PETERSFIELD.
A LUCKY ESCAPE.—On Thursday an accident happened to a young man, named Fletcher, in the service of Samuel Seward, Esq., in the Square, which till the subject became fully known, occasioned doubtful misgivings of a serious nature. The facts of the case are as follows:— In the afternoon of the day named, the young man took his horse, which had been standing in the stable during the frost, out for exercise, and rode to Steep, to make enquiry after an aged grandfather, between 80 and 90, where he learnt that his father, living in the adjoining parish of Froxfield, was dangerously ill, and he at once proceeded to pay his filial visit. Upon his return, in descending Bell Hill, a short distance from the town, his horse stumbled and fell, throwing its rider with great force to the ground, when, the horse having regained his legs proceeded onwards, dragging the prostrate man with one of his feet fixed in the stirrup, down the road in an unconscious state for some distance. Upon coming to himself, and finding his horse gone, he proceeded home to his master, previous to which, the horse was found and taken into the town in a dirty state, from the fall, which originated the impression above stated, but fortunately with no other mischief to either man or horse, than the sudden shock sustained, with the loss of two half crowns, and a whip. The last was picked up and returned the following morning, but the silver has become non est, probably found its way into the pocket of some unprincipled finder.