The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-04-23 00:00:00

POLICE.

MANS lON-HOUSE.
STATE OF THE ST•EETs.—The LORD MAYOR stated yes-
terdarthat he had received communications coniplaining of various
obstructions and annoyances that were experienced by tradesmen in
the City fbim the want of proper emotion in the officers in enforcing
the regulations of the Street Act. lie directed that all the street.
keepers and officers, whose duty it was to patrole the streets, should
attend before him to receive instnictions. He had been appiied to
by persona whom he believed to be infOrmere, to sanction their pro-
ceedings against the oflendent, but he would give no such sanction.
All he would say was, that lie would inilict the penalty directed by
the law against every person who might be proved to have uffended
against the regulations of the Street Act.
GUILDHALL.
INCREASE OF JUVENILE DEMI EGATORs.—A very floe look-
ing boy, about 13 years of age, named Charles Droll, the son of an
industrious hardworking man, residing in Shim-lane, was brought
up yesterday before the sitting Magistrate, 31r.Alderman ATE I ss
on a charge of picking a gentleman's pocket of a silk-handkerchief:*
Ile had not been detected in the very act, but he was close to the
gentleman at the time he missed his handkerchief. and the officer
found it in the possession of the prisoner. No prosecutor, however,
appeared, nor was there any body in attendance on behalf of the
boy. Barnes, the officer, alio npprehended him, had seen his
father, who was confined to his house through illness, and brought
a letter from hint to the Alderman, in which he earnestly entreated
tithe Magistrate to interpose his authority to place the boy in sonic
Penitentiary, •cr to dispose of him in any manner, that might break
his conr.ection with the bad company with whom 1 e had got as.
'twisted; every exertion on his, the father's part, having been tried
'in vain, either to reform or control him. lie ran away whenever
lie thought proper, and it was now many days since he had set el es
upon him, or heard of him, till he learnt he was in custody.
Mr. Alderman ATKINS observed, that the newspapers were
terming with remarks upon the increase of crime, and well they
might. . Here was one general instance of the cause of it—the want
I of tome law authorizing parents to enforce obedience in v.eir chil-
-1 dren. Here was a boy—a mere child--alreatly beyond the con-
trol of his father, with art and wickedness enough, though he was
prowling about the streets, subsisting himself by robbery, to pot
on the appearanceof a working lad with an apron tacked round him,
as if he was some tradesman's apprentice. There were numbers of
boys of this description in the streets, and it was fit the public
should know and be upon their guard against this trick--scarcely
one in ten of these boys with aprons round them, but were professed
thieves. What was a Magistrate to do, be said, with such a boy as
this? In his iudgeorit, the proper way to treat him would be to
have him well whipped, but the Magistrate who should order it to
be done, would probably have the epithet bestowel upon him of
••• the Hogging .1141ertnan." There was great want of some place
to send these young thieves to, where they might be forced to work,
and until there was some institution for that purpose,or some strong
authority given to parents and masters to enforce their control over
these ye initial depeedatore, he feared the complaints of the increase
of crime would still continue.
The boy whimpered out the old excuse in such cases, that he did
not take .he handkerchief from the gentleman's pocket, but picked
It un off the ground.
Indeed ! said the Alderman, but what do you do with an apron
en, when you were idling about the streets, and have not been at
work for weeks? As your father cannot control you, we must try
if the Magistrate can; ffir the sake of the public, and, indeed, for
our own sake, as I hope it may be a lesson to you, I shall send you
to Bridewell, and have you kept to some kind of work, at least ;
and accordingly committed him for two months' to hard labour.
ROW-STREET.
ROBBERIES AT COVENT-GARDEN T N • Yesterday
Deaais M'earihrt, a fallow belonging to s most daring gang of
thieves, who infest the Theatres, and who have bid defiance to the
officers for a length of time, was brought up in custody by Donald.
eon and a brother officer, charged with attempting to commit a
felony at the front entrance to the Theatre, at a quarter past twelve
o'clock last night. The officers described him as one of the most
daring and active of the gang, and amounted for his so long evad-
ing them by saying that he possessed more than ordinary agility in
passing miner the carriages.
Several persons have lately been plundered on the stairs, and at
the entrances to the Theatre, and the prisoner has been present on
these occasions, but could not be caught, though the officers were
on the alert for him.
The prisoner was fully committed, and on leaving the bar, said
" your eyes, you old Donaldson, I'U have it out of you."
A COCKNEY SHOOTING PARTY.—Yesterday a young man
of respectable appearance, named Samuel Gardiner, was brought
before the Magistrates, charged with committing an assault and
battery upon William Rockshall. The case was delayed for a con-
siderable time by the non-arrival of Mr. Harmer, whom the com-
plainant had thought it necessary to employ to induct the prose.
elation.

