The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-07-29 00:00:00

POLICE.

lli.twsiox•HoV 8r0w,,, a woman who has been
long an annoyance to the City. anti who has supported herself and
her husband, whenever cntitined in Newgate, by levying contri-
butions on drunken gentlemen, was brought before Alderrhan
SMOLT:Y., charged with having endeavoured to rob several per-
sons last night, in the neighbourhood of Moorfields.
The patrol stated that the prisoner, who labours hard in her vo-
cation, and throws a sort of disguise over is by carrying a child in
her arms, followed several gentlemen. evidently for the purpose of
robbing them. She was observed to be more attentive to gentle-
men who were drunk than to those who were sober ; but, notwith-
standing her tklll and experience, she failed altogether last night,
and finally got, as she called it, herself " shoved into the -
watch-house." Not liking her lodging, or the gentry by.. which she
was recognised, she made a blow at an ancient pro'ector of the
peace, and soon Lid him flat. Before the astonished watchman
could recover his legs, she gave him a kick in the ribs, which rat-
tled as if they were the ribs of his lantern ; up ran another of the
, fraternity, who was now able to parry her blows, but his face soon
proved that though it escaped her lista, it was reached by her nails,
which made a riddle of his cheek. Site " served out" several others
of the watch in like manner, but was at length overpowered. Dur-
ing her exertions her tongue kept pace with her hands, and she
bestowed upon the whole of the pritileged residents of the watch-
house such names as they were ashamed to mention.
The defendant said she never meant any offence to the gentlemen,
and declared that she had quite altered her way of life for the last
two years.
Alderman Sc HOLEY hoped that a residence and wholesome ex-
ercise in Bridewel for a month, would serve her morals and con-
stitution, and committed her accordingly.

CITY FEASTING.
GUI inuALL.—A young man was placed at the bar, on a charge
of having knives, forks, wine, and cider, in his posscsaion, the u-
perry of the Ironmongers Company.
The patrol of Castle Baynard Ward stated, that about eleven
o'clock the ni.;ht before, he saw die prisoner carrying the basket
now produced, in Thames-street; and, perceiving it very heavy,
praccedrd to examine the contents„ when he *Mind h nearly lolled
with knives and forks, and three bottles of wine. Tho prisoner
then said he was bringing it from Ironmonger's Ball, where it had
been given him by a waiter.
The beadle and cellarman of the Ironmongers' Company, stated
that the kr ives and forks had been given to the waiter to clean, and
would, no doubt, have been safegreturned. One bottle of wine
had been given to the waiter, and the other, they had no doubt,
was obtained by adding the bottoms of bottles left after drinking
together, till they made up a full one, and giving it to the coin.
pany, and keeping a fresh one in lieu of it. The third bottle was
cider.
The worthy Alderman said, he was confident there was great
pilfering of the wine belonging topublic Companies ; he supposed,
as he hail dined with the Ironntoligors' Company yesterday, that
he had got his share of the, bottoms that were added. It was ne-
cessary to make an example to prevent the practice of pilfering; he
would therefore remand the waiter, and discharge the assistant,
who appeared to have received the basket innocently.
ASSAU LT.
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Bow-ST REET.--Julat Murialtrt was charged by a .man named
Kelly with having assaulted him; be stated that he had been
summoned by the prisoner For debt, and on leaving the Court of
Requests, the prisoner followed, and jo,7,rd him, saying, that if he
was hal ja man he would spiphficate inm.
Sir IC. Rs w har trade are you ?—emnplainant—
A painter.—Did he 10,.e the day then ?—No ! only half of it.
Did be lose the cause ?—No I but he lost Ids temper.
Ordered to find bail.
I TA 14411 s; IMPOSTOR.
Mant.aonouoti.aTHEET.—Nesterday:Luni. an Ita-
lian image boy, about 10 or 19 'years old, was brought from St.
George% watch-house, chargedes a disorderly impostor.
Cl .rk, the watchman, stated that he saw the prisoner in Regent.
street, on Thursday evening, rearing lustily over the fragments of
some pluter.of-paris figures, which he was telling the by-standees a
man had broken and run away without paying tor. Instead
of a board to hold the Images, is is customary, the prisoner had a
basket, at the bottom of which; under a piece of green baize, were
'concealed other fragments. Witness told him he was an impostor,
and that he hail no business la-the Meesits. The prisoner said he
was pot offering the cants !braille; hAtaing to take them to
Windsor. !le still kept roaring, and a mob. Having seen

• - -
the prisoner attempt the trick before, witness took him to the
watch-house.
Schofield, the officer. abaut three weeks since, drove him out of
Portland-place for a like imposition. The prisoner then had no-
thing but pieces of plaster figures, and was exclaiming to the crowd
that a man had knocked his images down and broken them.
The fragments were exhibited on the Magistrate's table—a ri-
sible association of the fragile endurance of sublunary things, the
last remains of Wellington and Venus, Napoleon, Cupid, and the
dexter paw of a nondescript, all in "confusion worse confounded,"
but so completely smashed, that no accident could have been the
cause of such destruction.

The prisoner said he could mend them if the pieces were returned
to him, and he rely wanted a few halfpence given to him for the
hiss of mending.
To show the impracticaliility of the prisoner's speculation in co-
alescing trunk and tripod, several of the officers attempted a loca-
tion of the fractured members, by placing the " head and front"
of the hero of Waterloo on the soft and silky bust of the wife of
Vulcan.

Sir GEORGE FAR/I*NT told the awkward adapter that " it
would not lit," and permitted the Impostor to depart, on his pro-
mise never to be seen attempting the trick again.
GROSS ASSAULT.

Catherine flairjpenny, air old appplewoman in Coventre.st reel.
was brought from St. Ann's watch-house, fur abusive and threaten-
ing language. •
An elegantly-dressed young lady deposed, that on Ther,dll
evening, about eight o'clock, in passing through Covettry.oreet,
a man with a large basket on his head dragged it past her bonnet
sn forcibly, that she thought it was torn ; she remonstrated with
him on his carelessness, when the prisoner came up, and abused
her in very gross and insulting language. Witness told her slit
wanted to hive nothing to say to her, when she aimed a blow at
witness's face. Witness stooped and avoided the blow, which the
prisoner repeated several times. A gentleman present was se
obliging as to give her his card, and attend that morning. The
prisoner was given in custody of the street-keeper.
Sir GEORGE FAIMANT desired the prisoner to be locked up for
bail, and desired that the business was not suffered to be compro-
mised.

A " !ARK."
A fellow named Illargrath was ordered to find bail, for assault-
ing Jolin Jackson. The prisoner was passing along the New-road,
when some one hit him on the crown of his hat, which pressed it
over his eyes. Th., blinded predicament of the prisoner created •
laugh in the joker+, which he being unable to endure, vented his
indignation by seizing a brickbat and striking Jackson on the eye.
The poor fellow's temple was much cut, and bound up in a hand-
ker,hief.

file prisoner said he was angry at the " lark," lie did not mean
to hurt the prosecutor intentionally; it was an accident.
The witnesses assured the Magistrate it was no accident; he
stooped down for the btickbat purposely.