10 
910 guineas. The former. posses- 
ser bought them for 1301. Mr. 
Alderman Boydell bid 9001. for 
them, 
The sale of such part of the 
Prince of Wales’s stud as could be 
parted with consistently with his 
present engagements, produced 
3836 guineas. 
3d. Oxford. Yesterday a per- 
son dismounted in the entrance of 
the lane on the other side of St. 
Clement’s Field, about a mile from 
this city, on the Henley road, and 
having fastened his mare to a gate- 
post in the side of the lane, applied 
a pistol to his right temple, and 
shot himself dead upon the spot. 
A gentleman of All Souls college 
almost instantly came up, who 
made the utmost speed to procure 
a surgeon, when it was found that 
the ball had passed quite through 
his head. In his pockets were 
found a memorandum-book, a gold 
watch, a few guineas, with some 
silver; and in his left-hand coat- 
pocket another loaded pistol. Di- 
vers persons soon after coming 
along the road, the body was 
known to be that of Mr. Thomas 
Turner, of this place, gold and sil- 
versmith, against whom a commis- 
sion of bankrupt was lately award- 
ed, and who was to have appeared 
this day at the Cross-Inn in this 
ity, to undergo his first examina- 
tion before the commissioners. 
13th. The most horrid and diabo- 
lical piece ef premeditated barbarity 
was perpetrated at the house of Mr. 
Vasey (called Rushcomb House) in 
the parish of Exford, near Exeter, 
that could enter into the mind of the 
most malignant villain. The wretch 
(who is a near relation to Mrs. Va- 
sey ) went into the stable, and, after 
mixing a quantity of arsenic amongst 
the oats, gave it to a team of fine 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1702. 
horses, who all of them died the 
next day in excruciating agonies. 
Not content with this cruelty, the 
villain, on Saturday the 17th at 
midnight, set fire to the house and 
stables at four different places; 
and, had not the cries of an infant 
providentially awaked Mrs. Vasey, 
it is more than probable the whole 
family must have perished in the 
flames, which were so extremely 
rapid, that Mr. and Mrs. Vasey, 
with their children and servants, 
had but just time to make their 
escape. The next morning Sir 
Thomas Ackland, with that huma- 
nity that ever marks his conduct, 
sent for Mr. Vasey and, his family, 
to whom he administered every 
comfort their melancholy situation 
would admit of. The house, barns, 
and stables, are reduced to a heap 
of ruins.—A reward of 1001. is of- 
fered for apprehending the offender, 
who is said to have been possessed 
formerly of 8000I. a year. 
The people of Shields have con- 
structed a boat, which will go out 
with safety to the assistance of dis- 
tresscd mariners, when no other 
constructed vessel could possibly 
live. It has already been the means 
of saving many lives. 
At Shrewsbury assizes came on 
to be tried a cause of very consi- 
derable importance to the tanners 
in every part of the kingdom. By 
the statute of the Ist of James I. 
all persons are prohibited, under 
very heavy penalties, from carrying 
on the trade of tanning, except 
such as have served regular appren- 
ticeships to the same, or are other- 
wise qualified, as the act requires. 
Notwithstanding this, many ad- 
venturers have of late years taken 
upon themselves the trade of tan- 
ning; so that it became seriously 
requisite to bring the question to” 
be 
