The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-03-28 00:00:00

UNJON HALL.

_ .
Yesterday a man, named 11.41. Th,ife3o/1. was brought before
thc sitting I.:4isitate, C. J. catitseli, u.sel, charged with break-
ing into the house of a a idow named Griffiths, residing in Baker-
street, Lambeth.
From the evidence of the complainant it appeared that on Samr
day mori.big, while in bed. she was xi:a:cued by a noise in her
room, as it some p emit' was concealed under the bedstead. She
to is ,it..lfalle a hrmed. hot lay still, it, the hope that it was merely
the et': et of h.'r imaginrchn, s lien. on listening with breathless
attentito‘, she plainly heard some person creep from under the !not
Of the bedstead, and at ts,e sante trine a chair which stood close by
was n'ored. She continued silent, untl at length site telt the
conntetpahe gracually moving down to her feet. Her tenor now
bccalbt• so rest that she screamed aimed, which brought down a
I,•deer of T.,r's, stout' lrishntaa, who, on entering the bed roam,
r.n ag:•:, At the prisoner, who was at this time endeavouring to
make i. teen c, ::ad collared hi.n. The prisoner did net attempt
to ni..ke a, V resistance. On examining the premises. to asocrtain
bow tbe teliow managed to get into the house, the back door bolt
nod ether bestenii44. wire diacovered to have been wrenched open
front the out: ide. The door of the complainant's bed room, which
site Inekel at the time of retiring to rest, was also found to have
been farm,' 'ion while she was &deep,
The primmer. in his defence, &dared that he bad not entered
Mrs. Griaithes bell lonia whk the intention of stealing any thing.
lie WAS drank at the time, having spent the day with a person who
encouraged hint to leave his :lame in Bristol, in order to get wink
in town. Having by some acciehnit or another happened' to miss
the friend on leaving the public-house, where they had been
carousing, end rifting the door of the complainant's house open, he
mired, hoping to find the same hospitality and good treatment
•Itcre that a stranger was always certain of meeting with in his
flutist. ell.
The contptainant.ssid that her house was well secured before
she went to bed ; and the constable proi'Aced the bets and
hogs, to prove that greet theeetnid been used to gain an entrance.
The Magistrate observed that a clear case of burglary had been
made rut against the prisoner, who was accordingly committed for
that offence.

In consequence of the fire that occurred In Prospect-in*, near
the Elephant and ( astir, on Sunday afternoon, a great number
of pickpockets, who were very busy during the conflagration, were
taken into custray by tbe officers of this establishment, anti Drought
before the Magistrate. Amongst the number were two diminutive
boys, who, it appeared, were well skilled In the art or turning
a pocket inside out. Ti:ey were acco upamed by • tall fellow,
who, it see.ns, never tou Ics a picket himself, but attends on
his compsnoins for the purpose ut concealing them from the view
of the t'oltre, while rarrytog on their operations. In this instance,
however, the trio" were observed by a patrol, who watched
them closely, and perceived the two youngsters turn Inside out the
pockets r.f several persons in the crowd, while the eldest boy stood
immediately in their rear, in order to cover thesp and prevent de-
tection. Nothing, however, was found in their possession; but all
of them being Identified as reputed thieves, were committed for
toree months each to Brixton.

One of those cases that rarely occur at this offloe, namely, a eon
reusing to support his own hither, was hoard in the course of
the day.
The defendant, whose name is Bristow, and occupation a boat_
builder, was summoned by the officers of Hotherhitbe, for refusing
to allow any compensation to the perish for the support of his
father. vie is a pauper In their workhouse.
The overseer having stated the defendant's father to be
ch irgeable to the parish, said that application had been made to
the son to contribute to his support, in order that some part of the
burden might be taken off the parish ; but the defendant refused,
alleging that he had kept him so long, he war unable to do so any
longer. Un.ler these circumstances, he (the overseer) thought it
necessary to summon him, as he appeared to be a man is circum-
stances to maintain his own father.

The defendant, in reply to the overseer, declared his utter inabi-
lity of contributing towards his father's support. He had a large
family of young children, he said, and therefore had it not in his
power to keep him out of the workhouse.
The Magistrate observed that it would be necessary for the com-
plainant to prove that the defendant was in circumstances so as to
enable him to keep his parent out of the workhouse. There was a
wide distinction between the present case and that of obliging a
man to support his illegitimate child. Jr. the latter the Magistrate
had the power of commiting to hard labour instanter; in the
tormer it was absolutely necessary to bring forward good proof, to
snow that a defendant's circumstance• were such as to enable him
to maintain his father. The Magistrate then asked what proof
there was of this fact now before him. _

The Overseer said the only proof was his own personal observa-
tion. lie had called upon the defendant, who kept a large yard for
lioat-building by the water side, ♦hich was well stocked with
timber. Two apprentices were at wok there, besides a man ; and
from external appesramws, he "ailed that he was of opinion the
defendant was capable, if not of wholly supporting his father, at
least of contributing something towards thut object.
The defendant again urged his distressed circumstances.
The Magistrate remarked that he should require other proofs
of the defendant's circumstances before he made any order against
him.

The Overseer, in submit log to the iilsgistrate's decision. ob-
served, that he was apprehensive this would be a bad precedent.
Many persons in the pariah, in worse eirearnstatices than the de-
fendant, maintained their fathers and families.

The case wu postponed.

CORONER'S INQUEST.

Yesterday, a Coeonet's Inquest was held at Mr. Burgess's, the
Three Jolt% Butchers, in Warwick-lane, %S. a:wick-square. before
T. Shehen, Esq., Coroner, on the body of Jane Dawson, servant to
3lra. Peckett, in %Varrick-tang, who hung herself on Saturday in
her bed-room. It appeared in evidence, that after dinner her Mill-
tress noticed that the kitchen, which was at the top of the house.
was not cleaned up as usual; and thinking that Jane was ill, anti
had gone to lie dOwn, as she had seemed low-spirited for some days,
she followed to offer her any thing which might relieve herja her
apparent stiff rings. Not seeing her, she was returning down
stairs, when she discovered her suspended behind the door. The
alarm was instantly given, and the unfortunate girl was cut down.
Medical assistance Was immediately called in, and every effort to
restore suspended animation was used in vain—the vital spailt had
fled. It came out in the course of examination, that 'tie had only
lived five weeks in her situation ; that she was frequently very low,
and so abstracted as scarcely to answer any question, and to forget
whatever mc-sages or orders acre given to het. It also appeared,
that an unmarried sister was in the family way, which Jane con.
sidered so disgraceful, and as throwing a reflection on the family,
that it is supposed she sank under the accumulation of pity
arid distress at her sister's situation. She bore a most excellent
character, was meek in her manners, sober, and honest; ond the
Jury after two hours' minute investigation, returned a verdict of—
" Temporary insanity."