Star.
London, England, 1826-10-25 00:00:00

UNION-HALL

Yesterday,' fellow named John Suit', one of a gang of desperalii
thieves, that have long infested the district of this Office, was brought
before the sitting Magistrate, charged with having committed so
outrageous an assault upon the person of Captain DEvidson, of Nsl-
son.siquare, as to endanger that Gentleman's life.
The Captain was unable to attend the examination in consequence
of the injuries be had received, sod his son produced a medical
certificate, describing the dangerous state in which his father you
then lying, owing to a severe blow on the breast.
A watchman, named Shepherd, stated, that on the preceding
night about eleven o'clock, as he was sitting in his watchbos, which
is placed in Counter-street, Southwark, he saw a Gentleman walk:
Mg along the pavement, whom he has since ascertained to be Cap-
tain Davidson, who was followed by three common looking
lows. The watchman kept his eye upon them, and when they had
proceeded about twenty yards from where he was. be plaint,'
observed the prisoner run up alongside the Captain, and give
him a desperate blow on the breast that knocked him down like a
shot; the prisoner then proceeded to turn Captain David.nn's
pockets inside out, and at this moment the watchman h.'s.
tened to the spot, secured the ruffian who bad committed the
outrage, bu; unfortunately his associates escaped throng:l the
labyrinth of bye lanes and alleys in that neighbourhood.--
The prisoner having been secured, the next thing was to discover
who the Gentleman was that had been so desperately assaulted, as
he lay in the road completely deprived of ail sense or motion, and
to all appearance dead. In his pockets fortunately was found a
card of his address, and be was instantly conveyed home, and sur-
gical aid being procured, after having been bled, he recovered in
some degree, bat still remains in every dangerous state. The pri-
soner was known to most of the officers, and was identified by them
as having been in company with a man named Edwards, upon as
occasion of a tire in Bertnondsey, when Pople, an officer of this Es-
tablishment, was severely wounded with a knife in the hand and
arm by Edwards, who was there for the purpose of picking pockets.
The prisoner was remanded.

A swindler has been traversing Berkshire soliciting
change of sovereigns and half-sovereigns from poor cot-
tagers, with which he contrived to decamp.
Sunday morning a monkey, the property of Mr.
&arms, a hackney-coach proprietor, In North-street, City Roads
broke his chain and made his way into the street, where be las-
toted on a child, about two years old. the son of a widow woman.
of the name of ltmum.t., who keeps a chandler's shop in the
same street. The mischievous animal tote the flesh off one of the
child's cheeks, and severely scratched him in several places. At
length a Gentleman rescued the child from further violence, and
the monkey ran cif.. - •
EAST-RIDING Suarows.-The Michaelmas Genet al
Quarter Sessions of the Peace, for this Riding, com-
menced at Beverley on Tuesday last, before a full
beach of Magistrates. The Rev. W. R. 611.111 f, Chair-
man, took occasion from the reading of the usual pro.
clamation against vice and profaneness, to enforce the
necessity of keeping the Sabbath, and preventing the
'system of tippling in public-houses during the hours
devoted to Divine Service. An indictment for libel, to
which be alluded, arose out of a letter addressed bp'
General Wharton to Mr. Scotchburn, attorney, of
Driffield. A true bill was found against the General,
and the matter is expected to be tried neit Sebbions.
Saturday evening as the sister of Mr. Barry, per-
ftnler, of Greek-street, Soho, was passing along Comp•
ton-street, she was attacked by three or four thieves,
one of whom snatched her reticule. As soon as she re-
covered from her surprise, she gave the alarm of ,4 Stop
Thief r but it was too late, as he had made his escape
with his booty, consisting of two sovereigns, and one
half ditto, besides some silver. Several of the gang
surrounded her, who, from terror, supported herself by
holding a post ; bat fortunately a Gentleman passing at
the time extricated her from her danger, and escorted
her to her brother's house.

Some evil-disposed person or persons entered the
Tavistnck Chapel, Broad-court, Drury-lane, during last
week, by forcing open one of the windows, and carried
off two communion cups, a patten, and two surplices,
The depredators appear to have remained some time in
the Chapel, and to have ransacked it in various parts, in
Order to discover, if possible, more articles of value.
It is rather curious, that the same sounds which in
England are used to make the horses quicken their
pace, are those which the Swedes make use of when
they intend to halt them ; so that an Englishman hav-
ing mounted, or having to drive a Swedish horse, is
surprised to find the animal stop short, at the very ma
meat when he expects him to quicken his pace.
Tan LoTus.—Much learned disquisition has been en-
gaged in ascertaining what plant is the toles, which
makes a great figure in the writings of antiquity. It is
a native of Egypt, and it is now ascertained that it is a
species of systphata, or water-lily, which, on the disap-
pearance of the inundation, covers all the canals and
pools with its broad round leaves, among which its
Bowers, in the form of cups of bright white or azure
blue, rest with inimitable grace on the sni face of the
water. The rose lily of the Nile, or the Egyptian bean,
which is seen carved on the ancient mcnumt nts of
Egypt, is not now found in that country, and would
,have been unknown to naturalists if they had nor found
it
in India. It is the nymphera welcomer) of LlNNzus.
It was on this that the locus eaters lived. But the
finks of the lotus, praised by HOSIIIR, and which so
much delighted the companions of Messes, were those
of the modern jujube, or rhatrasus Iota:.