The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1822-12-17 00:00:00

THE CHAMPION AND THE DWARF.

Toni Crab, the filetie champion, entered this office last
night, with a little dwarf named John flempteune, who
reached the height of Tom's knee, for whom he claimed the
protection of the Magistrates.
Tom, who seemed almost ready to pipe his eye, told his
story in the following plain and simple language
Ibis little man, your Worship, has lived in my house in
Pantun.street, Haymarket, for about seven months ; he was
without a friend in the world, and so I took him in, and told
him that he never should want while he stopped with me.
He is •poor harmless creature, your Worship, and I lets him
do just as be likes. Sometimes be carries beer into the par..,
luur when my see is from home, sad on Sunday art KM Oil,
your Worship, &cowardly fellow named Becket came with
his boy, a lad bout ten years of age, into my house, and
while I was out, what does he do, but sets his lad to wit/ this i
poor little man, merely for the purpose ofbeing able to brag
that his lad had thrashed a man forty years of age !•'
The Magistrate asked if the little dwarf was forty years of
age
Hamptman replied—" I am forty years old, and forty inches
high."
Cribb said that his little friend Hsmptman was a German,
and had been brought to this country to be made a show of,
but did nut like it.
Magistrate—What injury has he sustained ?
Cribh—His mouth is disfigured, the lips are cut, and Becket
held his lad, while be struck Mr. Ilaniptman repeatedly in
the face.

Magistrate—l am glad to see you, Mr. Cribb, a champion
in so good a rause.
Cribb—Why, your Worship, I had rallirr he would hare
struck me, than that poor fellow should have bee• used so
vee,y
The Magistrate ordered • warrant fo be issued against
Becket fur Um assault, and applauded Tow fur his humauity.

MARLBOROUGH. STREET.
ROW BETWEEN WATCIIMEN.

The old adage, " When rogues (pared honest men come
br their right,' did not hold good in the present Instance, for
the swearing on one aide was so point blank against the oaths
on tbe other, that it was difficult to say which set of watch •
men were most in fault ; as to the pour Gentleman who bad
unluckily got his grog on board, and who was tossed about
like a shuttlecock between the guardians of the night be-
longing to the respective parishes of St. Ann and St. Giles,
we could learn nothing of him, bet that lie was kept oat of a
warm bed for two boors longer than he had need to have,'
whilst the Charleys were breaking each others heads,)
because they could not agree who was to take him home.
The affray arose from the contradictory instructions of the
Watch Committees of St. Ann and St. Giles; the former
ordering its watchmen. itben they meet with an orderly
drunken man, to pass him from one watchman to another,
till the, got him Ironic. The St. Giles's Committee, on the
other hand, whose parish has always been noted for having
orderly inhabitants, commands its watchmen to punish
with the watchhouse any luckless wight, who takes
teo large a portion, whether orderly or disorderly.—
, The Gentleman who was the cause of this row it
appears, was very drunk end very orderly, and therefore,
like good disciplinarians, who consider the obedience to
orders the "muscle of an army," the St. Ann's men led this
hapless youth to the Motleys of St. Giles's, with orders to
Pass him to No. in, Little St. Andrew.street. This the
courtly guardians of St. Clilea's positively refused, and swore
they would take the delinquent to their watchhouse, io spite
of the orders, lanterns, and stases of the St. Ana's Clesleys.
After swearing and counter-swearing, and after one of the
witnesses had been turned out of the office for impertinent
conduct, the Magistrate dismissed the complaint, with a
recommendation to all the parishes in the district of the
office to adopt the instructions of the St. Ann'a Watch Cum.
mitten.

Hayman and Stevens, two boys, were committed for one
month, fur attempting lu pick a geutletumes pocket in
Oxford-street.

John Robinson, having the appearance of a groom nut of
'since, was remanded till Thursday next, on tho charge of
William Muses, w Ito found him in his second-floor front
room, on Sunday evening, about six o'clock, without his
being able to assign any reason for his being there.
Brown, a watchman, charted four respectable-looking men,
by the names of Pitchford, Gould, Belcher, and Ball, with
being disorderly in Oxford-street, on Sunday night, The
complainant was confirmed In his testimony by Chapman,
another watchman, whose nose, could it bo made available
lot the purpose, would make as powerful a watchman's staff
as we et er saw.

Chapman stated that he serer saw genamon more uproarious
in all his lire. " They gave me, your Worship, a heavy
Jioerer ; but I don't wish to charge them with what the did
not do, your Worship. They did not do this nor Ibis,"
'minting to an enormous carbuncle on his protuberance he-

fore noticed, and to another just under it. "l3io and cold,
your Worship, have given me these."
After patiently bearing the eloquence of Mi. Chapman ;the
Magistrate ordered all the Prisoners to bo discharged, with
the exception of Belcher, whom he lined 4s. for being drunk;
it appearing that be was [be cause of the others getting into
trouble.' • ,
Mr. and Den. Rockford, the gentleman a dustman, the lady
one of Pierce Egan's "bother-merchants," were charged
by a guardian of St. Giles with bang as rlaitentiy drunk,
on Saturday night, as be ever saw two gestates iu all his
rounds.

......
The accused assured his Worship they did sot often get so
drunk; and thu northy Magistrate, considering • man and
his wile as one, only lined them 6s. for their intemperance.

WORSHIP-STREET.

Yesterday Mrs. Susanna Rigge, a well-known character by
the police, preferred a charge against. John Wiliam*, Abra-
ham Santini, John Goodger audJerestiat Mien, fur threatening
ber life. _ .

