406 
true, must convince him that it was 
notso; im the second place, it was 
positively sworn, by a serjeant of the 
name of Martin, who was employed 
in the fabrication of these musters, 
that the colonel had taken an active 
part in it. The evidence of Martin 
was attempted to be disproved by a 
captain Sullivan, of the same regi- 
ment, but without effect. The jury, 
after a short consultation, found the 
defendants guilty. 
13th. Mr. Gray, of the Bell Sa- 
yage Inn, Ludgate Hill, went out 
this morning in a gig, with two chil- 
dren, boys:coming home downGrays- 
Inn-lane, towards Holborn, the gig 
unfortunately came in contact with 
another chaise, and the concussion 
was so great, that Mr. Gray and 
the children were thrown out; one 
child was killed ; the other had his 
arm broke, and was otherwise 
dreadfully bruised. Mr. Gray him- 
self was taken home speechless. 
The same evening, near Kenning- 
ton Cross, a drayman, riding on the 
shafts of his dray, from a very sud- 
den jerk, fell off, when one wheel 
going over his bedy, killed him in- 
stantaneously. 
‘About half past 10 at night, the 
house of Mr. Murphy, a jeweller 
and goldsmith, on Clerkenwell- 
green, was discovered to be on fire. 
[rom the quantity of wood with 
which the honse was built, the flames 
soon spread with astonishing rapi- 
dity, and threatened the whole row 
of buildings with destruction. The 
roof and cieling of the second story 
were on fire before any supply of 
water could be obtained by the en- 
gins: and it was not till after 11 
o'clock that any attempt to extin- 
guish the fire was made. The en- 
gines then, began to play, and con- 
tinued to do so all night. When 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1803. 
the flames were extinguished, no less 
than five houses were entirely con- 
sumed. The cause of the calamity 
proceeded from a furnace in which 
Mr. M. was melting some gold, the 
fire of which flew out, and set the 
shop in flames, before any assistance 
could be procured. Fortunately no 
lives were lost; but three of the 
firemen belonging to the Pheenix 
Company were dreadfully bruised 
by one of the walls which fell in 
upon them, during their exertions 
to save the property of the sufferers ; 
they were conveyed to the hospital. 
Mr. Murphy, we understand, is in- 
sured, but not sufliciently to indem- 
nify him for the loss; the other suf- 
ferers are poor people. 
14th. A half-yearly general court 
of the proprietors of bank-stock was 
this day held at the Bank, for the 
purpose of declaring a dividend. In 
the course of doing this, it became 
necessary for the ‘chairman of the 
court of directors to state the loss 
which the company had sustained 
by Mr. Astlett. ‘The actnal loss. 
he stated at about 320,0001. about 
78,0001. had been employed in 
sources from which the directors 
think they will be able to recover, 
and they are determined to prose- 
cute to that effect. On the part of 
the directors it was stated, that the 
loss by Mr. Astlett would make no 
alteration in the dividends.~ That 
loss amounted to nearly the entire 
dividends of the half year; but the 
affairs of the company were in so 
prosperous a state, that they would 
be able to divide as usual. The 
chairman then proceeded to explain, 
that the court of directors were not 
to blame for the mal-practices of 
Mr. Astlett, who had succeeded in 
making aavedip with the effects of the 
Bank, by interlining sums, and by 
ealling 
