Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

manufacturer, of Tunftall, near Burflem, Staffordshire, whofe affairs had lately become fomewhat deranged. Early this morning, Mr. Wainwright received an anonymous note, defiring his attendance upon a gentleman at a public-houfe, near the Circus, in this town, as foon as poflible. Mr. Wainwright fufpected the note to be Mr. Smith's hand-writing, although an attempt had been made to difguife it. Mr. Wainwright obeyed the fummons, and found Mr. Smith there, who thewed him a printed ftatement of his affairs, and urged him to accompany him to the place of his refidence, to be prefent at a meeting of creditors, which was to take place on the following day. Mr. Wainwright, though inconvenient to himself, agreed to accompany him: they accordingly fet out to gether, in a poft-chaile, on the afternoon of that day. During their journey, all was friendly, as ufual; and, at their arrival at a place called Golden Hill, being about a mile from Mr. Smith's houfe, he begged to difmifs the chaife, and they would walk acrofs the fields, as the carriage, driving to his houfe, might betray his prefence to the country, which he would wish to avoid, there being feveral writs out against him. It rained flightly, and Mr. Smith preffed Mr. Wainwright to make ufe of his great-coat, which Mr. Wainwright refufed. Mr. Smith led Mr. Wainwright out of the road, through a piece of mowing grafs, in which Mr. Smith's houfe ftands; when Mr. Wainwright obferved Mr. Smith draw a pistol from his pocket, with which fulpecting he intended to destroy himfelt, he exclaimed,

"in the name of God, Mr. Smith, what are you about?" wrefted the piftol from him, and threw it away.. They now proceeded a little farther; when Mr. Smith- drew a fecond piftol, prefented it at Mr. Wainwright, and fired at him without effect. Mr. Wainwright then clofed with him, and threw him down. Mr. Smith then called for mercy, faying, he would forgive him if he would not hurt him. Mr. Wainwright anfwered, "he wanted no forgivenefs, having done him no injury." Two piftols heing now difpofed of; and, having fearched his pockets for more without finding any, Mr. Wainwright confidered himself fafe, and released Mr. Smith. They were about to proceed towards the houfe, when Mr. Wainwright reminded Mr. Smith of having left his great coat and a bundle on the ground; on which Mr. Smith took them up. When they had arrived within a fhort distance of the house, Mr. Smith drew a third piftoi from the bundle, and hot Mr. Wainwright through the body. A fcuffle now enfued, during which Mr. Smith drew a knife (which, it appears, he had purchased in Liverpool), and endeavoured to cut Mr. Wainwright's throat, which, being guarded by his cravat and handkerchief, he failed of effecting, and gave him several severe wounds on the left jaw they continued ftruggling till they reached the hole; when Mr. Wainwright by a fudden effort, got from Mr. Smith, knocked at the door, and called out, murder, demanding admittance; but Mr. Smith, ordered the people in the houfe not to admit Mr. Wainwright, who then proceeded to a cottage about five or fix hundred C3

a

filk

yards

yards off, whence he foon after removed to the house of Mr. William Adams, in Tunftall; and, we have fince learnt, is almost recovered.

Mr. Smith, for whofe apprehenfion a reward of fifty pounds was offered, was taken at a house in Market-lane, Pall-mall, London, by Dixon and Carpmeal, two of the Bow-ftreet officers. Although armed with loaded piftols when the officers came to his houfe, he made not the leaft refiftance, but conducted himself in the moft gentlemanlike manner in every refpect. When brought before the magiftrates, Mr. Smith admitted he was the perfon defcribed in the advertisement. He has fince been removed, by order of Mr. Bond, from Tothill-fields Bridewell, under the care of Carpmeal and Dixon, to the county gaol of Stafford. His trial is put off on account of the abfence of a material witnefs of Mr. Smith's.

30th. This morning, at half past five, a fire was discovered to have burst out in the room called the Prince's Gallery, or Long Room, in Vauxhall-Garden, which was originally built for a masquerade room, but which for fome years has been ufed for fcene painting, and as a lumber room. Every affiftance was immediately procured, and a part of this building was immediately pulled down, to prevent the rapidity of the flames from deftroying the whole of the extenfive premifes of Vauxhall. A great part of this gallery, which was entirely compofed of wood, lath, and canvas, is deftroyed. A valuable quantity of fcenery is alfo destroyed. Near thirty of the trees caught fire, and the foliage burnt, together with the portico at the entrance, and the outfide railing; but the material

buildings of the house and garden are faved.

