JANUARY.

Mr. Thompfen, the quarter-maf tr, was the first who climbed up the rock, and got on fhore: he faw

HE Halfewell, Eaft Indiacapt. through the Downs, on Sunday the ift initant, and after experiencing a feries of extreme bad weather, ftruck, at two o'clock this morning, on the rocks of Purbeck, between St. Alban's Head and Peverel Point, near Portland. One hundred and feventy men got afhore, but from the darkness of the morning, and furging of the fea, near 100 were dafhed to pieces and drowned. Among the number faved were 18 officers, 30 feamen, and 25 foldiers.

Capt. Pierce, a little while before the ship went down, called Mr. Meriten (the fecond mate) into the cuddv, where his two daughters, two nieces, and three other beautiful young ladies, were clinging round him for protection, and on being told it was impoffible for the 1 des to efcape, "Then my dear children," faid he, folding his daughters in his arms, we will perish together." The fhip difappeared in a few minutes.

Mr. Meriton, who brought this fatal news to the India House, efcaped the fate of those who were dafhed to pieces on the rocks, by falling into a fiffure of one of them, where he was, for fome time, up to his chin in water. The chief mate, a nephew of the captain's, refused to quit the fhip, declaring that he would die with his uncle and coulius.

he went: the people very bumanely came down with him to the shore with ropes, which were the means of faving many lives, though feve ral, after having been drawn part of the way up the rock, from fatigue ler go their hold, and were dashed to pieces.

11. The Swallow Packet, from Bengal, arrived in the Downs, on the 9th inftant, on board of which, lord Macartney came paffenger. His lordship was feveral days in Calcutta, previous to the arrival of the difpatches of the Court of Di rectors containing his appointment of governor-general of Bengal. Immediately on their arrival Mr. Macpheifon difpatched his fecretary, announcing the appointment, and his readinefs to relinquifh the government. His lordfhip defired a few days before he gave an anfwer. The reafon affigned for his lordship's delay, was the carcleffnefs of the meffenger charged with the difp.tches, who had left his lordfhip's private leuers at Madrafs. On the arrival of thefe, a few days after, his lordfhip fent his pofitive answer, that it was his determination not to accept the government.

This packet brought advice, that there had been a meeting of the Britifh inhabitants in Calcutta, which ended in their paffing feveral refolu(A 2)

tions

lutions expreffive of their difapprobation of the Eaft India regulating bill of the 24th of his prefent Majefty.

This packet alfo brought over a copy of the fentence of the court martial on major-general fir John Burgoyne, bart. which honourably acquits him of every part of the charge against him.

Chefter, Jan. 12. About a year ago, a perfon, took a houfe at Childer Thornton, a few miles from this city, which he furnished in a moderate style, and engaged a woman of this place to ferve him as housekeeper: he had not been there more than nine months, before he was attacked by a violent indifpofition, which carried him off in about thirty days. Immediately on the approach of fick nefs he made his will, and left the whole of his property to his houfekeeper, although an entire ftranger to him, A fhort time after his decease the woman came to this city, and lodged bank notes (amounting to 401.) in the hands of a banker. Not many days after, one of the notes, value 100l. re ched London for payment, when a letter was directly fent down, requesting immediate information from whom the faid note was receiv ed, which being duly forwarded, with other particulars, it appears, that the decafed had 1 tely been clerk to a hopfactor in London; that about 15 months ago, he cloped with notes, and cafh to the amount of 1200l. and rotwith@landing repeated advertisements has never been heard of till this time. More than 5col. it feems has been diffipated. Seven weeks have elapfed, fince this perfon was buried, and a gentleman is just arrived from I.ondon, in order to have the orpfe taken out of the grave, and

if poffible, to identify his perfon. It feems that he had changed his name; and his hand-writing of the fignature of the will, as teftator, is fo much altered, that the gentleman cannot fwear to it. [The body was actually taken up, and positively fworn to. The real name of the deceafed was John Cardell, and the Hopfactor be robbed was Mr. John Sanders, of the Borough.]

