The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-07-10 00:00:00

POLICE.

Al A NSION- HOUSE.
On Saturday .lo4n Knott, and his wile, Latina Knott, were
brought up before the Lordillayor, charged by Mr. William Knott,
the brother tot the male prisoner, with having written letters,
threatening the moat horrible exposure, for the purpose of extort-

ing money.
The Loan MAYOR said he had been applied to to examine the
case privately, but he did not think proper to doso. •
The prosecutor stated that the wife of his brother called at the
house, and left several letters for him (We prosecutor) and his
wife.
'l'he LORD MAYOR read the letters, which declared, that if
Xnott did not consent to assist his brother with money,
the streets should stound with placarls, and the assistance of the
daily press should not be wanting to complete the disgrace of the
former. The letters abounded with allusions to Scripture, and de-
scribed the kind of offence with which the writer intended to
charge the prosecutor, in no very delicate terms.
The Loan Mayon desired that the letters should be shewn to
the prisoners, and asked the man whether he knew any thing
about them 1-11 e replied that he did ; hie wife had written them.
Mrs. Knott—Yes, I admit I wrote them.
The Loan MAYOR—Did you writo them by your husband's
direction 1

Mrs. Knott—Yes, I ilid. We were in want: we have a large
family, and are unable to support them; and my brother-in-law ,s
rich man, and refuses to give us the least assistance.
John Knott—! eras once respectable, and assisted the prosecutor.
and he refuses to do me the bast sei vice. What am I to do ? I
only wish him to get me same situation ; and I am an industrious
man, and able to support my family. My wife wrote Those letters
in the hope that they would induce him to do something, and this
is the advantage he takes of us.
The Loren Maxon said that he never heard of a more atrocious
case than that against the prisoners.
Mrs. Knott—What were we to do ? We have four children, and
I are without the means of supporting them, and he is rolling in
wealth.
The prosecutor said he had, at different times, given the prisoners
sunis of money. but they still continued to harass him.
The Loan MAYOR said lie believed, from the conduct of the
woman, that she was the worst of the two, and ordered that they
should be remanded till Monday.
130W.STREET.
, •

Ex T E Karl' E Ro DBE it I ES.—Three brothers, Henry, Eduard„
and Samuel Clarke, by trade silk fringe and bobbin makent,• re-1
siding in the house of their father (now an invalid in one of the ,
hospitals), in Wild-court, Great Wild-street, Lincoln's Inn-fields, '
were charged with, being concerned in a moot nefarious system of.
plunder, which has been carried on for years without detection.—
The prisoner, Henry Clarke, has been about ten years in the em- '
ploy of Mr. Morris, fringe and bobbin.manufacturer, in Bedford- '
street, Covent4arden. 'and his earnings nave been on an average
two pounds eight shillings per week. The other brothers were in the '
employment of Mr. Robinson, of the same trade, In Charles-street, '
Covent-garden. A few days ago, Mr.. Marris made a discovery
that led hint to believe be was daily being plundered by Henry
Clarke; and as he knew that the fringe trade was carried on noun-
nally by the father of the prisoners, though really by them, he sent
a person to make a purchase of bobbin, and he was able to huy for
2s. that which at wholesale price could not be bought for 2s. 9d.,
proving to his satisfaction that they could not have come honestly
by the material. A person was appointed to watch Henry Clarke
on Friday, when he left Mr. Morris's mantifavory, and he was
stopped and searched, and in his hat and on other parts of his per-
son, bobbin, &c. belonging to his employer, were found. A war.
rant was instantly granted at this office to search the father's house
in Wild-court, and on the officer's going with Messrs. Morris and
Robinson, to execute it, they found a cart-load of property belong-
ing to them, some of which bore their private marks on the wood-
work of the- bobbins. Edward and Samuel Clarke were in the
I house, and they were secured. The latter said "it was a bad bush.
ness." A considerable quantity of the property was produced, and
Mr. Morris pointed out some of his marks, which had been de.
faced, and the prisoners' marks placed over them. His loss was to
the amount of hundreds of pounds, he had every reason to believe.
Sir RICHARD BinxiE declared that a more united and ext‘n-
sive systein of plunder he had never heard of.
The officer, who searched the boas; said that there were two
other brothers, and one of them lived in perfect ease, likes g.n.
denten, and lie was not known to follow any business.
Mrs. Clarke, the mother of the prisoners, a woman of Teepee -
able appearance was in the office, with several pretty well-dre-s d
girls, liar daughters ; and she said that the property which hod the
marks of Mr. Morris on the wood, had been purchased by her at
his shop ; and she de tied that the property found in her house had
been stolen:
Mr. Morris asked Sir Richard Birnic to give him authority
to seize all the property found in the house.
Sir RIC It•liD Br Rail E told him that he might take his own pro-
Fry wherever he found it.
Mr. Morris said, he could not swear to that which was not mark-
ed, but he believed ft was all his.
The books of the prisoners were produced, by which it appeared
that they had been carrying on a considerable business, and u. der-
selling the trade generally. They were remanded till Tuceday
next.
SW INDLINO.—A sharper of the name of Thomas [Jowl war
charged at this office with a number of acts of swindling. lie is a
man of the moat singularly eccentric appeararance. lie wears a
large strap hat, with a broad' rim turned up on each side. Hi.
person is short, thin, and meagre, and he wears mustachiw. He
has taken in many of the hotel-keepers at the west-end of the
town, under the pretence that he is related to the Attorney-General
of Jamaica. and the proprietor of two valuable estates in that
island. He has al-o pretended that the Lord Chancellor allowed
him 2901. per annum, to avoid a public exposure. The propricors
of Oliver's Collee-house, NVestminster-bridge; of the York Arms,
Clarges-street, and other tavern-keepers and several coach-F:7le-
tors, were in attendance. He was sentenced to one month's impri-
sonment, for refusing to pay 11., the fare of a hackney-coachman.
He was also committed in default of bail for threatening to altoot a
gentleman named Mansfield. His conduct during the examina-
tion was most impudent; he threatened actions against the parties
whom lie had duped ; called the officers thieves and rogues ;
and swore that he never would pay a farthing to the "'black-
guards" who had preferred the charges against him, till they bad
proved him a scoundrel, a traitor, and a deserter.
The Drum-Major of the Coldstream Guards proved that the
prisoner in 11100 was a fifer in that regiment. It was stated that
the prisoner deserted and joined Bonaparte. He exclaimed, " I
received a pardon for that."
A gentleman named Taylor. whom the prisoner had duped,
slid, etc prisoner represented to him that he had just arrived from
the West Indies, and that he had property to a great amount in
the City, in foreign coin, which lie should get exchanged for Eng.
dish currency in a few days.
The prisoner exclaimed, I know the law, they are only debts ;
: I made no false representations that you can prove. I was a lifer 25
I years ago; and what of that ? it is not what I have been, but
what I am. I married a lady of fortune, the aunt of the Attorney-
General of Jamaica ; and because I horsewhipped him in Court,
I was sent away to America without a trial, and I came to Eng
. land to seek redress."
. The prisoner was conveyed to prison.
LAM BETII-STREET.

