The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-10-23 00:00:00

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..-01TLAND.
A melancholy occurrence took place in Gothala.
Clasgow, on Tuesday afternoon :—Two men called at
alms. and had a bottle of ale, one of tient went to
the door and almost immediately the report of a pis-,
tol was beard. The landlord entered the room and
saw the unfortunate suicide lying on the door. The
than had placed the pistol to his forehead and the up-
per portion of his head was completely blown et,: He
belonged to Kirkintilloch where he occupied a re-
spectable situation for nearly 40 years. His companion
was taken into custody, but was subsequently dis-
missed, after being examined by the Fiscal.
As the whale-ship Achilles was snaking Dundee
harbour on Thursday forenoon, she was, by the care-
lessness of the pilot, it is said, run against the powder
o.„„;azine. The eastern turret of the magazine was
laid in ruins by the shock and the bowsprit of the ship
was also broken. The Achilles brought borne three
boats' crews belonging to the Dexterity, of Leith.
which was lost among the ier.—(Thrndee ildrertirter.)
The following distressing circumstance happened
at Preston island, on the evening of Sunday the 7th
just. Four fine young men, in the employ of Messrs.
'Thomson and White, salt-makers, left that place in a
boat to visit their friends at Borrowstownness, a die-
• tante of two miles ; and when returning at night
amid a dreadful tempest of wind and waves, their boat
• upset, and one of them was carried along the stormy
71-:, steep, and went down no more to rise, the other three
• +10'44:: • ' by this time had clung to the keel, and their cries
....'.;k: were heard by the inhabitants of that dreary rock,
Who, with the utmost speed, attempted to come to their
assioance ; the storm, however, roaring louder and
louder, rendered every attempt fruitless, till Mr. James
Thompson, at the risk of his life, succeeded in getting
a boat out to their relief, but ere that time another of
the unfortunate mess had been unable to keep his hold,
and went down to a watery grasp; theother two were
quite exhausted and could not have survived notch
longer; they were conveyed to the island, where every
thing was done to restore animation, which happily
succeeded. The corpses of the two that were drowned
were not found till next day.
On Friday, the 12th curt. a game at quoits, for a
considerable wager, took place at Ilusbie, between a
party of farmers, belonging to that neighbourhood,
and a party a tradesmen from Cartnunnock ; when
after a very keenly contested game of sixty-two shots,
the former gained by fifteen. The players then re-
tired to the principal inn in the village, where they
regaled themselves very plentifully with excellent
" whiskey punch ;" after which they again proposed
taking the field to try who would throw a quoit, four
Ills. weight, farthest. The moon by this time had
climbed the highest hill in all Carmannock ; however,
with her assistance, and the additional lustre of two
lighted candles, they commenced. Various wonderful
feats of strength, accompanied by art, were displayed
at the throwing of the quoit—victory was at last sle-
dared in favour of a knight of the shuttle, belonging
to •the Carmannock party, who sent it whistling
through the air thirty six yards; being two yards far-
ther than any of his nompetitere, a little to the dis-
•cmtifiture of the moreeobust sons of the 'Gawk, who,
with a little warmth declared, " It was uncaciaftlike
to be beat by a weaver."
The following singular visitation was paid to Lin-
lithgow-jail on Sunday last. As one of the prisoners
was breathing a little free air through the iron grat-
ings of the window, he was accosted in the following
minuet by a stranger a native of England. " How
long bast thou been there ?" " A good many weeks."
" Host thou expect to be much longer confined ?"
The prisoner replied that he did not expect to be re-
lieved yet !Before the expiration of a few weeks.—
" Ilast thou wherewithal' to support thyself?" said the
inquisitive stranger. "lint very sparingly," was the
reply; " I have but one shilling a day for aliment,
and of that fourpence to pay to the jailer." " Thy
situation is very hard, but I will try and do some little
for thee." Upon saying so be retired, and in a short
while called upon the jailer with a quarters loaf and
a shoulder of mutton under his arm, and asked if he
ct:ssld have access to these criminals. "They are not
criminals," said the jailer;'" they are persons con-
fined for debt." " I beg pardon," said the open-
hearted stranger, " my intention is not to insult, but
to relieve the prisoners, and if you will give we per-
mission, I wish to be introduced to them." This hum-
b:e philanthropist was Introduced, and, presenting the
lasf and mutton to the prisoners, said, "Gentlemen,
it is but little. I have in my power, but what little I
have 1 am willing to share with you." The prisoners,
sit in number, heartily thanked the generous stranger
fvr Isis kindness, and he could hardly be prevailed
eeon to take the loaf and mutton with hint, although
it :Ippeared from what he told of his circumstances,
t' at he could but ill spare the articles he so
;l Lt.lavely offered. The above anecdote of an humble
irAliwitlital may suggest some profitable reflections to
*Lose who move in a higher sphere of life; and it
is not unereditable to the prisoners, that on this occa-
sion they were satisfied with the abstract idea of be-
eevulence.

Bats Tot, Om 20.—Wednesday evening last a man
of genteel appearance, went to an Irishwoman's fruit
basket, near the Draw-bridge, and requested a penny-
worth of nuts, which he put in his hat, giving Ake
woman a shilling to change. 4d on her refusing it, he
•produced sicpence, Mhiela shileturned, as being coon-
Prfeits ; the fellow then with an oath threw the nuts
Lack into the basket, and went off. The woman, on
replacing them, perceived a roll of paper, which was'
found on inspection to contain a quantity of half-
crowns and shillings of base coia.—The envelope was
'a travelling silversmith's bill, with a blank left for the
name and residence.
On Tuesday evening last, as the Bristol Mail coach
was leaving hlarlboroagh, the horses took fright and
overturned it, by which accident the coachman's skull
•was fractured, and he died the next morning. The
•guard was Much hurt in one of his ems, but is in a
talc way of tecovery. There were font inside and
three outside passengers, but we are hipKr in being'
able to state that all esead without material injury.
.eeitept one gentleman. Wale in a hiie.way of doing
'well. The passengersillolll. that not the teest.biame
can be' attached. to the. rotebnian, *he utas-one of tbs‘
iiiiust sober. stonily deivtitelots thirvual. •He has .beet
.*Mow fenr children' t• bilail thelhee of their
support.. - •• . ‘• • • .

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