Star.
London, England, 1829-02-05 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCE.

For some time past a considerable sensation has been
produced in the minds of several of the inhabitants of
houses situated on Minerva terrace, on the Brixton road,
in consequence of the total disappearance of a Lady
named Norton, the occupier of premises nearly opposite
Holland Chapel, in the above road. This Lady. who it
appears is unmarried, has been residing for some length
of time at Brixton, and became tenant of the house on
Minerva terrace, which she furnished in a very elegant
manner, and led a very retired life, no person living in
the house with her except an old female attendant. This
Lady, howestr, was in the habit of walking about the
neighbourhood of a morning, and from that circum-
stance she was only known to the neighbours, no inter.
course having taken place between them, Miss Norton
being always extremely reserved in her manner. Ab tut
seven weeks ago she discharged the only person who
resided in the house with her—the female servant ; a id
froth- that period up to the present time, the house
has been shut up, no person ever coming forward to
answer the doer, which has been frecoently knocked at
by the neighbours, who were much surprised at the cir-
cumstance. After the house had been closed about aveeek,
andtheLady who occupied it ail invisible,some i nquiries
were set on foot, to ascertain what had become of her.
The matter here rested trout the 16th of November, the
house still remaining closed, and no appearance of Miss
Norton, until at length the inhabitants residing near the
spot, fearful that she might have been nr.urclesed is the
house, wrote to the landlord. The landlord, on receipt
of the communication, proceeded to Union•hall Pol ce
Office yesterday, and producing the letter alluded to.
the Magistrate (Mr. Swabey) immediately gave direc
tions to the chief constable to proceed forthwith to the
residence of the Lady, and obtain eat:dirge In forcing
open the hall door.
Another officer accompanied him to Minerva•terrace,
and they returned to the Office in about two limns. and
gave the following account of the busineus—Having
knocked for some time at the door if the house, and no
person answering it, they got into the garden belonging
to Miss Norton, and succeeded in throwing up the sash
of the back pat lour. Th. y then went into the ddretent
rooms on the ground floor, and in one of them found the
carcasses of a dog and cat ; that of the latter was nearly
demolished,with the exception of the head. On the officers
proceeding up :tails to the attics, in the back one, I) it .g io
bed, they discovered the unfortunate L scly,wlio appeared
to be almost in a dying state. On heating the noise pro-
duced by their entrance into the room, she feebly mooed
round in the bed, and in a scream of terror exclaimed,
" You are come to poison me." •lire officers did every
thing in their power to allay the stile t (alarm and agi•
tattoo into which tl air presence had at first thrown her&
and after a little time she became more composed, bet
from her manner and behaviour it was evident that the
unfortunate woman was labouring under insanity—she
raved about her sister, and talked in an incoherent strain.

In the house no provision of any description was found,
with the exception of a few mouldy pieces of bread in
one of the cupboards; and from the state t i which she
was reduced, the bones being uz arly ready w start
through the skin, there is every reason to believe that
she has not tasted a morsel of food from the day on
which the house was first shut up, seven weeks ago,
until that time. The Chief Constable and the landlord,
' who were present, immediately seat for a medical man,
and some slight refreshment baring been administered
to her after her long abstinence, it seemed to revive her
considerably. In the room with the unfortunate lady
were two cages containing two dead canary birds, which
died from starvation, their stock of seed and water being
exhausted; and the great probability is that their unfor•
innate mistress would not bane survived the week out,
bad no intimation been given to the Magistrate, who
directed the house to be broken into.
Great commiseration has been excited in the unfor-
tunate Lady's behalf, and although her friends are at
present unknown to those who bane witnessed the
lamentable state in which she was found, every exer-
tion will be used to find them ; and in the meantime
due attention and care will be paid to the poor invalid,
who at present lab urs under one of the severest of
human afilictions--uaraely, the loss of reason.

Tuesday evening. as Mr. William Rutland, of B.e.
van's Hotel. New Bond•street. was proceeding along
Great Queen-street, Lincoln's Inn-fields, be was assailed
by than or four fellows, who knocked him down and
robbed his of his watch and appendages, with which
they got clear el&

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