The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-09-05 00:00:00

LETTER ADDRESSED TO THE QUEEN FROM

THE QUEEN OF TAHITI

The Times of Tuesday gives the following curious letter,
in which Queen Pomare, of Tahiti, solicits the protection
of the English government against France :

" Tahiti, Jan. 23, 1543.
" MY DEAR FRIEND AND SISTER QUEEN VICTORIA,
QUEEN OF GREAT BRITAIN,—
" Health and peace to you, and saved may you be by
Jehovah, the foundation of our power as Quee.is of our
respective countries. We dwell in peace from the arrange-
ments made by our predecessors.
" This is my speech to you, my sister friend. Com-
miserate me in my affliction, in my helplessness, and in
the difficulties in which my nation is involved with France.

" The existing protectorate government of France in
my dominions I do not acknowledge. I know nothing
of what my chiefs and the French consul had done be-
fore I wrote to you by Captain Jones, I being absent at
Raiate.

" On the arrival of the French Admiral, A. Du Petit
Thouars, the same chiefs who formerly signed the docu-
ment requesting French protection assembled, viz., the
three governors and Paraita, the person who was left in
charge at Papeete, (Paraita is the root of this great evil
the French Admiral and the French consul, after having
completed their design in signing the document, sent it
over to me at Moorea, through the medium of my mes-
sengers, Tairapa and Mr. Simpson, for my signature.
Tairapa said to me, Pomare, write your name under
this document. If you do not write your name, you must
pay a fine of 10,000 dollars-5,000 to-morrow, and 5,000
the following day; and should the first payment be belayed
beyond two o'clock the first day, hostilities will be com-
menced and your land taken.

" On account of this threat, against my will I signed
my name. I was compelled to sign it because I was
afraid ; for the British and American subjects residing on
my land (in case of hostilities) would have been indiscri-
minately massacred ; no regard would have been paid to
parties.

" This is the way my government has been taken from
me, and constituted into a French government.

" My government is taken from me by my enemies,
Paraite, Hitate, Tati, and others connected with them ;
it was they who combined and entered into agreement
with the French. They have banished me, that I should
not be sovereign of Tahiti; that they should be kings,
and also their children.

" And now, my friend, think of me, have compassion
on me, and assist me; let it be powerful, let it be timely
and saving, that I may be reinstated in my government;
let it be prompted by the feeling which caused the Mes-
siah to come into our world to save you and me.
" Hare compassion on me in my present trouble, in
my affliction and great helplessness.

" Do not cast Me away ; assist me quickly, my friend.
I run to you for refuge, to be covered under your great
shadow, the same as afforded to my fathers by your fa-
thers, who are now dead, and whose kingdoms have de-
scended to us, the weaker vessels.

" I renew that agreement ' • let it be lasting and for ever.
Let its continuance extend not only to ourselves and
children, but to our children's children. 111 v friend, do
not by any means separate our friendship. This is my
true wish.

" I now deliver up to you, my friend, my last effort;
my only hope of being restored is in you. Be quick to
help me, for I am nearly dead ; I am like a captive pur-
sued by a warrior and nearly taken, whose spear is close
to me.

" The time is very nigh when I fear I shall lose my go-
vernment and my land.
" My friend, send quickly a large ship of war to assist
me. A. French ship of war is daily expected here ;
speedily send a ship of war to protect me, and I shall be
saved.

" It is my wish that the admiral may speedily come to
Tahiti. If he cannot speedily come, I wish a large ship
of war may come just at this present time.
"Continually send here your ships of war; let not one
month pass away without one, until all my present diffi-
culties are over.

" I have also at this time written a letter to your ad-
miral on the Spanish coast to come to Tahiti and assist

" Health and peace to you, may you be blessed, my
sister friend, Queen of Great Britain, &c.
" POMARE, Queen of Tahiti."

DESTRUCTION OF LOGWOOD MILLS.-On Sunday
week the extensive logwood mills of Messrs. Lediard
and Mortimer, situate at Chewton Keynsham, about six
miles from Bristol, were discovered to be on fire. As the
mills are situate at hut a short distance from the banks of
the Avon, a plentiful supply of water was obtained, and
the engines were enabled to play without interruption.
We regret to state, however, that the firemen were unable
to prevent the fire from destroying the house connected
with the establishment. The mills, which were exten-
sive, were completely destroyed.

