14 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1800. 



be fixed upon as the perpetrator of 

 this act. The following bulletin 

 on this subject was issued from the 

 horse-guards, in the course of the 

 afternoon : 



"Horse-Guards, May 15. 



" This morning, during the field- 

 day of the grenadier battalion of the 

 foot guards, in Hyde-Park, a shot 

 was accidentally discharged from 

 the ranks, which unfortunately 

 wounded a gentleman of the name 

 of Ongley, who was amongst the 

 spectators. The shot perforated 

 Mr. Ongley's thigh, but did not in- 

 jure the bone or arteries. His ma- 

 jesty directed the military surgeon 

 present to examine and dress Mr. 

 Ongley's wounds, and was much 

 gratified by the favourable report 

 made by Mr. Nixon, the surgeon 

 of the grenadiers. His majesty, on 

 , coming from the field, sent his com- 

 mand to Mr. Keate, the surgeon- 

 general, and Mr. Rush, the inspec- 

 tor of hospitals, to wait on Mr. 

 Ongley, and to oifer their as- 

 sistance during the progress of his 

 cure." 



In the evening, a most alarming 

 and extraordinary circumstance oc- 

 curred at the theatre royal, Drury- 

 lane. At the moment when his 

 majesty entered the box, a man 

 in the pit, near the orchestra, on 

 the right hand side, suddenly stood 

 up and discharged a pistol at the 

 royal person. His majesty had ad- 

 vanced about four steps from the 

 door. On the report of a pistol his 

 majesty stopped, and stood firmly. 

 The house was immediately in an 

 uproar, and the cry of "seize him" 

 burst from every part of the theatre. 

 The king, apparently not the least 

 disconcerted, came nearly to the 

 front of the box. The man who 

 committed the crime was seized and 



conveyed from the pit. The audi- 

 ence vehemently called out "shew 

 him!" In consequence of which 

 loyal clamour, Kelly, who, with a 

 multitude of persons belonging to 

 the theatre, had rushed upon the 

 stage, came forward and assured 

 them that the culprit was in safe 

 custody. The indignation of the 

 audience was soothed by this intelli- 

 gence, and "God save the king" was 

 universally demanded. It was sung 

 by all the vocal performers, and en- 

 cored. The curtain drew up for the 

 comencement of the play ; but Ban- 

 nister, jun. was not suffered to pro- 

 ceed till something more could be 

 learned respecting the wretch who 

 had made this diabolical attempt. 

 Bannister and Mrs. Jordan both 

 again assured the audience that 

 the culprit was perfectly secured, 

 and the play was then suffered 

 to go on without farther interrup- 

 tion. 



Mr. Sheridan, assisted by Mr. 

 Wigstead, the magistrate, proceeded 

 immediately to examine the man 

 in the room into which he had been 

 conducted, and where he had been 

 searched, to see if he had any other 

 fire-arms, or papers. He had none. 

 Mr. Tamplin, a trumpeter in the 

 band, who assisted in taking him 

 over the orchestra, recognized the 

 man to be a soldier, and pulling open 

 his coat, found that he had on a 

 military waistcoat, with the button 

 of the J 5th. light dragoons. It was 

 an officer's old waistcoat. On being 

 questioned by Mr. Sheridan,he said, 

 " he had no objection to tell who 

 he was. It was not over yet — there 

 was a great deal more and worse to 

 be done ; his name was James Had- 

 field; he had served his time to a 

 working silversmith, but liad enlist- 

 ed into the 15th light dragoons, and 



