wife, who thus committed an offence against the wretches who assailed her husband, which she afterwards expiated with her blood!! The banditti were beat off without obtaining the arms they sought for, and there were some lives lost in the combat. In consequence of Mr. Torrance's gallantry on this occasion, he became obnoxious to the insurgents, and found it dangerous to reside in that part of the country any longer, although in the very vicinity of the city of Limerick; he therefore removed to Adare, where he and his wife resided in the month of June last. He held a farm near Adare, which he frequently visited; and on the 10th of last June, on Sunday, he and his wife dined at the farm-house, and in the evening returned by a well-known and frequented pathway. As he approached a stile, he was presented with a letter by a man, and while in the act of it, received a blow from a stone; when another villain jumped over the wall and sprung upon him; he then found himself engaged with the ruffians. His wife rushed upon them, and extricated Mr. Torrance from them, exclaiming, "Come off my husband's body, you villains!" Mr. Torrance was for a while stunned, and on looking about he saw his wife engaged with one of the villains, who had a stick and here the gentlemen would mark, as important, Mr. Torrance had no arms. Mrs. Torrance extricated herself, and ran to her husband with the stick: how she wrested it from the villain, whether on the ground or otherwise, is not known. The battle was then renewed, and Mr. Torrance was

immediately engaged with the man who first attacked his wife, and both came to the ground, when Mr. Torrance inflicted many blows on the shins of his antagonist, and broke the stick, such was the force of his blows. Mr. Torrance saw the other villain engaged with his wife, and heard him cry out to him with whom Mr. Torrance was at the time engaged, "Tom, come away." The fellow got up from Mr. Torrance with some difficulty. Mr. Torrance saw the villain who was engaged with his wife, as he was going away, wipe something, but he could not tell what. Immediately this unhappy lady ran to her husband, she said very little, her bosom was bloody; the husband, enfeebled as he was, assisted her to the adjoining stile, and carried her over it; she then became convulsed and expired! Mr. Torrance was covered with wounds; no less than fifteen stabs were inflicted on his body -on his shoulders, arms, loins, and his throat; the wound in his throat was such, that his breath came through it. Providence, however, enabled him to crawl, and give an alarm, and he accordingly went to the house of one Switzer, who went on to the spot where the unfortunate deceased Mrs. Torrance lay, while Mr. Torrance fainted and fell on a bed. Switzer brought away the body of Mrs. Torrance, assisted by one or two more. Such were the circumstances of this horrid and atrocious murder. He had abstained from making any allusion as yet to either of the prisoners; but, from the circumstances of their

apprehension, and other circumstantial proofs, he felt, that if he had not been deceived by his instructions, guilt would be brought home to the prisoners. The jury would notice, that Thomas Molony, lived with a person named Mulqueen, in the neighbourhood where the murder was committed, and absconded from it the night after that shocking deed: strict search was made for him in the neighbourhood, where he was well known, but he was not to be found; he had been seen on the day of the murder near the spot where it was perpetrated; he was also in Limerick on the day previous to the murder. At the expiration of 13 days, namely, on the 23rd of June, he was taken up near Cratlow-wood, in the county of Clare; he said his name was Dillon, and positively declared that he never lived near Adare, and was a stranger in the county of Limerick. When the police-officer called him Molony, his consternation was great; and he became much agitated. He was brought prisoner to Limerick, and taken to Mr. Torrance's lodgings. Mr. Torrance at the time was in a very debilitated state; his wounds were great, the loss of blood he sustained had had a powerful effect upon his constitution; his nerves were shattered in short, the loss he sustained in the afflicting death of his amiable wife had produced its natural effect upon him; even his sight became affected. Before Mr. Torrance, the prisoner denied that his name was Molony, and persisted in calling himself Dillon, and in saying that he resided in the county of Clare. He was confronted, however, with a person who had known him many