Complainant stated, that the Defendant, isbr.iliam Samuel,
basing an attachment against her, came to execute the same
in company with the other Defendants, is hn all swore most
sacredly that they would be the death of Complainant, and as
for her husband, they would nail him to • chair, and burn him
alive. Complainant in consequence left her house, and has
never returned to it, fearful lest the Defendants should put
their threat in execution. _

Abraham Samuel, in his defence, stated, that all the Corn-
p'ainant had said was false; that she had applied to Lambeth.
street office (in which district the alleged offence was said
to have been committed), bat the Magistrates had refused a
warrant, knowing the notoriousness of the Complainant, who
had indicted the officers oftbat office, and threatened the Ma-
gistralp for conspiring to take her life. The Defendant was
proceeding to a considerable length, when the worthy Ma.
gistrate (Mr. Bennet) dismissed the case, the offence, it any,
having been committed in another district.
The Complainant left the office, protesting no justice was
to be had in the country.
Mrs. Lary Sheppard, of Bnnbill-row, was charged byJolin
Bates, a watchman, with assaulting him while un duty.
Complainant stated, that a little before twelve o'clock on
Saturday night, Defendant, and two more women were con-
versing together, when he desired them to disperse. The De-
fendant refused, accompanied with language the most foul,
when Complainant took her into custody, when she com-
menced striking him, assisted by the other two women, and it
was some time ere Complainant could get her to the watch.
house.

Mrs. Sheppard, in ber defence, stated, that on the watch-
man desiring her to remove, she immediately went to her own
door, a few yards distant, when the Complainant followed,
and took her into custody, not until he had used his bludgeon
in a most unmerciful manner, from which blows Defendant
tell, and while on the grimed be kicked her in stoewst
dreadful manner. The Defendant's appearance bore testi-
mony of her having been beaten in a very severe manner.
The worthy Magistrate dismissed the case, and immedi-
ately proceeded toinvestigate the truth of the abeve defence.
The watchman solicited the further investigation might be
postponed until another day, when he would be prepared
with witnesses to prove the fabrication of the Defendant's
story. Wednesday was therefore fixed, when all parties are
to appear.

Reiecca Norton was charged with robbing Mr. Hardline of
thirteen sovereigns at a house of ill-fame. The charge was
not supported, but she was committed for a month's
sunmeet, loader the new Police Act.

LA MBETIII STREET.

Yesterday Elizabeth Stewart was charged with robbing
her master, Mr. Underwood, linen-draper, of the Commer-
cial-road.

Mr. Underwood stated that the prisoner entered his service
on Tuesday evening last ; upon her arrival, and in her
presence he paid the former servant her wag,* out of a
bag ; be:then replaced his bag in • desk, and locked it. On
Wednesday afternoon he went out, and upon his return,
Mrs. Underwood informed him that during the few moments
when she had left the parlour to 'attend in the shop the bog
had been stolen, the key bail been lett in the desk ; there
were. in the bag, money to the amount of sal. On Salur•
day morning, when he came down istairs Ihe missod a
silk scarf sad a silk shawl front the shop worth upwards of
41. The Complainant took nu notice of these robberies until
he had the means of detection. On Sunday he went out, and
upon his return discovered the street door open ; on going'
into the shop he saw many tidings displaced, but did nut then
miss any thing. On accusing the Prisoner she desired Com-
plainant might search her ; h.! did so, and Bond in her boa
a piece of flannel and a piece of Irish linen, but the re-
mainder of the properly cannot lie found.
The Prisoner was remanded until Thursday for examination.
Hogdosi was charged with felony.
Mr. Spradley, of the Safe Harbour Tavern, Harbour-
square, stated, that he employed the Prisoner and another
man as sawyers; on Saturday, alter lie paid them, he met
them in • field near his house, both loaded with deals and ask
'rippling which they had stolen from him. He seized the
Prisoner, but the other man made his escape.
The prisoner was fully committed for trial.
Jacob Amick was convicted in the penalty of tot. for re-
ceeeing dust from several houses in the paaish of Shadwell to
the great detriment of Mr. Johnson, the Contractor.

THAMES-OFFICE.
THE WATERMANS' HALL COMMIT V. WILLIAM

GLADDISII. ESQ.

This was an information laid aphis! the Defendant for
scantling a barge to be worked on the river Thames fur gain
he being unqualified as a waterman, Wherrtmsn, or lighter-
man.

Shelton, Coroner fur London and Southwark, attended
on the part of the Waterman's Collinear. and called George
Fox, a waterman, who stated that us the Mb November, he
saw a barge in the Defendant's employ loaded with breeze,
i.e. coal ashes, and being' worked by George Webb, an un-
qualified +Merman, and servant of the Defendant. between
Gravesend and Windsor. The Defendant is a lime-merchant,
residing at Gravesend, and the barge was loaded at Westmin•
star, and proceeded to the kilns at Gravesend; he boarded
her himself of Wapping Stairs as slue passed, she was then
manned by Webb.
Two or three other witnesses proved the same facts, and
after being cross-examined by the Defendant, who stated the
information to be an act of the blackest ingratitude, and
wished by many observations of drunkenness, rke. to sbe w the
witnesses unworthy of credit.
Mr. Shelton caned upon the Magistrate to pronounce
judgment.
The Magistrate said the ease had been dearly proved, and
the Act of Parliament was imperative ;it left him without a
power of mitigation ; he therefore cenvicted the Defendant
in the penalty of ten pounds.
Information bad also been laid against Webb, but that was
dismissed.