The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-08-19 00:00:00

THE BRITISH MESS.

forty-cight hours' notice to investigote, as all Ones were wen
known. Lewis. and Harding being seen regularly in the company
of reputed thieves, should be committed fur three months.
-

FORGERY.
Thomas Ennis, a lusty good-looking man of 50, rather deaf,
who has been once examined at Guildhall and twice at the Man.
sion-House, charged with forging three hills of exchange, was yes-
terday brought from the Mansion-House by Herdsfield, a city
officer, to this office, to be re.examined, the utterance having taken
O place in the flaunty, and not the City. Mr. Pugh, the solicitor,
conducted the prosecution.
The prisoner had shown some samples of roar-c flour to Mr.
Thompson, a baker, in Carlisle-street, Soho, who agreed to take a
certain quantity, for which he gave three bills of exchange, on the
understanding that the flour was to be sent in directly, which had
not been done. The bills amounted to M., and were drawn to be
payable all about the same time. The first bill, for 12/. 151. was
paid by Mr. Thompson, with 101. expenses, with the promise from
the prisoner that the others were not in circulation ; for if they were
Mr. Thompson meant to contest the payment. Another hill for
la, drawn April 17, had been altered to May 27, by scraping out
the word April, and writing over it May, and altering the figure 1
Into s 2. This was visible by holding the bill up to the light,
I which showed the transparency of the erasure, besides leaving the
dot of the lin April. The alteration of the date was to affortl the
prisoner time to get it discounted without detection.
As the prisoner was without a legal adviser, the case was re.
minded to Tuesday.

THE FRIENDLY BROTHERS' CLUB.
This case was to have been decided yesterday ; but the COTO-
plekity of the affairs seems to leave adjustment as far off as at inst.
The books weic produced, showing the resolutions of the Society
for the Club to be dissolved, and vouchers put in for the expends.
lute of the money. Most of the members declared the accounts to
be fabricated. Stewart, the President, on the 28th of February,
11126, had the consent of the members to sell the stock (2001.3 per
mat.) ; he paid to the amount of 122/. 24. 10d., leaving a balance
of 101. 7s. 3d., which wRs paid to Batchelor, who gave 15/. 17s. 3d.
to %rest to pay the sick. and lilt, to Messrs. Barmen, for law ex.
pinata. A balance of 71. ss. fkl. was paid to Field by West, who
demanded N. 10s. back, as a claim to that amount had been made
before Sir George Furrant. The last minute in the club ran,
"July if, 1026. The members having assembled to consider of the
dissolution of the club, were so noisy that silence couH not bi ob.
mined; and when the President left the room, Benham, jun. was
stripped to figlx, and West wax bnndled down stairs "
Sir GEORGE FAIINANT said he could make no order ; vouchers
were produced for the expenditure of the money, and. he recom-
melded the old members to have a meeting, and get some compe-
tent person, not interested in the club, to examine the accounts,
ana for such sums as were not correctly paid be would then issue
sus order.

.•
MARY I.THOITE Orvrega—Yesterday. Mrs. Mary Basset, a
dashing crurtestin, -of titinstraily athletic frame, preferred a charge
of assault against Mr. Andrea. Steelier, a German gentleman, of
much smaller dimensions, who lives at No. 22, High-street.
Bloomsbury.
The lady complained that the gentleman hail violently salted
her in her own house, No. 81, York-street, Tottenham Court-
road ; and it was all about a snuff-box.
• Mr. Steeder—My Lort, the box was mine own.
Mrs. Basset, (in a very dignified manner,—l tell you, Sir, the
box is mine—not yours ; and I will teach you to know it.
Mr. G RIFT ITll—Addvens your elf to me, Madam ; tell me
what happened, and when it happened.
Mrs. Basset—On Thursday night, your Worship, Mr. Steeder
came to my house he stayed as long as be pleased. He asked for
a pinch of snuff., which 1 very civilly gave him ; and then be had
the &Stamm to say my box was his box ; and because I it .'steel
on having it back, he banged the table, and sashed me. lie beat
my hand, and made it black and blue.
The lady then presented her hand, with extended fingers, to his
Worship, and others; and although thief's% not the first appear-
ance of Mrs. Basset's gold and diamond rings, in Illarylebone
Office, the eyes of tfll were so much chzzled with their richness
and splendor, that we verily believe no one saw the bruises.
Alts Basset added, " and I have got marks cf his violence on
qffier_parts of my body." They were not exhibited to his Worship ;
but that they were likewise black and,•blae is beyond a question,
bleause two young ladies of Mother Basset's establishment were in
attendance to prove it.
Mr. Steesier pleaded his prretty in the box ; he had pos-
awed it three months and a half, and it was a lean tAip to lose it.
Mr- GUI I 11TH—I have notb,ng to do with the ownership of the
box ; beating a woman will not do io this or any other country ;
therefore, unless you can settle it with her, I shall hold you to bail.
Theparties soon came to terms--Mr. Stevie; relinquished his
Claim ts the. hex, and Mrs. Basset put up with being violently
cattail. ,r:
Inn. Farley, a dashing young tailor, was brought up by the
wish Mike:l4,6ff, Marylairpne, at the instance of his sweetheart.
Inlfy HMI' • %matt pr coking 'wench, whose appearance and
lit „rte.. ,ettee„,„„:;,, i„ miety than the one she claimed.
attstotifted Ittell-:.fifary had been kind to William—
and the parisiem a fuel re agy (some Rye or six months hence) is
like!), to hAssicin increase iaite inhabitants. The young woman
has just relinquished a good actuation of servitude. She did not
wish her nitsfrtspt to find (etcher situation : and as the family was
going into the Country Air time or four months, she thought it bet-
ter to leave before they went.
Mr. Garrrrma doubted whether, at the present time, she was
competent .to. judge of her situation with correctness. He asked
her whether she hul consulted any medical man, or matronly fe-
male. She said no, but she was sure she was right in her eonelu-
Along, and her fellow-servasts were aure of it too, whom she repre-
sented to be also young and single.
Mr. GRIEF IT H asked the young tailor, when he was last in her
'company? He said, with-a mile," Last night, to be sure, Sir."—
Mary smiled, and reproved him, as a story-teller.
41T. it / i'F ITH, to Mary--You seem to be merry about, it.
Mary—lt is of no use to be any otherwise.
I
Me.. GRIFFITH, to William—When was you hest lquainted
with her ? William—Oh, about last Christmas.
Jilary—W hat a story-teller! You know, Willimititdi lmr
thew of April, attd only then, and then you mull awn ',let-me
go, you know you would not. (Mr. Griffith smiled, and all smiled
but Mary, and she wept.)
Mr. Gerrt'tTll, to Mary—Were you never acquainted with him
before nor after ? Mary—Never.
Air. 0a I FFIT it —Nor with any other person ? Mary—No.
The oath was then administered to her, and William was ordered
to give security to indemnify the pariah.
William, with another smile, declared he would give no security ;
and when our reporter left the office, a warrant was prepared, com-
manding, the constable of the district to take and convey the said
William Farley to the New Prison, and to deliver him to the
keeper therecf, there safely to be kept until he shall give such se-
curity, or be otherwise lawfully delivered from thence.
toSt-IT A T.L.—Vesterd ay morning, while the Sitting Magistrate
was occupied in bearing the night charges, a respectable-booking
female entered the office in a state of considerable agitation, and re-
quested that one of the officers might be despatched to her rest-
&nee, for the purpose of endeavouring to induce her husband to
take something internally, in order to counteract the effects of a
strong dote of poison that he had swallowed a short time before.
She stated, that when she ascertained lie hail drunk the poison a
medical man was instantly sent for, who prescribed an antiJote, but
her husband obstinately refused taking it; and the object of her
application was, to have the assistance of an officer in compelling
lion to receive into his stomach that which would preserve his
life. . •

