CHRONICLE. 



95 



young people had assembled at the 

 Tailors' Arms public-house, to 

 make merry by dancing, &c. when 

 on a sudden the floor fell through, 

 and the whole company disap- 

 peared, with the exception of the 

 fiddler, who kept his station in one 

 corner of the room, with a foun- 

 dation under him, just sufficient 

 to contain the space of the chair 

 he sat upon. Several of the partj' 

 got broken legs, fractured skulls, 

 or other injuries. 



• 25. This afternoon, between 

 four and five o'clock^ a murder 

 was committed on the body of Mr. 

 William Belsham, cow-keeper, at 

 Maldon, Essex, in his own cow- 

 house, about half a mile out of 

 the town. He had gone as usual 

 to milk his cows. A boy, about 

 twelve years of age, went to him 

 to get some milk ; and as he was 

 returning from the cow-house, he 

 met a man getting over a gate, 

 who went towards the cow-house. 

 In a short time after another boy 

 heard a violent noise, and a man's 

 voice calling for help proceeding 

 from the cow-house ; and soon 

 after, he saw a man come out of 

 the cow-house, and walk delibe- 

 rately away. No more noise was 

 heard from the cow-house. A 

 few minutes after, the boy went 

 into the cow-house to ascertain 

 the cause of the noise, when he 

 found the deceased had been mur- 

 dered, his brains being beat out : 

 the boy ran for help, and a number 

 of persons came, but the deceased 

 was quite dead, and there was no 

 doubt, by the bludgeon which the 

 man had in his hand who was seen 

 to enter and come out of the cow- 

 house, and which was found by 

 the side of the deceased. It was 

 ascertained that he had been 



robbed of his watch, a 1/. Bank of 

 England note, and some silver. 

 From the description of the man, 

 it is believed he is a seaman, named 

 William Seymour, a native of 

 Maldon, who had returned within 

 these few days, having been dis- 

 charged from the San Juan. He 

 was detected in a robbery about 

 two years since, when he was sent 

 on board the Reasonable, where he 

 was discovered to be a deserter 

 from the San Juan, and was sent 

 on board of her. The inhabitants 

 of Maldon dispatched persons in 

 all directions in pursuit of the 

 murderer, who traced him toward 

 the river ; but it being night, all 

 farther search ceased. They have 

 offered a reward of 100/. for his 

 apprehension. 



26. As Miss Nicholas was 

 riding a few days ago, on the 

 bank of the Rhymny, in Wales, 

 her horse took fright, and gal- 

 loped furiously along the road 

 over-hanging the river ; her ser- 

 vant endeavoured to come up with 

 her in vain: perceiving that her 

 own horse exerted himself to keep 

 the head when he heard the other 

 coming up, she made a signal to 

 the servant to check his pace : 

 her own horse, however, con- 

 tinued his course with desperate 

 speed, till she arrived at a place 

 where a rock fallen from the cliff 

 occupied half the road; here the 

 animal had scarcely room to pass 

 between the rock, and the preci- 

 pice; in the attempt to pass, his 

 hind legs and body slipped down 

 the precipice, while his four legs 

 only retained hold of the road : in 

 this •awful situation, without as- 

 sistance, or any prospect but de- 

 struction, the young lady did p«>t 

 delay a moment to attempt her 



