Star.
London, England, 1826-03-06 00:00:00

PORTSMOUTH, MARCH 4.

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The ANEMIA frigate, Captain JOHE Makwat.t.,,on her return
fsbm Lisbon, will proceed to the ramaica station,. to relieve the
HUssAlii. A tank iesiel, now fitting In this Dock-yard, will proceed
under her care, for the serviee of Kingston Harbour,
Sir T. STAINES, Bart. K.C.B. is to hoist his broad-pendant, in
the Foßm frigate, at Plymouth, and proceed to Gibraltar, to take
the command. The probability of the coast of Spain becoming,
increasingly menaced by the Independent South American Naval
forcer,has prohably induced the appointment of this excellent Officer
to the present command, for the protection of the British mercan-
tile interests either against the capricious conduct Of Spain, or the
improper encroachments of her enemies.
Yesterday the wind having shifted to the M.N.W. with a steady
appearance, his Majesty's yacht tke HREALII, Capt. H. J. Luna,
immediately got under weigh, and proceeded for Malta, with the
Marquis and Marchioness of HASTINGS, and four daughters and
Colonel M'Citaa, Military Secretary, who had been embarked and
detained by contrary winds twenty days. Tile Gaz..tvita frigate,
fir Cnaittes Stiu.iian, and the film Is, Captain Futuotaux, also
sailed. for Plymouth. the former to embark his Excellency ALex.
cocitaunn. Esq. Minister to Colombia, the latter to proceed thence,
it it believed, to the East Indies.

The Gwyns', 84, was paid off on Tuesday by Capt. P.Catiesst.to i
C. B. and re-commissioned by Captain !scums!" for the flag of
Rear Admiral W OTWAY, fur South America.
It is intendcd tocut down, far rasee, several 74-gun ships, which I
will carry fifty-two long 38-pounders, and present a more formida- I
ble battery than any frigate now in the service. The ORrucvs,
SC CONWAY, 28, and Moss, I 8, ate ordered to he built at Chatham.,

The TANTAR was paid off on Tuesday, at Vioolwich.
The Spanish line-of-battle ship Gunman°, sailed from Cadiz on
the gth ult. with 500 troops for the Havanaab. The strongest
apprehensions were entertained that the sailors and marines would
rise in mutiny before they reach their destination.
Commander CAMILLO Noes, of the BRISIL, is promoted to the
rank of Captain; Hon. lieutenant ANSON to the rank of Com-
mander, and appointed to the 13/LLSIL j Lieutenants Gonearr,
Basnrrox, and Joux Ls Dumas, to the BILITANNLI j Lieutenant
CNA iLISS tIINWOONS/ GLASS Drys; OW, vice lieutenant Yount",
Success; ' utenant W. A. B. Hnsur.rox, of the DIOID, to the
Gmtoss ; Lieutenant .W. F. SMITH, to the StANNOWNAWN j Lieut.
CROWNS, to the ANIAONN.

it

Josx C. WIIR, Esq. late Agent of the Naval Hospital at Port-
Royal Jamaica, is appointed Steward of the Royal hospital at
Haslar, vice Fox, deceased.
__

The Pursers of the Royal Navy have been called on, by circulars
from the Victualling Board, to state their age, when and where
they last served, and whether At for active sea service—if not, the
Eause of their unfitness. Thh information is required by the Lords
Commissioners of the Admiralty, in reference to some arrange-
ments which are in contemplation with regard to the list of Pursers.
The ship Countess of Morley, with 250 agriculturists and settlers,
for the Rto de la Plata,.will shortly sail from Plymouth. This is
tits third ship the Rio IC la Plata Agricujibral Society have chartered
to convey settlers. The- sestlement Ts about 120 miles from
Buenos Ayres.

ASSIZE INTELLIGENC E.
•,,, . ,:• .•

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• - VINCHESITSR. Maim 4.
William Jackson, aged 20. was indicted, charged witb
having, on the night of the 3d of June last, at a place
called Lob's-boleon the Hurst-Castin station, feloniously
assembled witb divers other persons; ktined with blud-
geons, in order to be aiding in the illegal running and
leading of prohibited goods ; and forcibly 'obstructing
the Officers of the Preventive Service. in the per-
formance of their duty, while seizing a boat liable to
forfeiture.

This was one of the frequent cues which occur in consequence
of the collision between smugglers and the persons employed 'on
the Preventive service, and presented nothing remarkabloa %dim
—Not duilty. . • -
Janes Dyer, apparently about 25 years of age, was
indicted for anaulting John Beckett the younger, on the
Bing's highway, putting him in bodily fear, and fel°.
nioudy taking from his person a silver watch and 14s.
in Ova. The evidence fully established the charge,
and shewed the offenee to have been committed under,
circumstances of great aggravation.
The prisoner made no defence; and the Jury. after a very minute
summing np of the evidence by Mr. Justice Gcsu.u., returned a
verdict of—Guilty.. . .

Sentence of Death was then passed Upon the prisoner, who is a
good-looking young man, with nothing of ferocity or hardihood
about his appearance, and heard the sentence without any emotion.
It is understood that Dyer has been left for execution.
HER.TFoRD. MARC* 3.
Francis Wetherly, David Uiddins, and Thomas
Ditkinsom, were indicted for a burglary in the dwelling
house of John Smith, in the night of the 24th of De-
icember, at the parish of St. Peter's, in the liberty of
St. Alban's.