16. The feffions ended at the Old Bailey, when feven convicts received fentence of death. At this feffions was tried John Hogan, a Mulatto, for the murder of Anne Hunt, fervant to Mr Orrell, of Charlotte-street. (See Vol. VI. page 41.)

The manner in which this wretch was at la detected is very remarkable. A fhort time before the murder, he had brought home fome chairs to Mr. Orrell's; and a perfon anfwering his defcription having been feen in the neighbourhood that day, fufpicion fell on him, and he was twice taken up, and twice difcharged for want of evidence.

On being taken to the body of the deceafed, he appeared not in the least agitated; but, putting his hand on her breast, he faid, "My "dear Nancy, I do remember you "well; I never did you any harm

in my life!" Thefe expreffions very forcibly added to the fufpicions of his guilt, because her face was fo exceedingly cut and mangl ed, that Mr. Orrell declared he he could not poffibly have known her. Two other circumstances, which tended to criminate him, were a fpot of blood on a waistcoat which he wore, and fome flight marks of blood on one of the fleeves of his coat; which coat had been washed, though the blood on the fleeve remained; and an effort feem

ed

ed to have been made, but in vain, to rub out the fpot of lood from the waistcoat.

The prifoner was afterwards tried for a larceny, and Mr. Orrell reading his trial in the Seffions-paper, it occurred to him to fearch at the pawnbroker's, where he had pawned the property ftolen, for which he was fo tried, to fee if any of his property, which was ftolen at the time of the murder, had been lodged with that pawnbroker; there he found a cloak of his wile's, pawned the morning after the murder, by the woman with whom the prifoner cohabited.

The principal evidence against him was the woman with whom he cohabited; who depofed, that he brought her home a cloak, which he said he had bought, on condition of paying for it at the rate of fo much a week. The cloak was produced in court, and Mrs. Oriell fwore to it as her property. The deponent further faid, that after Hogan had been twice taken before a magiftrate, he, at intervals, appeared to be very une fy; that particularly he could not fleep in bei; that the faid to him one night, " For God's fake what is the matter with you, furely you are not guilty of what you have been taken up for:" that his anfwer was, "Yes I am :-I am guilty :-I ddi." She then was much troubled in mind, and apprehended fatal confequences to herself, particularly, as he faid to her, "You must fay nothing; you must be quiet; for if I be hanged, you will be hanged with me." And on her asking him, why he had murdered the young woman, he answered, because he wanted to be great with her, and fbe refifted him.

The prifoner being called on for

his defence, faid, "I am innocent; and if any body takes away my life, I will never forgive them."

The jury brought in their verdict guilty; and he was this day executed on a gibbet, erected oppofite Mr. Orrell's house.

At this feffions alo came on the remarkable trial of Meffrs. Goodridge and Evans, charged with forging the will of Mr. Thomas Sawie 1, tormerly a tallow chandler, of Saffron-hill. The principal witnefs to prove the charge was an attorney, who fwore, that at the infigation of the prifoners he made the will in favour of one of the Goodridges, who was appointed in it executor and refiduary legatee. On his crofs examination by Mr. Erskine he varied in many particulars; and he even avowed, that he had fworn directly contrary to the evidence he now gave, in a caufe de pending in Doctors Commons, to try the validity of the will. Several other witneffes, however, were called in confirmation of his evidence, and about half past ten at night the profecutor finifhed his cafe. The prifoner's couníel then began their defence, which lafted till paft four in the morning, when the evidence given by the attorney and fome others was flatly contradicted in certain very material circumftonces, and feveral witnefles were examined as to the relation. fhip and affection between the de ceafed and the wife of Mr. Natha nief Goodridge, and a great number of refpectable perfons teftified the good character of the prifoners. The Judge, notwithstanding his great fatigue, fully fummed up the evidence, with obfervations on it, and the jury, without going out of court, pronounced a verdict of, not guilty. 23. At a feffions of admiralte, (A3)

at

1