The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-09-10 00:00:00

POLICE.

- Mansion-Housx, SEPT. 9.—A man of very deceit appear-
ance, oarned Plunkett, a relation, it was.reported„ of the Attorney.
lienend far Ireland, where the most distinguished men have all of
them poor reiations, was brought before the LoaD MAYOR, charged
with a misdemeanor, under the fillowing circumstances.
.Ir. Dennis, a gentleman of fortune, stated, that the prisoner
implied to him to be hired in his service, as footman, stating that
he had lived with several respectable families, and amongst thereat
with that of the Lord Mayor of London, in whose service he had
been for two years. The witness required a reference to Plunkett's
k.st place, and that of 31r. Chippendale, a barrister, said to have
residence at Tooting, with whom the iefeutlant said he had also
lived two years, was immdistely handed to him. Mr. Dennis had
the usual and very reasonable objections to written characters, but
he told Plunkett he would write to Tooting, where the latter said'
Mrs. Chippendale would be ready to bear testimony to his integrity
to the absence of her husband, who was at some distant partot the',
senntry. The letter was v.:A and an answer received in due time,
hot it struck hit. Dennis t:tat neither Mr. nor Mts. OUT oendale
had written. ohs word of the composition, which described ltiutikett
is a very unexceptionable nerson. Mr. Dennis, to clear up the
matter, sent a &lend to Tooting, where it was soon a.eettained no
alr. or Mrs. Chippendale was known. He also learned that
Pluckeu had watched the postman at Tooting, and got trove him
the hum directed to his supposed ouster, and Mr. Dennis of course
btlieved that the written character was either from the pen or the
dictation of the defendant, whom be therefore ordered to be taken
into custody.
The Loon SI cor OR said, that he regretted much to tee Plunkett
in such a situation. (The defendant appeared much affected while
the examination was going forward, and particularly when spoken
to by the Lord Mayor.) His Lordship said the unfortnnate man
hod certainly lived as footmm in his family the whole of the time
stated by hint, and had acted with the utmost integrity, and mini.
feared the strongest attachment to the children ; an attachment
which proved itself in a thousand little ways, and which return-
trended him most powerfully to every one of the family. He had,
however, one failing which obscured his excellent qualities, a fond.
rest for drink; and this failing rendered it impossible for his Lord-
ship to retain him, and was, no doubt, the cause of the offence with
which In was now charged.
The defendant, very much shaken at hearing his former muter
speak in so kind a manner of him, begged to be allowed to say a
few words. He declared that he deserved and could receive the
character shown to his Lordship from several gentlemen. lie
was known to Mr. Chippendale, or to some of his family (as we
nr.derstood him), u an honest and industrious man, and he was
anxious to use his utmost cautions to prove himself worthy of
confidence.
The Loan Marna—But why did you resort to this dishonest
expedient ?
Plunkett—There I admit, my Lord, I was greatly to blame,
but as I as deserving of the character given of me in the paper
fist was lauded to your Lordship, and never would have done any
thing that would prove me an impostor, I thought I might venture
to st,t myself into bread. OW knows 1 never intended to do wrong.
The LOAD MAYOR, after some conversation with Mr. Dennis
relative to the defendant's unfortunate propensity, admonished him
set:mush, with regard to it.
The defendant muttered some words expressive of his feel.
logs; and being told he was discharged, quitesti the Justice-room
in t':e most respectful manner.
The Loan Mrroo, when the poor fellow had left the room,
said lie always believed that Plunkett was driven to drinking by
some domestic calamity, of which hie conduct when he thought
himself alone, often gave intimation.
GUILDHALL, SEPT. 9.—Mr. Alderman BEIDGES had been
engaged upwards of an hour in theJustice.room this morning, when
it was announced that daring that time a gentleman standing near
the worthy Alderman had had his pocket picked of a silk hand-
kerehiof.