Mr. Smith, the prosecutor, is a respectable farmer,
!occupying land near St. Alban's. On Christmas.eve he
retired to bed about twelve o'cl3ckleaving his wife, his
sdn and daughter, and a young man named Dinn, up
'in the kitchen, amusing themselves with cards. About
one o'clock the party was disturbed by a rustling noise
in the, passages leading from the outer door to the
"kitchen, and on a sudden the kitchen door was opened,
And two men, armed With bludgeons, and their faces
blackened, presented themselves. Young Smith de.
manded what they wanted; the reply was, I, We want
your money, arid be cursed to you.',' Mrs. Smith with
amazing presence of mind went up to orte of them, and
`had just uttered the words 44 Weil now," When the
:ruffian struck her a violent blow with a bludgeon on the
head ; his companion struck her another blow on one of
her shoulders. Though seriously hurt, and the blood
gusting from the wound in hes head, she rushed past
'the men, got into the passage by which they had en-
tered, and was proceeding to arouse her husband, when
`she encountered two other men, who both fell upon her
with their bludgeons, knocked her down, and, whilst.on
the ground, kicked her in various parts of the body.
Win dark, she contrived to crawl on her side to the
foot of the stairs leading to her husband's room, calling
-vehemeialy to him for help ; he came d iwn. In the
mean time, the ruffians in the kitchen had levelled young
Smith and Dian to the ground. Their desperate under.:
taking was more difficult thtu they had calculated;
whettheasing the voice of Mr. Smith ',on the stairs, the
four wassins effected a haity retreat, followed by young
Smith, who, with great courage, pursued them as far
as. the gate of a wheat field, a short distance from. his
father's house. There the men, ranging themselves 'at
the gate, swore that if he followed a step further, they
would blow out his brains, and one of- them pointeo
d something at him, which•was supposed to be a gun. In
II their retreats cue of ruffians left his bludgeoct behind

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to hate hoe earl

cot, dud oh etamlning
_ ithrtMlibbi4Weotres.
ponded exactly tin' aiztAnd griar(h with the stools of
some horn-beams, from-siwhich five or six stems had
been very:lv:o;9oy sevaradi Ma. Smith bad no doubt
that the prisoners Wetherly and Giddins waste the men
who first entered the kitchen.. The frirmerhad.lieen in
her husband's service about t*b months previouslyond
she recognized his features distinctly, notwithstanding
the blacking of his face. She was equally certain as to
the other man; from the singular formation of his
countenance. In rushing past these men, she was sure
that some of her blood, which flowed copiously from
the wound on het head, must have communicated to
their clothing. Young Smith and Dinn were equally
certain as to the identity of Giddins, but were not so
positive as to Wetherly. The house had been entered
by the front door, which was fastened by what is called
la .4 beggar's latch," which could be opened froth the
outside only by a person well acquainted with thebouse
and Wetherly 's knowledge of the house confirmed the
suspicion against him. the constables went in search
of the prisoners, and about nine o'clock, they arrived
at the house of Giddins's father, and there they
found the two prisoners above.mentioned sitting at
the fire. The• prisoner Wetherly at first manifested
great reluctance to have:his person examined, but,
uport a cutlass being drawn, he submitted. Both
prisoners appealed to have newly washed their
hands and faces; but between the fingers of one of
Giddins's hands were the remains of some soot, or other
black material, which had not been washed away. On
the breasts of their smock frocks were spots of human
blood, which were then damp. They were taken into
custody, and carried to Mr. Smith's house, and were
both instantly identified by Mrs. Smith, her sorb and
Dino. The prisoners were then taken to the wheat.
field gate, and from thence to the adjacent plantation,
where the hornbeams had been cut, alid their sloes
compared with the foot prints distinctly visible on the
ground of four different men, and they %vete found to
correspond most accurately with the traces of two hf
the men. Similar footsteps were traced to a ; üblic-
house called the Horse Shoes, about a mile distant
from Mr. Smith's house, and all along the shoes of the
prisoners tallied exactly in like manner They were then
lodged in the cage ; and next morning, when the consta..
bles went Co take them before the Marquis of Salisbury for
examination, it appeared that in the interval they had
endeavoured to suck out the blood stains from their
frocks. The prisoner Giddins being asked how his frock
got stained with-blond, said that his mother had hacia
bullock's-head given her on the Christmas-eve, and ill
chopping it up for her, some of the blond smeared his
clothes. On their examination before the Magistrates,.
the prisoner Dickinson came for ward on their behalf to
prove an alibi. The appearance of his shoes striking
one of the constables as remarkable, he, on the ThOrs- •
day following, applied to him to ht him have them to
compare with the footsteps seen near the prosecutor's
premises. This he retdily consented to do, awl on
comparing them with the foot marks above mentioned,
there was a remarkable coincidence with- the marks of
one of the four sets of impressions On the'grOund. This
circumstance exciting suspicion against Dickinson;
he was apprehended, and committed for trial.—
The primary motive- of the prisoners sias sUpposed
to be plunder, they probably conceving, from the in-
formation of Wetherly, tbat Mr. Smith would be pos-
sessed of_a considerable sum of money, it being iris
practice to go to London just before quarter-day
.to
provide himself with the means of paying his rent. In
fact, he had been to London on the same day, and had
•eollettid money for that purpose;
kr. Baron BaAarrat mated up thrf *hots et theme with
great minuteness.
The Jury found the prisoners Wetherly and Ciddrni
Guilty. Sentence of death was immediately pronourrat
upon them, sad they were left for execution on next
Wednesday week.

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