Nov.] 



CHRONICLE. 



153 



evidence, and put it to the Jury 

 to say whether the evidence they 

 had heard was not sufficiently 

 strong to convince them that the 

 deceased must have been in a 

 state of mental derangement at 

 the time he committed the fatal 

 act which terminated his valuable 

 life? 



The Jury, without hesitation, 

 returned the following verdict : — 

 " We are unanimously of opinion 

 that the deceased cut his throat 

 while in a state of mental tempo- 

 rary derangement." 



5. Venice. — My Lord ; — T am 

 sorry to acquaint your Lordship, 

 that a circular letter, which I re--- 

 ceived yesterday from the Vene- 

 tian Health Office, confirms the 

 fears which have been for some 

 days past entertained here, of the 

 plague having appeared in the 

 lazarette of this port. On the 

 6th ultimo, the Austrian Pieligo 

 St. Giovanni arrived at Venice, 

 from Valloan, in Albania, and the 

 passengers having removed to 

 the lazarette, one of them showed 

 symptoms of fever on the 20th, 

 and died tvv^o days after. On the 

 22nd, three other passengers fell 

 successively ill on the 23rd, 24-th, 

 and 26th, and died, the first on 

 the 26th, the second on the 27th, 

 and the third on the 3Cth ultimo ; 

 since which, another has been 

 attacked, and died yesterday 

 morning. The greatest precau- 

 tions have been immediately 

 adopted by the Board of Health : 

 the vessel was instantly removed 

 into a separate canal, and all 

 communication strictly interdicted 

 between the passengers of the 

 St. Giovanni, and the other indi- 

 viduals at present in quarantine ; 

 and as this alarming malady has 

 hitherto been entirely confined to 



the first, great hopes are enter- 

 tained that it will be kept within 

 the walls of the lazarette, around 

 which for greater security, senti- 

 nels have been placed to prevent 

 all approach. There are no En- 

 glish vessels at present in this 

 port, and only one under British 

 colours belonging to Malta. 



I have the honour to remain, my 

 Lord, Your Lordship's most 

 obedient humble servant, 



(Signed) R. B. Hoppner, 

 Consul-General. 

 The Right Hon. Viscount 



Castlereagh, K.G. &c. 



On Friday night, the 6th of 

 Nsvember last, a most desperate 

 gang of poachers (about twenty 

 in number), known by the name 

 of the Bedfordshire poachers, or 

 Robin Hood's gang, headed by 

 a farmer named Field, of New 

 Inn, near Silsoe, who called him- 

 self Robin Hood, attacked the 

 woods and estate of Joseph 

 Latoui', Esq., of Hixton, near 

 Hitchin. The keeper, Dalby, 

 and his assistant, Godfrey, on 

 finding Field and his companions 

 advancing near theni, concealed 

 themselves in a hedge ; the gang, 

 however, crossing the hedge near 

 the spot, discovered them, when, 

 without any attack or provoca- 

 tion whatever on the part of the 

 keepers, they formed a line 

 around them, when four or five of 

 the party most cruelly beat them, 

 leaving them for dead. Field 

 held his dog by the ear, while it 

 licked the blood from the head of 

 Godfrey. Much credit is due to 

 Mr. Latour, for his spirited exer- 

 tions in sending immediately to 

 Bow-street for assistance, when 

 an active officer of the name of 

 Holyland was sent dov.n, who 

 Boon ascertained that the gang 



consisted 



