The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-02-17 00:00:00

POLICE.

130W-STRRET.
Yesterday Eli:: t Louisa Webster, alias Edy, was brought up In
the custody of Thoinas Jones, a police constable, cn. a warrant
in which she stood charged with obtaining, by false and fraudu.
lent pretences, three silk scarfs, and a quantity of grog de Naples,
bombasine, and other goods, value 2.if. and upwards, the property
of Messrs. Mann, drapers, in Parliament-street. The prisoner
several months ago kept a coffee-house at Charing-cross, and was
at that time in custody at this office, on charges of obtaining mo-
ney under false pretences, from one of her lodgers and other
persons.
From the evidence now adduced, it appeared that a lady of the
name of Johnstone, widow of the late Comptroller of the Twopenny
Post-office in Gerrerd-street, Soho, had been for many )ears a
customer at Messrs. Mann's. She now resides at ‘roodford,
and it was stated that the mime: had obtained the goods in quell.
tion by using that lady's name.
The prisoner seemed dejected, and when asked if she had any
defence to offer, remarked, that she had ever since she wes a child
had things from Messrs. Mann's, on account of' Mrs. Johnstone,
who was her aunt. It was very strange, she added, that neither
Mr. Mann nor his shopman, nor the post-boy, knew her, when she
had been almost from infancy with her aunt and late uncle. She
thought her aunt ought to be present.
Mr. HALLS said, the presence of Mrs. Johnstone was absolutely
necessary, and the prisoner therefore would see her at the next
examination.
The prisoner was committed to Tothill-fields prison for further
examination on Tuesday next.
The following very singular document was found in her pocket,
by Jones, the officer:—
(Cool)
" I, Elise Louisa Webster, wife of John Webster, of Bid-
borough.creet, Burton-crescent, and before marriage Eliza Louisa
Dunbar, of Foxteth Park and Mount Pleasant, Liverpool, do
solemnly bind myself to live, during my natural life, with Thomas
Henry Stanley Withnell, now private in his Majesty's First Life
Guards, and in case I fail to fulfil any part of the above contract,
I do further agree to forfeit to the above. named Thomas Henry
Stanley Withnell, the half of whatever property I may at any time
from the date hereof possess ; such as by bonds, will, or deeds,
goods, chattels, lairds, tenements, etc.
" As witness toy hand this twentieth day of December, in the
year of our herd, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Twenty-four.
(Signed) " ELIZA Louisa WZDSTISHO"
Several applications were made some weeks ago for a summons
against 31r. Charles Pitt, of Adam-street, Adelphi, for disturbing
a congregation of Dissenters, at a Meeting-house, in Burleigh.
street, Strand. Both Sir IL BIRNIE and Mr. HALLS referred the
complainants to the Sessions. Finally, an application was made to
the Court of King's Bench for a Illandanius, and a rule to show
cause was granted. Om Monday a summons was Issued, and }caterday the case was heard at great length, and the result was, that
Mr. Pitt was held to bail to appear at the Sessions to answer the
charge.
QUEEN-SQUARE.
Curr taro awn MAINITIO.--Jelin Brady, a master paviour,
residing in Grey Coat-street, Westminster, was brought up in
custody, before D. W. GREGOVIE, Esq. Charged with a most
violent assault upon William Harrod, a carman in his employ,
and endangeting his life by striking him a blow on his head with
• handspike.
It appeared that on Monday morning, between six and seven
o'clock, Mr. Brady went into the stables, and on seeing Harrod, he
told him to go about his busincss, he had no further employment
for him, to which the man said, " Why did you not tell me
so on Saturday when you paid me my wages?" Brady re-
plied, he would have done so at that time, had he known
what had since coins to his knowledge. The circumstance thus
alluded to, was an expression used by Ilarrod on Saturday
to some of the labourers in Brady's employ, of his (Har-
rod's) determination not to stop with such a set of Irishmen
as they were altogether. Harrod then demanded to be paid his
wages for attending his horses on the day preceding (Sunday) ;
this Brady refused ; and on his threatening to summon him, he
turned him Into the street. Some further altercation then ensued,
in the course of which Harrod said to Brady, " You are nothing
but a Irish rogue, and I can prove you so:" he also charged
him with stealing& cart-load of stones, on Saturday. Brady imme-
diately, without making any answer, went into the yard, and re-
turned with a weapon, which two of the witnesses, strangers to both
parties, and the man engaged by Brady to succeed Harrod, de-
scribed as a very thick handspike ; but one of Brady's workmen,
named Carroll, declared it was a common broomstick. Thus
armed, he ( iirrdy) went up to Harrod and struck him violently across
the head, which made him stagger five or six yards, when he fell,
and the blood gushed from his mouth and nostrils. The prisoner,
apparently unconcerned, returned into the yard, and the bystanders
conveyed the wounded man to the Westminster Infirmary, when
the surgeon declared him to be dangerously wounded, and quite in-
sensible.
The prisoner was soon after apprehended, and taken to the watch.
house, from whence, whilst the charge was being entered, he at-
tempted his escape, but was closely pursued, and brought back.
The prisoner was to have undergone another examination yester-
day, but, in consequence of the surgeon's certificate from the hos.
pital, stating the man not out of danger, he was again remanded.