The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-02-03 00:00:00

lit )\i"-s'l It EFT.

.........
We stated in our paper of yesterday, that the daughter of Mrs
White having been hound at a house in Villiers-street, Strand, and
brought before the !ilagistrate on Saturday night, gave such infor-
mation against a gentleman, whom she named, as induced Mr.
Minshull to grant a warrant for his apprehension. The gentleman
named was Colonel arergr ANostin bnce, and late nn Saturday
night Blackmon, the officer, apprehended hint, and lodged hint in
Covent.gartlun watch-house, where he remained until yesterday
morning, when he was brought up, and underwent a very long ex-
amination In a private room, before Mr. MinshulL lie is a tall,
fine looking man, apparently about 40 rears of age, who served in
the EngllA cavalry during *a penineidar sass and Is now *Co-
lonel in the Colombian service. r.
_The riAbisemit etdr git4oa tor as it can be *epeated hcre,
was s—Triel'olonel Bowe, by various promises. Rush as th* he
would take her abroad with him, prevailed upon ber to quit Mrs.
Illiss's Image; which she did ton Thursday everdwg, by appoint-
ment ; sa4 the Corona took her to the Fountain, one of the %inte-
rior !Inn of brothels, in Catherine-street, Strand. There, according
to her account, after being with him mine time, he accomplished
his purpose by fora, holding his band upon her mouth, to prevent
her trim crying nut. Ile left her to sleep alone that night, and on
the following morning he came and took her to the house in
Villiers-street, where be had hired lodgings for her, and where she
' remained until fetched away by the officer and her mother.
The Colonel, in mayer to the charge, positively denied that the
slightest force bad been used ; and sand that the girl, he believed,
went out from Mrs. Itlisit's house at eight o'clock on the evening
in question, and he did not quit the house untit ten, and then he
found her standing at the top of the street. She followed him, and
spoke to hint ; and lie certainly took her to the house mentioned,
but she went with perfect willingness.
Mr. Fisher, the surgeon to the office, was sent for, some doubt
having arisen In to the completion of the offence charged against
the Colonel i but lily. F. was unable to say positively that it had
been completed.
The examination had lasted until late in the afternoon, when
Mr. 1l inshull ordered Colonel howe to enter into recognissinces for
his appearance at the Sessions, to answer for the maelcuteantur,
himself in 2001. and two sureties In Intl. each.

HONNENT IN KEW lisangwa—Mr. Robert Sweet, the ma-
nager of extensive nursery grounds, at Chelsea, and the author of
several botanical works, was brought up in the custody of kuthven,
one of the principal officers, charged on suspicion with fclootowly
receiving a somber of exotic plants, the property of his ;11a3..sty,
he well khowing the same to have been *tides.
. .

