PRINCIPAL OCCURRENCES In the Year 1791. JANUARY. therefore, went in purfuit of her, and overtook her in company with and woman, before he on Tuesday night, the 28th alt. Mr. Burgefs, farmer, at Bawburgh, near Norwich, was alarmed by the cry of Fire!' On going to his door he had the melancholy profpect of his hay-ricks, ftables, cowhoufe, pigftye, cartshed, and barns, all on fire at the fame time, and the flames raging with fuch rapidity as excluded all hopes of faving any part of his property. The hay and buildings were all confumed, with a number of calves, pigs, and poultry, a cart, waggon, and fix very capital horfes, valued at 30l. each. The diftance of the outbuildings from each other, and they being all on fire at the fame time, made it clear that the premises kad been malicioufly fet on fire. Mary Adams, who had lived with Mr. Burgefs many years, but whom about three weeks previous to this unfortunate affair, he had difcharged, having been heard often to declare at her lodgings in Norwich, that fhe would be revenged on Mr. Burgess the firft opportunity, was fufpected of being the incendiary. Several perfons, Norwich. They were both taken before John Paterson and Robert Harvey, efqrs. when it appeared, that the companion was induced to go to the premifes of Mr. Burgefs, not knowing of the wicked intent of the other prifoner. When she saw the place on fire, fhe afked the incendiary what he had been doing? She replied, Nothing that would hurt her; adding, I am in my glory, nor fhould I care if I were in the middle of the flames with a shift of pitch on, as I have got my mind.' 6 5.Samuel Hinchliffe was tried at the Weftminfter feflions, for faudulently obtaining from Henry Cowley, fervant to Danel Delany, efq. two fhillings, under pretence of its being for the carriage of a parcel from Norwich, the prifoner at the same time knowing that the carriage was paid. Henry Cowley faid, that the prifoner brought to his master's house a parcel directed to Daniel Delany, efq. He told the witness he had brought it from the White-Horse, Fetter-lane, and demanded three (A 2) fhillings fhilling for the carriage and porter- The jury found him guilty. The prifoner was fentenced to three months imprifonment, and to be publicly whipped from the Admiralty to Charing-crofs, and thence to Bridge ftreet, Parliament-ftreet. Gloucefler, Jan. 10. Mr. Daniel Cox, of this city, from whom a brown mare was lately ftolen, in his very perfevering endeavours to recover her, has received certain information of a fyftematic barter carried on between the horse-stealers in the country, and the finugglers on the coaft. The former receive contraband articles in exchange for horfes; and the fmugglers, by con veying the horfes to France, Holland, and Flanders, efcape detec tion, and make a very profitable trade. 14. On the laft day of the late year there was fo thick a fog at Amfterdam, that the people could not fee their way along the streets, and ran against each other, even though they had lights in their hands. The accidents it has occafioned are very numerous, but the moft lamentable is, the number of people who have perifhed from falling in the canals, where they were drowned before affiftance could be given them, though their cries were diftinctly heard. The nur ber of perfons who have perished in this way is already known to amount to 230. 17. At the feffions at the Old Bailey, lord Dungarvan, fon of the earl of Cork, was tried on the charge of robbing Elizabeth Wheldon of three guineas and a half. The cir cumftances ftated by the profecutrix in fupport of this extraordinary charge, were, that, being feated in one of the front boxes of Coventgarden theatre, a gentleman (lord D.) addreffed her, and afked leave to accompany her home, to which fhe confented; that, on quitting the theatre, a linkman called a coach, which drew up at the end of the Piazza, when his lordship got in, and the followed; that he put ene of his hands near her pocket, and the other round her waift; that after afterward, perceiving him fumbling about his waistcoat-pocket, fhe began to fufpect he had robbed her; that, on feeling for her money, the perceived her lofs, which was not till fhe was nearly half way home; that, on her arrival at her house in Rathbone place, the charged him with having robbed her; that on his quitting the coach. he offered her a guinea, but fhe refufing to accept it, he endeavoured to make his escape, from which he defifted, on her calling out ftop thief;' that The then collared him, and gave him in the cuftody of the watchman, who conveyed him to the watch houfe. On her cross-examination it appeared he was a prostitute, who, in the last two years, had affumed feveral different names, and lived in various places and capacities; and a great variety of circumstances came out, all tending to deftroy the credibility of her evidence. The evidence for the profecution being clofed, lord Dungarvan read the following defence: 6 pily is the reverfe of this. I am not, nor have been in any diftrefs of circumftances, or want of credit. I am confcious that my condu& in life has ever been juft and honourable; and that no action of mine has difgraced my own station, or reflected any difcredit upon those to whom I have the honour of being allied. It will however better become me to refer you, gentlemen of the jury, to the teftimony of the witneffes who will be called to fpeak of my conduct and character, than to defire you to receive your information from my own report. Deeply as my mind feels and refents the unmerited difgrace of the imputations attempted to be thrown upon me, I fubmit cheerfully to a trial by the laws of my country: I know that thofe laws will not fuffer criminals of any rank to elude their juftice; but I alfo know, and it is now my confolation and fecurity to know, that the punishments they inflict can only fall upon the guilty head; and that innocence is fafe, protected by the wifdom and inte My lord, and gentlemen of the grity of an English judge and jury. jury, Whatever fhame I ought to take, and do take, for the indifcretion which led me into the company of the perfon who has made, and endeavoured to fupport, by perjury, an attack upon my life and honour, I cannot fuffer myfelt for a moment to fuppofe, that any credit can be given to fo ftrange and improbable an accufation. I am charged by the unconfirmed path of a common prostitute, with an offence, which nothing but the loweft and worft habits of life and connections, the most abject befenefs of mind, and contempt of character, urged by the most extreme neceffity, could poffibly prompt any man to commit. My fituation hap I have only to add my moft folemn denial to the charge; to request your attention to fuch evidence as the learned gentlemen with whofe counfel I am affifted, fall think proper to lay before you; and to declare my entire confidence in the verdict of a jury of my country, for the vindication of my honour, and the protection of my life, against an attack commenced with a view to extort money from me, and continued by malice and wickednefs.' From the evidence of the linkman, it appeared, that if the profecutrix really had loft any money, it muft have been previous to her getting into the coach; but, from the depofition of the coachman, it was evident, that his lordship only giv (A 3) ing |