The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-09-07 00:00:00

BARTHOLOMEW FAIR.

ro.ntr ALL, SEPT. 6.—The extra number of constables em-
ployed in Bartholomew fsir this year has had the efkct of keep-
ing nearly all the regular thieves sway from it, for out of
upwards of twenty prisoners (mostly boys) brought before the
sitting Magistrate, Mr. Alderman Bridges, only two are recognised
as having been in custody before. A desperate gang, however,
made a bold attempt on Monday night to create a panic in the
fair. About 400 fellows, Just after dusk, hunted a bullock from
Holborn towards the fair. A great number of them were anned
with sticks, and the uproar and alarm occasioned by its passing
up King-street, across Smithfield, and through houg-lane, sur-
passed description. The beast itself, however, did no mischief
beyond knocking a number of persons down ; but many oyster
and apple stalls were overturned by the efforts of the females in
particular who rushed towards the pavement.
Only one person was secured—Hobcrt Moon, an apprentice to
Mr. Manton, glazier, New-street, Shoe-Line. Ile was seized
while shouting " Turn him into the fair! floor 'em ! what a
latk !" The prisoner was a particularly swift runner, kept close
to the beast, and seemed to take a prominent part in the hunt.
The prisoner denied having followed the animal farther than
from St. Andrew's church, Holborn, and said he was merely
holding up his arms, and shouting- to keep hint off the pavement,
when the officers seized him.
The prisoner's master spoke favourably of the boy's conduct
till within et fortnight, since which time he had become connected
with some had characters.

31r. Alderman BRIDGES said, that he could either tine him
live pounds,, or commit him to Etritlewell for two months; but
as the master preferred to pay the fine himself, rather than let
his boy go to prison, the worthy Alderman advised him to take
the lad before the City Chamberlain, to be dealt with as he
thought it. •
• •
Bow-iITIIEILT, SEPT. 6.—Two gentlemen were this morning
' stopped In endeavouring to make their way into the public office.
They were resisted at the street-door by an officer placed there for
that purpose ; but they contrived to get past this obstacle, persist-
ing that they had a right to enter the office where public business
was being transacted. Ford, the gaoler to the establishment, laid
hold of them in the passage, and brought them before Mr. Max-
SHULL.

One of the gentlemen stated, on being summoned to give an ac-
count of his conduct, that he had a country friend with him to
whom he was anxious to show, amongst other things, the manner
in which the business of Police Offices was conducted. He would
not have persisted in pressing his way in as he had done, had he
not considered that it was a public office, and, as such, one into
which he had a right to enter.
Mr. 11l 12:SA 1: it. informed both the Gentlemen that they were
much mistaken in supposing that office to be °pea to the public.
It wassprivate room in which business was transacted for the fur-
therance of public justice. None could claim a right to come there
but the parties setnally concerned in the business on either side ;
and all others who were allowed to be present, were there by cour-
tesy alone
After this admonition, the gentlemen were allowed to remain.
Jane Seek, a young girl of very prepossessing appearance, was
brought before Mr. Mr N sittruk, charged with having robbed her
master, Mr. Wallace, of Cbarlotte.street, Blackfriara-road, of plate
to a considerable amount in value, and also with stealing the whole
of her fellow-servants' wardrobe.
.

The prisoner when very young got into vicious courses, and hap-
pening to become qualified by the commission of a theft for admit-
tance to the Refuge for the Destitute, she was placed there by some
humane persons who, thought there was yet a chance of reclaiming
her. She behaved uncommonly well there, and in due time, so
strongly was she recommended by the people of the establishment,
she was taken into the service of a subscriber to the Institution.
She remained twelve months and then lett the service with an ex-
cellent character, and soon after obtained a situation in the family
of Mr. Wallace. During the time shelwas there several trifling
articles were occasionally missed, but she was not suspected more
than the other servant; inquiry was made, no discovery took place,
and there the. matter ended for the time. On Wednesday la:,t Mr.
Wallace returned home from the country, atter a short absence, and
found the prisoner absent, and a note left on the kitchen table.
written by her and addressed to her mistress, the substance of
which was, that during the time she had been in the family she
had used the utmost of her bumble endeavours to give satisfaction,
but she seemed to have failed, as her master and mistress appeared
dissatisfied. Besides, she added, several things had evidently been
stolen since she came into the family, and, as suspicion might fall
upon her, site chose to quit the service altogether. Very soon
after reading this plausible note, Mr. Wallace discovered that I
addition to the things missing before, a pair of silver candlesticks,
cream ewer, tea-pot, spoons, and many other articles of plate, be-
sides wearing appartl, were missing. The other female servant
also discovered that all her best clothes were gone. The prisoner
was of course suspected ; and information being given to the po-
lice, Dickens, a patrol, Found her at a public-house, where she had
an acquaintance, in the Westminster-road. Duplicates for several
ot' the stolen articles were found in her possession.
Several pawnbrokers attended this day with part of the stolen
property, and the prisoner was identified as being the person who
pawned the different articles.
lilr. Wallace expressed a willingness to forego apt-mention, but
Mr. MIN3IIULL said she was. in his opinion, a very &object
for punishment, and ha committed her for trial at the next Surrey
A makes.

Charlet Smith, a young fellow, was charged with It robbery,
which, though comparatively small in amount, was attended with
circumstances of aggravation the most base and cruel. _ _

The prosecutor was a poor shoemaker, of the name of John Rice,
living at No. 1, Compton.place, llrunawick.aguare. The prisoner,
who had been but slightly instructed in the business, being some
time ago in the greatest possible distress, the prosecutor kindly
gave him an asylum, and remunerated him for the little assistance
he was able to render in the trade, by giving him food and clothing.
While poor Rice was labouring hard to keep his numerous family
from want, sickness attacked his wife and two or three of his chil-
dren; and on the same day (Wednesday last) the wife and
one of his children died. Sunday wda appointed for the funeral,
and Rice being naturally anxious to pay proper respect to their
remains, and having no clothes good enough of his own, borrowed
a suit of black and a good shirt from a friend. The night before
the funeral the prisoner slept at Rice's house, and early in the
morning, the latter having occasion to go out, the former took
advantage of his absence, and went away with the borrowed suit
of clothes, the shirt, • pair of boots, and some money which
Rice had left is the room. On Monday, two of the prosecu.
tor's sons, wandering through Bartholomew fair, saw the prisoner
swaggering about in the stolen clothes; and though mere children
they seized hold of him, and, in spite of his efforts to shake them
Mt they clung to him until a City policemdicer came.
The Magistrate ordered the coat and waistcoat to be taken
from biro ; and he was fully committed for trial, and taken to
prison without those necessary articles of covering.