individuals talking in St. Andrew-square, one of whom
he took to be his former clerk, and went forward to
speak to him. On approaching him the resemblance
increased, and he felt certain it was Watt; but, as he
was about to address him, the person turned round
slightly, and he saw he was quite mistaken. Witness
was very much struck with the resemblance in figure as
well as in dress. The character of the prisoner was
borne high testimony to as steady and trustworthy, as
well as temperate and industrious. On the evidence
being concluded, the Lord-Advocate said there could be
no doubt that this was a case of mistaken identity of a
very remarkable character, and he regretted that in
investigating the forgery which had undoubtedly been
committed, Mr. Watt should have, from an unfortunate
coincidence of circumstances, been placed in this painful
situation. Being convinced that this charge proceeded
from error, the jury would acquit the prisoner. Under
direction of the court the jury found Watt "Not
guilty," and he was liberated amid the applause of a
crowded assemblage.

The tradesmen of Southampton have been extensively
victimised by an Accomplished Swindler. Among the
passengers by the Brunswick steamer from Plymouth
to Southampton last June was a Mr. Arlington, a
foreigner, who spoke English. Before he landed he
made inquiries about the hotels of the latter place, and
he was recommended to put up at the Pier Hotel. He
was remarkably affable and punctilious in paying his
bill, which he always insisted on doing daily at mid-day,
although he had sufficient luggage to ensure a longer
credit. After some time he expressed to Mr. Curtis,
host of the Pier Hotel, his perfect satisfaction at the
accommodation that had been afforded him, and stated
that for economy's sake he had taken private lodgings
at Woolston, about a mile from the town, from whence
he afterwards removed to Bernard-street, near the
raillway terminus. Here he resided until very lately.
He has for months been seen living in Southampton in
good style, riding the best horses and driving the best
carriages to be found at the livery stables in the town.
Often during the day he used to lounge in the shops of
the principal tradesmen, giving orders and smoking
cigars. He seemed to take quite a fancy to Mr. Curtis,
of the Pier Hotel, and frequently visited him, to smoke
cigars and drink wine in his coffee-room. He was a
capital judge of cigars and wine, and was particularly
struck with the superior qualities of those articles which
he obtained at the hotel. At first he paid for everything
he had, but after a time he ran up a bill of about
£10. When he bought a horse he always came to Mr.
Curtis for his opinion on his purchase. At length he
stated that he had taken a cottage in the New Forest,
where he was going to rusticate, and he ordered a large
quantity of wines, spirits, and cigars to stock his cottage
wine-bins and spirit stores. The wine, spirits, and cigars
were all packed and ready to be sent out at a moment's
notice. Their departure was delayed, however, on
account of the delay of the workmen in getting the
cottage ready. Mr. Curtis also had an order to provide
a dinner for house-warming as soon as the cottage was
ready. About twenty persons were to be of the dinner
party. Mr. Curtis drew out a bill of fare, and arranged
the garniture of the dinner tables on paper. It was to
be a splendid affair. It was arranged that the hotel
keeper was to go with his cook into the New Forest to
superintend the getting up of the dinner. The cottage
poultry-yard was extensive, and Mr. Curtis had agreed,
at the special request of his patron, to take all the
poultry reared by the latter, for his hotel, at the market
price. A few weeks ago Mr. Curtis had promised to let
Mr. Arlington have a newspaper, of a certain date, to
read, and failed to do so. The next day the former took
the paper to Bernard-street, intending to apologise for
the delay, but Mr. Arlington was most indignant; he
would neither take the paper nor listen to the apology.
He was a man of his word, he said, and he would not
suffer any one to be otherwise with whom he dealt.
The scorn of the gentleman rather provoked the
landlord, and he left in dudgeon. Mr. Arlington rather
relented, and called after him and said, that as Mr.
Curtis had brought the paper he would take it. The
landlord now had his revenge, and replied, "No, sir;
you would not have the paper—you are a man of your
word, and now you shall not have the paper." Mr.
Arlington was pleased with the wit and spirit of the
landlord; and in a week afterwards he called again at
the hotel, apologised for his own quick temper, and
rallied Curtis on his. He then, as usual, smoked cigars
and drank a bottle of wine, talked confidentially with
the landlord about money matters, stated that he had
purchased shares in the Hampshire Bank, that he had
lent £500 on a life policy to set up a young tradesman
in the town, offered Mr. Curtis a £100 or so, as he was
a young beginner, and left him with a cordial grasp of
the hands and borrowed of him ten guineas until his
government dividends became due. Soon after this,
Mr. Curtis had business to Winchester, and returning
from thence in a chaise, he stopped at Ottorbourne, to
bait his horse. There he met Mr. Arlington with a
disreputable female. Thinking that that gentleman was
in the New Forest superintending the preparation of
his cottage, he was rather surprised to find him at
Otterbourne, and in such company too; and now for the
first time it struck him that all was not right. He
began to institute some inqxiiries, and soon found that
his patron's statement of having bought horses of a
livery-stable keeper was not true, and that he had only
hired them. He next drove into the New Forest, and
ascertained that the cottage was still to let, and he
began to reflect that each time he had been invited into
the forest to see the cottage and to shoot was on
foreign packet days, when he could not possibly get
away. He at once went to the person in Bernard-
street where Mr. Arlington lodged, revealed his
suspicions, and made arrangements to become acquainted
with any preparations for the removal of the foreign
gentleman from the town, and had resolved to act
promptly and determinedly by forcibly stopping his
exit. Unfortunately the bird flitted one midnight without
his being made acquainted with it, and he was
cheated. The livery-stable keeper was also cheated of
about £50 for hire of horses and carriages; and some of
the shrewdest tradesmen in the town were victimised
very considerably. Mr. Curtis, as soon as he heard his
friend had bolted, rushed to London after him, but
could not trace him. He and his fellow victims have
laid their case before the Southampton magistrates,
who of course could afford them no redress. Mr. Arlington
is very short, about 35 years of age, wears black
whiskers, and is not very gentlemanly looking. He
wore generally a low-crowned hat. His appearance
would betoken him to be a German, though he spoke
English with a French accent. Considering the time,
viz., five months, he has been in Southampton, living on
his wits, and the reputed shrewdness of his victims,
he must be considered a very finished pupil of his
school.

A case came before the Southwark magistrate, on the
14th inst., Curiously Illustrative of the Trade with
Russia carried on through Prussia. A labourer was
charged with stealing a quantity of Russian tallow from
Mark Brown's wharf in the city. The magistrate asked
whom the tallow belonged to? One of the owners of
Mark Brown's wharf said that the tallow had just
arrived from Russia, consigned to an English firm; and
it was unloading at this wharf, to be bonded for the
owners. The tallow came over in casks; and on the
previous afternoon witness perceived the head of one
broken out, and a large quantity of ihe tallow taken
out. The prisoner worked on the wharf, and he had
no doubt the tallow produced came out of that cask.
Mr. Combe: "You say this is Russian tallow, and
unloading from a vessel just arrived; how is it that you
have Russian tallow from that country, when we are at
war?" Wharfinger: "Easy enough, sir. We have
large dealings with Russia although we are at war, and
our money is extensively received in return. Nearly
all our tallow comes from Russia." Mr. Combe: "How
does it come from Russia, when all her ports are
blockaded and the war is proceeding?" Witness: "It
comes through Prussia, your Worship. The tallow in
question came from Memel in a Dutch vessel." Mr.
Combe: "What part of Russia does this tallow come
from?" Wharfinger: "From St. Petersburg. It is
there sold by the merchants on English account to the