It appeared from a maw of testimony adduced, that for a enn.i.
derable time pad, the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew have been
plundered of tare eaotica and other plants. and the utmost vigilance
of those interested in discovering the depredators was unavailing,
either in prevention or thaectioa. On Thursday morning lam. Mr.
Smith, the nettle( keeper of the Royal Gardens, missed seven raw
exotics, to which his attention had been particularly directed, and
information was immediately transmitted to Sir R. Bt met who
sent Iluthven with all possible despatch to Kew. TIM active of
in the course of inquiry, learned that a box, whit h, from its
rim and construction, was calculated to convey articles requiring
particular care, had been booked at the Waggon and Horses, at
Kew Bridge, on Wednesday evening, end was sent to London that
morning (Thursdays, by siitipson's Hounslow coach.. The box
was directed to Mr. Robert sweet, at 6. air. Colville's Nurser,.
grounds, King's-atad, Chelsete" lititliven rest found, that the Nix
had been delivered at the Wagcon and !Tomes, by a young man of
the mine of Noyre, who, on being applied to. stated, that on Wed.
neaday evening he was requested by Michael Hogan, a gardener,
employed in the Royal blarceno, to take a box fur him across the
ferry to Ilrentlard, and get it betted for London. Homo handed
the box to hip, over the wall if the gardens, and being too late fur
the ferry, lie took it over the bridge, and booked it at the Waggon
and Bons'. Thies Mann absconded on Thursday front
his employment, without asking for his wage. Rtitliven then
returned to London, and, at • late hour on Thursday night,
he went to the house of the prisoner, which is situated on Mr.
Colvilles grounds in the King's-road. Oa being introduced to
him, Itutbven asked if he had received a box from Brenthod that
day ? •• A box from Breathed ? no, I know nothing of a box
front lireatfoni," was the primmer's reply. Ruthven told hint it
was of no use to deny it, for that he knew such • box had been
delivered there, and unless he produced it he skould be under the
necessity of taking hint into custody. The primeec then took
Ruthven to Mr. Colville, to whom he said, This is Mr. Ruth.
yen, of litowattixt, and he is come to inquire about a box from
I:remind." Mr. Colville replied, " What do yon know about •
box from Hrtnaford ? you can know nothing about such a box."
The officer, however, ass peremptory, and after some fu-ther con-
versation, Mr. Colville and the prisoner took him, and Mr. Smith
bf the Ittsyst Oviale,.s. to levered of the green or hothouses, in one
of which Mr. Smith idnititied two plants, which be mimed about
a Airtight bethre; and on a further search, the plants stolen on I
'll'ellnesday night sere also fouled. The prisoner was t,Len into
eusativ, aid conveyed to Coveat-gaiden 'etch-house, whence he
war biought before sir R. Hinds on Friday, hut Ituthven being
absent at Kcw, making further inquiry, and no one appearing
against hint, he was dachargcdt but on Saturday he was again
taken into custody. on a represamktien to Sir it. Rintie that the
absence of the °then on I. riday was unavoidable. On Saturday
and yesterday the case underwent • very long examination; that
on Saturday was private, and tharesult was, that the prisoner was
reillandlli till yesterday, and Mr. Colville went at large, upon his
own undertaking to appear yesterday, which be did, and the case
was publicly gent Into.
A coachman proved the delivery of the box to the prisoner him-
self. at the mokery, on Thursday.
Mr. Colville vats discharged sumesditionally, and the prisoner I
Sweet nee faddy committal for salal under a late Act of Parliaments
which gives the power of prosecuting secretaries after the fact fur
felony, tilthotigh the principal alsall not have been tried,. This Act
passed during the last Session of Parliament, and was brought in
by the pretent Lard Chief Justices of the 01111111100 Plan. Pre-
vents to this. an accessary could early be triad for • misdemeanor, i
molest the prir.atipal had hc. a first convicted.
Sererolgmtleoen of the hiahest reppeetahilitT bore testimony i
to the uniteneechahle charancibein of 1i r. Colville and the pre- !
saner, end bail 10 any amourt was offered for the latter, but Sir R. '
Binge felt It his duty to refuse

INATTOIiARDEIK.
Jelin Chiktoe, the driver of the haeltney-coacli No. Ys, appeared
to e suintooos, issued on the complaint of Mr. William Holum, of!
No. 10, Cantedisluatreet, for extortion and abusive language.
Mr. Bolton stated, that about eleven o'clock on the night of the',
234 tilt. he engaged the defendant's coach to take himself and his
family from Giltsper.street to Southampton-street, Bloomsbury,
but soon discovering that he was intoxicarel, they alighted, and
the coachmen then insiattd on receiving the exorbitant sum of fts.,
pointed bin out to the mob as being l'robert, with his wife and
family, applied the grossest epithets to him, and completely put
him and bit family in terror of their lives.
Mr.lralker, the proprietor of a coffee-house, 91, High Holborn,
where Mr. Holton taken refuge, deposed to having taken the
number of the coach, and fully corroborated the statement of Mr.
Hob o. . . . .

The coal man pleaded intoxication as an excese. but did not
exhibit :he least eon:titian fur his conduct. He said that he had
driven a sailor to the Alayrle ht Ihnithfield. who was so delighted
with his charioteering, that be insisted on his drinking nine gbuwat
of ;urn.

The Magistrate observed that he bail never met whit so gross a
ease of insult and extortion; and convicted the defendant in the
highest penalty, 3f. ; and in default of payment, to a month's im.
prisonment in the House of Correction.
Julie Castle, sexton of St. Luke's, was brought up muter a war.
rant, charged with assaulting John Davies, a constable of lat.
James's, Clerken welL
Davies stated, that a few days ago his fathee's body, with five
others' had been stolen nut of the burying-ground of st. Luke's,
and there bring a funeral there on the day an question, he attended
in the hope of recognizing some of the resurrection-men; but on
entering the churchyard, the sexton pushed him out, and used
most abusive language.
The Rev. Air. Rice. Rector, appeared on behalf of the sexton.
lie said that he merely performed his duty in preventing a mob
from rushing In ; and that hie general conduct was of a most peace.
abk description.
The sexton stated, in addition, that Davies had pointed him
out to the mob as being connected with a gang of resurrection-
men.

—Under these eircutnataneee, the Magiateste dimissed the cow-
plabt.

DIARY-LA-BONNE OFFICE.

