The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-09-05 00:00:00

BARTHOLOMEW FAIR.

til lLDhlALL•—Several cases, the result of this fair, presented
themselves yesterday. A woman stated that she had been in Smith-
field at lialnpast one on Sunday morning, . d several persons hav-
ing been standing behind her, opposite a same, she observed the
bade of her gown wet, and a man's person indecently exposed,
whom she gave in charge. She further stand Ilia another temaie,
not present, could confirm her statement.
The prisoner, a labouring loan, denied the nffence, and was re-
mantled till to-morrow, that the other female might have an eppor-
tunity of appearing against hint.
Christopher (:Luke, • jetrerser in Plough-court, Fetter-lane,
chard d a woman with passing a istrd shitfing to a friend of his, for
hal as pound of gingerbread nuts. The woman was remanded for
two days, that the Solicitor of the Mint might be able to attend,
and conduct the prase:tut ion.
James Warn, 68. Jesin.swen charged an apprentice ab-
stracting tram drawers in his bed-rum thirty-Live marked slid.
lines. The boy was fully committed.
Mr. Dobbs, a black-lead pencil maker, in New Bridge-street,
Dlackfriars, charged his journeyman with a similar olrerce. The
prisoner was reminded till Thursday.

EXTRAORDINARY STATEMENT.
BOW-ST REET.--Vestenlay, a man about fifty years of age,
totally blind, was brought before THOMAS HALLS, neg., at the
of one of the managing clerks of Messrs. Coutts and Co.'s
banking-house, on a charge, the nature of which will be best ga-
thered from the statement of the complainant, who deposed that,
for several years, the firm which he represented, lied the persons
who were employed in it, had been annoyed by constant visitsfrom
the defendant, who had got a wild notion into his head—whether
the result of insanity or of cunning he could not tell—that be had
deposited no less a sum than 103,000/. in the halide of Messrs.
Gonne. and that lie had a claim upon them for that amount, with
the exception of snmething more than 1,21.171. Its., which, he al-
leged, had been surreptitiously drawn fano the banking-house by
one Mists Murray. Ile was in the habit of sending and coining to
the house with demands for money, and he was al.o constantly
sending drafts for various sums. Yesterday morning thedetrndant
came. with two oilier persona, and pre-ented a drat.; for 50/., for
which he demanded rayinent, and persisted in his declaration that
lie had a large sum of money in the louse, and that it was unjustly
kept from him. It was then determined to have the defendant
taken into custotly, in order to get rid of the annoyance which he
had so long ocetwione I.
The defe. that, in answer to the charge, ertered into a long nar-
rative, trim which, and front the explanatory statements of two
g ntlemen (one a solicitor), who accompanied him, we gathered the
following I i,cuinstaaces :—The defendant, before lie was blind,
resided tot a great many years with a relation of his, at Oakham,
rein Merton, named William Thompson, who was a smuggler.
nn.l nener of a vessel named the Betsey, with which lie traded to
the coasts of France and Holland ; and in that and other specula-
tions he was so successful as to accumulate a great fortune. The
defendant occasionally went with him, and, indeed, was a sort of
partner. %diem IFilliatil Thompson retired from trailing, lie and
tee defendant continued to reeiiie together, and NVilliain always
that John should have all he was worth alien he died. Wil-
dem did die at last, and then John, :according to his own account,
calve into pM41.1,i01 of 103,0010., all in Beale-notes, which he
thrust into his pockete, sold the home and furniture, and vet off
t i London, taking up his abode at Islington. There, unluckily,
he gin acquainted with one Mies Murray, who so captivated
lint), that he took her " under his protection." She, however,
soon took en opportunity of depriving him of four thousand
p-unds, in additien to which she Raped liini to spend 1.0001.
Finding that lie was in a fair way ti get rid of his fortune very ra-
pidly, if he continued with Miss Murray, he left her. and took a
snug lodging in Stewart's-rents. Drury-lane (a queer place, car.
tainly, for a man worth more than a jr/ner); but she soon Mumd
hint nut, te 4 at length lie was obliged to seek another lodging;
and, finally, by the advice of one Widiain Jones, a man shunt he
had known but a short time, lie determined to put his money into
the banking-house of :Messrs. Coutts and Go. dimes was to steam-
nany him upon this busieets, and they met at it public house in
St. Martin's-lane, from whence they proceeded to Coutts'e bank, at
Le ween seven and eight o'clock in the morning. This was in the
year HILL They were introduced to Mr. Coutts himself, and he
tole the money, entered the sum in a book, and in that bank the
ee'clitlant wrote his signature, Mr. Coutts telling hint that that was
quite a sufficient security for h nt, as the tiansaetion would always
app..ar in the books, and there was no necessity fur a receipt. He
was to receive five per cent. per annum upon the whole amount of
103 0001. bliss Illuiray got scent of where the money was depo-
t& ed, and she contrived to get possession of 1,21171.115., the amount
of tune month,' interest. by a forged order. The forgery was din-
covaed, and she was detained, but got away by giving to the clerk
%11l detected the forgery one halt of the sum mentioned.
The de en lent added to ell this, that he could never get his money
from the time he deposited it.
Mr. HALi.s said the story appeared to him to be extremely ab-
turd, and asked the gentleman front Comte'. if he hail carefully
examined the hocks, and if the defendant had any money at all
pl.. c Ito his credit.
The ct-mplainant said he had, and that there wall no such trans-
action as lied been described entered. Beeides, the banking-house
writ never known to have been opened earlier than nine o'clock, and
the defendant had sad he was there between seven and eight.
Mr. HALLS asked the defendant how he knew he went to
Cout ts's, u he wax blind ? and he replied that he knew he did, fur
ti at the servant called 31r. Coutts front the other part of the
Inate, where he dwelt, and became and received the money.
The complainant said Mr. Comte hail lint resided in the house
for the last 20 years. The firm htd received letters from different
pro'nnisienal men, at various times. upon the prtsent subject; all of
whom, however, had abandoned the csuse upon an explanation
being given. .

