The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1822-09-23 00:00:00

Poi wk.

SOW•STRBIT.

ROBBERY AT HOUNSLOW.
Or Saturday Aye men, named Fea►byr, fl'lsiffus, Currie,
Rotten, and Lesley, were brought op to undergo • second
exatnioniion, on suspicion of having robbed the house
of Mr. Curtis, the landlord of the White Bear publie.house,
at lionnOow, of fifteen sovereigns, twenty pounds in bank-
notes, three several articles of plate, and other
property, on the night of the IBth instant. The grounds of
amenitiesu were these:—
On the day in question, which was the second of the Eg-
ham races, Fee by sad Whitton dined at the White Bear, in
their way down to the course. They were in a gig. They
had frequented the boose before, and were known. They
promised to call on their return; and accordingly, in the
evening, between nine and ten u'clock, did return, and were
• apparently smompaaled by seven other men in three girt,
and a man on horseback. The whole party alighted and
went into the indoor, where they called fur pipes and drink,
and were its and out of the room several times. They up.
peered all to know each other. At length they all went away
together. In about ten minutes after Mrs. Curtis went up
to her bed-room, which site had locked a short time before,
and bawd R had beer broken open, and the property already
deactibed carried olf from • chest and drawers in which it
had bees, deposited. She instantly gave an alarm, and Mr.
Cook, the High Constable of Hounslow, having bee., ap.
prized of the circumstance, set off in his chaise in pursuit.
He succeeded, in coojuartion with one of the horse patrol,
in stopping three of the gigs, in which were the Prisoner and
• man of the name of White, at Kensington. The men
were all searched, but nothing auspicious' was found in their
possession. Mr. Cook did not understand that there was s
fourth gig, nor was the man on horseback mentioned, and
thus some of the party escaped. White also, in the cover
of the night, succeeded in eluding the vigilance of his guard,
and likewise escaped: Three were the whole of the circum-
stances implicating the Prisoners, two of whom were well
known at the office. They were all distinctly sworn to as
having been at the White Bear together.
Mr. Harmer, who attended for the Prisoners, submitted
that the evidence educed was not sufficient to warrant their
det►ntion.

Sir Richard Biroie and Mr. Halls, however, thought other-
wire, sad thry were remanded fur further examination.
Upon the spot where two of the Prisoners were
at Kensington, a small single-case metal gilt watch, with
dark blue ribbon, seal, and key, was ruisitd, which, it is
suspected, °lie of them threw sway to avoid detection. It
was, probably, part of the spoil taken on the race-course.
It Dow remains at this office fur inspection.