The Magistrate directed Newsome, one of the officers, to proceed
with the poor woman, and use his rfwts to prevail on her husband
to take any remedy that was administered by the surgeon.
In about half an hour the officer returned with the msn who had
taken the 'poison in his custody, snd slated that all his efforts in
prevailing on Min to take any thing internally were unavailing,
and he (the officer) therefore thought proper to bring him away to
the office, where he might be compelled to take the medicine that
was prescribed.
The patient was taken into the private room, and the medical
man who first attended him was present. . .

The Magistrates, on seeing the man, whose name is James Vet-
der, residing in Market-street, St. ffeirge's, pressed him to take
the eteditine that was prepared for him, and which only could save
his life t but the more he was solicited the more determined and re-
solute he became in his refusal, declaring that it was his with to
die, and no one sh.iald compel him to take any thing to preserve a
life that he was so anxious to get rid of. Lie then acknowledged
that he had swallowed eighteen pennyworth of laudgnunt, which
he had purchased at different chemists' shops that morning, and
proceeded to talk in a very incoherent manner respecting a book he
had perused with great attention, called The bat Jittlpitoit, and
the contents of which, he added, cmivinced hint that lie was a mere
cipher on this earth, and that he should be much happier were lie
to close his earthly career as soon as possible. _ _

The Magistrates, perceiving that he was bent on his refusal in
suffering any thing to be put down his throat, directed a number of
the officers to hold hint while h- was compelled. The moment
they approached him lie kicked and Wed hard to prt.vent them
fruni holding hint ; and the ollieen were at length obliged to tie his
hands together, and also his feet, when he was placed on the flat of
his back. and. by great ingenuity, a strong emetic was forced down
his throat. After it was administered the obstinate man lay.tole-
Ts* quiet In the position he had been placed, and, after waiting a
quarter Wan hour, the first emetic out having operated, a second,
still stronger, and composed of the sulphate of zinc, was adniinis.
wed, but this also failed in bringing up the contents of the stomach,
to the great surprise of the medical man. Neither the laudanum
nor the medicine that be had taken showing any symptoms of ope-
rating ou the 'stomach, he begged to be released, declaring, that in
the event of the laudanum not having the desired effect, he should
take a more certain remedy of putting an cud to his life. When
the stomach-pump was mentioned the untbruinwe man declared, in
a parosysm of passion, that it should never be introduced into his
mouth. Tile medical than, fearful of lacerating seine of the vital
pars by the introduction of the instrument. declined emptying the
stomach by that means, owing to the irritability of mind tinder
which he laboured. The Magistrates then directed hint to be un-
loosed and taken to the workhouse, iosttad of petniitting him to
proceed home.
When Nerveome, the officer, entered the unfortunate man's house,
he found hint writing a letter, describing that Ire had takot a dose
of poison, and imploring his wife's forgiveness.
On Thursday, .Jr. Thomas Hunt, the emu of the candidate at
the late election for the County of Somerset, was brought tip to
this office in the custody of Mind, one of the constables of Christ
Church, Blackfriars, charged with having committed violent, us.