The worthy Aldeman felt very indignant that the very sane.
telly of justice should be thus polluted, and ordered the door to
be closed. and every person searched • this order was enforced, but ,
the solen handkerchief was not found. Mr. Harmer, the solicitor,
was test searched, upon which a person present asked that gentle.
man aloud, in joke, whether the fact of closing the door was not, in
the eye of the law, false imprisonment.
-George Reece. a man of Scotch accent, and who described him-
sit as an appraiser and accountant," appesred as a witnessin
supper: of an information against a pawnbroker, for taking more
eran legal Interest. The alleged offence was that of taking two-
pence, when three-halfpence was all that the Act allowed. He was
cinsely examined by Mr. Harmer, on behalf of the pawnbroker,
when he positively denied twine the informer, or having any in-
terest in the We, but xlmitted that he had been employed by the
Etplable Loan Company.
Mr. Hanna took an objection to the information, which al-
leged that the article pledged was "one piece of cotton," whereas
the duplicate described it to be" calico." ,
Upon this objection being started, Mr. George Reece imme-
diately forgot his capacity of witness, and at once turned advocate,
oontendrg that calico was cotton, and cotton was calico. He pro-
cetric.l °wry& with great warmth, and at length ytid, " Well, if
you disoake this information, I will have another drawn up." (A
laugh.) "Oh, oh ! then," said Mr. Harmer, "now the secret is
out; you are not what you just swore—merely the witness, but you
ate e anew and Informer too. Mr. George Reece was silenced, and
the Magistrate quashed the information, for the informality ;
upon w hick Mr. Reece very indignantly left the office.
-

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.-THE DISTRESSED ARTIST.

Amongst the prisoners brought up before Mr. Alderman
Bridges today was John Brown Eaton, the artist, of Fetter.
lane, whose attempt to destroy himself in ■ court in Fetter-
laao, we noticed in our Paper of Friday last, and as the parti-
culars of his case, and the story he then told, were calculated to
exece commiseration for him, and to cause unfavourable impres-
sions as to the character and conduct of his wife, it ►s proper
that the public should be undeceived upon these subjects; and
the more wt, as, in consequence of the account that appeared, one
uturnitativ disposed lady forwarded to Mr. Alderman Atkins a 51.
ante for Futon's use.
Mrs. Eaton has since made affidavit that the distress of her hut.
bond was wholly attributable to his own dissolute habits and pro.
paosii to drinking; and that his conduct, for some time put, to-
wards her, had been rich es to make it neerisary for her to hare
recourse to her own friends for subsistence. She also stated that,
instead of her instigating him to commit suicide, she, in her endea-
vour to take the Tani from ldm, received a severe blow in her
stomach; and she declared that she considered her own life and
tau of her child to be in danger from his violence.
Thu poor woman having removed to her mother's house in Hindi
cpu,rt, Fleet-street, she was pursued there by her husband as soon
as be wee liberated ; and it was in consequence et his conduct on
that occasiouphat he was now in custody. . .

lire. Street said, that she believed that the prisoner had been in.
ttuttated every day since he had been liberated from the Uompter ;
that he: daughter and het children had been with her ever since
Monday, and if she was protected from the annoyance of the hus-
band, elf was willing to support them ; but he came there on
Thinulay, was exceedingly troublesome, and as he declared he
would not leave the house, she was obliged to give him in custody.
Eaton, in his justification said, that on his return home on Mort.
day, be found himself locked out of his lodgings, and wu told
Mace:ibis propel ty was detained foe an arrest of t/. 16e. due to his
lendlord. He 1,111, therefore, now without a lodging, and by the
asistire of all his portfolios end apparatus totally deprived of car-
rying on his professing.
Mr. Alderman AT Estee said, that his brother Magistrate and
himself thought, that as he was able, but did not support his
family, the proper thing for them to do would be to throw them-
selves on the parish; the Overveurs would in consequence appre.
next him, and the Magistrates would then have it In their power
to iro that which alone it would seem could cure him of his passion
log lotting, send hi:n to the tread-wheel for three months.
Satan, in the sequel, on his promise nut to annoy Mrs. Street
za tots and to cowmunitate with his wife only by letter, wu
. .
$
LET, SEPT. 9.--John May arid Wes. Moore were
Ott COVltakied, linen' the flowing circumstances:—On Friday
morrileg last the constable of Uxbridge was informed that two sus.
Odious persons were seen to go into the yard of the George Inn
OWN with sonic hones. He cowequently went, and saw a black
gelding and or grey one, tied up in the yard. The toes who
brought them, be underway', were in the house: he found them
tq thie tap.ronm. The constable inquired whether the horses were
tee alit May said yes, and that the grey one be should have for
If My, the constable, and the man who gave the information,.
Ikea wet into the yard, al en May told them they should have
Loth the horses foe 141. Nay. in answer to inquiries, said he had
bad the lai.Lck one about a w-ek, and had brought it from Theme,
Qsundshire, front whence he and his companion started that
thsa somniqg. Not considering this te be a correct account, the
annul* went :nth *e hoAhe fn Moore, who said he had met
May. his cous.n, near Theme, with the two hones, and that they
its that place at nine on the evening before. Upon this varies
that, lase constable took both the prisoners into custody, and the
Magistrates at Uxbridge sent them up to lisw-street.
T. Howell. of Gerrit, ennier, said he bought the black
Lone on Tunday week, at l'arringtion. and had driven him from
thst place, in his wagon, to Oxford, and that on the next day he
turned him into liar Mcaoows. When he went on Friday morn-
mg to give him a tend of corn the hone was gone. lie had travelled
needy SOO miles in search of him, but all to no purpose. A
friend mentioned to him what he had seen In the papers femurs se
two horses having been stopped at Uxbridge. under suspicious cir-
CO11)11:1UICell. He accordingly came up to Uxbridge; and when b.
sar the black horse he diteztly knew it to be the one he had lust.