EITIIAMITIMARY A rtAls.—Ysigerdaian elderly and re-
spectably-dressed female entered this office, rand requested she
might be allowed a few minutes constellation with the sitting Ma-
Ske was accordingly introduced into the presence of Mr.
Wiattson by the officer in waiting, and on being desired to pro-
ceed, she in a very hesitating tone said, her object in applying was
merely to request either magisterial advice, or the assistance of the
polka, under the following singular circumstances.
She was deputed by a !Tye:table young lady (whose name we,
from feelings of delicacy, forbear to mention), who is carrying ea
the millinery business near Regent-street, and who directed her to
state, that a fcw evenings since her house was entered by burglars,
or, as from their conduct she could not judge, persons who Mille
for another purpose. The family had retired to bed at the usual
hour, and were very much alarmed by sue persons breaking into
the house, and searching it, they said, faa a person who had dis-
charged fire-amis at them from the roof.
Mr. RAW LI X3O N begged the lady to be more minute in her de-
tail.

The lady said it was about the middle of the night when the at.
tack wee commenced, and the persons entered by fiwcing open the
door, which was carefully closed and watched by them ; they then
proceeded all over the house, searching, as they said, for the man
who attempted to rmatsinate same one of them. They were re-
peatedly assured, diet if any person had fired he could not belong
to the establishment of that house, and were requested by the
young lady to withdraw; but they refused, and after searching the
roof, they had some conversation And went away. Here the lady
pauvxi.

Mr. RAs• Ltxsow—DQ, pray, proceed ; be more explicit.
The Lady— 'Vier having acted very improperly—
Mr. I t I.lNsow—litalty, Madam, so it would appear, and
might say criminally ; but upon a detail of this kind it is requisite
every part of the particulars should be known.
The Lady-1 have nut concealed any of the leading farts, I do
assure you. _ _

Mr. Rim Ltwsns—Pray, Madam, how did they forte an en.
trance into the bowie without giving any alarm
The Lady—They go open the grating in the street, and then
forced opm the kitchen dour. After having opened the grating,
they by means of a ladder tint into the area.
Mr. RAWL I NSON—This is a very strange story. flow did they
demean themselves towards the female part of the family ?
The Lady (in • low voice)—Why, Sir, very improperly,
Indeed. _ _

r. R AWLIWRON—Be so kind u to explain your meaning?
The Lady—Why, very— indelienklii. They traversed every
room in the house, and entered Mises apartment, and one of the
party took the clothes from the bed. Fortunately, being alarmed,
bhe was up.
Mr. Itaws.t xsow—Did the breaking into the house alarm her,
' or the conduct of the pasty afterwards
The Lady—l believe, Sir, she was slammed ; they knocked at
her chamber door, and on saying the house was beset with thieves,
whom they were pursuing, she admitted them, and one of them,
indeed all, acted a very unmanly part in insulting her, but they
used no violence. . . .

Air. RAWLINSON-1 am happy to hear it. I was apprehensive
they had ; but might they not baisik:m some persons on the roof,
and, perhaps without aily guilty don, have pursued this in-
temperate method of acting, iniag ing them to be thieves ?
The I.ady—Thty certainly might have done so ; but I cannot
speak its to their intentions.
ltawritxsoN—Did you understand that • person on the
roof fired at them, or they at him ?
The Lady—Why 1 th.nk they were understood to say a person
fired at them.

.51r. RA W IslYßOW—Latterly ninny robberies have barn commit.
tad in that neighbourhood, and in sonic instances robbers having
obtained the rout by means of uninhabited houses, got into other
houses.

The Lady—Yes. Stir t it has heed the am. They may have
Seen somebody out the roof. All I wish is, that itmay be inquired
into.

Mr. RAW LTNSON—IIIIetI did this occur?
The Lady—About a week since.
Mr. N SOW —Why did you not inquire before ?
The Lady explained that the was busily occupied all the week
at one of the Ambassador's, and could not before make the appli-
cation.

Mr. Ilawidatsox—What did the party who broke in takeaway
with them ?

The Lady—Nothing, Sir; hut departed quietly and quickly
which makes the aiiior the more extraordinary and mysterious.

Mr. IiAWI.III9ON—It Certainly is a curious business altogether;
and u you wish the assistance of a police-officer, you shall hays it
- - -

The Lady expressed her thanks ; and maid all she wished was,
that Mule discovery might be made of the party who had thus
daringly, and in Ma dead of the night, entered a dwelling-house,
and of their intentions. The outrage (she thought), was certainly
o:te that carried more danger in it than appeared now on the face
of it ; because, supposing a party had been tired at, they would,
she thought, hive acted differently than by bursting into a house,
a.td then examining ..111 the rooms, particularly selecting a lady's
chamber.

3lagistrite Irving given some Instructions to the officers,
the lee,' withdrew. arcomyaniwi by an officer, who had not made
his report to the Alagssuate w:lca our reporter left the office ; but
It was -hinted that the arair had more of the intention of a forcible
abduction than of a burglary and robbery.