CHRONICLE. 



11 



is supposed to exceed considerably 

 506 grains. 



4. The following is given as a 

 correct account of the late disco- 

 very of frauds in the naval de- 

 partment : — 



A man in Spitalfields being on 

 some occasion examiiied by the 

 magistrates at Union-street, stated 

 certain circumstances which ap- 

 peared to justify a suspicion that 

 there existed a confederncy for de- 

 frauding poor seamen, under pre- 

 tence of procuring their discharges, 

 and the public, by obtaining Green- 

 wich pensions for persons who 

 were not entitled to them. Though 

 the information was not very pre- 

 cise, and was in some particulars 

 rather suspicious, the magistrate 

 thought it his duty to transmit it 

 to the secretary of the Admiralty, 

 who, on an accurate examination 

 of the man, thought that his ac- 

 count was probably correct. Mea- 

 sures were therefore concerted for 

 detecting the offenders ; and at 

 last, proof was obtained of Gawler, 

 late a clerk in the Navy Office, 

 having given a seamen a false dis- 

 charge, and of his having certain 

 public papers and documents in 

 his house. An examination was 

 then had at the Admiralty, before 

 Mr. Croker, the comptroller of 

 the navj', and Mr. Graham ; and 

 warrants were issued against the 

 person of Gawler, and for the seiz- 

 ure of his papers. Gawler him- 

 self absconded ; but his papers 

 were taken ; and, on examination, 

 disclosed a series of extensive 

 frauds, and implicated another 

 clerk in the Navy Office, of the 

 name of Needham, who, with four 

 or five inferior agents, is now in 

 custody, and will, it is to be ex- 

 pected, be brought to justice. The 



investigation is, however, so ex- 

 tremely intricate, and the papers 

 so voluminous, that it is not pos- 

 sible to speak with certainty as to 

 the extent of the frauds ; but we 

 hear that it is already ascertained, 

 that on Greenwich Hospital alone 

 they amount to about 1,000/. a 

 year ; and we do not doubt, from 

 the activity and industry which 

 are exerted in the investigation, 

 that the whole system of fraud 

 will be detected, that the offences 

 already committed will be exposed 

 and punished, and that measures 

 will be taken to prevent, as far as 

 possible, occurrences of similar im- 

 positions on individuals and the 

 public. 



Nottingham, Jan. 4. — On Friday 

 night last two frames were broken 

 in Pleasant-row, in this town. One 

 more, we understand, has since 

 been broken in Milk-street, and 

 three others in other parts of the 

 town. In many villages in this 

 county, and on the borders of Der- 

 byshire, the terror and alarm of the 

 inhabitants is such, occasioned by 

 the late nocturnal attacks on the 

 property of peaceable [individuals, 

 that they are afraid to go to bed at 

 nights ; and it has been deemed 

 necessary to keep watch alternate- 

 ly, for the protection of their pro- 

 perty. 



Nottingham, Jan. 5. — The ex- 

 traordinary measures resorted to 

 by the corporate body of this town, 

 seem to have had little other effect 

 than that of making the frame- 

 breakers more cautious, and, if 

 possible, more systematic in their 

 operation ; for they wait the op- 

 portunity of the occasional absence 

 of the watch, enter a house, break 

 a frame or frames with wondrous 

 expedition, and, before alarm can 



be 



