CHELMSFORD, Tuesday, Dec....
The Times, 1824-12-08T00:00:00

CHELrMSFOItD, Tuesday, Dec. 7.-Their Lordships, Mr. Justice Burrough and Air. Baron Garrow, arrived here yesterday, about two o'clock, and having opened their commission at the Shire. hall, proceeded to hcar divinie service, wlien an excellent sermon was preadhed by the Sheriff's Chaplain, the Rev. George Archdall, Fel- Flow of Emanuel College, Cambridge, from the 7th ch. of Hebrews, 19th v.-" For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringng in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God." The Grand Jury were not svworn in last evening, according to the notice given by the High Sheriff. but will be this morning; after which hey will be charged by Mr. Justice Burrough. The calendar has increaed to 85-prisoners. It may not be generaUy known, that for some time past no commitments Iave been made out for the House of Correotion, excepting for vagrancy, for assaults, and for bas. tards'. Although this sircnamstance may account, in some measure, fbr a coxsiderable influx of numbers, the incrense of crime is too apparent to escape notice.-Esgar fHcrald. BLACKFRtIARs BRIDGE.-On Saturday afternoon, as a respectable female was passing over Blackfriars-bridge, she was un- intentionally run against by a person with a heavy load on his shoul- ders, and being incapable of resisting the sudden shock, having only a short time previous the misfortune to break one of her legs, was consequently precipitated from the pavement Into the road, a depth of nearly tbree feet; fortunately, however, although much bruised, she escaped without sustaining any serious injury. A few davs before, a woman witht an infant in her arms was thrown off the pavement, in coasequence of the crowded state of the bridge: the child was severely hurt, and conveyed home in a very precarious condition. Wkilst the footvvay is allowed to remain in Its present dangerous and unprotected state, the lives of passengers must be daily and hourly in Jeopardy, whereas a railing or chain would effectually prevent a recurrence of foether mischief. Amongst the numerouis melancholy accidents occasioned by the late floods, we are sorry to record the following fatal catas- trophe :-About five o'clock in the evening of Tuesday last, ,Mr. Jo- seph Hiooper, aged 28, and his brother Rtobert. aged 18, sons of lr. Younger Hooper, a very old and respectable farmer, residing at Dymock, in this county, accompanied by a boy, were on their re. turn with a team and a load of coal fiom the Forest of Dean. On reaching a part of the road at Leddington. called Windcross they found the water very much out, and Joseph mounted the fore-horse, his brother stan(ling on the shafts, and the boy being on the top of the lead, and endeavoured in this way to pass through the current. They had not proceeded far when one of the wheels of the waggon got in contact with a poCt on the road-side, and it became necessary to dismount in order to extricate it. While about to do this, the leading horse lost hia footing owing to the depth of the water and the strength of the current, and Joseph Hooper, seeing their perilous situation, exclaimed, " Good God ! we are all lost I" and at the same time called to his brother to unhook the other horses from the thiller. Almost at the same moiment he fell from the back of the horse on which lie was riding, and was seen no more. The younger brother Robert succeeded its disengaging the horses; but whilst so occupied. melaucholy to relate, he was likewise carried away by the velocity of the current, and, together with the four valuable animals lie had been trying to save, wan swept through a culvert, or tunnel. which at that part of the road passes under the bed of the canal. Both the brothers were drowned withiout the posmibility of assistance ! The horses after being forced through the tunnel regained their feet, and passed over a meadow, but again getting into the brook they also perished. The body of Robert was picked up the following morning, about a quarter of a mile from the spot, and that of the other unfortunate sufferer the same evening. Both were conveyed to the house of thleir brother, Illr. lVoanger Hooper, jun. of Pounds farm, where an inquent was held, on Friday, before John Cooke, Esq., coroner, and a verdict of "A.^ ccidental death" reirued. It is needless to say, that the family are in a state of the most distresslng affliction, One horsewas saved by a MIr. Elliott, who ventured his life in its rescue, by wading in the water up to his chin. lIVe hear, that on the same evening the above melancholy occurrence took place, three other persons, two women and one man, lost their lives by being drowned in the over- flowing waters between Ledbury and Bssbury, but the particulars of the accident have not reached us.-Glocester Journal. CUIrrOUS FACT Ix NATURAL HISTOStY.-Itis a fact, we believe, not much known, that the eel, though it lives in an element that seems to place it beyond the reach of atmospheric changes, is yet singularly affected by high winds. This is well known to the iRhabitants of Linlithgow, who have an excellent opportunity of ob- serving the habitsof that animal in the loch adjoining the town. The stream wlich1 flows out of that loch at the west end passes through a sluice, and faUs into an artificial stone reservoir, from whiah it escapes by a number of holes in the sides and bottom. These holea are too small to let eels of a common size pass, and hence this reser- voir answers the purpose of an eel-trap or cruive. The fish, how- ever, are rarely fountt in it in calm weather; but when strong winds blow, especially from the west, these tenants of the waters seem to be seized with a general panic, and hurry from their lodgings like rats fromn a conflagration. A t these times they rush through the outlet in crowds, and fall pell-mell into the reservoir, from which they are speediily transferred to the frying-pans of the burgesses. During the high winlds wvithin the las1fortnighm, a cart-load waS taken out of the reservoir every day, and in one day new less than two cart-loads !