The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-08-01 00:00:00

THE BRITISH

sired to see what was there also, and found a piece of piloted cotton
sufficient tOr a gown. Witness sent him to the watch-house, and
had an officer to search his lodgings, where were found a variety of
goods to the value of between one and two hundred pounds.
Clements, an °Piece, went to search the prisoner's Morse, in
Brook-street, West.square. Ile saw Mrs. Smith, and told her his
errand. Ile said it would he to her interest to be candid in her re-
plies to his questions. Ile searched the place, and found a great
deal of property not made up, which he brought away. Other pro.
linty. Mrs. Smith told him, had been made up into silk dresses,
&c., some of which she had sold, and lome were pawned. lie
found sixty duplicates of things at stations pawnbrokers, whom he
had not had sufficient time to sunimons. In the servant's boa he
found but sit pain a kid gloves, which she said her mistress had
given to her.
Maria, the servant, owned to the gloves, of which her mistress
acknowledged the gift, saving they were old ones she hail worn.
Eliza Mills. the old noose, deposed to the prisoner and Mita.
Smith passing as man and wife; that she bad been in their service;
and that sonic time in the latter end of April the prisoner came
home about five o'clock in the afternoon, with three pieces of chintz
furniture, two of which lie left, and rut enough off the third to
make a sofa cover, which she helped to sew, and he took the re-
mainder away.
Mr. Cross explained this transaction, by saying the prisoner had
to wait on ladies with pieces of furniture for their choice, and it was
impossible for them to detect a portion cut off, as the supposition
would be that all was returned to the warehouse, except the portion
cut off for the purchaser.
When the prisoner was about to be removed from the bar, he
telt' the gaoler he had an application to make to the Magistrate.
Mr. Hoe said he would hear any thing he had to say, and de-
sired him to state it.
The prisoner said he had cash to the amount of seven pounds;
would he not be perrnittrd to retain that for his use?
Mr. Rot: said No. Ile had ho doubt it was the proceeds of
the robbery ; lie might have a sovereign, which would be quite
sttflicient for his expenses in prison."
Mr. Cross remarked, that it wee the custom of the house that
all the shopmen should make a return of the monies received in the
week. Sometitnes they would lie a few shillings deficient, which
he tbotight nothing of. on recount of the extent of their retail
trade; but a week ago 'here was a deficiency of five pounds. lie
did not mean to charge it tot he prisoner ; he men ly mentioned it
as a circumstance connected with the establishment.
The prisoner aailhowever wrong he might have acted in reference
to the ;resent charge, he could assure the Magistrates he had been
strictly correct in his cash account+.
The watch-house-keeper said the prisoner hail incurred to the
amount ef six and sixpence fur necessaries ; besides, there
were soon books to be paid for.
Mr. hop desired. Clements to pay the six shillings aril sixpence.
and ought else, and give the prisoner the residue of a soveretant, and
retain the rest.
The property being found in the possession of Mrs. Smith. with
the presumption of a guilty knowledge of its acquirement, she was
sent to gaol, to ba brought up on Thursday week with the prisoner,
fin a further examination, when the case will be more WV gone
into, and the pawnbrokers attend with the goods.

