The people at Sandgate were alarmed on Tuesday evening, by
what they supposed to be a great fire at Folkestone: but on hastening to that town they discovered it to proceed from a cliff over:longing the sea, on the road from Folkstone to Sandgate, which presented a most beau- tiful sight ; the long, bunchy, dry grass that covers it, was in one ins mense blaze for about two miles. All attempts to extinguish it were perfectly useless; and it was not till Wednesday morring that it was stopped by a shower of rain. So intense was the heat, that some stones and bricks that were within its range were completely vitrified.
At the very time the lionises of Parliament were in flames last week, a fire occurred at Thunderaley, near Rayleigh, Essex, on the premises of Mr. Brinekly, a large farmer. The lire, which broke out in the stack-yard, raged with ungovernable fury, destroying property to a very large amount. It is understood to be the work of an incendiary
A large range of farm buildings near Tunbridge, containing a consi- derable quantity of corn and hay, were set lire to on Suuday morning, and almost entirely consumed. About a fortnight before, an unsuc- cessful attempt was merle to burn the same property.
Mr. Lumby. clerk to the Birmingham and Staffordshire Gas-light .
Company, vas committed for trial on Monday week, after an examina- tion at the Police. office in that town, on two charges of forging trans- fers of shares in the Company from a ?1r. Burdon to a Mrs. Ruston and Mr. Packer. These were not the only frauds he is charged with. He is said to have transferred more than fifty shares belonging to Mr. Burdon to various parties, and thereby realized a sum of 48551., whieh he has spent. The Birthinylium Advertiser gives the following parti- culars relative to his apprehension, tke.
" The mode in which Lumby's frauds were discovered was extremely simple. Lumby, to conceal the transfer of the shares from Mr. Burdon, was obliged to make good the full amount if the dividends ou one hundred shares, though Mr. B.'s name was entered in the books as proprietor of only tilry ; and he therefore paid half the dividends in cash and half in a check from the Directors. This at length excited suspicion, and Mr. Bunion was sent for and confronted with Lumpy, when the latter was least prepared for such an encounter, and being nimble satisfactorily to explain the entry in the books, and reconcile it with the payment of the cash to the hankers, he was consigned to the custody of the Police. It is singular that tawdry, like Fauntleroy, kept a list of his various delinquencies. Such a list was found in one of Lumby's desks, headed, "Business I must immediately attend to." On searching the Company's house in the square, in which booby resided, everything was found as if in a state of preparation for the reception of some distinguished company ; and on Thurs- day these appearances were fully and satisfactorily explained. Oa the evening, of that day no less a personage arrived as a visiter than Fergus O'Connor, Esq., the Member for the county of Cork, who, it is said, is on the eve of marriage to the niece of Mrs. Lumby ; the intended bride, ton, no less a per • Image than Mrs. Nesbit, the aceomplished and fascinating actress, who is now residing with her much-afflicted aunt."
Mr. William Southgate, Surveyor of Customs at the port of Liver- pool, was shot yesterday week, by Norman Welch, a weigher in the Customs. Mr. Southgate was speaking to one of the officers in the Customhouse-yard, Wilel Welch deliberately tired a pistol at him, and the contents lodged in the left breast. The poor gentleman f,11 itnnie•
()Lady, saying, " Oh, I'm shot, I'm shot!" he assassia threw down the pistol, and said, " There !" lle was immediately taken into ens. tody, by one of the men on the premises. When in gaol, he said that he had " shot a damned rogue, and one that had robbed him,"—allud- ing to a complaint which Mr. Southgate had made against him to Mr. Ross the Inspector, who had tined him or reduced his wages in conse- quence. A phial of laudanum was found on the prisoner, and lie seems to have been a man of rather intemperate habits. Mr. Southgate died on Monday afternoon ; and a Coroner's Jury, which sat on the body, found a verdict of " Wilful murder " against Welch, who was coin pitted for trial.
James Thursby, an old man, was lately put into possession of a house belonging to Mr. Crawley, who lives at ‘Vhetstone, near Barnet. On the evening of Monday week, on his return to the premises, he was waylaid and robbed by two ruffians, who ill-treated him so that he has since died. Shortly after the robbery—they only obtained Gs.—he was discovered lying on the ground insensible, bleeding profusely from the head. He was conveyed to a beer-shop near ; and u medical man was sent for, who promptly attended and dressed the wounds. Information of the robbery was instantly given to the nearest Police station; and Collard, one of the Bow Street mounted Police, succeeded in appre- hending two men next day, named Peat and Hamshanks, who Lave been examined before the Magistrates of St. Albans on the charge of robbing and attempting to murder the old man. The prisoners were fully committed to Hertford Gaol, to await the result of the Coroner's inquest.
These are not the only murderous incidents we have to record this week. On the night of IVednesday the 15th, so early as eight o'clock, &servant in the employ of Mr. C. B. Massingberg, of South Orms
near Louth, was returning home; when within a mile from the latter Place, he was stopped by a ruffian, who robbed him of his money, and afterwards fired a pistol at him ; which took effect, and wounded him in the elboW. A reward of twenty guineas has been offered by Mr. Idassingberg for the discovery of the wretch; but as yet no tidings have been heard of Lim.—Siamybrd News.
A quantity of sovereigns, of Birmingham manufacture, which have been sent to Lisbon, were found, on being assayed at the Mint, to con- list of glass, alloy, and a mere varnish of gold : they were thrown on the contractor's hands, and are to be sent back to the place they came from. It is doubtful whether they are worth the freight and expensel.
Birmingham Advertiser.
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