The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-03-27 00:00:00

POLICE.

QUEEN-SQUARE.
LIVING WITH RELATIONS.—Among the miseries of human
life may be classed the following case, displaying the misery of
residing with one's relations.
An afflicted men, named John Armsteatl, came before the
Sitting Magistrates at this office, to complain of the mad-treatment
he had experienced from Ida son-in-law, Mr. Thomas Cooper.
On Sunday the 12:11, complainant was in Cooper's garden, who is
an eminent sort of bird fancier at Knightsbridge, when the deiced-
ant thought proper to quarrel with the complainant about digging ;
first assisted in tying up his hands and fact, and afterwirds kicked
him till be was ready left tbr desti upon the ground.
Capener, of No. 24, in Kionerton.street, knights-
bridge,- three doors from Coorer's, deposed that, hearing a cry of
munler, lie looked out over the wail, when he saw Armatcad with
his legs tied with a line In the garden, which Mrs. Cooper cut
down tor the purpose. At this juncture he was nearly black in
the flee.; and witness did not think
_Plat lie could have survived
had not sonic one released him, wt*lt, fortunately, was acme-
plishei by the witness and his uncle, who succeeded in toting the
eontpininunt ME Defendant was a dealer In birds; and it was the
complainant's business, as the witness heard, to look after the
aviary.
Mrs. Sarah Caniplan saw Armstcad while tied fast in Cooper"!
garden. from her back window, when the complainant was crying
nut murder for upwards of an hour, to the terror of witness and also
of a lady ..)10 lodged with her.
Lydia Johnson who realties next door to Cooper's, deposed to
seeitter Anitstead tied fast, and then' kicked while lying in the
cefentismt's garden. . .

Cuorier, in his defence, said that Armstead was unfor-
tunately the father of his wife. Several times he had dismissed
him, but Airs. Coo;.er cried him back again. lie had assaulted
t7te defendant on the ruoruirg in question, so early as nine o'clock,
then went away, but retained at dinner time. Annstead then
struck and oven bit the defendant, who, to prevent more mischief,
bat tied him up ; but his busy neighbours let him loose.
Thotnas Schofield. an lame:: of Cooper's, spoke to Armstead's
being drunk, and refusing to come down stairs to dinner, or give up
the keys, and to his striking alr. Cooper. Annstead denied that
be was intoxicated.

George Yates. servant to Cooper, said that Armatead was drunk
that morning at right o'clock : that, besides, he struck Cooper first,
when witness helped to tic him by his hands and legs.
.Me. fIitEGIORIE.—I do not belleve for a moment that Armstead
was drunk. If you take your father-in-law in for charity's sake,
Cooper, it is what all the world will oppland you for; but you are
not. on tl•at account, at liberty to tie up his hands and legs, and
leave hint in your garden for clod. I (19 not think that anything
can justify your conduct to this man; and, therefore, you 111118 t
find bail towards hint.

Cooper—Find bnil ! For wlint ?
:dr. Gatoontc—For a viJlent and brutal assault on your
father-in-law, Sir.

Several of Cooper's neighbours were present at the examination•

WORSII I P. STREET.
SINGULAR CASE. OF :4/MEP STEALING.—On Saturday,
noway tiontry and John Smith were finally examined bettor
:Ur. ()anon NE, on a charge of sheep stealing, under most extra-
ordinary eirentiistahees.
They were brrtight to the Ake on Wednesday in the custody
of a constable of St. Mary's, Islington, named Brown, who stated
that about half-nest six that morning the prisoner Smith passed
him in the Lower-road, Islington, carrying ;I large basket, and
Gurney coming up immediately afterward. with another basket.
his suspicions were excited, and he stopped him to ask what the
baskets contained. (iuniry said it was meat, which he was carrying
to a saicsnian named Salter, at Newgatc-market. Brown then
took hint to the watch-house, and found that the basket contained
the fore quarters of a sheep, a hatchet, knife. &c., and in the pri-
soner's pockets were the half of a sheep's head and the liver. The
constable having secured Gurney in the watch-house, then went in
pursuit of Smith, and his basket was found to contain the hind
quarters of the sheep, and his pockets the sheep's lights. Bring
asked where he was going to carry his load to, he said he did not
know.

At their first examination. Gurney said that Mr. Salter, a sales.
man, met him at a very early hour, and asked him to carry the
meat to Newgate-market, appointing to meet him there at eight
o'clock.

---
Shortly after that examination, it was ascertained that on Tues-
day night, or Wednesday morning, two sheep had been stolen
from a field at Holloway, belonging to Mr. Coleman, a salesman ;
and that the robbers, having killed them on the spot, had skinned
and carried off the carcases, leaving the skins behind.
Mr. Coleman and a man in his employ were in attendance on
Saturday, and identified the skins which were produced. The
sheep's carcass found in the prisoner's possession being fitted into
one of the skins, corresponded precisely in every part.
Mr. Coleman's man deposed that he saw the sheep safe in the
field at six o'clock on Tuesday evening. The following morning,
at eight o'clock, he missed them. and about half an hour afterwards
he discovered the skins in a ditch, where the robbers had thrown
them.

