The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-08-25 00:00:00

A SPANISH ROBBER-FEARFUL SCENE

MADRID, AUGUST B.—An act of singular ferocity iook
place a day or two ago in the prison of Salamanca. A no-
torious robber and murderer, of the name of Patino, the
terror of the surrounding country for years, was lately
captured and tried by court-martial. He was at first
sentenced to be shot, but the military authorities think-
ing such a mode of punishment too honourable for such a
miscreant, obtained its commutation to strangling by the
garole. On the morning of the 3i inst., the turnkey pro-
ceeded, as is usual, to inform the criminal that the Judge
of First Instance, accompanied by the escribano, had ar-
rived to announce in form his sentence, and to transfer
him to the condemned cbapel, preparatory to his execu-
tion. He was found with one of his legs released from
the fetters, having skilfully employed a file for that pur-
pose which he had concealed on his person. Though still
bound to the iron bar which traversed the dungeon, he
flung himself on the turnkey, seized the massive key,
struck him on the head, and dashed him against the wall
outside. He then locked the door, and shut himself up in
the cell. The officers of the prison, the judge, and the
chaplain, implored him to cease such fruitless resistance,
and to open the door, or pass the key through the grating.
He refused, and uttered against them the most horrible
imprecations. A blacksmith was called to undo the lock,
but did not succeed, its massive strength resisting all his
efforts. Half-a-dozen strong men then tried to break
open the door with crowbars and heavy pieces of timber.
They succeeded, and the door fell in fragments. The fu-
ry of the criminal then rose to its height. He placed
himself behind a strong beam, which went across the up-
per part of the door, on the inside, and brandishing the
formidable key, actually broke the head of the first man
who attempted to effect an entrance. The wounded man
was dragged out by the legs by his comrades. The others
tried to enter in a body, but it was impossible ; the door-
way was too narrow. Fur more than a quarter of an hour
he kept them at bay, and answered to the entreaties of
the officers and the prayers of the priest with the most
awful blasphemies, and the most disgusting obsceni'ies.
He mcn-ftung the key at their heads with his utmost force,
and severely wounded two persons.
Seeing all entreaties uselessf a party of soldiers were
called to the spot. The officer of the guard once more
summoned him to surrender, but he replied with the
grossest ribaldry and the most insulting gestures, and
howled defiance to the whole garrison. The soldiers were
ordered to load their muskets; while they were doing so
he wounded the officer with a piece of lime stone. The
priest, seeing that he was about to be shot down like a
wild beast in his den, entreated the men to fire low, so as
to disable but not to kill him, in order that some chance
might yet remain of repentance. A shot was fired, but it
missed him. The ruffian fell back to a dark corner of
the dungeon, es far as his chain permitted, and from thence
flung stones and pieces of mortar at his assaulters. An-
other shot was fired through the grating and broke his
leg. The wound rendered him savage beyond all descrip-
tion. He bellowed, and howled, and foamed in rage;
and still, dragging his smashed and bleeding limb along,
flung missiles at the soldiers, who yet did not dare to ven-
ture into the darkness of the dungeon. A third shot was
fired, and his right shoulder was broken. The arm fell
lifeless by his side, and he lay on the ground. He called
out that he surrendered, but only because he could no
longer resist. They entered. and lie was dragged along
the floor, bathed in his blood. As they were in the act of
replacing the broken fetter, he collected his remaining
strength, and with his left hand struck the turnkey with
the iron on the head, and laid him at his feet. Three or
four men threw themselves on him, and completely mas-
tered him. He was subsequently visited by the priest,
who employed every effort, but in vain, to bring him to a
sense of his condition. His exhortations and prayers were
replied to with the filthiest obscenity and the most horrid
execrations. To the last moment he continued the same
and even on the scaffold, seated on the fatal chair, with
the cold instrument of death about to clasp his bare neck,
this monster in human form expired shouting to the
horrified crowd about him curses and imprecations on
God and man.—Times.

It is rumoured that Lord Normanby is to succeed Lord
Ilardinge in India.

The Legislature of Newfoundland has passed an Act
for raising £250,000 towards rebuildine St. John's.

Parliament has voted £30,000 for the relief of the suf-
ferers by the recent conflagration at St. John's Newfound
land. _ _

The Pope has received an antograph letter from Louis
Philippe containing expressions of the highest esteem.
The only living brother of Napoleon is now the Prince
de Montfort, ex-King of Westphalia, who is in his sixty-
second year.