Chatham. This forenoon, between 11 and 12, a fire broke out at a wharf a little way.above the Sun tavern, which raged with dreadful violence upwards of two hours; both fides of the main ftreet are in one heap of ruins, from within three or four doors of the Sun tavern to the Union flag, and very few of the houfes oppofite that space, towards the new road, have elcaped. Unfortunately, when the fire broke out, it was low water in the river, which prevented a supply for a confiderable time. A thatched farm-house and barn, about a quarter of a mile diftant, were fet fire to by the fparks which the wind carried to it, and were totally destroyed, with a great quantity of hay. One or two lives are loft, and a few unfortunate accidents happened.

DIED. 21ft. At two o'clock, at his houfe in Upper Harley-street, in confequence of a dreadful accident he met with on the preceding Wednefday night, about eleven o'clock, William Bofanquet, efq. He was making fome alterations in his houfe, and, amongst others, had removed the balcony from his back drawing-room window: unfortu pately forgetting this circumftance, he walked out, and immediately fell into the area, and, in his fall, broke the vertebra of his back, and was otherwife moft feverely bruised and injured. He was fenfible of his inevitable diffolution, and bore his fufferings with a fortitude of mind almoft unparalleled, dictating, in the extremity of torture, fome additions to his will. He has left a most amiable lady and ten children to lament his lofs. Mr. Bolanquet was a fon of the bank-director, and him

felf

felf a partner in the banking-house of Fofter and Lubbock.

24th. Aflaffinated, while walking on the terrace of his garden, near the head-quarters, at Cairo, giving orders to a builder, general Kleber, commander-in-chief of the French army in Egypt; to which he fucceeded on the departure of Buona parte, and in which he is fucceeded by general Menou. The murder, it seems, was commited by Souleyman, a native of Aleppo. The affaffin, who confeffed the fact, was fentenced to have his right hand burned off, to be impaled alive in the presence of the army, and there to remain till devoured by birds of prey. Three theiks, who were acquainted with his intentions, and did not impart them, were alfo fentenced to fuffer death by decapitation. General Kleber was interred, on the 27th, in the entrenched camp, called after the name of Ibrahim Bey, with the greatest military houours, and a funeral oration was delivered by citizen Fourier, the French commiflary to the Divan. It is a remarkable coincidence, that Kleber's death, and that of Deffaix at the battle of Marengo, took place, in Egypt and Italy, on the fame day, and at the fame hour. Kleber commanded in Lower and Deflaix in Upper Egypt, while Buonaparte was there; and the French Government have ordered a monument to be erected to their joint memories in the Place de VicLoire at Paris.

JULY.

2d. This afternoon his majesty went in state to the house of peers,

and gave the royal affent to the union-bill.

4th. This day, one Mr. Ruby was tried, in the .court of king's bench, . on an indictment againft him, as an eminent cornfactor, for having purchafed, by fample, on the 8th of November laft, in the corn-market, Mark-lane, 90 quar: ters of oats, at 41s. per quarter, and fold 30 of them again in the fame market, on the fame day, at 44s. The moft material testimony on the part of the crown was given by Thomas Smith, a partner of the defendant's. After the evidence. had been gone through, lord Kenyon made an addrefs to the jury, who almoft inftantly found the defendant guilty. Lord Kenyon.➖➖➖ " You have conferred, by your ver dict, almost the greatest benefit on your country that ever was conferred by any jury." Another indictment against the defendant, for engroffing, ftands over.

Several other indictments for the fame alleged crimes were tried during this year, which we fear tended to aggravate the evils of fcarcity they were meant to obviate, and no doubt contributed to excite popular tumults, by rendering a very useful body of men odious in the eyes of the mob.

9th. Rome. The pope arrived yefterday in this city, and was received with incredible acclamations. He immediately repaired to St. Peter's, where a folemn te deum was performed, at which an immenfe concourfe of people attended. Such a jubilee has not been held at Rome for feveral centuries. The great families of Colonna and Doria Pamfili fent two fumptuous carriages, drawn by fix beautiful C 4

horfes,

horfes, to meet his holiness, as a prefent to him, in token of their devotion to his intereft. Thefe were gifts the more agreeable, as both the papal palaces at "ome, ftalls, ftables, and all, had been completely ranfacked and emptied. A part of the quirinal had been fitted up and furnished in hafte for the reception of his holiness. At night the whole city was illuminated, and feveral triumphal arches.

12th. This day was laid the first ftone of the intended new wet dock, near the Isle of Dogs. A grand aquatic proceffion took place, and a number of perfons of confiderable diftinction were present.

The privy council have decided, that it fhould be recommended to his majefty to grant a charter for the incorporation of Downing-college, in every refpect conformable to the fcheme approved by the trustees and the court of chancery.