Wei. Meaty Austb, this day underwent &final examination.
It appeared from the evidence of Mr. J. Francis, a clerk in the
Secretary's office at the General Poet-ntfice, that the prisoner was a
cotter in the inland-office, and that the witness had a strong
personsus-
of the prisoner's having extracted a M. Hank of England
note from a letter directed to Mr. Pike, of Oxford. In order to
*bow. in the first instance, that. this suspicion was not without
foundatkin, a person named Wallis was called, who stated that he
bad known the pi-ruiner since 11111, and had met him shortly before
the ft of July. The prisoner made many inquiries of him es to
how bls condition was, and what was his mode of obtaining a lire-
Ithond Wallis told him, and at the request of the prisoner he gave
lum his address, and the prisoner said he might perhaps have ir, in
his power to render him a service now and then. On the 9th July
the prisoner came to witness et his lodgings, and finding that
he bad nothing particular to do that day, requested the witness
to go along with him, observing that ho (Wallis) had it in his
power to be of the most essentLd service to him. Upon which the
prisoner produced three bl. country bank notes—one payable at
Stephenson and Co.'s, the other two at Pry and Co.'s. He then
requemed witness to get sovereigns in exchange, which he did, and
gave the money to the prisoner on Southwark-bridge. They then
went to Pope's Ileed.alley, Cot obit', when the prisoner asked the
MMm to go to Clarke:swell fora watch, which be had left (bete to

be cleaned, ar.d he gave lama aTereign to pay for it. At the urns I
time he put two 5L Bank of England notes int witnea's hand, and I
told hint to take them t. 'Monies's, on Coenhill. and get IW.
French money for them. When the witness got to Thomas's, the
'latter refused to take one of the notes, and advised him to get it
changed at the Balk of England. Witness said he did not act fur'
himself, but would follow the advice, which he did. and wrote his.
name upon the not.. He dun met the prisoner at Guildhall, and
gave him themoney, at the ume time stating wha' had posed ;
the prisoner Jut not like this, and said he hoped Wallis had not
written his name on it, fir if he had, it might bring him into a,
arape,as ir.any notes had been lost at the post-office. IValtis told
the prisoner he had nothing to fear, fur he (the prisoner) would not
hear any thing of it. The prisoner gave Wallis a sovereign for his
trouble, and snid he must not let his (prisoc et's) name appear in it.'
Sonic short time after. Wallis, by areitingetiet him on Southwark.'
bridge, when he ingsdral if he (Walla) had heard any thing re. j
'meeting ithe rote ' • the reply was in the negative. He then said,
his direction was No. 5, Titan-place, Shatkliwell ; sal that be
generally prised the Beaver's Arms, Kingslauthroad, at 4 o'clock.
Wallis did rot see th prisoner again until after he had received
a note from Mr. Fr the '23d day of July lest, when be
accidentally met him on wank-bridge, and told him about
the note, and said he was afraid there was something wren"! ; the
prisoner read the note, and told Waiiis not to let prisoner name
appear, and advised him to write to Mr. Fettling, and say that he
had received the note in course of business, but that he was not
j in the habit of making memorandums, and could not, therefore,
itay,of whom lee had taken it. This Wallis did, and the prisoner
gave him two sari:segos to enable Idm to pay his rent. On the
following Tuesday scorning the prisoner was taken into custody.
He was fully committed for trial. 'When taken Le had upon him
a K. note, and several Fiat:sof Free.ch money.

