The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-01-28 00:00:00

PO LW E.

sow-stitter.
PRETENDED SMUGGLERS AND DUFFERS.

---
The oretropolis has for a number of years been infested
by parties of men, known by the name of Duffers. and sup-
yawed to be connected with smugglers, who attack persons
from the country, and the unguarded, in the streets, under
pretence of having articles of foreign manufacture to sell
cheap. A case came on to be heard before Mr Mollie,
yearn's', which it is supposed will amount to a couapiracy
to defraud the party out of his property.
Charles T , the elder, and Charles T his SOU,
were broineht to the Office, charged with this offence, by
James Davis, jos of Ni.. 10, Bird•strret, Mary,.le.l ))))) r, who
stated himself to be a Wilder, and that on Friday asennight,
amid twelve o'clock at noon, as hr was passing through
Oxford-street, sitar doe end of Strafard-place, us, his reliant
liume,he was mooted by the junior Prisoner, who asked
him if he wished •u purchase a bargain, as he bad got some
silk handkerchiefs lie could .ell very cheap; he replied he
would purchase one, and the yimili mid if he would go
with him, he would take him to a person who would sell
him one cheap, and lie accompanied him to the find public-
huuse on the left aisle of SoullantuUltotidarert, anal was con-
ducted into a hawk-parlour, and said he would fetch the
man who hail the sulk handkerchiefs to dispose of, am'
oiiirtly after returned woh a man who had a large loundlc,
who took out two silk liandkrichis fa (ruin Isis pocket; lie
o xamined them, and said he dial not like the patient ; the man
desired the jnnior Prisoner to go to the buiclitea and bring the
other handkerchiefs; liar boy replied " Yes, Captain," and
left the room for about live minutes, when he return. ol and
said the butcher would keep both the handkerchiefs. The
man, whom the boy called Captain, then molted his bundle,
produced two pieces of linen, and asked lout if he wanted
nay; In which he replied in 11w affirmative, and wished to
know the pike. The Captain ►nod it was well worth 31. as
it was Chitiese, but at length agreed to take twit gamma.
The Captain then chewed him a shawl, which he said wag
of Chiae.e manufacture, and the price was five guineas ;
he objected to the price, as being a great deal load high, and
offered him two guineas, which the Captain weed to take,
and hr gave hint a a Bonk mite to change, when the OW-
fain sent the younger Prisoner not to get change ; lie re-
turned shortly afterwards, and said he could not int it, but
he got four it notes of the landlord, three of which he gave
to him, and Iwo shillings to make up the two guineas.
After that he asked the 'unpaved Captain if he had got soy
fine combo ic to make frills for the shirts; Ida• Captain re-
plied he had, and produced some from his pocket, and asked
31 for it; the witness appe.ri d iudifli n iit Blount it, and
said he was in no wart ot• it, %then the Cvptain agreed and
tool 30.. and be having paid for all loneliest s the Captain
treated him with a glass of brandy, aa.l Ihe young Poisoner
packed op the gouda for him. Ile has since Illowiacrall that
the shawls, &c. are &Will manufacture, and worth about
21. fur which he had paid them 71. 10s. On Tuesday, as he
was passing oolong the Strand, the younger Poisoner came
In lion, and wanted him to purchase r bargain, when looking
in his face, he turned away without waiting for an isomer,
flu doubt recollerting that lie was the persou alio was de-
frauded at the public house iu Somilimoultowstrift. The
Prosecutor, howler, slid nut allow him to move many
parrs, but seized him by the collar, and charged bran with
having been CualCerised in defrauding lion of his money.
The senior Prisoner inrtantly nixed him, and premed his
banal with so much aiolciace agairo.l his throat that he Wi,4
nearly strangled, but he kept fast hold of the boy, and some
persons coming to his *mistime bulb ilw Primness were
forced into the shop of Mr. Brooks, and (tom thence con-
veyed ill the ul ice.
The Prininers underwent separate examinations. The
boy had told the Proso-cuter that he belonged tat a Ntlltieelisig
vessel, and had heal iu prisou shire mouths, having been
taken by a retenue cutter. This he denied beton. the Ma-
gistrate, hot said he had been Iwo voyager its sea to Demerara
soil Russia. He said lie was seveiswini yel;rs of age; the
Hawkvro and l'edlar's License found upon him no his twine
he said was taken out by his fattier at Northwielt, of Mr.
Wrosashall.

The elder Prisuuer denied any knowleilae of the Pros,
color, or der.huir with a man at the public-house in South
mullion-street, *Mtual' hr admitted that hr was in the
tap-room, uuJ that he knew the unto, w►use name was
Thomas flyers, a hanker and pedlar. He alsu produced a
hawket'a lireuse, winch hr took out at Chester He denie.l
being a Captain, hot said he was called so, anal stiributi4l
it to his baring belonged to • Volunteer corps at Lynn, ill
Norfolk,
The' Magistrate was of opitiion that his Majeete's sishjerts
should be protected from the i.apositions of liar Pri.ouera
and their companions, •aid cuus,Jrre•l their cundurt a con-
spiracy to defraud the Piosecumr, and committed gum fur
trial fur the want of bail.
The Magistrate rapeseed his surprise at the Prmiecuter,
who appeared to poi was a good portion of *CUM: and din-
cernmeut, that he could be so easily duped.

CAUTION TO SWEAKEIIS.—AImot a fortnight
since two young men, one named Jostvii Gow -
LETT, a NOM, and the other a coal-poster, in coin-
pasty at a public-house, eogaged, fur a pot of beer,
to try winch could swear the t drrbolictil oaths ;
when Gots-LETT, after using the most abominable
expressions for it abort tone, because exhausted,
and could not utter a► syll stale, and hos remained
speechless ever 111111 V, it livitig example so those
who take God's name in vain.—(Norwich l'aper.)
Yesterday se'ristight, Christopher Greiff Morris,
Bart, and James 11'113011, were publicly
whipped through the streets of Dutsferinhor, pur-
'masa to a sentence of the Hugh Court of J usticiary,
on the elm of November kat, for a most wanton,
unprovoked, and violent ilttjult, committed on some
Ladies awl thesstlenien, near Dunfermline, last
sit 1111 l ler. They are to be slet,irsail nt prison full
the fat of October next, when they moat filod cast-
tints in the suns of 40/. each, to keep the peace for
five years. This case was originally tried before
the LORD Jus.cicE C,.EnK, at the Circssit,
who certified the UAW as to the punishment to the
High Court of Justiciary. That Court ordered the
sentence to take place on the of December
beat ; but art application having lie,ll made to the
PailacE Itvt:Ear to Trottt the public whipping, it
dud not take placeloll yesterday se' the ep.
plieasson having been sectored. SUCII am ono-vat
spectacle.in On part of the country drew together
ass itOtiletor cross! of speciatucs, but so &lamb-
sauce took place. troop of the Enniakilires dra-
goons were preterit to rearm, order; and it is but
justice to the commanding officer, Cupt. IDADDEN,
woof the troop. limier los continuos!, to atria. 11114
they behaved wish the grt.ttest propriety during
thy whole proceedings.