The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1821-07-31 00:00:00

To the EDITOR./ The BRITISH PRESS.

lifsedieity 011Iea. Red Lioa-square,7
July 30, MI.
Sic—Upon 'Minton article in the Timm newsW,
piper of Saturday, under the head of Imposition.
practised on the Tisiurt." I judged I could not da
better than request • Gentleman well acquainted
with the whole of the facts therein 'referred to,.ns
favour rae with a plain statement of the,
stances as they really occurred.
That request has been promptly complied with,
and I beg leave to transmit herewith the statement
I have received, relying upon your liberality to give
it a place in your Journs!.
The violence and malignity of the article in the
Times. wilt 1 ant sure be sußicieutly spy/meld to
the most ct*aory reader, sad I should anal myself
of this opportunity to observe upon the gross mis-
representations it contains, but that I fear to in-
trade too far upon your column*. I purpose, there-
fore, with your permission, to take the liberty of
offering to-morrow • lew remarks upon this trans-
action. In the meal) time, I beg to refer the pub-
lie to the accompanying Statement, and to c.rtain
resolutions nuantinously passed by the Mentlicity
Board this morning, and ordered to he advertised
in all the Morning and Evening Paper*.
I have the honour to be, Si,,
Your most obedient Servant,
W. 11. BODKIN.

• -:110.46, Doughty-street,Siturilay Evening.
Drat Sta.--lkosanupliunre with year request, I herewith
transmit nay statement of the circumstances cunsected with
-Ile transaction to which you allude.
I am, &c. (Signed) IRVING !MOCK.
W. H. Bodkin, Esq.
STATEN ENT.
On oilabont the 14th of last month, Mr. Bodkin informed
timithnt Mr. Walter (the Editor of the rimer Journal) ac-
slaaapanied by his Solicitor, Mr. Platt, had called air the
aesdicily Office, and charged him with being Ike author of
Sill Liters which had been sent to the rims sou* after his
eity'l first visit to Drury-lane Theatre.
ose lettere, purported to be written by Mr. Wm. Tooke,
spalainell.fains information an to the audience liaising been
parked,. onakmatockahat the whole plan had been arranged
at the Meadicity Office The ground of Mr. Walter's sus-
picion was, that One of the letters in question was waled
with a licsiartifidup, the shape of which resenshled one upon
a genuine letter written by Mr. Bodkin.

It was is vain Mr. Bodkin deuird the •secusation. The
Editor of ilve.,Tieses preferred his complaint before Mr. Wm.
Williams, the Tremitrer of the Memlicity Society, who con-
vened • meeting of a few Members of the Board, fur the
purpriee of investigating the charge. This meeting was held
at Me. Tooke'. Chambers.
Perhaps it ought to be mentioned in this place, that, after
every seal.te—ehe Mendicity Office had beets examined. Mr.
Bodkin went home, aid when he had after • diligent search
found a wafer seal (nut his own), he hastened with it to the
Editor of the lieges, who prossounced that it exactly cor-
responded with the one on the surreptitious Irttrr.
In this Stage of the business Mr. Bodkin 'elated to me and
Mr. Smith, as Members 'of the Meedirity Board, the facts
above stated. The identity of the wafer seal perfectly asto-
nished him, sod the difficulty of proving a negative was
never noise cruelly experienced thaw on this occasion, when
the hope of discovering the ml author of the lettere up-
peered so remote and chimerical.
In eonsequesee..of Me. Miadiekboa public sempalioaa. many
persons are necessarily in the habit of eallong at his house.
He was also, at the period when these letters were written,
one of the Churchwardens of the parish in which he resides •
end the persons calling oa public, parochial, or private s
fairs, were introduced into all office, or study, where he kept
his books and papers.
Abundant opportunity was thus afforded to individeals to
write letters in his office, during his absence; and it was
evident that this wafer seal (which he ascertained had been
hr his office about the lime this transaction took place), most
have been used there without his kuewledge; but he knew
not whom to gasped, nor was he at all aware of the nature
of the transactioa, as Mr. Walter positively refused to let
him know the contents of the surreptitious letters. Having
learned, however, from Mr. Tuoke, their political character,
it occurred to Mr. Bodkin (as he informed us) that he had
eouversed with' id persons ow the subject of the King's
gratifying reception at the tbentm; and, with a view to re-
pel and disprove the monstrous assertion of the audience
having been peeked, he bad stated the fact of his hav-
ing beets one among a few (deeds who were the first to enter
the Pit upon the opening of the doors, when they foetid no
one person in the homer. Mr. Ros:kin recollected particu-
larly a gentleman of 'the name of Poole, whose politics he
knew were strongly opposed to his own, sod who bad gone
so fir as to charge him with baying arranged the Mined
scheme of packing the audience. He knew also that this
individual bad been occupied several event•ga in his office,
or stndy, in the winding up of some accounts, generally
alone, and sometimes when Mr. Bodkin was not even in the
bases; and it was soon discovered that be was in this man-
ner employed, in Mr. Bodkis's office, just about the period
when his Majestyvitittell the theatres.
On these grounds Mr. Budki• suggested to Mr. Smith and
am the probability of Mr. Poole being the author of the
letters. _ _ _ _