S me more conversation took place, in the entree of which Miss
ustay being again mentioned, the defendant happened to say that
the lady was very fond of giving him opium.
" ht d pray," (*did Mr. HALLS, ••• do you ever take opium
now lt" Defend •nt—Ne, Sir.
Mr. HALLS—Because ycur story appears to me vet.), like the
dream arm opium enter.
The defendant persisted stoutly in his story thet lie had the
tneney. and that he had taken it with:Jones to Goutts's.
Mr. Ilm.es skid, that in the first place, strictly speaking, he
had no authority to go into a case of this kind at all—it was a
matter entirely of law. Ile lied done so, however, from a kindly
feeling for the defendant ; but be must row tell him, that if he
persisted in going to Messrs. Cams's, and presenting drafts 1.4- the
fitment of money, he would render himself Fable to a prosecution
ler an attempt at fraud. It was quite absurd to suppotre that such
a house as Messrs. Coutts's would detain a single shilling
had been deposited s hit them ; and it was very evident that the
defendant was willing to practise an imposition of his own coining,
or that he had been imposed upon himself in some way cr other.
The defrodant was then dismissed, and left the office with his
fiends, but sneered by no means satisfied with the result of the
inquiry.

. .
CHARGE OF BIGAMY.
Mr. Thomas Taylor, a respectable master tailor, in Bear-forcer,
Leicester-aguare, was brought up on a warrant, by William Smith,
jun. charged with the crime of bigamy.
It will doubthis be in the recollection of our readers, that several
months ago I case of assault was heard at the Mansion-house,
which made much noire at the time, and in which a merchant or
stirek-broker in the city, of the name of Healthy and a Mr.
Taylor, were the prosecutor and defendant. The dispute, upon that
occasion, arose out of the alieged adultery, of Mr. Healthy and Mrs.
Taylor ; and the Mr. Taylor now charged whit bigamy. is the same
person who oppearel at that time in the character of defendant on
the charge of assault.
Smith deposed th.:t he apprehended the prisoner that morning in
the Piazza, C'ovent-garden, on a warrant; and, from certain
certificates and other documents which lie had seen, he had reason
to suspect, and did suspect and believe, that the prisoner had rem.
mated the crime of bigamy.
Mr. Butler (Mr. llaroter's clerk) showed certificates of two
marriages contracted by the prisoner, and stated that from the
shortness of notice he bad hot been as yet able to procure the at-
tendance of necessary witnesses; and he had therefore, on behalf of
the prosecution, to beg that the prisoner might be ?rounded to a
future day.
Mr. HALLS—Tiare you any thing to say, Mr. Taylor? becanse
I am ready to hear you ; but, mind, I do not ask you to say any
thing.
Mr. Taylor askel if he would he allowed to send for his Solicitet,
and was told he certainly would, but it was necessary he Amid
be remanded, and that would give him time to prepare for his
defence.
Mr. Taylor said that if he had committed the offence charged,
it was in total innocence, for be had no idea but that his first w&
wan long since dead. lie married her rum he was an appientice
at Birmingham, a goal many years ago, end she left him to live
with a Mr. Tibbett, by whom she had a child, and she next lived
with Mr. Bragg, at the Basle place, by whom she had one or two