torn from his back. A number of persons were by this time collected together in all directions, by whose shouts, and by the novel appearance of the Balloon, the cattle in the fields were alarmed to that degree, that their actions became truly ludicrous. During this time the car frequently touched the ground, and rebounded up again for several yards; and, by one of these shocks, Mr. Paget was thrown out of the car, but had sufficient presence of mind to catch hold of the rim of the car at the same instant, by which he persevered in holding till assistance arrived, and every thing was secured, and his companion, Mr. Sadler, released from his perilous situation, and safely landed on terra firma. At this time it wanted five minutes to four o'clock, and the travellers were within three hundred yards of Tilbury Fort, and about one hundred and fifty yards from the river, || the voyage having occupied a space of one hour and thirteen minutes. THE MOCK PARSON.-The deceptions which this man has practised have been to a much greater extent than those of any swindler that has appeared for a number of years past, as he has perpetrated his depredations in all parts of London, and in different counties, and with a description of men, such as the Clergy, who are in general well-educated men, and it would be supposed not easily duped. We have not room to give a detail of all his misdeeds. He got a pretty good footing at St. Clement's Church, in the Strand, by merely calling there, sometimes in a curricle, gig, or on horseback, pretending he was just come from the country; and under pretences of being familiar with Colleges and Gentlemen belonging to them, he imposed upon Mr. Gurney, the Rector, and Mr. Shepherd, his assistant, and got acquainted with their connections, frequently baving dined with them, and having often Clerk and Sexton offered to put him out; but Mr. Shepherd declined that; however, it was from this circumstance, and his wanting to bor. row Mr. Shepherd's Master of Arts' gown, for the purpose, as he said, of going to the Installa tion of the Duke of Gloucester, at Cambridge, that he became suspected by that connection.→ On Sunday, July 28, he went to Hammersmith early in the morning previous to the commence. ment of the Church Service, and called upon the Rector, and introduced himself, as usual, as having just come from Oxford, as the Rev. Mr. Tucker; that he was going to dine and spend the day with the Master of the Academy at Ham||mersmith, and offered his assistance in the Church Service of the day. The Rector received him very politely, and accepted his offer; observ ing, that probably he would give them a sermon. Tucker replied, he was not exactly prepared for that, but would read prayers in the morning, and preach in the afternoon. The Rector very readily agreed to this. Tucker said he had not a gown with him; the Rector, without hesitation lent him his best gown. After the morning service was over, Tucker strutted through the town with the Rector's gown on, and went to the Academy where he had formerly lived as usher; the Master and family were all very much surprised to see him, especially in his clerical dress; but he had a tale ready made to impose upon them; he told them that their suspicions of the impropriety of his conduct when the lived there were groundless; that he had good friends, who had got him into the church: since which time he had got acquainted with their Rector, who had invited him to Hananersmith that day to assist him in the duties of the church; that he was going to preach in the afternoon, and hoped they would go to hear him, to which they agreed; and being de done the duty at that church. One day Mr. Shep-ceived by his false representations, invited him herd was engaged to bury a corpse, and about the same time he was engaged out to dine; when Tucker being there, offered his services to bury the corpse, which Mr. Shepherd accepted, and he performed the burial ceremony. Dr. Hawker was engaged to preach a charity sermon at that church lately. Tucker made his appearance in the vestry at an early hour, and although Mr. Shepherd had promised to read the prayers for the Doctor, this fellow got possession of the surplice, against the consent of the Clerk and Sexton, and went into the desk. Mr. Shepherd coming into the church in good time, was surprised and displeased to discover him in the desk; the to dinner, &c. In the mean time an inhabitant of Hammersmith, who was at the church in the morning, called upon the Rector, and asked him if he knew who it was that read prayers? The Rector replied in the negative, and said he had introduced himself as the Rev. Mr. Tucker, but that he was very well known to the Master of the Academy. The preson told the Rector he had no doubt of his being an impostor. They in consequence went off to the Academy, where they found Tucker swaggering away in the Rector's gown. The person publicly accused him, aud told him of some of his tricks. The Rector insisted upon having his gown again, and a constable was sent for. Tucker denied the charge, and appeared so extremely hurt at the circumstance, that it made him ill, and he went into