FORGERY.—.4rthier Thompson, alias Josiah Penniale, a young
man of respectable appearance, was charged with uttering a forged
check for 2:11. with intent to defraud Messrs. Taylor and Co.
brewers, at Limehouse. It appears that, on Friday last, the pri-
soner met a boy, named Lid..ll; near Limehouse church, and re-
quested him to deliver a letter at Taylor's brewery. lie told Lid-
dle he was the son of Mr. Williams, the proprietor of the Three
Tuns. Poplar ; that the letter contained a cheque for 2.W. on
31erts. Taylor. and that he had on a previous occasion borrowed
SOL from that firm. lie particularly directed the boy to say, on
presenting the letter, " Here is the letter from Mr. Williams 'and, if any questions were asked, to answer, that " he (the boy)
was Mr. Williams's youngest son." The prisoner then took the
boy into a field, and made him rehearse the part he was to pet form
in Mr. Taylors counting-house. Liddle proceeded to obey the
prisoner's instructions, but Mr. Sewell, the clerk to Mr. Taylor,
refused to change the cheque, and told the boy to inform Mr. Wil-
liams that he had not so much money in the house. On the fill.
lowing day, the prisoner met a boy, named Statibury, in Gill-
street. to whom he likewise said he was the son of Dalby Williams,
and that his father and Mr. Taylor had a great Beal of money. He
then put into the boy's hand a letter, which, he said, contained a
cheque, and desired Win to take it to Mr. Taylor's office, and re-
ceive the money. lie said, he did not wish to go there himself, as
his father was greatly indebted to Mr. Taylor. He appointed to
meet the boy on his return, at the Poplar Turnpike. It happened,
that before this h. 4 letter was presented, Mr. Sewell had seen Mr.
Williams. and therefore knew the cheque to be a forgery. An
officer was therefore procured, who accompanied the boy to the
turnpike. The prisoner, on seeing the officer, ran away, but
was shortly afterwards secured. The letter and cheque were to the
following effect:—
" D. Williams's compliments to Messrs. J. V. Taylor and Co.,
is sorry to be so troublesome, but is under the necessity of again
requesting cash for the inclosed check, not having had time to send
it to the bankers.
" Three Tans, Pennyfields, Poplar, July 1, 1826."
The letter enclosed a check in the following terms :
" Messrs. Hankey, " London, 311th :lone, 1826.
" Pay Mr. Williams, or Bearer, 1%4011y-five Pounds.
" T. i'himussoa and Co."

Mr.Dalby iViMoms Raid he did not write the check or letter.

A Clerk in the house of Messrs. Hankcy Mid the cheque was
drawn on one of their blank forms, but no such person as T. Per-
gustum and Co. kept cash in their house.
The whole of the evidence haring been taken in this case, the
Magistrate inquited if any other charges were to be brought for.
ward. A number of persona at that moment rushed forward, and
proclucel a variety ofcheques on 111.isterman's, Drummond's, Glyn's,
and other banks, upon which money had been obtained under cir-
cumstances similar to those above detailed. Amory, the persons
defrauded were Meux and Co., Hoare and Co., Trtxman and Co.,
Ooding and Co., and Simpson and Co. A gentleman from Mr.
Charringion's firm mentioned that an attempt had been made upon
them, but it had failed. The sum of money altogether obtained
appears to be upwards of 400/.--The prisoner was remanded
till Wednesday 'text. This man has been twice tried at the Old
Bailey—once for tendering a forged order on Messrs. Williarns,for
210!., and on the second occasion for procuring cash with a forged
eheque for %I!. on Sir John Petting and Co. lle was acquitted on
both charges.