in the
throat was an inch and half deep, and three inches
long. The point of the knife appears to have entered
a little below the left ear, and to have taken a slant-
ing direction to the front of the throat.

GUILDIJALL.—Friday W. Brown, a young man of
18, was brought up for a second, and on Saturday
for a third examination, charged with uttering a
forged note for 11. with intent to defraud the Bank
of England, to Mr. Lloyd, of Aldersgate-street, and
remanded. In the course of the examination Mr. Al-
derman Watruman inquired of the Clerk to the So-
licitors of the Bank, if there was any thing to be
added beyond the evidence given by the Inspector,
in proof of the fabrication of the note?—The Clerk
to the Magistrates said, that the evidence given by
.the Inspector, on the first examination, was complete ;
it was to this effect ; It is forged in every respect,
it is neither the Bank plate, the paper, nor ink ; nor
is it the signature of the Clerk, Middkton, by whom
it professes to be signed." The Clerk to the Solici-
tors said the evidence was still stronger, for there
was no such Clerk as Middleton in the Bank, in such
a capacity as to sign such a note ; there oould, there-
fore, remain no doubt of the forgery. He also said,
that on the first examination it was stated in the
public Papers, that a Gentleman present had ob-
served, that he had known a recent instance, where
three Inspectors out of five had declared the note to
be good, while the remaining two contended it was
bad! He had now to ask whether such a declara-
tion was made in the hearing of the worthy Alder-
man ?-111r.AldermanWaITIIMAN recollected having
himself made some obsers,ations upon mistakes made
by the Bank Clerks in their judgment of notes, but
he certainly did not hear the declaration now alluded
to. The worthy Alderman characterized the great
utility and blessings of a free press, and bestowed
some handsome encomiums on many individuals,
whom for years he had known, and who were con-
nected with it. There were identified, he was con-
scious, with the public press, men, not only of talent

but of the highest integrity. Shameful errors, how-
ever, had somehow or other crept ink and vile mil-
statemedts had been made. Frauds: even had been
attempted to be practised by persons professing to
belong to the Public Papers. It theietore behoved
Gentlemen who really did attend -in the capacity of
Reporters, to state " the truth and nothing but the
truth !"—The person who reported the case which
gave rise to these observations, then stepped forward
he had attended en the day in nuestion, he said, and
conceiving the examination of Brown to be interest-
ing to the public, he had paid great attention to it :
The observations of the worthy Alderman himself,
as to the notoriousness of Bank Clerks mistaking and
taking in payment, bad for good notes, naturally
led him to as due an impression of what fell from
the Inspector, who admitted the fallibility of flecks,
but asserted, that " it was impossible fur an Inspec-
tor to be mistaken." An Inspector " could tell at a
glance !" A Gentleman • present denied the asser-
tion, and repeated the singular judgment of five In-
spectors. The individual who pronounced it was but
a few yards from the Alderman, and his declaration
was made in a distinct, though not loud tone; suf-
ficiently loud, however, as he (the Reporter) con-
ceived to be heard by all about the Magistrate's desk ;
the consequence was, that he turned round, and
mentioned the fact briefly to another Gentleman then
also in attendance for a respectable diurnal Paper.—
The Clerk to the Magistrates said, it was, in his judg-
ment, improper to state any thing which was.uut re-
cognized by the Magistrate, or given as evideace.—
The Reporter respectfully submitted, that the obser-
vations of the Inspector, and even the worthy Ma-
gistrate himself, with regard to the judgment of
Clerks and Inspectors, were not evidence. He there-
fore thought the reply of the Gentleman to Mr.
Christmas too important to be omitted. lithe Clerk
to the Solicitors was disposed to defend the Inspec-
tor, and the worthy Alderman would hear the mat-
ter, he was ready to adduce, by evidence, numerous
cases in which Inspecto: s of the Bank had been de-
ceived as to the nature of good and bad notes. His
attendance in public places and public offices afforded
him evidence of the fact, but the thing was as noto-
rious as the sun at noon day.—Here some tientie-
men of respectability said they were each ready to
furnish him with a case in point, if necessary.;]—The
Reporter, in continuation, said, that if the ooject of
the Clerk was to defend the infidlibilitv of the Bank
Inspectors, he trusted it would not be forgotten, or
be said to be unheard, when he came to report it,
that Mr. Christmas had, on the first examination,
among other proofs given of the fabrication of the
11. note,said, " that it was not the signature of the'
signing clerk, whose writing it pretended to be," at
the end of the note; while the Clerk to the Solici-
tors subsequently declared that no such Clerk as the
individual whose name was affixed to the note, was
in the employment of the Bank in the capacity of
signing such a note!—Mr. Alderman WAITLIMAN
admitted that this was the case, but he would make
no further observations than express his conviction,
that the Reporter would not wilfully or negligently
misrepresent any proceeding.