the garden; and to avoid suspicion that he was going to make his escape, he did not take his hat with him; but when be got into the garden, he took off the hat of one of the biggest boys belonging to the school, telling him he was going to take a walk in the adjoining field. The boy perceiving him to be the person who had read prayers at church in the morning, had no suspicion of any thing wrong, so that his escape was not discovered for some time after, when he had made clear off across the fields, towards Fulham. The following additional charges have been made against him, at the Public Office, Bow-street-Thomas Edbrook, of the City of Quebec public-house, in Oxford-street, said, that some time since the prisoner came to his house, and had some port wine, which he said was very good, and he liked it so much, that he ordered some to be sent to his lodgings, in Green street, Grosvenor-square; also some sherry. He entered into conversation with the landlord for a considerable time; and in giving an acount of himself, said, he was Curate of Park-street Chapel, till his father, who was Mayor of Wellington, could procure him a living. Before he left the house, he borrowed 5s. 6d. of the landlord, saying, he had come out without silver, andwould return it when be sent the money for the wine; but which has not been done. Benjamin Tedder, the Clerk of Park-street Chapel, said, that the Rev. J. C. Young is the officiating Curate and Reader at the Chapel; the Rev. Nathan el Hinde is the proprietor; the Rev. JamesTanier Clark is one of the preachers; and the Rev. J. R. Roberts is one of the alternate preachers every other Sunday. The prisoner preached there one afternoon lately for Mr. Young, and administered the sacrament on the same day for Mr. Clark, which were the only times he had done duty there, and it was upon his own application he was permitted to do so.Sunday, July 28, he read prayers at St. Martin's Church, and published the banus of marriage with such an audiable voice, that he quite captivated some ladies. PROVINCIALS, INCLUDING REMARKABLE OCCURRENCES, DEATHS AND MARRIAGES, &c. IN THE SEVERAL COUNTIES OF GREAT BRITAIN. DEVONSHIRE. well in an adjoining meadow, threw her in, and covered her with earth." The boy relates this an answer. LEICESTERSHIRE. MYSTERIOUS STORY.-Aug. 4, a lad, about fifteen years of age, was put on shore at Ply-account very distinctly, with every particular of mouth, from one of his Majesty's frigates, and names and places, and says he is very ready to sent on to Exeter, and is now in the County prove the same to the face of his master; he furBridewell. His coming on shore, it is said, is in ther declares, he has repeatedly mentioned the consequence of a most extraordinary and affect-circumstance on board the ship, and has many ing narrative which he relates, viz-"That he times written home to his friends, but never had was forcibly sent on board a tender, about six years ago, to prevent his discovering of a murder, committed in his presence by his master, a Gentieman who then lived in the neighbourhood of Liverpool, and who had two daughters, one called Mary, and the other Betsey; the latter, a young lady of about nineteen years of age, having absconded a few days, the father, as he was riding in his carriage one morning, about half a mile from home, saw her at the window of a house of ill fame, and immediately descended from his carriage, conveyed her home, took her into the stable, bound her hands and feet, and after having masked her face, puta balter round her neck, and hung her; when dead, he covered her with straw under the manger, where she remained till twelve o'clock at night, when he took her to a ECCENTRIC CHARACTER.-The Rev. Mr. Hagamore, of Catshoge, Leicestershire, died the 1st of Junuary, 1770, possessed of the following effects, viz.,00l. per annum, and 10061. in money, which (he dying intestate) fel! to a ticket-porter, in London. He kept one servant of each sex, whom he locked up every night. His last employment of an evening was to go round his premises, let loose his dogs, and fire his gun. He lost his life as follows:-Going one morning to et out his servants, the dogs fawned upon him suddenly, and threw him into a poud, where he was found breast high. His servants heard him call for assistance, but being locked up could not lend him any. He had 30 gowns and cassocks, back have been blistered, without producing any sensible effect; and strong electrical shocks have produced no bodily sensation. His pulse is generally regular, but wants tone. The pupil of his eye is in a slight degree dilated, and his respi 100 pair of breeches, 100 pair of boots, 400 pair of shoes, so wigs, yet always wore his own hair, 58 dogs, 80 waggons and carts, 80 ploughs, and used none, 50 saddles and furniture for the menage, 30 wheel-barrows, so many walking-sticks that a toyman, in Leicester-fields, offered sl. for them,ration is easy; nor has it been much interrupted 60 horses and mares, 200 pick-axes, 200 spades and shovels, 74 ladders, and 249 razors. SOMERSETSHIRE. from the commencement. Every mode of arousing him from the insensible state in which he lies