The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-04-07 00:00:00

PREACHER.

John Acton Bowden, a pin-niiiet,lnliiwrd-court, Holborn, and
a preacher in the Wesleyan connexion, appealed against an order
of affithetion, by which he WAS adjudged the father of a trials
bastard child, and that upor. the broad ground, that the insputa-
tion upon his cluiractp was wholly false, and without any founda-
tion a:integer, and a; it was evident that there necessarily mutt be
perjury upon the pat; of some of the witnesses, the case excited
considerable interest.

11 Ann Hughes, thotecother of the child, had been employed as
chatwenn:ll at the Winne where the appellant then lived, in New_
street, Coreat.garden, a.td there she swore the connexion took
place. She had howeecr previously sworn the child at the
Alansior }louse to our Charles Lore, and which she said she had
been induced to do on account of the religious character of the
appellant, he having, during her lying-in, sent her a half-sore-
reign ; and. on her subsequently cal tint; upon him, promised her
that she .hnuid not want, and that he would allow her fie. a week.
Her reason for selic,ing Lore to swear the child to was, that she
knew he was out of the kingdom, and could rot be brought into
any trouble on that account. With the exception of her having so
sworn the child, with wl.ich fact the appellant was made acquainted
by her, nothing wild he elicited by Mr. Andrews's ingenious
cross-examination, to impeach her character, or to cast any imputa-
tion upon bee chmthy, except in this instance, and her testimony
was very strongly confirmed by the evidence of Mary Luke, the
wife of a fatalists sit a gas-factory, who swore that she called upon
Air. Bowden by this desire of Ann Hughes, shortly after she was
confined, and communicated to him the birth of the child, and that
so far from denying that he was the father it, Ids only anxiety was
that it should be kept secret, not so much on account of his wife
and family as on account of his religious tonne:ion ; that he sent
by her half a sovereign for Ann, and desired her to tell her
when she wanted more to let him know. That she Oho wit-
ness) sew him stein eta Mrs Bones three days before the child

was sworn to him at the Mansion House, when he told her I
that he would swear by (Sod that the whole was a lie ; and
on her asking him would he swear that he did not send a half
sovereign by her, he replied " Yes," he would swear that
was a lie too. Mrs. Burn also swore to having been present
when this conversation passed between Stn. Luke at.d 31r. [Bowden.
Both these women had known Ann Hughes for some years, and
never heard anything against her character Mr chastity ; indeed her
countenance, which was remarkably ordinary, seemed to affird a
pretty safe protection from solicitations of that sort, and not the
slightest auenipt was made to impeach the character or credit of
the two women, Luke and Burn.
On the part of the appellant, several witnesses were called, the
most important of which was his own brother, Charles Bowden,
and an errand boy named John Smith. The testimony given by
these latter witnesses differed from that given by them before the
Lord Mayor, when the order of filiation was made.
The Court, which consisted of hive Aldermen beside the Recorder,
did not think it necessary to hear Mr. Law, but unanimously
affirmed the order.

Mr. Law's application on the part of the respondents (the parish
of Christ (:hunt, Ncrgate-street) for costs was seceded to imme-
diately. Order on the appellant for the payment of 3s. a week
affirmed, with costs.

I'Ol,lOE.

(lUILU[IALL.

Yesterday, Edward Hemming: was fully committed to take his
trial at the ensuing Sessions at the Old Bailey, for obtaining
umbrellas through forged orders, to the value of 4/. Bs., of Mr.
Morltuid, in the Al inories.
Writ. Ankh?, was charged with having stolen a hat.
blare Clarke stated, that she wan in the employ of Mr. Parnell,
115, Mir.ories; that on Saturday afternoon, as she was sitting in a
small roim adjoining the shop. she saw the prisoner, a lad about
seam ;ears old, go into the shop end take up a hat, put it on his
head, and walk off with it ; the witness followed him, and after
running a little way, finding he was pursued, he threw it away ;
she, how rr,r, stil inllowed him until be was taken. The value of
the hat is IN.

The prisoner Was then fully committed.
lIATTON-GARDEN.