UNION-HALT..
COMBINATION AMONGST THE SHIP CAULKERS
Os Saturday Richard Smith, William Tacker, William
Reeler, Joliette'. Reeves, Wm. Thomas, Thomas Masters,
William Gregory, S ..nwel Trotter, and John Watson, ship-
wright' and caulkers, is the employment of Messrs. Hawke.
and Carr, shiolsoilders, Rotherbithe, were charged by them
with asilairfally combining together, and abveutiog them-
selves from their service. The isformation against the ac-
cessed persous was laid under the Statute of 6 Gee. 111.
cap. 45, see. 4. It stated " that on or about the 9th Sep-
tember instant, the mid parties above mentioned, did con-
tract with the Prosecutors to finish the caulking of a certain
vessel, and that they hare trot regarded the statute in that
case roads and provided, bat have unlawfully and wil-
fully absented themselves from the said service, before
the term of the said contract woe completed, sod have left
the said work unfinished, to the great damage of their
master, against his will," ice. The particulars of this case
are as follow :—The Defendants were employed by Mr.
Mewls Johnson, sec, the foreman of the Prosecutors, to
execute • quantity of caulking to • vessel then I. their dock
sunder repair, which they completed, bowleg worked floss
that time to the following Saturday. Oa the morning of
that day (September 14) the Defendants, as usual, went to
the Prosecutor's yard, sad the foreman proceeded to set out
the quantity of work fur each isdividual to do by measure-
meat, wises one of them (W. Gregory) observed that the
measurement then taken, and also the measurement of the
work done on the Saturday preceding, could sot be coerces ;
awl asked the foremast's son if he kuew the measurement of
the wail' ? He replied, styen feet six iithes. Gregory re-
plied, that it was eight feet two, and the work was re.
measured by Moses Johnson' the foreman, hobo Johnson,
hi. sun, and Gregory, the Defendant, sod was Nand to ex-
ceed coosiderably the Ant measurement. The foreman is-
sisted on the work being done by the Defendants at the first
measurement, which they positively refused to accede to, and
took lip their tools, and were about to leave the premises
in a body; they were, however, not permitted to take their
tools sway, though some of them, by stealth, got them off
the premises. The Defeadasts applied to, Mr. Hawke", the
chief partner. and begged of him to consider thematter in
dispute, but be refused, and declared that he should leave it
entirely to his foreman. The Defendants thew left the pre.
noises, and the eonsequeuce was, that the Prosecutors were
in claimer of having a vessel thrown upon their bands, which
they lied contracted to get completed at is certain period, sod
which might operate almost to the ruts of the Prosecutors.
Mr. Swabey and Mr. Chambers were the Magistrates on
the beuch. Mr. Alley appeared on the part of the prosecu-
tion, and Mr. Andrews for the Prisoners.
' Mr. Alley said, that be was instructed to attend, on the
part of Moors. Hawke' and Cur, to prefer a complaint
against the Primmer". Since he had entered the office, he
lied conferred with Mr. Andrews, on the part of tbe Defend-
ants, and he was happy that they now entertained some-
this, like a proper sense of the impropriety of their con-
duct. The extent of mischief that might be dime by work-
men to their employers by a sudden combination, could
not be eslealsted ; it might prove the utter ruin of them ;
soil the law had wisely euseteJ serious penalties to such
offences. The contrition expressed on the part of the men,
sect their expressed wish to go to their work, sad their wiser-
tion of not hearing any ill will towards their employers, but,
on the contrary, that they bore towards them the 'frostiest
feelings of regsrd, induced him to believe that without pro-
ceedisig further in the peossentios, all that bad occurred
might be set to rights.
Mr. Andrews said, on the part of the met, they felt no
disrespect towards their maxim; there hod bees a misunder-
standing, but they bad sea idea of doing any injury to their
employers; the men only wished a fair ailisessurement of
their work, and hail the masters condescended to have inter-
paned between the foreman and the men, the latter
would have li ft their work. _ _

Mr. Chambers—" What: Mr. Andrews, are men to Ay off,
and leave their work, because a mostioderstaeding takes
place between them loud the ((neaten The master may be
ruined by having the contract throwu upon his hands, in con.
sequence u! betel unable to finish it by the time he has
agreed; and I can ti II the Defeuslania, that they are nut only
subjected to imprisonment *lnch the Act, uuder which the
present lisforenslioSi is laid, iufitets (three mouths), but the
Prosecutors have the power besides to indict them for a con-
apir•ey, which would be visited with severity."
Mr. Andrews said, that the men were willing to go to
work, end he bad no doubt hot every thing would be pro-
perly adjusted between them and the Promoters; mud if the
Magistrat►s would allow the warrant, upon which the pities
were apprehended, to stand ever sill a future day, an ail :loge-
meal in the interim would, be bad no doubt, take plate, mud
then the w t might be discharged.
Mr. Chambers said, that he should not let the wsr,ant
bang over the Prisoners• beads, ►e should discharge and
ir t bey did dot go to their work another warrant could be
granted.
Mr. Andrews would undertake to say the inns ooly re.
qulred their work to be fairly measured, and they would be
most happy to continue their employmeet.
The Defendints, after being reprimanded by Mr. Swabey,
we►e discharged, upon an uudentmnding that they were to go
to work and complete their contract, mid be allowed the
full adenteaterement.

Last week, at Spaxion, in Somersetshire, three
ngud perilous. viz. JOHN WILLIS. aged 86, WIL.
LIAM COLIMAN. aged 80, and BETTY THOMai,
aged 80, fell dowu suddenly, the same duy, and
died. They were all the day before enjoying their
%mud good health.

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