The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-09-12 00:00:00

POLtr

MAYSION-HOCRF.—Yemenlay a street-keeper, named Mayes.
and a cad mimed Churchill, were brought before the Lord Mayor
by Mr. Cope, the Marshal, under the following remarkable cir-
cumstances.
Mr. Cope's statement was to the following effect Saturday
last a person applied at the Mansion-house fur the assistance of the
in consequence of a very serious disturbance at a public-
house in beidenhall-street, called the Black Boy and Camel.
When the officers went to the mint, they saw Hayes in a state of
I intoxication, and upon inquiry ascertained that lie had, at the in-
stance of a woman who charged a sailor 9/. 10a. for ten days' board
and lodging, taking by force from the lattt r two M. notes and some
silver. for doing which he had been rewarded with the sum of' three
pounds five shillings! The officers then immediately conducted
Hayes to the Mansion-house, where Mr. Cope questioned him
upon the subject. Hayes denied that he had received any money,
or that he had any in his possession. However, upon being assur-
ed by the Marshal that there was no use in attempting to conceal
the fact, he pulled out the money, and said, upon being further
questioned, that he had is great deal of trouble about the business,
and deserved what he received. The Marshal conceiving that this
was an instance of the system of plunder to which seamen are sub-
ject, took care to produce the evidence before the Lord Mayor.
Stapleton. the sailor, front whom the money had been taken,
stated as follows belonged to a West India trader, and went
on Saturday to Copthall-court, accompanied by Mrs. Fords, his
landlady, and Churchill, to get his money. lle received two 61.
notes, four sovereigns, and some silver, and as he owed Mrs.
Forde some money, he believed between 41. and 5/., he gave her the
four sovereigns, and told her that when lie should return home he
should give her any. more that might be due. She was not *mil-
ficd, but asked him into the public-house, and ordered a glass of
hot rum and water, of which he drank. She then went down, and
in her absence he put the two M. notes into his stocking. No
sooner had he done so, however, titan up came Hayes and Church-
ill. Hayes said that lie was an officer, and that he came to take
the money ; and then Churchill held him while Hayes overhauled
him, and took from him his two 11. notes. He did not see what
they did with the money, but he lost sight of every halfpenny of it
from that moment. Mrs. For& said, when she returned to the
room, that she was to have to the amount of her bill, and find he
(the sailor) was to have the Mimes, but lie never got a farthing
bark out of the 141. odd shillings, which he had just received.
Hayes seemed unconcerned at hearing this statement, but was
roused by the Lord Mayor, who said, " If what the sailor says is
true, this is a robbery, or I don't know what is."
Hayes said he was not conscious of having committed any offence.
He was off duty at the time the disturbance took place, and was
called up stairs by Mrs. Foyle, who said that the sailor charged her
with having robbed him of 10/. and requested that her accuser
might be searched, as he had the money about him. Churchill
had mentioned that the sailor Put the notes in his stocking, and the
sailor did not at all object to be searched, but produced the money
from his stocking, without being interfered with. The sailor then
agreed to pay Mrs. Fordc the whole of her bill, and a receipt was
brought in by Churchill, and signtil by Mrs. Fortle, who received
hl. Ins. the amount of her bill. There remained in his (Hayes's)
hands 3/. 3s. and he advised the sailor, who was in such a state of
drunkenness as not to be able to care of himself, to leave the cash
in his hands until he should recover. All he meant in the world
was to take care of the money. (A laugh.)
Gray, the officer, stated, that lie went to the public-house, and
saw Hayes in a state of intoxication, struggling with the sailor,
who was crying out, " Give me my money." Witness said to
Hayes, " Why don't you give the norm his money ?" To which
Hayes replied, " I have not got it." Martin, the officer, then
came to witness'a assistance, and also expostulated with Hayes,
who repeated there, and at the Mansion-house, that he had not got'
the money ; but afterwards, upon Mr. Cope taking him to task,
produced three sovereigns; and on being further urged, pulled out
five shillings more. This money Mayes said he had got among•t
the coaches.

31 win, the officer, confirmed this account.
The LORD 3lavoa (to the sailor)—Did they take the money by
force from you ?
Sailor.—Yes ; one of them held me, while the other over.
hauled me. _ _ .

Churchill, the cad. said that in consequence of the sailor's having
said that Mrs. Forde had robbed him, lie went down stairs for
Hayes. He (Churchill) had seen the sailor put the notes in his
stocking after Mrs. k'orde had left him, and when he went up stairs,
Hayes had the notes delivered into his hands.
The LORD MAYOR—Who delivered the notes to Hayes ?
_ .

Churchill—Me, my Lord. as he was an ofli:cr. I then went
mit fors receipt, and Mrs. Forde was paid, and the remainder of
the money was given to Hayes. •
Ilaym—My Lon% I never touched him.
The LORD MaYou—You denied that you had the balance
at all.

Hayes—llly Lord, I gave it up to Mr. Cope, when he spoke
about it ; he can't deny that.
Mr. Cope—lt Is evident that it was your intention to keep the
M. ss. You at first declared to me that you had no money at all;
but when I told you that if you did not at once produce it, I would
search you, you then pulled out 31. and afterwards the five shil-
lings ; and you told me that you had received it for your trouble,
and that you deserved it.
Hayes—l gave it up to you as the sailor's money. I was in
liquor, and I hope, ,my Lord, you'll not consider that I meant
to keep it.
Alderman Lucas came into the Justice Room at this moment,
and the Lord Mayor desired that the evidence should be repeated.
Mrs. Forde, the sailor's landlady, who had been expected, and
against whom the Lnrd Mayer directed that a warrant should be
issued, also made her appearance.
Mrs. Forde stated, that the sailor having been in her debt, she
accompanied him to Copthall.rourt, and afterwards to the public-
house, for the purpose of being paid. Instead, however, of re- I
ceiving her due, the sailor, after giving her four sovereigns, ac-
cusal her of robbing him of two 101. notes, and she was obliged,
for her character's sake, to apply to Hayes; and, as she un-
derstood Hayes was going to search him, she thought it improper
for her to remain in the room. Upon her return the sailor was
willing to pay her her money, and she regularly gave him a re.
ceipt • but she begged pardon for the bad writing, as her band
shook, she was in such a fright. She had been advised to go to the
Lord Mayor, but his Lordship was not sitting. The sailor, when
witness said he had his notes, offered to lay a wager that he had
not a shilling about him; but Hayes found the two 10/. notes
upon him.
Alderman Lucas—Why did you not give the sailor hiy balance,
Haves?
Mayes-1 wanted .to take care of it for him as he was drunk.
Mr. Cope—You said that you were entitled to it ; that the less
you could have was 31. 55.; you left the poor fellow no more than
three halfpence in the world.
Mrs. Forde said that every thing was " quite correct."
The Sailor—l went to her yesterday for some clothes that are in
my trunk at her house, and she flew at me like a tiger, and shook
me by the collar, and said, " D—n your eyes, you infernal robber,
get out of my house."
Mrs. Forde-31y Lord, he came to me at a very improper time
indeed. lie came to me at church time, and of course I could
not do no such thing as give him his trunk at such a time on the
Lord's day. (laughter.)
The Loan 31AYOR—Oh, dear ! you seem to have a great re-
spect for the Sabbath.
Mrs. Forde bow, d her head.

Ihe Coen MAYOR said, the fact, as it appeared to him was,
that a very base conspiracy had been formed against the sailor.—
Ile then remanded Hayes and Churchill, and ordered Mrs. FOTde
to attend the second examination, at the same time directing her
to give up the sailor's trunk and every thing else belonging to him.