The Statesman.
London, England, 1824-02-09 00:00:00

FIRES A r AND NEAR LEEDS.

LEEDS, JAN. 7.—On Sunday morning, a fire broke out
in the paper mill of Mr. Foster. on the new liirkstall-road.
near this town, which burnt with great fury, and nearly
destroyed the engine-house before any efficient assistance
eunlol be procured ; hut the aid rendered by the engines,
which arrived as soon as was practicable, prevented the
conflagration from extending to the adjoining building.—
The fire originated in the engine-house.
Yesterday morning., about a quarter past t..ree o'clock,
the extensive premises of Messrs. Stirk and Horsfield, iron-
founders, and inschine-icakers, in York-street, in this town,
were discovered to he on tire, and from the progress which
the limes had then made, it was evident that the fire must
have been raging for a considerable time, and there must
have been extreme negligenee on the part of the watch in
not having sooner given the alarm. Engines belonging to
the different fire companies in the town, were brought to
the spot with every possible expedition ; but owing to the
scarcity of water, some time elapsed before they could ren-
der any efficient assistance, and the roof of the building in
which the fire originated, fell in very soon after their arrival.
and in a vet y short time there remained nothing but the
exterior walls. It was with great difficulty that the conti-
guous buildings, which contained mach valuable machine-
ry were preserved. Among the sufferers by this destruc-
tive tire are Mr. John Hilton, tobacco-cutter, the whole of
whose utensils were destroyed, as well as a considerable
quantity of tobacco; and Mr. Charles Athinson,.cloth-
Inner, who had the whole of his machinery and stock of
goods destroyed. The building was insured, but we ace
.sorry to have to add, that no insurance was effected on any
part of the machinery. The total loss is estimated at up-
wards of 5,0001.

HONITON.—On Thursday last. an alarming 6re broke
out near the Star Inn, in New Street, by which the back
premises of Mr. Newbery. soap-boiler and tallow-chandler,
was burnt to the ground, together with several sheds. &c.
in Mr. Hard's tan-yard ; the back part of the Star Inn,
with a large stork of beer, porter and spirits, the property
of Mr. Bishop. was also destroyed, and many houses ad-
joining materially injured.
Tae Assizes.—We understand, from a most respectable pro*
fessional gentleman, of York, that :he Judges fr the
Ctrcint, have it contemplation to-go to Lancaster first. if so,
the YorkshlreAssizes will not commence until Wednesday, the
Sith day of March.—(York Herald.)

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.
CHESTER RACES, In t.

ST ITE OF THE nErriNo.

STAND CUP.
Sherwood backed even against the field ; 2 to 1 agst Swap
—6 to 2 agst Gen. Mina.

cnosvr.Non STARE:.
At present the principal betting is between Falcon and Mer...
(=dot,' ; the latter the favourite.

PRnDlier.

Sir W. Wynne's Filho da Puts. out of Banshee. and Mr.
Houldsworth by Blacklock. out of the Ruler mare. (the same
that won the years old stakes here last year) are the two fa-
vourites.

THE TRADESMEN'S Cl P
Is likely to be an extremely sporting race, but the betting is
rather slack at present. on account of the Lcceptances not yet
being declared. We have, however, at present, only heard of
one declaring forfeit. viz —Slit leton, t*e property of the Mar-
quess of Sligo ; and we understand the reason i,, that she is en-
gaged in the Curragh Spring Meeting. On the whole Doge
of Venice, Amiable, and Swap, appear to be the present
favourites.

TWO YEAR OLD STARES.
Lord Derby's Autocrat, and Sir 'l'. Moystyn's by Phantorai
the favourites.
FOR TUE DEC AND PALATINE STAKES.
Mr. llouldsworth is the favourite.

NOTTINGIIAM.—On Tuesday a race was run on our Course
for 50f, between Mr. Sidney Lou e's potty, and one helanginic
to Mr. Williamson, taming 13 stone each, one four-mile
heat. The owners rode, and Mr. Lowe's pony was the
wi leer.

BOXERS.—On Friday evening last Langan, Spring, and Rey
nnlds, met together, at Mr. Belcher's, the Castle Tavern
wnen, as might he expected, a good deal of chaffing °scuffed.
The tight and valiant Irishman declared publicly that he was
nut satisfied Spring could beat him, and lie should be most
WITy to have soother trial on a stagA. The Champion re-
piled, that he was ready to fight any man for NM. either on they
ce ur the sod, 'provided tae stage was turfed, out he was desk
stamined not to tight for any less gam.