We accordingly waited sipsl•Mr. Poole. It wield lengthen
unnecessarily this modems& to detail minutely the whole
tiow. Suffice it to say, that although Mr. Poole did
not admit he was the author of the It-tiers in question, he
nevertheless made a full, and clear, and unqualified, avowal,
that they had been wellies in his presence, in Mr. Bodkin's
office, and that they were •rittee tender no impression of the
suntent4 being true. We inquired if Mr. flodkia knew soy
. thing, directly or indirectly, of etch letters ; the answer to
which question was, that he certainly dud not. It is im-
Tartest to remark; we had sot mentioned the name of Mr.
Tooke before Mr. Poole asked it the letters *nutled to
purported to come frown Mr. Tooke. He further stated,
that the sine made of this gentleman's name was purely ac.
that a number of letters or paper. were lying on
Mr. Bodkin's desk, bearing Mr. Tooke 's eigeatiore, which
suggested the idea (sa Mr. Poole informed us) of pulling
his name to the letter seat to the Editor of the Timm.
It is scarcely neersaary to obsess* that this information
was not extracted without some difficnlty; and it was even-
tually obtained under a promise that the communication
should be considered confidential.

It will not excite surprise that we considered this confers.
• 11101/ of Mr. Poole perfectly conclusive as to the gro 'kas-
sen
et. the charge „raj „et Mr. 'Bodkin. Mr. Poole bad, re-
luctantly indeed, but honestly and unequivocally, arknow-
!edged he had been accessary to the act complained of by
Mr. Walter, acquitting at the same lime Mr. Bodkin
of all participation therein, sad no idea could have occurred
to our minds more extravagant and absurd than still to at-
tach importance to the ideality of a wafer seal, or the pecu-
liarity of the paps., when the feet was established that Mr.
Poole had been frequently lett alone is Mr. Bodkin's offise
shout the very period when the surreptitious letters had twin
written, and after it had been diatinatly stated by Mr. Poole
that he slid, upon those occasions, assist in the writing of the
letters, unknown to Mr. Bodkin.
Mr. Bodkin requested me to communicate the result of
this interview to the members assembled at Mr. Tooke 's
Chambers. I did so; but, probably, because I was not then
at liberty to disclose Mr. Poole's name, the Treasurer caused
the Board to be summoned fur Moodily the 25tb June, with
a request to Mr. Walter to attend and prefer his charge.
At this Board, both Mr. Walter and Mr. Bodkin having
contested to leave the decision of the question to the Mem-
bers of the Mendieity Society, Mr. Bodkin promised to use
Lis utmost endeavours to prevail am Mr. Poole to allow his
'mine to be disclosed, and to appear before the Board on that
day foriwight (Monday, 9th July), to which day the Board
accordingly adjourned.
In the mean time, lest Mr. Poole, when he found that the
affair assumed a serious aspect, shouW refuse to appear, Mr.