• •
A young gen.lcittan„ named Joseph Webb, was brought up from
Corent-garden wauctthouse, charged by a constable of St. Martin's
I parish with assaufeng him. The defendant was attended by two
friends as witnesses.
.Chirty, the constable, stated that it being his turn to be on duty
on Thursday night at the watchhonse, he went about two ()Wok
in the morning round his ward, as was his custom, to sett/tat the
watchmen were at their posts, and that all was quiet. He was
going through Exetcr-steeer, Strand, when he met the deferidint.
and two other persona, who were walking arm-in-arm, and singing
and laughing in what he conzeivedkmost disorderly manner. He
said to them. " You had better sing again." upon which dile des.
(cadent immediately came up to him, and putting himself in a
boxing attitude, struck witness two or three time-.• lie then
seized tbe defendant by the collar, and gave Into in charge to the
watch.
Mr. Webb, in his defence. declared that the foregoing statement
was wholly untrue. He and his friends had been supping Lose-
ther, and on their way home, one was telling a droll story, at
which the others were laughing, but certainly neither in a loud or
disorderly manner, when they were met by the ooroplainant„ who
said very rudely, What are you making that noise about ?"
Defendant answered, " What is that to you t" and had hardly
spoken, when the complainant seized him by the collar, shook him,
and gave him in charge to a watchman, and he was taken to the
watehhouse.

Mr. Webb's friends corroborated this statement.
Mr. 3llN'SHl7l.l.—Really, constable, it appears to me that ynti
have, acted very wrong. Supposing the gentlemen were a little
merry, what right had you to address them even in the manner
you have dexcribed ? It was very insulting, and I am sure you
had no right to accost them as you did. You said, •• You hid
better sing again," which was nothing less than a eneer,.at which
they might well feel indignant.
Bartlett, the night officer of St. Paul, Covent-garden, said he
did not think the constable would have behaved so if he had not
been Very drunk.
Chitty—Mr. Bartlett, how can you say that I was drunk ?
certainly had been drinking, perhaps rather more than a man
would wish to take every night, but I was as sober as lam now.
Bartlett repeated his assertion that he was very drunk, and said
he was so noisy in the watchhouse, that he was obliged to turn
him out.

Mr. Richmond, the clerk, maid he perceived by the watchhousc
book, that there was a charge against the constable for assaulting a
watchman.

Andersen, a watchman, swore that he heard a call of " Watch !"
and he found the complainant and the defendant having hold of
each other, and it was " charge for charge," each giving charge of
the other. He took hold of the constable, who immediately pro_''
claimed who and what he was, and, producing his staff, said the
watchman had no right to, and should not take him. The witness
told him that if he were the King he would take him, for he had
been given regularly in his charge. Chitty said he would crack his,
head if he did not let him go, and on his persisting in keeping his
hold he struck him over the head with his staff, "and," continued,
the watchman, " if it had not been for the wing of my hat it would
have been all t•Ver with me, your Worship."
This assault was not denied, and the constable was ordered to
find bail.

Mr. 211 nesnum. *aid be had sworn to an assault against Mr.
Webb, and aNked him if he intended to indict that gentleman P
Chitty said he did, and Mr. Al inshull said that that being the
case, he must call upon Mr. Webb for bail.
Mr. BECCETT, a county Magistrate. asked Chitty if when he
called out, " You bad better sing again," he meant to check or en-
courage their singing P
Chitty—l thought it would hare a tendency to check the noise.
Mr. BECKETT—WeII, Sir, if ycla had said that to me when
I was a young man I should have knocked you down.
The constable was held to bail, and in sabot; time after the case
was disposed o:; he came into the office, andiwithdrew his charge
against Mr. Webb.

HATTON cAnDEN, SEPT. 9.—Anne Smith and Sarah Jones,
the first a girl of the town and the other a servant at a brothel,
were brought up from Ooswell•street watchhnuse, charged by Mr.
Peachy, a pawnbroker. with improrerly offering topawn a metal
chain, with sliders, and two gold seals. Suspecting that they had
cot come honestly by the articles, be stopped them, and gave the
ptionoers in charge. While they were in the watchhouse. another
prisoner observed them destroy a pawnbroker's ticket. They were
searched, and some tnone7 was found in their possession.
The prisoner Smith said, that bring intoxicated when she went
to Bartholomew fair, she met an old friend, who was also intoxi.
aged, and who had been in the habit of giving her three or four
sovereigns at a time. But happening to have no money at the
fair, he gave her the chain and seals, saying, that they would fetch
RI. His name is Parr,sqr..

