The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-09-17 00:00:00

POLICE.

ALrarstOw.lionsi, SErtzranna 16.—A Merchant, named
Hart, obtained a warrant against a Mr. Lewis, who had been for
some time his clerk, in order to make him answer a threat of assas-
sination.
Mr. Hart's statement was to the following effect:—He had been
obliged to discharge the defendant in conseqUence of repeated mis-
takes, of which it was unnecessary to mention the particulars.
the defendant, who was a man of vehement peasiun, called at the'
counting-house after his dismissal, and said to the complainant—l
"To show how much hostility I entertain towards you, 1 saved
your life last night. • 1 tcld a friend of mine what your conduct bad
been, and he advised me to use an air-gun on the occa4on. This I
refused to do in the most determined manner; upon which he said
he would do it himself." Mr. Lewis, after declaring that he had
used ail the ar ;merits in his power to prevent the menaced execu-
tion from being done. went away. Alr. Hart, conceiving that Mr.
Lewis vas bound at least to tell him the name of the person who
had volunteered to despatch him, immediately procured a warnun.
His LORDSHIP asked Mr. Lewis what he had to say in answer
to this very extraordir.ary charge?
Mr. Lewis said his object in mentioning to Mr. Hart what oc-
curred between his friend and himself was, to prove that he was
neither mad nor malicious, as he had been represented. Mr. Hart
had used him with the greatest harshness. He had stated the whole
of the circumstances to a military friend, whose passions were rather
impetuous. The advice he received was just such as had been
stated but he rejected it at once, and, after some expostulation,
prevailed upon his friend to give up the idea of vengeance. Alr.
Lewis declared that he never in his life meditated any injury to
Mr. Hart, and never would do him the slightest, 'whatever future
provocation might be given.
The Loan AI AY OR asked Ali. Hart whether, after this auur-
ar.ce, he could swear he believed his life to be in danger from Mr.
?.. . .

Mr. Ran would tot swear that he had any apprehension, and
said he looked upon all that Mr. Lewis could do with the greatest
contempt.
The LOAD MAYOR then distnissed the case.

THE GARDEN ACT.
DOW.STREES, SEPT. 16.—A warrant was granted against four
young gentlemen re.tdijig in the neighbourhood of Hammersmith,
for the serious offence of stealing from a garden.
Mr. Hunt, of Hartimeramith, schoolmaster, complained of the
conduct of the young gentlemen in question. He had lately, he
said, found them stealing pears from a tree in his garden, which
they contrived to reach from the top of the wall by which his
grounds are enclosed. Upon that occasion he remonstrated with
them, and receiving nothing but insolence and defiance in return,
he endeavoured to push one off the wall. The young man dropped
inside into his garden, and his companions immediately followed
end daringly wanted his servant, who came to turn them out.
He succeeded, by the aid of his servant, in drivingthem off the
grounds, but they had since annoyed him and his wile, by calling
after her in the moat Indecent language wherever she went. This
was his particular reason foi desiring an assault warrant against
them, that a atop might be put to their offensive condact:
Upon a consultation with the Itlagistratec, it was deemed a more
advisable course to have the parties apprehended upon a warrant
for the rolkay, of the garden, which, by an Act of last Session,
lately conic into operation, has been made a transportable offence.

HATTON6GAIIDEN, SEPT. 16.-John Spiral, " a needy knife.
grinder," of Whitby-court, was charged by. Thomas Tennant, a
licensed hawker, of Montpelier-place, lienush-town, with bread.
in g into his bed-room.
It appeared from Mr. Tennant's statement, that his acquaint-
ance with " the gentleman" at the bar commenced whilst on his
travels in the pursuit of his lawful occupation, and that lest night
having met " quite promiscuou.sly" in town, they adjourned to talk
our old stories, and enjoy a social glass of " half-and-half." This
pleasing occupation detained them so late, that the prisoner. finding
it too late to gb home, accepted the frankly-offered invitation of his
ompanion to take na bed at hie villa in Kentith-town. In the
dead of the night, however, the " innocent sleep" of the Bost was
murdered by the fracture of his door, and the entrance of his guest.
e was, from the circumstance of their previous orgies, too jolly at
the moment to give hint into custody, but remedied that detect the
first .king in the morning.
Mr. Spite!, in his defence, urged that u he was walking quietly
down attire, the confounded " half-and-halr' operated so strongly
as to divert hip progress, most unwittingly on his part. frqm the
rectilinear direction he would fain have pursued, and sent him head
foremost against Mr. Tennant's door, which not being quite so
thick as the Instrument thus forted against it, yielded to the
n:wood urn.
His Worship seemed to think that this was very likelA sad
dismissed the case.

• .. SINGULAR QUESTION OF IDENTITY.
Mr. Hera, an engraver, .residing at No. 2, Bath-row, Clerk-
enwell, was charged yith having committed a fraud on a 3lr.
Spooner, a traveller for a wholesale oil and colour shop in H atto..l-
- From Mr. Horn's respectability, meta surprise was excited
it the charge.
Mr. Spoonerdeposed that on Monday evening last, ho was cc.,
costed by the defendant in Holborn, who told him that he hail a
quantity of various smuggled goods to dispose of. He bargained,
for a parcel of cambric (which he understood was not Smug-
gled) for which he paid six pounds. This cambric, hovieVer'
proved to be mystics, °and was not worth thirty saillings. Me.
bpoonet was accordingly on the alert to Lind the person who so de-
frauded him, and on meeting Air. Horn yesterday morn!ng in
Grey's Inn-lane, he stopped him, charged him with the fraud, and
insisted on giving him into custody. lily. Horn was quite
irtonnded, and presented his card to Mr. Spooner to prove that he
must have been in some error, as to the person who had de-
frauded him.

Several persona of respectability attended to speak to Mr. Horn's
character.
Sergeant SELtox, the presiding Magistrate, expressed his sur-
prise; and as Mr. Spooner still persevered in his mistake, one of
Mr. Armstrong's apprentices, who saw Mr. Spooner pay the
moKey, was then sent for. On being swot, and directed to look at
the defendant, he instantly exclaimed, " That's the man."
Sergeant SELLOir—Be not hasty, young man, you are on your
oath, and there are several persons here ready to contradict you. 1
The lad paused for a minute, and looking again at the defend- I
ant, said, •I am mistaken, this gentleman is fuller in the-face
than the man whom I saw paid."
1. Wainwright, the officer, then. gave a satisfactory " eciaircisse.l
ment" of the matter, Itlr. Horn wears a wooden leg, and he so
strongly resembles, both in this infirmity, and in features and sire,
a notorious " Dtifrer," named Dick Bowers, well known at all the
offices, that any person not well acquainted with the appearance of
each, might mistake one for the other.
Sergeant SELLox observed that there was not a shadow of doubt
about the mistake, and.made some strong remarks on the necessity
of persons being well assured before they hastily swore to the iden-
tity of any indiitlual.
The parties then withdrew.

Tosiw-HALL, SErrtmnra l6.—Twn children, a boy, 'aged
six years, and a girl still younger, appeared en a summons, charg.
ing them with an assault upon another child of about the same
age.
The Magistrate (Alderman J. J. SMITH) dismissed the case
with indignation, after hearing the statement of the mother of ths
complainant. •The whole was a mere quarrel of children about a
riband