has entirely failed. Snuff has been thrust up his nostrils, and pungent salts applied, neither of which have produced any other effect than that of a secretion from his eyes. On the 14th of July, it was deterniined to try on him the nitrous oxyd of fgas; the operation of which is known to occasion so extraordinary a degree of mental and bodily excitation. The tube affixed to the bladder, containing the gas, was applied to the man's mouth; but his teeth were so firmly closed, that all efforts to open them proved fruitless. His nostrils and lips were then compressed, and every means taken to prevent his inhaling any air but the gaseous fluid. This attempt was persevered in until his pulse became interrupted, evidently from his desisting to breathe, and no effect in consequence resulted from the experiment. The man now remains in the saine state of total insensibility. WILTSHIRE. SINGULAR CASE-About the beginning of the present year, Phenis Adams, a private in the first Somerset Militia, applied for surgical aid in consequence of an ulcerated wound in his arm. On examination it appeared that the ulcer was occasioned by his own contrivance, and that consequently he would be discharged; he deserted from his regiment. Upon his apprehension, he was committed to the gaol at Wilton, where he was attended by a medical gentleman, in consequence of a wound which he then exhibited on his leg, which there is much reason to suppose was artificially produced. On the 24th of April last, he fell down a flight of steps, and was then taken up with the blood oozing from his ears. Being conveyed to bed, he appeared to have suffered no material injury, but, in a day or two afterwards he observed to the medical gentleman who attended him, that he thought he was getting deaf. Believing this to be a new stratagem to accomplish his purpose, the medical gentleman asked him in a low tone of voice, "Are you deaf?" To which the man replied, "Yes, very deaf." Intimation was then given him that his object was understood, and would of course be defeated. Immediately happy situation. He exhorted the spectators to after this Adams fell into a state of profound in-shun the first temptations to sin, to avoid breaksensibility, and has so remained down to the pre-ing the Sabbath, which, he knew by experience, rent period—a space of nearly four months. From occasioned a disregard for other crimes. The that time the sustenance he received has been platform was then removed from under him, and very slight, consisting entirely of tea, broths, he was launched into eternity. His body was and occasionally of small portions of bread and given to the surgeons for dissection.-Tucker butter. On the 24th of April the accident hap- was 36 years old, his wife was 50. He was not pened; on the 25th his pulse was very hard, and in the distressed circumstances he had described indicated inflammation of the brain, upon which himself; for when he could get no work at weavhe was bled, and the symptoms abated. The fol-ing, he travelled the country vending nostrums lowing day, in consequence of his pulse increas- styling himself "Dr. Tucker, Practitioner in, ing, he was again bled; from which period he has remained in his present state. His head and EXECUTION. Samuel Tucker, who was tried at Salisbury, for starving his wife to death, con fessed his guilt when at chapel. On Friday, Aug. 9, at noon, he was taken from his cell, and ascended the scaffold erected in the yard of the gaol. He continued to behave as became his un Physic." London: Printed by JOHN BELL, Southampton-street, Strand. September 1, 1811. BEING Bell's COURT AND FASHIONABLE MAGAZINE, FOR SEPTEMBER, 1811. A New Series. EMBELLISHMENTS. 1. A correct Portrait of the Right Honourable LADY MULGRAVE. 2. The FAMILY OF VAN OSTADE; by VAN OSTADE.". 3. THE SINGER; by Ditto. 4. TWO WHOLE-LENGTH FIGURES in the FASHIONS of the SEASON, COLOURED. 3. An elegant and new PATTERN for NEEDLE-WORK. 6. THE RIDDLE; an Original Song for the Harp and Piano-forte, composed by Mr. DIEDIN, expressly and exclusively for this Work. A Correct Representation of the EXTERIOR OF THE CONSERVATORY AT CARLTONHOUSE, in which the Royal Entertainment was lately given in honour of the King's Birth-Day, is engraving, and was intended to form a part of the Embellishments of this Number of LA BELLE ASSEMBLEE; it has, however, been found impracticable to finish the Plate in the masterly manner proposed, early enough for publication this Month. The Plate will be finely executed in time for the ensuing Number to be published on the first of November ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS, on allinteresting subjects, are now admitted into the New Series of LA BELLE ASSEMBLEE, if written in a chaste and elegant style. Authentic accounts of Births, Marriages, Deaths, and Provincial Intelligence, possessing any peculiar character,will hereafter meet with the most respectful attention, and a reason will be assigned in the next successive Numbers for whatever articles may be omitted; but it is requested that all Letters be sent free of Postage. London: PRINTED BY AND FOR JOHN BELL, PROPRIETOR OF THE WEEKLY MESSENGER, |