Conastsro.—On Nionday last, a coursing match took
place on the estate of liildiead, near Annan, betwixt te
party gentlemen from Carlisle and neLlibeurbood, and
a windier of gentlemen on the Scottish side of the border.:
The day was fine and the sport attracted the attention of •
a numerous field of spitsmen, in order to view a contest
betwixt the Scotch and English dogs, which terminated its
favour of the former. Tilere were seven hares killed, and
a great number escaped. In appearance the English dogs
bad the superiority of the Scotch ; the latter being in a
meagre eon 'Woo, which caused an English gentleman WI
remark, that one of the dogs in question was fit to run after
la lame hare ; yet this dug beat one of the best Euglisit
dogs in the field twice, and was aftarwaids purchased to
I run in Curn!terland.—(Corlislc Journal.)
ASIA AND Amenica.—The eccentric Captain Cochratt;
who ha.i u 'der taken the arditons task of a pedestrian tour
through Russia and Siberia, for the purpose of minutely
exploring that inhospitaitle region, and also for ascertain+
log the disputed fact of the separation of the Continents of
Asia and America, has, after two years' survey, decided
the Ttestion in the affirmative, there briag a continuous
channel between the Continents, though frequently bit eked
up with ice during great part of the winter.—(Literary
Museum)
LEWES. FEB.9.—Robt:Skipper, the celebrated Norfolk
pedestrian, is matched to go 61 miles a day, for six sue+
cessive days. The spot chosen for this undertaking is the
turnpike road, fr'm the Running Horse, at the top of this
town, to the King and Queen, at Brighton. Skipper com-
mences his arduous task this meriting, from the Running
Horse Inn.
It appears from the quarterly return of the Coroner of Man-
chester, presented a few days ago, that during the preceding
three months, out of the numerous cases of death, no less than
29 have been owing to drunkenness, and 26 to drowning,
caused by the effects of intoxication.
BRION raN Poiacs.—At the sitting of Thursday, a man
and bis wife, of the name of Merchant, living in Pimlico,
was brought before the Bench under the following circum-
stances:—On Wednesday last, Mrs. Edwards, a lady who
resides at Upper Rock Gardens, missed a brooch, two gold
rings, and pair of earrings, and a shawl, from a drawer
wherein they had been deposited; and suspecting her ser-
vant, Susan-Postan, of having stolen the same, thargel her
with the theft, at thesame time promising the girt tier for-
giveness if she restored the articles. The servant, in con-
sequence, iscknewledged her crime ; and having left the
house, returned shortly after with the property. The
affair soon reached the ears of our vigilant police, to whom
the girl confessed that she hail been induced to rob her
mistress by the persuasions of a woman, of the name of'
Merchant, living in Pimlico ; who with her husband, was
apprehended. The girl now made a full confession to the
Magistrates, stating that the woman Merchant had been
twice at her mistress's bowie on Sunday last—in the after-
, noon and evening—brill/log with her a bunch of keys
for the purpose of opening the drawers ; and that it was on
the latter occasion that site had been induced to commit the
robbery, when she gave the rings, &c. to Merchant. The
girl further stated that Mrs. M. had told her ou Sunday
that the house of her inistre.:s would be broken into on
the next Monday night. The attempt was actually made,
but in consequence of an alarm being given, the thieves
made off—in case of their h eying made an entry, rather
than run the risk of being dete,ted, it hail been agreed.
upon, (the woman Marchant told the girl, to murder the
whole family.) The girl also deposed, that Mrs. Merchant
had made ki take an oath on the Bible never to divulge her
name. The identical book on which she was sworn, was
produced in Court, and proved to be an old volume treat-
ing on medical subjects. The female prisoner denied the
statement of her air!, and, together with her husband and
the servant, stande' re-committed until Thursday next.
EXTRAORDINARY DISCOVERY.—The Sexton of the parish
of St. Mary-le-Strand, in clearing out a vault on the south\
side of the Church, on Thursday last, made an extraor •
dinary discovery. The vault had been entirely filled np
with mould and ceffilis, leaden and wooden, in which state
it had remained for many years. The lid of one of the
coffins having been shattered by the spade in digging, the
interior presented a most singular appearance. The body
was that of a female, the upper part of which, on being
exposed to the air, immediately crumbled to dust, but the
lower part, front the middle downwards, was as perfect as
if only recently dead. The flesh was fiery and the limbs
preserved their shape as in life. Even the nails on the
toes were in their natural state, and no change appeared to
have taken place since the time of inhumation, except the
discolouration of the skin. The shroud too in which the
body was wrapped, when examined, was found as strong
and firm as when new. This is the more extraordinary, as
the coffins, even the leaden ones, some of which had not
lain so long in the vault, were completely rotted, and bad
mouldered away. On further exam nation it was fatly
ascertained that the body was that of a Miss Tonson,
aged IS, who died in 1734. Eighty-nine years have
elapsed since it had been consigned to the vault.
RESURRECTION MRN.—Many of the inhabitants of Durham
are at present greatly alarmed from reports which say, that
some Resurrection men are now on a visit to that city. In
consequence, the church yards, in which any recent interments
have taken place, are nightly watched. And the terror of many
persons is not a little increased, from it being said " that if
they (the Resurrection men) cannot ()Maio dead subjects, they
must have Lives one"—and it is further said, and believed by
the credulous, that persons are decoyedto certain pieces, under
various pretences, end there bled to death, by these Resurrec-
tion Men. These reports, however foolish, have had a great
effect in clearing the streets, after dark, of youug people Rod
females, who do not wish themselves to be stsafeked wtale
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