Star.
London, England, 1826-09-14 00:00:00

EXECUTION AT LANCASTER.

Saturday, Patrick Rajerty, aged 22, convicted of
having robbed Mr. Dennis Clipsham, on the highway,
near Manchester, and John Wainwright, aged 28, for
assaulting and stabbing Thomas Pomfret and Joseph
Moors, with intent to disable them, were both executed
on the drop behind the Castle at Lancaster. Thursday,
Rafferty was visited by his wife, who had come over
from Rathone, in Ireland, the native place of her hus.
band, to take her leave of him. Wainwright was a
native of Ashton; he was also visited by his wife on
Friday, and their parting was extremely affecting. The
prisoners partook of the Sacrament about 11 o'clock,
and at 12 o'clock were brought on the fatal scaffold.—
The platform on which the unfortunate men stand is
divided in the middle, and hangs upon hinges, so that
one half falls on each side, and each is upheld by
a screw or bolt at each end of the drop. After the
Chaplain had read the burial service, the executioner
proceeded to turn the handle, by which the bolts at each
end of the platform are withdrawn; but in consequence
of the two halves of the platform not being placed ex-
actly square, only one of the bolts was unfastened, and
of course only one half of the platform fell. It hap.
Ipened that both the men were standing upon the half
which remained, and were consequently left standing.
They were evidently much agitated by this unfortunate
circumstance, for each pact of the platform being heavy,
the fall caused the whole machine of death to vibrate,
and the wretched criminals were apparently petrified
with horror. Two men instantly went down to assist
the executioner, and the remaining part of the platform,
on which they were standing, was then forcibly hurled
down, and they were both launched into eternity. Their
sufferings seemed to be of a very short duration. After
they had hung for an hour, they were taken down, and
the body. of Wainwright was given to his friends. who
were waiting to take it away. Rafferty was buried in
the evening at Lancaster.

• The duty on tar imported is now chargeable by the
imperial gallon, and orders have been given to make an
abatement of one-sixth part of the duties on barrels of
the same dimensions and description as have invariably
been imported.
The mariufacture of straw bonnets, after the manner
of the Leghorits, proceeds with great spirit in Or kney,
and gives employment to upwards of 1000 people.—
They are made of straw raised in the Island, and have
been declared by competent judges not. inferior to those
from Italy.
A Rev. Doctor, remarjcable for his suavity of man-
ners, in a country parish not 100 miles from Grooms BUCHANAN'S
monuntent, was one Sunday, very lately, exhorting his beloved
flock, and describing in the strongest and most glowing terms
the happiness of Heaves. He said he could compare it to no-
thing but the bkuings of matrimony, and the pleasures of the
happy fireside, graced by a lovely, having, and beautiful wife.—
He took occasion from this to descant on the duty of young men
marrying soon, and relieving the dreariness of their situations by a
young and handsome bride. He said, that though they possessed
all the wealth in the world, and were 'lusters or all the gems of
the Indies, yetilithey were not married, they still wanted the most
nimble gem of. t5-se. agreeable wile.

• tEIEATRWALS. •
Last night a new Farce was produced at the Hay-
market Theatre, called Aorta Wong. It was a dramatic
version of the old anecdote which is told of a conjuror
condemned to die, and who sgires his life by predicting
that he shall expire two.days before the person who has
sentenced him to death. LISTON laboured with all his
comic abilities to support the part of Pang Wong, a
Chinese Emperor, who has condemned to death Ting'
Ting, the son of his Vizier, and the whole humour of
the Farce turns upon the endeavour of Pong Wong to
save the life of this Ting Ting, after having been in-
formed that his own death would folllw that of his in-
tended victim. Madame VESTRIS had one or two
songs; which she sang sweetly, though the music was
but indifferent. There was no lack of stale puns, and
attempts at wit, by one of the characters talking about
•" catching hold of the tail of a Comet," being " uncle
to the Moon," putting "a Star into his pocket," and
other ridiculous nonsense. Mr. VINING stepped for-
ward, amidst a great uproar, to announce Pong Wong
for a second performance; but he was not heard.
Drury Lane Theatre opens with the Play of the
Wonder, a new Ballet Divertisentent, and the Mari iacre
of Figaro: in the latter piece Miss TREE and Mr.
HOOPER make their first appearance in Susanna and
Count Almaviv. a, and Mrs. Atlanta her re-appearance
in the Countess. Der Freischute, with the new scenery,
will be the second night's performance. A new musical
afterpiece, called Ihe White Lady, will be immediately
produced. It is taken from La Dante Blanche, which
is borrowed from Sir WALTER SCOTT. The Oracle is
abandoned at this Theatre, and in its stead, an entirely
DEW Opera, in WhiCb BRAHAM and Miss STEPHENS Will
appear, will be brought out by the middle of October.
Miss AMATt, a pupil of the late Mr. D. CORSI, is en-
gaged. She will shortly make her debut in Den Giovanni.
The negotiation with Mr. SALTER, of the Liverpool
Theatre, who was to have succeeded Mr. MACRRADY,
is broken off.

Peveril, an Opera, by POCOCK, the music by Hoax, will be one of
the forthcoming novelties at Covent Garden theatre. The character
and incidents are taken from Sir WM:MI Score's Novel of Peveril
of she Peak. MORTON'S new Comedy will not be produced at this
Theatre until after Christmas. The principal serious and comic
performers will be employed in this drama.

LAW REPORT.
COURT OF CHANCERY, &mum IS.
HARVEY V. HASTINGS.

This motion was for all injunction to restrain the de-
fendants from proceeding to drain the river Welland.
It stood over from a former day, that dates might be
supplied. The supplemental affidavit on the part of
the plaintiff, stated that the work complained of began
in August last. Counter affidavits, however, had been
filed,. which stated that the work had been going on for
years; and further, that if the defendants did anything
contrary to the Act of Parliament, under which the
work was going on, that Act itself authorised the plain-
tiff to put an end to it, and which this Court thought a
pretty good injunction. Under all the circumstances, the
Court thought it right to dismiss the motion, with casts.