years, and who called him Molony. The prisoner was then committed to gaol. The learned Solicitor observed, he had omitted mentioning in its proper place, that a communication was made by Mr. Torrance to the sub-sheriff (Mr. Cuthbert), the day after the murder, informing that gentleman, that he (Mr. Torrance), had inflicted wounds on the shins of his assailant, who was called "Tom." Mr. Cuthbert went to the gaol, examined the prisoner's shins, and found them marked; even the figure of Molony corresponded with the description given. With respect to the confession which Molony made to Mr. Cuthbert, he (the Solicitor-general) would not anticipate it, as Mr. Cuthbert would repeat it to the jury himself on the table. When Mr. Torrance saw Molony, he was in an enfeebled and debilitated state; many persons were present, and he (Mr. Torrance) did not think it prudent at that time to swear as to his identity; but when recovered, and on seeing him afterwards, he fully identified him. He would next direct the attention of the jury to the case of the other prisoner, M'Namara, who lived at Ballimacurra, in the same vicinity, with a man of the name of Sheehan. He did not fly the country; at least there is no proof he did. About ten or eleven days after the murder, he went to the fair at Croom, in the county of Limerick, and was engaged in a riot there. He was taken by Mr. Lyons, a gentleman who resides at that place, and by him committed to the Bridewell : after order had been restored, he was liberated in the evening. One of the police, however, heard

something in the company of M'Namara (the particulars the Solicitor-general did not deem it prudent to disclose), which induced him to go to Mr. Lyons, to have M'Namara apprehended under a charge of murder. Mr. Lyons complied, and despatched two of the police after M'Namara, whom they overtook at a considerable distance. And it was not an insignificant circumstance to notice, that this M'Namara offered a bribe to the police, if they would liberate him: they knew their duty too well to be seduced by his proposal. Shortly after, he was brought in custody to Limerick, and on the road he was charged with the murder. In defence of himself he stated, that on the night of the murder, the preceding, and also the subsequent ones, he had slept with a person named Garvey. He also stated, he went to Cleary's-bridge, seven miles from Adare, on the day of the murder. The jury would find that all these allegations were false : if he now attempted to make such a defence, it would be seen how little it corresponded with the truth. When Mr. Torrance recovered, so as to have the use of his faculties, he went to the gaol, and recognized M'Namara as the man who handed him the letter, and flung the stone at him. Mr. Torrance was in stantly satisfied as to his identity; he recognized him from a window in the gaol, on seeing the prisoner walk the yard; and when brought before him, instantly said, "You are the man!" It appeared clearly, that this transaction was part of the dreadful system of confederacy which disgraced the county

of Limerick. This murder was merely the execution of the sentence pronounced by the banditti on this unfortunate gentleman and his amiable wife.

Mr. Torrance was the first witness called; and his evidence was clear and distinct. He fully identified the prisoners, and gave an awful and interesting detail of the dreadful circumstances of Mrs. Torrance's murder: he excited a general sympathy for his misfortune throughout the court.

The other witnesses all corroborated the Solicitor-general's statement, and there was a chain of circumstances so intimately connected, as brought guilt home to both prisoners.

The learned judge recapitu lated the evidence at a late hour, and the jury retired, and were absent only ten minutes, when they returned a verdict of Guilty against both prisoners.

His lordship immediately delivered a feeling and pathetic exhortation to the culprits, pointedly alluding to the present infatuation under which the deluded peasants labour, illustrating his observations by references to the horrible circumstance of this case, as connected with a system of delusion and outrage.

1

The prisoners were then sentenced to be hanged on Wednesday.

After sentence was pronounced, M'Namara said, "He could expect nothing else from the bloodhounds of the county of Limerick."

19. At 2 o'clock, M'Namara and Molony were conveyed to Gallows-green, where they suffered the sentence of the law.

While the platform and usual apparatus were getting ready, both those unfortunate men, at the instance of the clergyman in attendance, addressed the immense populace in a few words (who for that purpose were permitted to approach near the gallows), each acknowledging the justness of his sentence. M'Namara most emphatically called upon them to take warning by his untimely fate: "I am," said he, " justly cut off in the middle of life. I therefore warn you to

abstain from nightly meetings, and all other illegal acts; the danger of which, I now, when too late, clearly see. I forgive all the world, and am sincerely sorry for the improper expressions which I used in the court after my conviction." The cart having been drawn off, they were launched into eternity; and after hanging the usual time, were cut down, and their bodies left at the County of Limerick Hospital for dissection.

