enjoyed a character untainted by crime, and he now for the first time was to be branded with infamy for an offence he had never committed. The defence entered into a long recital of the prisoner's prior life. He was a native of the West Indies, and had never been on a horse since he left his native country; he had for many years been accustomed to wear a powdered wig: his own hair being little else than wool. He had a wife and child, and had always lived in happiness with them until the present moment. The defence concluded with a denial of the accusation. The Jury acquitted the prisoner, and he was released from the dock, after both the court and the jury had expressed their entire conviction of his innocence. He modestly bowed to the court on his leaving the dock. He was cheered by the loud and enthusiastic applause of the audience-an honourable expression of feeling at the triumph of an innocent and injured

man.

A dreadful fire broke out this morning, at five o'clock, in the house of Mr. Kerr, boot and shoe-maker, at the corner of Norfolk-street, Strand. The flames were at first discovered in the lower part of the house by the watchmen and some passengers, and an alarm was immediately given. By this means the family were providentially saved from an untimely death. Mr. Kerr escaped with scarcely an article of dress upon him. Of all the valuable property on the premises, a few of Mr. Kerr's account-books only were saved. The flames advanced with an overwhelming rapidity, and in a few minutes the house was enve

loped in one awful blaze. Engines from every fire-office in London soon arrived on the spot, but nearly half an hour elapsed before water was procured. The exertions of the firemen were then directed towards checking the progress of mischief to the adjoining houses.-In this prudent effort they were successful in Norfolk-street, but in the Strand they were not equally fortunate. The devouring element soon caught the dwelling of Mr. Carey, the chart-seller, and in a short time that building added to the melancholy grandeur of the spectacle. Soon afterwards the roof and front of Mr. Kerr's house fell, with a tremendous crash.

A most shocking case of rape was heard at the office in Marlborough-street. A retired tradesman, living in the parish of Saint James, of the highest respectability, who has a country house in Hertfordshire, left his children there under the care of two female servants, who, it turns out, have cohabited with two men. One of the females, after remaining all night with her paramour, conveyed one of the infants, under eleven years of age, to the fellow she had slept with. The man's name is Kentish, a poacher, and both he and the servant girl are committed to Hertford gaol for trial: the man for an assault with an intent to ravish, the female for aiding and abetting.

Mysterious Case.-An investigation which excited the greatest interest, and lasted till a very late hour, came on at this office. Elizabeth Barnes, a girl 10 years of age, was brought up, charged by Mr. John Wright, linen-draper of Foley-place, Mary-le-bone, on

suspicion of having at several times set fire to his house and furniture; she was also charged with having, by some extraordinary means, set fire to the wear ing apparel of Mrs. Wright at various times, by which her clothes were burnt off her back, and injured her so dreadfully that her life is despaired of. The office was crowded to excess. Mr. Wright stated, that the prisoner had been servant in the house for some time past, but they never suspected her of any thing wrong until they were induced, from the following most extraordinary circumstances, to entertain an idea that she had intentions of destroying the house and family. Wednesday morning, January the 5th, about half past 8 o'clock, his mother was sitting in the parlour by herself, and the prisoner was in the shop alone; his mother was seriously alarmed by a fire which broke out in the shop, which did considerable injury, and it commenced by some means in one of the drawers in the counter. Friday, the 7th of January, about 11 o'clock in the morning, his mother was sitting by the fire in the kitchen, the prisoner being the only person with her, and on rising she had not gone as far as the door before all her clothes were on fire; and had it not been for speedy assistance in putting out the flames, she would have been burnt to death; she was burnt dreadfully. The next day (Saturday), about 12 o'clock in the morning, on witness's return home he had not been long in the house before he was alarmed by the dreadful screams of his mother, who was in the kitchen; he procecded there, and again found her enve

loped in flames: he succeeded in putting them out: there was scarcely any fire in the grate at the time; the prisoner was the only person with her; and when her clothes caught fire his mother was more than eight feet from the grate. No suspicion was at this time formed against the prisoner, and she was ordered to protect his mother. On the Sunday he was in the parlour, and his mother and the prisoner were in the kitchen together, but being alarmed by her screams, he ran down stairs, and found her again covered with flames; he put a rug over her, and put them out, by which he saved her life. Part of her clothes were burned to a cinder, and her flesh was materially injured: the prisoner had just left the kitchen at the time this happened, and when his mother was crossing the kitchen she found herself again in flames; her clothes were burned off her back; she did not know by what means she caught fire, but was fully confident that no spark flew on her; she thought something supernatural attended her. She described when the flames touched her skin, that she felt it like knives crossing her. The prisoner, when this happened, burst into laughing at his mother, although her life was in peril; the suspicion on his mind was, that the prisoner had thrown something on her to cause the burning. On the Sunday his mother was placed under the protection of his sister, but happening to go into the kitchen, where the prisoner was, her clothes by some unknown means again caught fire; her violent screams alarmed miss Wright, who went down stairs and found