HIGHWAY ROBBERY.
Us fox HALL.—Yesterday two men, named Page and Hughes,
were brought up from St. George's watch-house, in the custody f
Maisey, before the Sitting Magistrate, R. J. Criamarats, Esq.
charged with having knocked down and robbed a person of the name
of Morrie Newman, on Monday morning.
The complainant meted, that on Monday morning, about one
o'clock, as he was returning home, the mit:tome, Hughes, met hen,
in Queen-street, near the Itilict, ars), pretending to be a country-
man, asked where it was bkely he could be accommodated with a
lodging. Complainant refereed -him to one, and had scarcely given
the direction, before the inquirer gave a loud and shrill whistle,
immediately on which three other men joined him, and the) all at-
tacked complainant, beat him severely about the bead anti face, and
kiting rendered hint insensible by the blows and kicks inflicted on
on his person, they proceeded to rob him of his watch, and all the
%stones lie bad in his pockets, together with a neckerchief. The
complainant's face and head bore marks of considerable violence
having been used towards him. Ile distinctly swore to the per.ons
of the two men at the ter as having been most active in the outrage
and robbery- . •
Alaisey, the constable, stated, that as soon as the complainant
bad sufficiently recovered himself after the attack that had been
made upon him, be contrived to give another information of the
*tune kind at the watchhouee, with a partial description of the men.,
lie (the constable) instantly proceeded in the direction where the
robbery had been committed, and at no very great distance from
the place met the two prisoners together; they endeavoured to
elude him, but be secured them and brought them into the presence
of the complainant, who the moment he saw them identified them
both.
Both the priesners declared their innocence of the alleged offence.
It was In•re intimated to the Magistrate that the prisoners were
old offenders, and that Page had made his escape some time ago
from a constable rho had him in custody on a charge of felony.
Mr. ell A Ml:Ett 3—Page. I ant informed you are wanted for
another robbery, besides the one ycu arc now accused of having
committed.
Page at first pretended total ignorance, brit his metnory having
been jogged by a constable present, who specified the day on which
he made his escape, Page turned to the Magistrate, and said,
" Yes, Sour Worship, I now recollect the circumstance; it was on
a Saturday night, I ran away front Gainble, the constable: And do
you know the reason I die it, your Worship?" " No," said the Ma-
gistrate. " Then I will tell you. It was to have an opportunity of
attending chapel the next day (Sunday)," said the primmer, giving
a hearty laugh at the same time.
The Magistrate observed, that he should have opportunities
enough of attending divine worship in gaol between this and the
ant MAUR.
A material witness being absent, both the prisoners were re.
mended fora few days previous to their committal for trial.
Two vide of the town, named Lewis and Petty, were charged
with having robbed James Salisbury, the master of a trading ves-
sel, of US, on Sunday night.
Prom the evidence it appeared that the complainant's vessel had
mired in port on Saturday last, and, anxious to have a bit ore
spree on chore.' he lauded at Deptford on Sunday afternoon, and.
according to his own phrase, walked quietly along shore until he
met with the two women at the bar, both of whom he in-
vited into a wine-vaults to have a glass of grog. They subse-
quently went into a !loose in White Bear-gardens, Kent-street,
where. it appeared, they ell went to bed together, and the was-
ter of the ship being rather " top heavy," on account of the potent
libations he had taken, coon dropped off asleep. His bed-fellows
availed themselves of the drow,.ineoa of their companion, got up.
dressed, and its,vingransacked his pockets of two .IW. notes, one et.
ditto, and tco sovereigns, they departed without taking his clothes.
When he awoke, to his surprise he found himself alone, and soon
discovered that he hail been robbed of the money he hod so im-
prudently taken into such a place. lie gave information of his
loss at the warehhouse, with a description of the girls who had
ribbed him. Alaisey and Waubey, two constables of St. George'e,
described tile house in which the complainant had been robbed,- as
of the very worst description ; not a night passes without outrages
and robberies being committed within it. Having received Weir(
illation of the robbery, mud the circumstance' attending it,Waubey
proceeded to the house of a constable named Cave, near the Mint,
where it appeared the prisoners had taken renige after having com-
mitted the rolibery, and there apprehended them both in one of the
garrets up stairs.
The Magistrate expressed his surprise that the girls should i ave
concealed themselves in the house of a constable.
' It was here stated to Mr. Chsnibers, that the house in which
Cave lived was the resort of the 111103 t abandoned and profligate
characters of both seers. It was a common brothel, and Cave
lived with the woman who rented the Itemise.
Mr. CJlAMucus appeared extremely astonished that such a man
as Cave should bold the situation of cot static, and intimated his
1 determination of not permitting hint to be rut on his oath again,
I the Magistrate observing, that such a man's evidence should nut be
' taken.
' Maisey sated, th it he hid apprehended the woman in whose
I house the complainant had been robbed.
L The Ala.:borate- desired her in be brought forward. She is a
wrinkled ad hag, upwards of seventy years of age.
I Mr. CHAO! in its, having ext..rewstll the strongest disgust at bet
übnininable occupation (that of a Lewd), committed her to gaol, in
r default of bail, for keeping a disorderly house ; and the two prison.
t era were remanded for a few days, in order to give time for tracing
; the notes of which the complainant bad been rubbed.