The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-09-28 00:00:00

' Gardens, Brompton, charged George Squires, a gardener, with
stealing some very choice apples.
Mr. Salisbury stated, that for the last twenty years he had been
collecting the choicest apple trees from different parts of the world,
and he had a greater variety than any other ;Arson in Europe, and
the apples stolen by the prisoner were some of them, the first bear-
ings of the trees, and the loss to him was very great, as be wished
them for specimens.
The Magistrate said, that if the fruit had been stolen after It had
been gathered from the trees, the off:nee would have been more
serious: as it was, he could only order the prisoner to pay the
value of the fruit, which was Bs., and a fine of Ins. and costs.
The prisoner was ordered to be committed for two months to the
Goose of Correction, in default of payment.

UNION-HALL.
Yesterday Jolts Penton and James Munroe, two horse-dealers,
were brought up in custody of two watchmen, on a charge of furious
driving in a gig, in Blackfriars Road, on Sanday evening, at nine
o'clock.
The watchmen stated, that the prisoners were both In a gig. and
drove over the road in all directions, to the great terror and annoy.
ante of the passengers, who gathered round them, pulled them out
of the gig, and gave them in charge : one of them was drunk at
the time, the other was sober.
On reference to the Act of Parliament, it was found, that the
owner of the carriage was subject to a penalty of and the driver
to a penalty of 40a.
The watchmen stated, that the owner was sober, and endeavoured
to restrain the other, and get the reins from him ; In consideration
of which the Magistrate mitigated the penalty to 40a and ripened
great satisfaction that the Act allowed him to give half the line to
the watchmen. . . .

..... ...-
William Stoneham, a watchman in the Westminster-mad, pre-
ferred a charge of riot against Julie Crkg, a meshman, who, In
his turn, charged the watchman with gross wsissandiast and Intoxica.
tion, in which he was supported by respectable erimmess.
Mr. Grigg said, that while calling at bie wee deer at MN o'clock
yesterday morning, the watchman came up. Weft fiat be beard
a call of " Watch." This Mr. Grigg denied, is t wasada.
man dragged him to the watch•house, where be mama le hewer
insults, by calling him an odious name.
The Magistrate expressed great indignation at the watchman's
miscocduct, and directed that he should be dismissed from dice.
An old lady was lined ss. for being drunk, and amelag a riot
during church time.
The lady said it was very hard to be fined As. for settling a• old
grudge with her defer, whom she bad not seen for months.
A young woman was brought up for wandering in quest of
lodgings at night.
The Magistrate said, that if she did not take better taro he
would send her to Brixton, on which she replied, " I wish you
would !''

The Magistrate was astonished, sod humanely gave the pear
girl a shilling to pay the earnest for a lodging, which she had been
in treaty far, but which She was unable to take without paying a
shilling down.

CRIMISOK.

At Bow-street, yesterday, one John Hume, who described him-
self to be " by profission' a waiter at a roffee-house, was brought
up on • warrant, charged with putting Joseph Mama in bodily
fear, by threatening to stab him.
Mr. Mason, in stating his grievance to the Magistrate, said, he
had the honour of being a member of that very respectable and
most indispensably necessary fraternity the frieeure of London, and
that he carried on his business at Charing-cross, where, thanks be
to Providence, not to mention his owe skill in the art, which, he
believed, few would venture to question, he had a very nod COn -
n ect ion ; In fact, he had the honour to dress the heads of Bankers,
Army Agents, and even Members of Parliament, in his own Im.
mediate neighbourhood. The profits of his calling were consi-
derable, and haying everything tolerably comfortable about him
except a wife, m.tters would go on smoothly enough, and he might
sail steadily and happily along the stream of life, but for the extra.
ordinary behaviour of the defendant, who was his pest—his tor.
mentor—his evil genius. He could not stir out without being
attacked in the street by him, and stalled all sorts of ungenteel
flair and if he remained at home the defendant would raise •
riot about his door, and proclaim him to the people, whom his violence
and noise had collected together, as everything that was bad I
moreover, he had threatened to stab him, and had, over and over
again, said he would " rip his guts open, and hang them
about his head !" . .

---• •••- --- •
Sir It. BIRVIE—WeII, Mr. Hume, how do you account for
all this ? - - - • • -

Hume, who had stood listening most impatiently to the state-
ment of the complainant, and alto seemed almost bursting with
anxiety to speak, now began • long harangue. " Your Worship,"
said h., " It is stony surprising to me how this man can have the
ibreison W sow here to make such a charge against me. Why,
lie, he hae robbed me of my wife, Sir. She is always with him_
she Sams him about everywhere. I can't keep her from him;
my hese Is neglected—my comfort is destroyed ; and can It be
wondered at that I sometimes get into a passion. But what makes
the waiter still worse, Sir, is, that he beats her ; fond m she is of
him, Sir, he beats her shamefully, and yet the devil must be in the
woman, I think—she will run after him. It was but the other day
that he knocked her down and cut her eye, the mark of which cut
she will carry with her to the grave. lam pestered to death, Sir,
and almost driven out of my mind by her and this man. I hare
offered to make her home comfortable if she would give him up, or
to allow her a maintenance if she chose to keep away from me; but
she wilt do neither. She goes after him when she chooses, and then
comes back and annoys me."
Sir R. BIRXIZ.—Are you quite awe that you have good ground
for suspecting your wife's infidelity—may you not be mistaken ?
Hume.—Oh, no, Sir; I have too good reason to know that they'
have been criminal together.
Sir R. Blintz (pointing to the defendant, and then to the corn.
plainant).—Why, looking on " this picture and on this," I should
pronoonce it impossible. Are you quite certain that she prefer.
him to you ?
Hume.—l have no doubt of it.
Sir R. BIRNIE.—WeII, I should have thought it could not be;
but, ie casabas eat est dieprtandret. However. Ido not think,
Mr. Mason, that you have any personal harm to fear.
Mason.—Yes, I have, indeed. your Worship, for he carries a
tremendous weapon about him, which he swears shall be the death
of me. I will describe it to you, Sir, and then judge for yourself.
It is twelve inches long, and one end consist, of lead of at least
two pounds weight, and the other of a blade both long and sharp.
Bless your soul, your Worship, it would let out a man's infernal
(we presume Mr. Mason meant internal) parts in no time; be
carries it up his sleeve.
Hume laughed heartily at the description of the weapon, and
said that it had no existence but iu the fearful imagination of Mr.
Mmon.
Sir It. Mintz observed, that in the first place, he thought
Hume was foolish to give himself so much trouble about his wife,
who, according to his showing, was really not worth a moment's
thought ; and on the other hand, he could not think, under the
circums.ances, of holding hint to bail. He considered the alleged
threats as mere empty words.
The warrant was then discharged, to the chagrin of Mr. Mason.