18 
was. attacked on the high road, 
within a mile of the town of Bar- 
net, by four men, dressed in 
smock-frocks, who, with great 
imprecations demanded his mo- 
ney. Mr. F. knocked down the 
man who laid hold of his horse’s 
reins with his whip, and galloped 
forward, when another of the vil- 
Jains snapped a pistol at him, 
which fortunately only flashed in 
the pan; the third man then 
jumped over the hedge on the 
road before him, and made a 
stumble. Mr, F. at the same 
time attempted to strike at the 
robber with his whip, but missed 
him; and unfortunately from the 
stumble of his horse, and his ex- 
ertion in attempting to strike at 
his assailant, he was unhorsed. 
The four robbers then attacked, 
beat him unmercifully for about 
five minutes, and then dragged 
him into the field, where one of 
them pulled out a clasp knife, 
swearing he would do for him if 
he made the least noise, another 
holding a pistol to his head, whilst 
the two others rifled his pockets 
of their contents. Fortunately 
for him, he, before he left town, 
put 50/. ina private pocket in his 
waistcoat, and had only 10/. in his 
pocket book, which they etook, 
with his watch and hat. After 
holding a council whether they 
should put him to death or not, 
they left him in a very disabled 
state in a ditch in the fields ; he 
was however, able to attend and 
ive information to the police of- 
cers, and from his description 
of the robbers, it is hoped they 
will soon be taken 
About twelve o’clock, a most 
extraordinary circumstance took 
place at the Horse Guards, in 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1815. 
tiie yard between the iron gates 
in. Whiteha!l and the general 
building. A gentleman of about 
fifty years of age, after walking 
about for some time in a state of 
great agitation, made up to the 
sentinel in the passage leading 
from the open space to the or- 
derly rooms, and producing a 
brace of pistols, insisted upon his 
fighting him. The sentinel or- 
dered him to withdraw from his 
post, which he did, to the open 
space, where he discharged one 
of the pistols in the air, and im- 
mediately presented the other at 
his own head. A life-guardsman 
and another person rushed in 
upon him at the instant, and with 
difficulty wrested the pistol from 
him. It was found to be charged 
with ball. Sayers, the Bow- 
street officer, who was passing at 
the time, took charge of the gen- 
tleman, and, as he refused to 
give any account of himself, pro- 
ceeded to search him. There 
were found on his person Exche- 
quer bills to the amount of be- 
tween 14and 15,000/., and Napo- 
leons and other coins to a. consi- 
derable amount. . He was after- 
wards taken before Sir N. Conant, 
who, on discovering his relatives, 
ordered him to be placed under 
their care. It appears that he 
held a high appointment in the 
army, and that the unfavourable 
result of a court-martial, in which 
he hadbeenengaged, continues to 
prey uponhis mind, so as to cause 
occasional derangement. : 
25. A foreign journal contains 
the following laughable anecdote 
of a French fiddler of the name 
of Boucher, who lately came to 
push his fortune in London. On 
his arrival at Dover, across the 