The child of a gentleman at Quebec, who was supposed
to have been drowned, was found in the streets of that
city the other day with some Indian squaws, who had
adopted her.
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE NEAR ROUEN.—On the night of
Saturday, the 15th in'tant, the large cotton manufactory
of Messrs. Deshayes-Besnard, at Saint Sever, was burnt
to the ground; the loss is estimated at 350,000 francs.

The cause of this disaster has not been ascertained. The
manufactory was only partially insured.
MIGUELITE INSURRECTION.—An insurrection is now
being attempted to he got up in Portugal. A proclama-
tion has been circulated at Oporto signed " Reginald
Macdonell," who styles himself General in Chief and Mi-
litary Director. inviting the Portuguese to throw off their
allegiance to the Queen, and recal that precious sample of
humanity Don Miguel! The proclamation is a long-
winded affair, and like that of all traitors, is full of pro-
mises and boasts.
OPENING OF THE FRENCH CHAMBERS.—The French
Chambers were opened on Monday. The speech of the
King was confined to a few sentences expresssive of his
satisfaction at meeting the new parliament. As the cham-
bers were merely convoked for the purpose of enabling
the new members to take the necessary oaths, and to have
their returns verified, no allusion to foreign or internal
questions was introduced into the speech. His Majesty
looked remarkably well, and was received most enthusias-
tically.
DEFEAT OF THE KAFFIRS.—The Windsor, which has
arrived at Falmouth, brings accounts from the Cape of
Good Hope to the 16th June inclusive. They represent
a battle, of some hours' duration, to have taken place be-
tween the Kaffirs and the force under the command of
Col. Somerset, in the vicinity of Fish River, which ended
in the defeat of the former. The loss of the Kaffirs is
said to have been about 300 or 400; that of the British, 1
killed and 16 wounded, including among the latter Capt.
Walpole and Sir H. Darell.
THE GERMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH,—In the Tinzes
of Friday there appears a letter from Johannes Czeraki
and Augus'in Post, dated from " Edgeware-road,: Lon-
don," in which they vindicate their orthodoxy, and express
their total dissent from thtr.tews of the party of Ronge,
which has been rationalist;, and repudiate the Leipsic
confession. .1 hey also call in question the truth of the
report of the Synod at Schneidcmuhl (noticed in another
column). In conclusion, they
say—" We have firmly
resisted every attempt to impose human institutions upon
us, and by the grace of God shall continue to do so, com-
mitting our cause to Him who judgeth righteously "
ORANGEISM IN AMERICA.—ThrOUZhOUt CI( _
parts of British Arnetica, the 12th of July has been gio-
) and grandeur.

In Toronto, the
.q:angerneti of that district marched in
erocession, to the number of about 3000, on the 13th July
(12th being Sabbath) through the city and suburbs : after

displaying their loyalty, they retired to their respectkte
lodge-rooms without the least breach of the peace. In
New London, the Orangemen of that district marched in
procession also. The earlier part of the day being esqui-

sitely fine, they made a grand display of their undeviating
attachment to their sovereign, and in the evening repaired
to their several lodge-rooms for refreshment.
THE RIVER PLATE.—Her Majesty's ship America,
50 guns, Captain the Hon. John Gordon, arrived at
Portsmouth on Wednesday, from the Pacific with a
freight of 1,500,000 dollars on merchants' accounts. Her
dates are from Mazatlan, February 9; St. Blas, March
8 ; Valparaiso, April 26.; and Rio, June 23. On the day
the America left the Rio (the 23rd of June), news arrived
from the River Plate. The ships (five war steamers, men-
tioned in the news brought by the Swift packet) and con-
voy 11,d returned down the Parana, with the loss of three
vrssels run ashore and destroyed. Our affair with Rosas
seems to be in as bad a state as ever, and but little can be
expected to be clone to remedy the existing horrors.
TAHITI.—The last reports from Captain Bruat, which
have reached the French government, are dated January
29. They state that some acts of hostility having taken

place at livaheine, a small island situated 45 leagu; from
Tahiti, M. Bruat had felt himself compelled to demand
reparation, with guarantees of tranquillity for the future.
These conditions having been refused, a debarkation was
effected against an assemblage of armed natives. In this
action, which was undertaken and continued by the French
soldiers with their usual valour, but in the midst of great
difficulties. fr.,m the nature of the ground, they met with
the loss of 18 men killed, one of whom was an officer,
and 43 wounded. The government has received no other
report, and consequently knows nothing of the incidents
which are said to have taken place subsequently at Tahiti.