£613 19 10

373 13 11

23. A hairdresser, named Arthur Gardener, was brought be fore alderman Thorp, on a warrant charging him, under the act of the 52nd of Geo. 3rd, cap. 138, sec. 5, with having feloniously uttered an imitation of a Bank of England note.

It appeared in the course of the investigation, that, some time since, a fashionable hairdresser in the city, instead of sending forth ordinary cards, hit upon the expedient of putting in circulation a well-executed imitation of a 50%. note, setting forth his claims to pre-eminence, and giving a challenge to cut hair better than any man in England, or forfeit 50l. He gave one of these notes to each individual who made trial of his skill; and the novelty had such success, VOL. LXIII.

In-Poor. 590 persons 518 persons

Asylum. 423 children 338 children

that not only the professors of that liberal art, but other professors also, circulated their promises, in the shape of bank-notes, to perform particular services; they doubtless were not aware that, by imitating any part of a bank-note, or circulating such imitations, they rendered themselves liable to be transported for 14 years, according to an act of parliament, passed for the purpose of suppressing the "Fleet," or "flash notes," which were found to be made the instruments of serious frauds. Complaints having been recently made at the Bank that a similar use had been made of the new circulation, it was conceived that they came within the act; and it was deter. mined to put the law in force against the circulator of one,

which was in some parts a clear copy of a bank-note.

Mr. Gardener was, in consequence, brought up under a warrant, with the notes found upon the premises, and his solicitor came forward to give up voluntarily the plate. The note was as follows:

"BANK OF FASHION. "I promise to cut, dress, and arrange any lady or gentleman's hair, in a superior style, or forfeit the sum of one thousand pounds. "1821, Nov. 1. London, Nov. 1. 1821. "ONE THOUSAND.

"For the Governor and Company of the Bank of Fashion. (Signed) "ARTH. GARDENER, N. 29, Old Jewry."

The whole so closely resembled the bank-note, as to deceive at a distance. Mr. Maynard said, that he did not impute criminality to Mr. Gardener, who, as well as others, had put forth the imitations of bank-notes without being aware of the consequences. There had been one instance very recently of an imitation note for 50%. being passed upon a poor man who could not read. They were made use of by swindlers, who displayed them in order to obtain credit, and by sharpers of every description. The solicitor for Mr. Gardener admitted the illegality of the imitation. His client would have suppressed the note entirely, but that one of the Bank directors had told him, that if they were printed with blue ink instead of black, they would not be objected He had accordingly changed

to.

the colour.

Mr. Gardener pleaded the example set him by his rival, whose notes had been circulated for a considerable period without mo

lestation. He expressed great reluctance at giving up the circulation of his own, as he had, since he commenced, had a great run upon him for them, and, he admitted, had circulated upwards of a thousand of the black 1,000%. notes.

Mr. Maynard said, with whatever dark colour the notes were printed, they were equally within the act. The Bank would not, under all the circumstances of the case, however, press a prosecution, as the principal object was, to give publicity to the matter, and to their determination in future to put the law in force to suppress this description of imitations. Therefore, the next case which came before them would be more seriously dealt with.

Alderman Thorp agreed as to the mischievous tendency of circulations of this kind, and that notes of the description before him were too dangerous to be received as mere playthings.

Mr. Gardener was then liberated, upon his promise to appear when called upon. The plate and the notes, which were given up, were retained by the Bank solicitor.

FRENCH MODE OF ADVERTISING.-The following advertisement appeared in a late number of the Constitutionnel :

"Voulez vous prendre des leçons de musique? M. Delamaire, rue de la Lune, No. 16, &c., vous en donnera excellentes. Sa fille vous donnera aussi des leçons, de piano, de harpe, et de solfage. Elle a beaucoup de talent, et elle est fort jolie, ce qui ne gate rien."

CONJUGAL FELICITY.-About 100 petitions for divorces have been presented to the legislature