A Lro or 11 tr.!. roa.—Yeaterday Jo.'in I'lceer was charged
with haring stolen a leg of mutton, the property of John Young.
Front the evidence it appeared that Mrs. Young had ordered
a leg of mutton to be sent to her littsband's house in Great
Ormond-street. on Saturday last. from Mr. Col!ingwoad, a
butcher, in Lamb's Conduit-street. Ir. Collirgauod'a set'.
rant went to deliver it along with a quantity of other things
that t.e had to deliver at different places ; in going along he
was accosted by the prisoner, dewed as a butcher, who in-
(plied 0:: lieu if he knew of a place, the prisoner managed to
kce,l in conr:rsattion a ith Mr. Col.ingwood't• man until after he
had Lich ver,:d the leg of mutton at Mr. Voting', bonne. The pri-
soner haring seen the leg id mutton delivered, shortly left the
company of Mr. Collingwoorl's man, returned to Mr. Young's
house, and said that there was a mistake in leaving the leg of
mutton there, and that he had called to fetch it hack ; the servant
give it to him srhhout the least hesitation; the theft Whi of course
shortly discovered, and yesterday morning Mr. Collingwond's ser-
vant saw the prisoner stationed in Redford-place, watcideg another
butcher, no doubt with the intent of pla3 lug a similar trick, when
he took him into custody.
The worhy Magistrate observed, that the past the late Mr.
Sheridan adored was a sure preventive of such an rffence as this,
because shun a hatcher sent a leg of mutton, Mr. Siteridan's cook
immedie sly put it into the pot, for fear the buf•her should send
for it buck, pretty wall knowing it would not be paid for.
The prisoner admitted the charge, aed wan fully committed for

rilentinc and George Preddic were brought up on sus-
picion of haying stolen a silk handkerchief.
The otfic.,r stated that lie saw one of the pri3ont-ls banding a silk
handkercitid to the other, and thinking that they had act come
honestly by it, he took them into custody.
The handkerchief was produced. It was a crimson one, with
white stars, and marked with the letters T.

The prisoners were remanded until Friday next.
QUEEN-St,jf!A RE.
Mary Anne Pearce, the celebrated Ex-Lady Barryenore was
brought up yesterday morning from St. Margaret's watch-house,
before Mr. WRITS, the sitting Magistrate at Queen-square, for
being drunk and disorderly.
There was no charge, however, preferred against her Ladyship,
who seemed to show much contrition, anirrequested to be passed•to
her parents.
file. WHITE—IS that your real wish and inclination ?
Mary Anne—lt is, Sir, I am ashamed of may past conduct; it is
impossible to walk the streets in my present condition. I wish to
go to my father, who is a farmer at Yarmouth in Cornwall. I here
not seen him for 19 years past.
Mr. IVietre: said—A conversation has taken place between
several of the Alsgietrates and myeelf respecting you, and if you will
really return home you shall have a letter and proper means sup-
plied you for that purpose.
Fur this her Lode/ship appeared highly grateful, and a letter was
accordingly granted her to precure the necessary means.
DISTURBANCE •T THE SWAN TAVERN,
Yesterday, Nithelas Win-sky, a man assuming the character of a
Bow-street officer, was brought up in the custody of two Cow.
street patrols, charged before Mr. WRITE, the Magistrate, with
committing a most wanton and unproveked assault upon a gentle-
man named Davy, at the Swan Tavern, on Tuesday night, by
striking him on the head with a constable's staff.
The complainant, Mr. 3. 31. Davy, residing in the King's-road,
Chelsea, stated, that he was returning home between eleven and
twelve o'clock from Battersea, passing the Swan Tavern, observing
a light, the door open, and the company departing, he went in, fur
the purpose of meeting some Chelsea friends to walk home with ;
proceeding to the coffee-rcom door he was suddenly collared by the
prisoner, who insisted he should not go in, and struck him a vio-
lent blow with a constable's staff on the left side of his head, which
was cut open, and bled profusely. Severe! gentlemen ran from the
coffee-room to his assistance, a'd a disturbance ensued ; the psi.
sower intermixed with the crowd, and endeavoured to escape notice.
Soon after whom, having in some degree recovered himself, the
prisoner was pointed out to him, on which he gave him a severe
thrashing, the effects of which the piisoner's face presented, being
a complete mass of bruises, wi•h scarcely a feature discernible.
Henry Poulton, a How-streit pairol, deposed, that about twelve
O rte was near the tollgate, Battersea Bridge, in company with
his partner, Cutting, when the landlord of the tavern called them,
saying, there was a man in his house represeming himself as a
Bow-street patrol, who had struck a gentleman on his head with a
staff, and cut it open. AV itness rpaired to the house, and seizing
the prisoner, inquired how long he had hem a Ikw-street patrol.
He made no reply, and on searching him he found a constable's
staff in his coat pocket. Witness then tot k him into custody.
The prisoner in his defence denied having struck the gentleman ;
he said he had been in the company of two parish constables, but
who thee were he was quite ignorant ; it was one of them who cern-
witted the assault He, however, admitted passing himself 61f as
an officer, for which he expressed great contrition, and humbly
begged he might be allowed to make up the matter, at the /UMW
time exhibiting his disfigured face, to show the punishment he had
already undergone for his temerity.
The Magistrate said he should allow no such thing. If an irdi-
vidual presumed to take upon himself the character of an officer
without any authority, he deserved all he had received. He should
therefore send the rass to the Sessions, and ordered him to And
bail, in default of which he was committed to Horsealonger-lane
Gsol, to answer the charge at the next Surrey Sessions.