THE MODERN JACK SHEPPARD.-011 Wednesday last
a notorious thief, named Richard Price Roberts, was
brought up before the magistrates at Manchester, charged
with several burglaries of the most daring description.
He has been long known to the police of the district by
the name of " the modern Jack Sheppard." The bur-
glaries and highway robberies to which he has been the
principal are almost without number. He has been fre-
quently apprehended and placed in irons, and as often has
he escaped, sometimes by wrenching the irons from his
legs and arms, and sometimes by cutting them away, and
afterwards breaking open the prisons. Superintendent
Sawley stated, that, in October, 1836, the prisoner was
apprehended on a charge of stealing four pigs, which were
found in his possession, at Great Ancoats, Manchester.
He was conveyed to the lock-ups, from which he effected
his escape. He left the country, but soon returned again.
He was next taken up for a burglary, committed by break-
ing into the house of Mr. Charles Brown, in the township
of Walton-le-dale, near Preston. He was taken and com-
mitted to the House of Correction kir trial, from which he
effected his escape, taking with him six other prisoners,
who were waiting their trial on a charge of sheep-stealing.
On this occasion he knocked down the turnkey, and took
possession of the keys, and, securing the doorkeeper, made
his escape, followed by the others. On Tuesday week he
was arrested in the Isle of Man on another charge, and
placed in irons in the lock-up. Two policemen were left
to watch him during the night ; but, notwithstanding their
vigilance, he escaped. He was retaken on Friday, and on
Saturday he once more escaped; but was again captured
in the afternoon, twelve miles from Douglas- He was
conveyed to Liverpool, and from this town to Manchester,
by railway, heavily ironed. He was on Thursday sent off
to Preston House of Correction.

ATTEMPT TO MURDER.—A considerable sensation has
been created in Derby by a young man named Grocock,
about 17 years of age having surrendered himself on
Saturday morning, saying that he had murdered a young
girl at a place called Borough Ash, three or four miles from
Derby. When he had been lodged in prison he wrote down
a statement of the entire occurrence. On Friday he was
at Nottingham, and having formed the idea of murdering
a child that he knew, he decoyed her in an unfrequented
place called Druid's Caves, and just as he was about to
strike her, her father shouted and he ran away. On leav-
ing Nottingham, he passed some boys and a girl at Bees-
ton, and as the girl, whose name is Eliza Allwood, hap-
pened to say that she should like to go to Derby as she
was tired of the mill at Beeston, Grocock said that he was
an overlooker there, and would find her work. She went
with him, and having wearied her with walking about he
led her to near Borough Ash. In his written statement
he said " I promised her to go to an Inn and get her a bed,
but at last, through persuasion and fatigue, she consented
to lie down under a tree. She slept soundly greater part
of the night, while I was awake plotting the most ready
way of a silent murder. About half after one she was
asleep, I took out of my hat a white cotton stocking I had
previously worn, and taking from my pocket a small ham-
mer, forcing the stocking into her mouth and striking her
violently on the back of the head. She exclaimed, 'Oh
master, don't you—don't you kill me ; I wonder you can
find in your heart.' I again struck her with the hammer
when the head flew off; 1 threw down the hammer handle,
struck her with my fist and stamped upon with my left
foot what I believed to be a dead body, and then wiped
the blood from my hand on the stocking and directly left
the spot with an intention which I had previously formed
of immediately giving myself into the hands of the police.
At the end of Derby I met a policeman, and gave myself
into custody. As regards my intention for committing
such an act, I was determined to be transported or hung,
having at that time no means of obtaining a livelihood,
but I cannot properly explain the motive for committing
such an action." The prisoner was taken before Dr. Bent,
a magistrate, by whom he was remanded ; but fortunately
for him the girl, who was found by the police not far from
the place he had described, very much covered with blood,
is rapidly recovering from the savage attack.
DREADFUL MURDER.—On Tuesday last as two gen-
tlemen were proceeding in a gig from the village of Cob-
ham, near Gravesend, on their way to Wrotham market,
they saw a man lying about 30 yards from the road, whom
they imagined to be drunk, and whom they went to
arouse, to prevent his being suffocated. On a closer exa-
mination, however, they found it was the dead body of a
gentleman, whose face and chest were covered with blood.
The grass around the body evidently showed that a severe
struggle had taken place. The corpse was removed to the
Ship Inn, at Cobham ; and the waiter there recognized it
as that of Mr. Charles Dodd, a respectable chemist some
years since at Rochester, but now retired, and who had
been staying at the inn along with his son. Subsequent
inquiry also proved that the unfortunate gentleman had
been murdered, and that by no other than his third son,
Richard Dodd, a fine young man, 24 years of age, and
that he committed the act whilst labouring uuder an aber-
ration of intellect. He was an artist of some celebrity,
and has gained several prices at the Royal Academy. A
year or two ago this unfortunate youth accompanied Sir
Thomas Phillips, the late mayor of Newport, on a tour
through Italy, Switzerland, and Germany, &c., for the
purpose of improving himself in his art. Owing to his
arduous duties and constant exposure to the sun, his brain
became affected to such a melancholy extent as to produce
insanity. He returned to England three months since,
and hopes were entertained that the change of climate
would restore his health. Such, however, was not the
case, and his disease became more serious. He was visited
by most of our eminent physicians, and only so late •as
last Saturday, Dr. Sutherland was called in, and recom-
mended that the utmost caution should
was
strictly
be o b
s attendede r v ed i n
watching his movements. This advice t
ocohka nhgi
his
unfortunate son into Kent, an
of scene being considered necessary,d sight. At
A
to, he never being allowed togooutormsrig.
had tea, and Mr. Dodd Monday evening. There they
reached Cobham. on
d
re-
quested that beds should be provided for them both. The
son was noticed to behave in a very sullen manner, and
partook of a pint of beer in preference to tea, and about
u
half-past nine o'clock they left the house, as they
catas-
stated,
drea
for a walk. • It is needless to state, the
trophe must have quickly followed.