The Press.
London, England, 1853-12-31 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

Ifxbi nub Voila.

SEVERAL 31Es returning front Christina% parties
in different stages of intoxication, or who pleaded
intoxication as an excuse for their conduct, have been
brought up at the different police offices during the
week, charged with insulting ladies who were finding
their way home from similar festive gatherings, but
without a male protector. Fines anal rebukes have
been liberally administered by the magistrates for
these outrages. The worst case reported is that of
one John Anderson, describing himself as an artist,
who was charged at the Worship-street office on
Wednesday with liming assaulted and otherwise mis
eondneteal himself towards two young ladies named
Martha and Lavinia Baker:—
One of the misters, who exhibited a severe contusion on the
forehead, stated that after spending the previous evening at the
house of a relative at Canolcii•tsiwn they were 1,111.4.e5-ding
through Myrtle•iiireet, !fission, when they were suddenly air-
coaled by the defendant, who thna-t himself between thew, and
pertinaciously urged them to acecist ilia ann. They hurried on
in order its avoid I • , I when lie persistrid hi his importii-
nitiem tlireateneil that they would give him into custisly. They
hail only pet-weeded a Mewl distunee further when they were
overtaken lay the defendant. who struck witness; such a violent
flow nm this back that she fell forward on her face and severely
injured her fisreliewl, whieli came 111 c..lllalit with dal rligi' of a
flagstone. The primmer then started ow and einleavintred to
effect hie ~Hite, ha he wan closely pursued by her sister and
genttleullla who fur 1111 l ately rano UP at the woutent, owl who ub
Innately glare hint hats enslemly.
A pa diee-e.oltstublo slated that, on reaching the sat atlon•house,
Ilse defendant, who was veryuauch intoxicated, endeavoured to
arrange tlw twitter, and tittered the eoisi;slainants a pee •ary
conipensatitsli, which they indignantly rejected.
Mr. D'Evseouirr said that the defendant had been
guilty of a most wanton anal cowardly outrage, and in-
flicted a lino of 5/., or two months' imprisonment.

A FettAix PnoFESSOIt OF Asrnotoov, named Eliza-
beth White, appeared before the Thames Office
magistrate, to account for her professional practices.
Simple servant girls appear to have been her fa-
vourite clients, from two of whom she was charged
with obtaining money and dresses for the purpose
of " ruling" their respective planets. Iler usual
pmeess, it seems, was to strike up an acquaintance
with likely-looking victims, excite their curiosity by
mysterious hints and statements, among which was
the old story that she (the prisoner) was the seventh
daughter of a seventh daughter, and therefore
enabled to read the stairs ; and, if tempting insinua-
tions of luck and good husbands failed to obtain her
end, she had recourse to vague threats of calamity
and disgrace. In the instanees proved before the
magistrate, the prisoner asked first for jewellery to
propitiate the planets, alleging that jewels brought
most luck, and when this hint faileol, solely from
the aceident that her victim had none, she asked for
at dress to " keep the planet warm," adding, that
money or money's worth to the amount of 10s. was
absolutely necessary before she could " rule" any
of the planets. It being shown that on these repre-
sentations several shillings and miieles of dress had
been cozened out of two servant girls at Bow :

Mr. INtiHAW asked the prisoner ir she had any defence, to
which Ate replied,'
Mr. : !hi dim know tiller° you will spend your
ehrisionos week ? l'eatosier : No, air.
_

Mr. INott‘m : Then 1 do—in prison. I ant a better for-
tune-teller than you are. I C let you flu a rogue and vaga-
bond, 1 sentence you to be imprisoned and kept to WWII
labour for three months.

Rim's of apparent value, but of fraudulent de-
sign, have been ()tiered to divers London pawnbrokers
by gentlemen of foreign semblance, and sometimes
with the result of securing an advance far beyond
their real worth. t h►e of these fabrications was pre-
sented at Mr. Young's shop in SAO. It seemed to
he of massive gold set with a centre diamond, and
two other precious stones. The shoputan said such
a ring, if really what it appeared to be, would, at
least, be worth It/. or it, but it appears that the
article was of silver, coloured, the outer edges only
having a thin plate of gold sufficient to stand the
usual test. The stones were of a very inferior cha-
racter, and the value of the whole not more than 15s.
It is said to have been recently ascertained that a
manufactory of these kind of fraudulent rings was
carried on in Clerkenwell by a Swiss, mid that many
pawnbrokers and jewellers hail been imposed upon
to a considerable extent. The foreigner having
asked tin• :In►s. on the ring, Mr. Young's shopman
detained the article on the plea of attempted fraud,
and whets the owner applied to Mr. Hardwiek, at
Marlborough-street office, for its restitution, the
magistrate refused to give any such order until
inquiry had been made as to how it came into his
possession, or whether it was designed for any
honest use.

FREQUENT FRAUDS have been perpetrated by par-
ties representing themselves to be solicitors and
cheating their supposed clients out of money on ac-
count of fees. One of these sharpers, whose name
is Emanuel Dump. coned upon Mrs. Carter, of St.
Martin's-lane, in November last, and inquired if she
knew two gentlemen whom he named. She said
they formerly lodged with her, and left very much in
her debt. Dump said he was a solicitor, and was on
the trace of the parties in question, and expected to