On Monday week, Ayton House, near Berwick, the property of
Mr. Fordyce, was discovered to be in flames; and the family and domestics had only time to escape, almost naked. A messenger was immediately despatched to Berwick; but before the engines could arrive, a great part of time roof had fallen in, and the valuable furniture, library, &c., with a chest, containing a large quantity of plate, were destroyed.
Two incendiary fires were discovered on Monday night, in the parish of Brailes, in Warwickshire, at nearly the same moment, though nearly a mile distant. One of these was on the farm of Mr. Edward Shel- don, of Brailes House; and consumed eleven stacks of wheat, barks', beans, and hay, besides the farmhouse, barn, and out. buildings. The other was on the fann of a Mr. Baker, one of the Churchwardens of Brailes parish ; which destroyed two stacks of wheat and clover. All the property was insured. Two hundred pounds reward has been offered by the parish fur the conviction of the offenders.
A gentleman who was proceeding from Durham towards Sunder- land, alone in his gig, one day last week, overtook, in the dusk of the evening, a person on foot, having the appearance of a respectable fe- male; who politely asked him the favour of a ride ; which the gentle- man readily granted. Stein after the vacant seat became occupied, the gentleman turned his bead roiled to speak to his supposed female com- panion, when he observed a whisker on the cheek. Surprised and somewhat alarmed at this d:scoviry, he purposely dropped a glove on the road ; and immediately drew up, requesting the stranger to be So good as alight and pick it up, as his horse would not stand to enable him to do so. This scheme laid the desired effect ; the person alighted, and the gentleman instantly drove off at a rapid pace, leaving his late companion at a distance in the rear. On afterwards examining a reti- vide which had been left in the gig, the gentleman was horrified to find that it contained a brace of loaded pistols. —Durham iblvertri..r.
The clerk to the Warwick and Napton Canal Company has ab- sconded, after embezzling the property of his employers, to the amount, as is supposed, of 10,00a On Sunday afternoon, nine young men belonging to Arundel took a walk by the river-side ; and having proceeded sonic distance, they all got into a small punt, for the purpose of crossing over to the opposite side of the river. Unfortunately the boat upset, mid seven out of the nine were drowned. Only one of them could swim, and he succeeded in saving his own life and that of another.
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