CHRONICLE ep 
town on Monday morning, to at- 
tend a meeting on the exchequer 
warrants. News is generally good 
here, funds rather better,” &c. 
This letter unfortunately had the 
defired effect, Mr. Boddington im- 
mediately fetting off for town in 
the mail, leaving his wife at Bath. 
He muft have been paffed on the 
road by the defendant, who went 
thither, and carried Mrs. Bodding- 
ton away. On Mr. Boddington’s 
arriving in town, he found the fol- 
lowing letter left for him by the 
defendant :— 
“ When we partedon Wednefday. 
laft, it was for the lait time. This 
night I go from London, never to 
return again. I have deceived you 
in fending for you to town, and 
wih | had not in other things. If 
you fee. my father,, for God’s fake 
break the matter to him by degrees. 
have takeafeven hundred pounds. 
. * Benjy. BoDDINGTON.”’ 
. Mr. Law, as advocate for the de- 
fendant, made a very able fpeech 
in mitigation of damages, and after 
fome obfervations on his client’s 
conduct, he concluded by entreat- 
ing the jury to tincture their juftice 
with mercy, and only award a fair. 
retribution. ‘The under-fheriff then 
fummed, up the evidence; and the. 
Jury, after retiring out of court. for 
about twenty minutes, returned 
with a verdict of 10,0001. damages. 
9th. A very melancholy and 
diftrefling calamity occurred at Mr. 
hiewx’s brewhoufe, in Liquorpond-. 
ftreet., A porter vat having been 
emptied on Thurfday, and kept 
| _ open above the ufual time of fix-. 
and-thirty hours before it was 
- tleanfed, one of the men was. let 
down acrofs a ftick faftened to 
:| ropes, to perform that fervice ; he 
unfortunately, letting go his hold, 
fell to the bottom, and ‘the vapour’ 
not being evaporated, caufed inftant 
fuffocation ; his companion, feeing 
his fituation, and having procured a 
joint ladder, went down into the 
veflel, where, on reaching the bot- 
tom, he fell lifelefs. Mr. Squires, 
acting clerk, imagining he could 
bring the unfortunate perfons up, 
perfifted alfo in going down, though 
intreated to defift, and accordingly 
being fupplied with ropes, he put 
one round the neck and waift of 
one of the men; but being defired 
by the perfens above to fhift it un- 
der his arms, while performing this 
humane office the effluvia overpow- 
ered him, and he dropped down 
dead. The bodies of all three, af- 
ter fome time, were drawn up by 
hooks. His Royal Highnefs the 
Duke of York, who happened to be 
at Mr. Leader’s, coach-maker, at 
the time of the accident, went im- 
mediately to the brewhoufe, and 
ordered every medical affiftance to 
be. procured. Several gentlemen 
of the faculty attended, and ufed 
the means of refufcitation for near 
three hours, but without. effect. 
The coroner’s jury’ fat at eight 
o’clock in the evening, and brought 
in their verdiét Accidental Death. 
Mr, Squires was only twenty-five 
years of age. They were all of 
them married, and one has left four 
children. | 
A few days fince the firft’ brick 
of the new bridge erected over the 
river Avon, by public fubfcription, 
in the centre of the village of Pew- 
fey, in the county of Wilts, was 
laid, through the indefatigable ex- 
ertions of the Rev. Jofeph Town- 
fend, rector of that parifh: the wa- 
ter whereof having for many-years~ 
proved fo fatal to cattle in the win- 
ter feafon, as well as almoft a total 
obftruction 