- .Scotsmszn. AsNCIERT RELIC.-At a late festive meefing in Argyle-| shire, a circumstance of a novel and very interesting character oc- curred. General Caumpheil, of Loehneil. rose, and addressing him.t self to Captain Ai'Dougall, of .M',Dougall, said that he held in his hand a brsoch., known by the namne of " Brooch of Lorne," which had at one timne belonged to King Robent Bruce. It w/as taken from the person of that Mlonarch by his ancestors, M'Dougall, of Lorne, in battle, on a field near Tyndrum. The fortunes of war-if the actions of rival-clans can be so called-had placed that brooch in thoe possessionl of a relation of the Lochnell familv, Campbell, of Brag- mean, whose descendants had preserved it for two centuries,. It was htis (General Cam pbell's) good fortune lately to obtain possetision of it and he now had the satisfaction of res,toring it to the descendant Df~ hitD who had so gloriously WOn so proud a tropimy. Claptain M'Dongahl made a suitable reply of thanks and acknowledgmaents. The brochC was of silver, and of B Circular form, the diamreter of shout three inches. Ini the centre is a rockecrystal, of assoval shape; the setting being raised about an inch, round whie'h rise eight tubes, tothe samebheight, in each of ?eaic?sIsa pearl; between these is smie emnbossed work.-ItIVernCaS Courier. We recorded in our paper of the 15th ult., the commrittal to our county ganl of Thomras 'Wsttrs (late servant to MNr. EHawley, af Gluadaloupe Lodge, near lUatron Mowbrav), for felony. HIe was charged upon the oath of Anne Bunney, late also a servant of Mr. Hlawley's, with having entered her bedl-roomu about three o'clock in the morning of the 29th of October la8t, and attemnpting her life by setting her throat with as prn-*nife: she further stated, that imume- diasely after perpatrrtinf; the act,he ran awry; when she went to her mnaster's room, and informed hina of the circumnstance, who proceed- ed to the manl's chamber, and found -himr apparently asleep, and is fello7w-servant in a bed adjoining. Upnon the wound beingexami-ned by a surgeon, he pronounced that her life was not in danger. The woman heating a very 1ndi1Verent character, great trouble was ftaken by the worthyg Magistrate in order to elucidate the mtrth, and the prisoner was. remaDnded several times; but as she strictlyr adhered, to her first statement, upon oath, there Wwas no otfier alternative, and he was accordinglyt conamitred for trial at the en- suing arsizes. Ever since his coafiemenaett the girl has been much depressed inW her mind, and stung, it is supposed, with remorse of consciencee, in hating placed the life ofas fellow-servant in such im- mninent danger. She confessedl on Friday lest to the parish-officers of l,ittle Dalby, that she had taken a false oath, a'nd that the whole wras a fabrication of her owon; thawt rhe committed the act with her own hand out of revenge, she being pregnant by the pris.oser, who had refusedt to ma*rry her. This abandonedI woman the samne day actually went over to elllto2 to theFsame magistrate, for the expre.ss pups Giftit 'ol edn)o vern to the truth of sucht Con- teslon Itis ndestod tat he >orfellow wville bclihged to re- main immaured In prison until the next general gaol delivery.-Li crater Chronicle. ROBBERtE8s ABOUT BB15TOL.-SO regulr and systematic has. housebreatking now become in this city and Itrs vicinity, that a week never p asses without our being called upon to record some in- stances of thte succesff with which thte des Perate gang cf robbers now settlTed amOngst Us O crry their diabolical stchcomes into execution, defy thc seaurching' eye of the police, and set at nountht the ufsual safegulards of detence. On Wednesday sriigt cicfif-house, at~ Aebton the residencel of D)owaguer l,ady Smiyth, was; broken open by similar means with which MIr. Clayfield and Manr Sheppard' house s were entered; a strong lever, it see ms,is applied to the bottora of the window-frafme, -med I crc are few of the coramonfssttenings which have beefi able to withstand the liftinrg 'presFsure wrhich this instrument occasinas., ln thIs insftan.ce, it fseems, the villains had sfcaled the large coaurt..gtes, anti having torced the window, they set open all the.houre.doors mere securely to -efficot tfaeir retreaft; they then quietly ransacked thne wbole'rngeof rofimma on the ground.fioor, and took away the plate, knivesf And forks, &e. in commonl use; pe-' lissas, &c. 8cc.; and, no doubt with a-view so set fire to th'e pre. agses, they stuck a candle asgainst the wrainscot, wrhich they lefc burning. At Mr. Slmeppard's., also, they stuck a casndle on the wooden dresser, which wa^s dnscovered burnt out. Trhesfe repeafted depredations mnus,t surely ariouse the city to wime.tff'ectusal meae:ns ofs l?revention and defence (Ibueral astocatoisfff, offecing rewarads tor apprehension,'ald paying the expenses of prosecution:, will, we are convinced, lbo>lone effectual, and, if :properly set onsoots, woud,*i are,e certain, be llbEraUly ufpported .-.J%gtoj Mcrcarj,.