Rochellell, a little old man, in a fustian jacket and hob-nailed
half-boots, swore, that he was of a large party of " sporting men,"
who, on Good Friday leek met at Chalk Farm, to enjoy the direr-
'ion of pigeon shoothsg. In the midst of the sports the defendant
came up to him, with his mouth bleeding, and seizing, him by the
color stud, " You d--t 1 old rascal, you have shot me.' The wit-
ness denied it, and chewed him Ms gun, which was still charged.
The defendant upon this ran to another men, whom he also col.
lend, and accused of having shot bisp ; bat it was stoutly denied
by the other. While they were dbpoilag„ the witness went up to
the defendant, and mercy tapping hi-oe the shoulder, assured
him be bad got bold of the wrong man; *pea which the latter
Maid about end knocked him dog He gai_llll- sod the defend-
entPfeAkkridiedilien down ei. let kicked him ; and then,
lo Nei owns denim Ili eirtidaly meth gun, and knocked the
,'llifewsloo down.
Sir R. Bias's—Wet sorely that was sufficient retaliation,
without punishing him also "according to law," as the phrase is.
RoeksWio.--Plo, no, »; he committed the first assault, and
therefore I have theist/ on my side.
Sir R. Eau is—lesetteps yen also know memo of the law to be
aware that it is Turseassay Ohm both sides. What have you to
say, Mr. Gardiner P
The defeatism staled, that be was one of the abootingparty, and
while in the act of discharging his owe piece, he received part of
the contents of ammo ether in his mom\ He immediately per-
ceived that the or a young was wbo stood next to
him mum, from die is whith they were placed, have
beet; the he awned Sealsslail, but was instantly
satisfied ea seeing glen still kaiaL He than eeipd the young
man, and eanseM Pim, aid les deeiel thee be lidaed ece
at all, but on mammals it, he head the pee and anuntlem still
smoking. While he teas nail talking sad Ito take him
before a Magistrate, Itechaltall Came bsWd,nneedbjbt the butt.
Pod of his gun struck him a blow on the *bids brought him
to the ground in a senseless state, and gun in two pieces.
Drummond, the patrol, produced which. was broken
asunder at the lock.
Mr. HALLS examined the gum, which4ll, a very stout one, and
observed, that either that mast be ms* defective, at Mr. Gat.
diner's head particularly strong.
Mr. Gardiner said, that nothing butte breaking of the gun
prevented the blow tram being fatal. -
A witness corroborated the defendant's, statement, and said,
that the blow felled him es though he hell/seen shot through the
bead.
Bir R. Blame said, he had seldom net with a mere impudent
attempt than this to turn the proper coarse of justice. The de-
fendant had been shot in the mouth, and mei naturally seised upon
the person, who, in his judgment, was theaffender, and fur doing
so the complainant had almost fractured his skull, end now had
the face to proceed against him by law fat an assault.
It oppeartd in the course of turther inquiry, that the person
who actually shot bin. Gardiner, and hum the latter seized, was
Reckshall'n son.

The result was, that the original wanant was discharged, and
Mr. Gardiner being sworn as a witness, Roekshall was ordered to
give notice of bail for the &Inuit. Sla in the mean time was
locked up.
Sir R. Bra wiz strongly censured the partite of assembling to-
gaher for such sports as pigeon shooting en a Good Friday, a day
held sacred by the law of the land, and said, he had a great mind
to have the whole party indicted.

HA T TON-GA RDEN.
Yesterday a atout.looking smith, named Greco, was brought up
upon s charge of violently assaulting his wife and children.
Hu wife procooded to state nosy mica of gross assault, and oh.
owed (we sappese M ottripliment to his trade) that the instru.
mints which he used were pokers, tongs. shovels, &c., nay, on
One occasion he pulled the grate out, and flung it at one of his
children.

When called upon for his defence, he said, that as to his chil-
dren, in flinging those implements he did not Mean to strike them ;
he only meant to make. them look As to his wife, ohs
gave him pmrocatlon to use not only posers, but sledge hammers
—"an aggravating tongue."
"Aye," exclaimed Mrs. Green, "and you &tempted to cure it
I by actually proceeding, the other day, to thrust a poker down my
throat."
The Magistrate, t;..ough he was sensible that there are many dis-
eases attached to a woman's tongue which bathed human skill, yet,
not exactly approving of the smith's summary mode of cure, or-
dered him to find bail tor his appearance ciscwhav, to give a more
satisfactory account of this novel experiment.