Mr. Sergeant SEL Los, the Magistrate, commended the conduct
of the pawnbroker, and expressed his wish that all pawnbrokers
would show equal readiness in detaining suspicious articles. Tie
pawnbrokers, from their peculiar business, had it in their power
either to confer great benefit on the public, or do them irreparable
injury—they might be the discoverers of thieves. or might harlmur
them. The worthy Magistrate then rcmanded the prisoners till
Tuesday next.

Thomas Clarke, a member of a benefit club, called the " Firml7
United Brothers," summoned the Steward for withholding his '
weekly allowance, he berg afflicted with ophthalmia. The poor
man said, that be bad been obliged, in consequence of his sight
r being affected, to dispose of all his furniture, and also cf a chest of
working tools. When the purchaser of the latter came to take
them away, he (the complainant) assisted him to get the clieetdown
stairs, ar‘l this act had been corstrued by the Society to be contrary
to their rules. which said if any man, while a pensioner, should be
"land at lo Ak, he should be expelled.
Mr. Scrgesin 'ALLOW reprobated the attempt at expulsion on
such • ground, and advised the Secretary to pay the poor nun his
weekly allowat.ce.

MILITARY REGULATIONS.
MART.LA-DONNE, SEPT. R.—Mr. Aeratafa Bell, of the Rehr
and Rummer public-house, Mortimer.atreet, Cavendieh-equare,
appeared on the complaint of eorporal Thomas Barnes, of the third
battalion of the Grenadier Guards, for having obstructed him in
the execution of hie duty.
Barnes said, a part of the military duty which had devolved. upon
him was calling the roll, or visiting the quarters of soldiers out on
billet. in order ta have them at their quarters before ten o'clock.
On Tuesday night last he was traversing the " roll call." and at
about a quarter after eleven o'clock arrived at the defendant's house,
and found It closed, but perceiving lights and hearing voices, he
knocked and demanded admittance. The defendant, on ascertain-
ing what he wanted, exclaimed from within, " I have no soldier
quartered here." The witness knowing he could not be mis-
taken, mentioned Selling, the soldier's name, and said, he must be
admitted, as the commandir g officer lind given him suit: orders to see
every soldier. The defendant agein said tie had not the soldier, but,
after some altercation. opened the door, say tett. " I don't care for
hour commaneing officer or you (Wr y ; you shall not disturb my
ouse at this hour; the man to in bed." '1 he witness called Selling,
the soldier, down, 11 and being satisfied - was within, was about re-
monstrating with the defendant upon the impropriety of his cow-
duct, when he threatened to kirk him out of dm house, sad Used
the worst language to him, finally giving him (the witness) into
the watchman's charge, but at the watchboase the constable of the
night dismissed the charge.
Mr. GRIFFITH—What time did you take to traverse the differ.
ent places where the men wets quartered ?
Witness—Above an hour ; the defendant's was the very last
house; and had he not seen that same of the family were up, he
should not have knocked. If the soldier had been in bed at the
moment of his calling, he mid have demanded to be shown to his
aleepirgroom. On enteriiii; the house there were four men drink-
ing at the bar.
Alt. Bell said, only a part of the statement made was correct, the
complainant came Ina state of intoxicatinn after the holm had been
elated .for the night, and thundered at the door, threatening to
break it open, if not immediately opened. Its (slr, knowing
that a corporal of the battalion to whi th the soldier belonged had
been round the quarters, and had seen the man at 10 o'clock, red
went away perfecity satisfied, was not disposed to put up with siith
a nocturnal intrusion, and fur some time refund to admit the com-
plainant, who upon being admitted commenced a volley of abuse,
calling him puppy, monkey, vagabond. rascal, lie. and al-
though the soldier was called nut of his bed to him, would not gn,
but continued abusing him and saying, " tl— your eyes, if you had
net bees very quick, I would hate br-..':en open the door for you."
At length he became so disorderly that 31r. Bell called the watch,
and sent him to the wetchhouse.

Mr. GatertTst—Did he remain in the house after seeing the
soldier ?

Mr. Bell—Yes, sir, that was the reason I gave him into custody.
One of Mr. Bell's neighbours, who was paying his reckoning at
the bar, said he never saw suds bad conduct or behaviour as the
corporal displsyed.
Mr. 11. Bell, cousin to the defendant, said he called in at
about eleven o'clock to see his cousin, and was drinking a glare Si
wine with him within the bar ; there were then only two of the
patlour customers standing at the bar, who ►ere paying their reck-
oning. Them moral, he proved, was intoxicated, and Oki the I
language imputed to him by his cousin.
Jr. 011-FILTiI meld not understand why the tratchazot vas

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