The prisoners were fully commttted for trial.
Rorie STEALING.--Joseph Ludlow, alias Taylor, who has
been several times examined on charges of horse-stealing, was rc.
examined on Saturday, on suspicion of having been conc.:rued in
stealing four horses from Mr. Batten, of Brickwall, flertford.iiire,
In March 11125, a robbery for which a man named Harpur was ex-
ecuted at the same time as Probert. The prisoner is supposed to
have been with Harpur at the commission of the robbery.
He was remanded for further examination on Friday next.
Three men, named Doughly, Purdy, and Walker, were fully
committed for trial, ter a robbery committed on Saturday se'anight
in the most daring manner.
It appeared that, at eleven o'clock that forenoon, the waggon of
Messrs. Booth and Co., the distillerg, while standing at the door of
a public house in 01d-street, St. L.A.'s, was beset by four fellows,
one of whom entered it, and deliberately placed a It) gallon cask of
gin on the head of his companion Doughty, who was prepared with
a knot to receive it. A person who saw the transaction gave the
alarm, when Doughty and Purdy were taken. The other prisoner
was afterwards apprehended and identified as one of the gang.

UNION-HALL.
On Saturday two brothers, named Palmer, one of whom de.
scribed himself as ship-meter of the Corporation, were bronght up,
charged with assaultiog one of the toll collectors on iVaterloo-
bridge, and also.with evading the toll.
The complainant stated that, late on the preceding night, the Ile.
fendants came to the toll-bar on the Middlesex aide of the bridge,
each accompanied by a female. One of the defendants desired
him to admit them through, and he would pay for the patty.
Having complied with the request, instead of paying the toll (4d.)
the ladies and gentleman walked forward, and when 'Moe** fol.
lowed the person who passed his word for the others, and demanded
the toll, the latter said that he would only pay for himself. Com-
plainant, however, was proceeding to insist upon payment of the
toll, when both defendants ran away across the bridge, in the di.
region of the Waterloo-road. lie pursued them with all the speed
he could, but the ship-meter and his brother outstripped him
the length of the bridge, both of them having jumped over the
toll-bar on the other side, instead of passing through the footway.
He still continued the pursuit, and at length came up with one of
the defendants, whom he again solicited to pay the four-pence,
and while detaining him by the collar, the other brother came
'up, and knocked him down. While in that state they both beat
him in a shameful manner. lie was, however, rescued from
further violence by a watchman, who took the defendants into cue-
tody.
The defendants, on being called upon to state the reason of their
endeavouring to evade the 101 l (which offence subjected each of
them to a penalty of 101.), besides booing the toll-collector for de-
manding that which he wax entitled to, admitted that they were
both inebriated's* the time, and the ship-meter hoped the present
hobble he had got himself into would not militate against ham.
The illag,strate recommended the defendants to withdraw and
make their peace with the toll-collector.
The suggestion was agreed to by both parties, and they with.
drew for that purpose.
A master parlour, named Ryan, was charged with violently as-
saulting a watchman with an iron bar.

The complainant produced the wo.pon with which he was struck,
and said, that had the blow taken caber, he wculd not be there to
tell his story that day. From his statement it appeared, that Ryan
and his wife were in the habit of quarrelling very frequently, to
the great annoyance of the neighbours, who were orten, kept awake
whole nights in consequence of the shouts of " murder" proceed-
ing front their residence. On the night in question the defendant
and his wife were kicking up a tremendous row, so much so that
many of the inhabitants thought murder n,ust ensue, and entreated
him (the watchman) to enter the house and prevent the conse-
quences. He accordingly got in, and having proceeded to Ryan's
room, found that person and his wife, both half naked, flinging
the mockery-ware at each other's heads. Scarcely a whole article
appeared in the went. On his appearance a cessation of hostilities
took place, which however was of short duration ; for Ryan, still
determined on giving his mistress "a good leathering," and being
prevented from carrying it into efict by the interference of the
watchman, vented his rage on the latter, and for this purpose seized
a long piece of iron bar which served as a poker, with which he
aimed a desperate blow at the watchman's head, who fortunately
warded it off: Phis was followed by a second blow, which struck
the complainant on the shoulder with great force. Ryan was uht-
mately lodged in the watch-house.

In his defence, Ryan,' who Is en Hibernian, pleaded, that the
watchman had no right to interfere between man and wife, for they
always settled their quarrels without the interference of a mediator.
llis wife, he acknowledged, was particularly fond of calling out the
word " Murder !" whenever he lifted his fist against her ; " but
then (said he), your Worship, when all the neighbours, as well as
the watchman. know the poor woman's little failings, why don't
they let us alone to Bettie our own disputes, without shoving in
their oars."

The Ilagiatrate—But you have aslaulted the watchman, and
might have killed him, had the blow yuu intended for him taken
effect.
Ryan—Blesa your boo!, Sir, it would only have cracked his
crown a bit. I knew be had a thick el uil. and that it would have
taken a hard knock to make any impression on it. He forgot to
tell you, Sir, that he cudgelled me before I attempted to give him
a topper.

The crinplainant did not deny that he hail used his stick OM
Ryan's hind and shoulders ; but not ur.til he had been struck with
the bar.

Ryan—Please your Worship, I see the watchman has got the
law on his side the question, and thcrelose it is no use for me to

argufy any more. Me and my wife must stand the batter, I sup.
The Magistrate—Your wife Is not included In the charge, but I
shall certahily hold you to bail tor cummitting an assault upon the
watchman.

Ryan's wife here made her Appearance, anti, with loud sobs, be-
moaned her husband's hard fate. she supplicated the Alagistrate
to forgive fling this time, adding, tl:ut it Wag out of her power to
procure bail. She was, however, unsuccessful to her application,
and Ryan was committed.