Mrs. Elizabeth Shaw, who died lately at Pontefract, in Yorkshire, bequeathed the principal part of her property, amounting to 15,000l. to her house-maid, named Mary Watfon. The heir at law difputed the validity of the will, at the laft af fizes, and endeavoured to prove, that the deceased was in a complete flate of intoxication when the executed the deed. This allegation, however, was not fubftantiated; and the fortunate houfe-maid will of courle receive the full amount of the above legacy.

The duke of Northumberland, in a letter to a gentleman in Dublin, tates the expenfe of the life-boat prefented to the town of NorthShields, at 1604. and that it has al ready faved nearly 1000 feamen and passengers, befides feveral fhips and their cargoes.

The grand junction canal has lately been opened from the Thames, at Brentford, to Fenny Stratford, in Buckinghamshire, from which place onward, through Bedfordshire, to Tring in Hertfordshire, it was before navigable. Mr. Dodd, the engineer, has begun to ftake our the line of the Thames and Medway canal, which promifes to be of great local and public utility, and, though but eight miles and a half in length, will fuperfede the necefiity. of going 47 miles about by fea, between London and Rochefter.

Mr. Yates, the mafter and proprietor of a canal-barge at CoalbrookDale, lately went all, the way, which is upwards of 400 miles by water, from that navigation, to Hambro' Wharf, near LondonBridge, in 14 days. He touched at Worcester, Gloucefter, and other towns, with part of his cargo. This is the firft barge that ever made the entire pallage.

17th. This day an inqueft was taken before Mr. White, one of the coroners for Lincolnshire, at the Bull, Witham-Common, on the bodies of Thomas Gilling and John Barnes, who were overturned from the Newcaffle-coach the preceding day, between Stamford and Grantham, and crushed to death by the coach falling upon them. It appearing from the examination of the witneffes, that the coach was overloaded with the knowledge of one of the proprietors, the jury declared it to be forfeited as a deodand.

Three girls were killed last week, and a fourth feverely wounded, by the falling of an old houfe at Colgrove, in Northamptonshire.

21t. This night, about eleven, a fire broke out on the premifes of Mr.

Mr. Edward May, at Hopgate, the murder, and hanged at GlouMinehead, which raged with un- cefter. He was about fixty-four common fury for feveral hours, years of age, and for feveral years when nearly the whole of the dwel in his youth worked in the coalling-houfe, offices, extenfive barns, mines at Bitton; in this employ he ftables, linneys, &c. were confum- faved fome money, and purchafed ed, together with a quantity of land at Sifton, in the fame parish, wheat in the barns, farming uten- where, by his parfimonious confils, a mare and colt, fome fheep, duct, he amaffed confiderable pro&c. Moft of the household furni- perty. In perfon he was of low ture was faved, though much injured. ftature, and of a very mean conNot long fince, a veffel was fcuttled temptible appearance; his dress in and funk in Minehead quay, laden general very fhabby. Avarice had with corn, for Wales, part of engroffed his very foul, and deadwhich belonged to Mr. May, who ened every fenfation of humanity; is a confiderable dealer in corn; at indeed, he appeared quite infenfithe fame time incendiary hand-bills ble of emotion to the pathetic adwere fuck up, threatening to burn drefs of the judge, who very huthe houses of all who fhould conti- manely directed, that his property nue to fhip wheat and flour at that fhould be divided among his numeplace, and Mr. May was particu- rous poor relations; as he had most larifed. obftinately refused to difpofe of any part of it, before his trial, and afterwards appeared equally inattentive to the welfare of those who were to furvive him; in fhort, a more ignorant, stupid, fordid wretch, perhaps never exifted. He had lived to an old age, wholly unbeloved or effeemed; and juftly fell a victim to the offended laws of God and man, unpitied, unlamented.

22d. This morning the following melancholy circumftance happened in the parish of Sifton, Gloucefterfhire: Samuel Fuffell, of the Crown Inn, Warmly, collector of the taxes for the faid parifh, attended by the confiable and other perfons, went to take a diftrefs of fome hay, at the houfe of Edward Wilmot, of SiftonHill (an old man of very confiderable property), for fome arrears of taxes due from him, Wilmot had before prepared a gun loaded with a ball, which he difcharged at Fuffell as he was paffing near his houfe. The ball entered at the eye, and went through the back part of the head, and he inftantly expired. Wilmot was obferved to recharge the gun, fo that it was fome time before any perfon ventured to go near him. When he was apprehended, a loaded piftol was found in his pocket.

A the aflizes for Gloucefter fhire, Wamot was tried and convicted of

[blocks in formation]
« AnteriorContinua »