her clothes all in flames; she tore off her clothes as well as she could, but she was injured so dreadfully by the fire, that she was put to bed: they left her apparently asleep, but in a short time after they were again alarmed by her screams, and on going up stairs they found her in the bed surrounded by fire, the bed and the curtains being all in a blaze, and she attempting to extinguish them; the house and property were much injured. The prisoner was afterwards sent up stairs, and she came down again, saying the room was all on fire; they went upstairs, and found one of the rooms all in flames; they were with much difficulty put out the next alarm was on Tuesday evening, at half-past eight o'clock; when he returned home his sister met him, and said the place had been in the utmost confusion, and again on fire; the counter (a fixture) was literally destroyed, and the place was filled with smoke and fire. The prisoner was ordered to go to bed at 11 o'clock, at which time she went, but she shortly returned, begging them to go up stairs, that Mr. Bannister's room (one of the lodgers) was on fire; they went up stairs to Mr. Bannister's room, and found him going to bed, and calling out fire. Witness then opened his sister's bed-room door, when he was nearly knocked down by the flames and smoke rushing upon him; the room was filled with a dense smoke, and the room all in a blaze. He went to a mahogany chest of drawers the day after, all of which were locked except one, on opening which the flames rushed out on him, and the drawers partly were burned to a cinder. At 4 o'clock in the

afternoon of the same day, another fire broke out in the same room, although firemen were employed to stay in the house, and had stopped up the preceding night. The following morning, about 11 o'clock, another fire broke out in an apartment up stairs, and did considerable injury. The prisoner, on the discovery of the fire was seen close by the door, under very suspicious circumstances; and he ordered her instantly to quit the house. He spoke to Mr. Lockie of the Fireoffice. The officers of this establishment were employed to make every inquiry, and since the prisoner had quitted the place they had not undergone the least alarm. His mother was confined to her bed, and was under the care of a surgeon, without the least hopes of recovery. Miss Wright attended in a very weak condition, and corroborated every thing her brother had stated. The prisoner, in her defence, denied the charge, and said her mistress's clothes caught fire accidentally. She knew nothing of the other accidents. Mr. Conant said, of all the cases he had ever heard of, he never knew of one to equal the above in atrocity, and he had no doubt the prisoner was guilty of something which he was afraid could not be brought against her, without the attendance of Mrs. Wright; the evidence was defective unless it came from her own mouth. She being unable to attend, and taking the prisoner's youth into consideration, he would order her to find bail to keep the peace towards her, until Mrs. Wright was able to attend herself. Mr. Wright assured the magistrate that he would use every entreaty to make her come

forward, but her situation at present was most dangerous.

An inquest was held at the Black Swan, in Rider's Court, Leicester-square, on the body of Mr. William Bowers, aged 61, late of Earl's-court, Cranborne-alley, leather-seller. It appeared from the evidence, that the deceased, who was a man of respectable circumstances, had been for some years deranged in his intellects, and confined by his wife in a room which was extremely cold, and there left for days together, while he was heard to utter the most piteous cries for food. His body was a perfect skeleton, the manifest result of the inhuman treatment he had experienced. The jury retired for nearly an hour, and then returned the following verdict :-"The deceased departed this life in a natural way; but his death was, in the opinion of the jury, accelerated by culpable neglect." The wife of the deceased was about 35 years of and had been marage, ried to the unfortunate man 11 years.

There are no fewer than fifteen indictments for libel against The Manchester Observer. One of them is against David Wroe, a child about ten years of age, who has already suffered incarceration, and been held to bail, for that he (being instigated by the devil) did utter, vend, and sell a seditious libel contained in The Observer newspaper, &c.

25. Tuesday's Gazette.-DEATH OF HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF KENT.

Whitehall, Jan. 24. Yesterday morning, at o'clock, departed this life, at Sid

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mouth, after a short illness, his royal highness Edward Duke of Kent and Strathern, his majesty's fourth son, to the great grief of all the royal family.

Lord Chamberlain's
Office, Jan. 25.

Orders for the Court's going into mourning, on Sunday next, the 30th instant, for his late royal highness the duke of Kent and Strathern, fourth son of his majesty, viz.

The ladies to wear black bombazins, plain muslin or long lawn, crape hoods, chamois shoes and gloves, and crape fans.

Undress.-Dark Norwich crape.

The gentlemen to wear black cloth, without buttons on the sleeves or pockets, plain muslin or long lawn cravats and weepers, chamois shoes and gloves, crape hatbands, and black swords and buckles.

Undress.-Dark gray frocks.

Herald's College, Jan. 25.

The deputy earl Marshal's order for a general mourning for his late royal h ghness the duke of Kent.

In pursuance of the commands of his royal highness the Prince Regent, acting in the name and on the behalf of his majesty.

These are to give public notice, that it is expected that upon the present melancholy occasion of the death of his late royal highness Edward Duke of Kent and Strathern, fourth son of his majesty, all persons do put themselves into decent mourning, the said mourning to begin on Sunday next, he 30th instant.

HENRY HOWARD - MOLY-
NEUX-HOWARD, Deputy
Earl-Marshal.