The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-11-26 00:00:00

POLICE.

ROW-STREET.
Yesterday Matthew Fit-Mr:J.:. an elderly man, of shabby-gen-
teel appearance, but with the manners and addrise of a gentleman,
was brought up in the custody of W. Smith, see. a patrol, charged
with stealing a silver teaspoon, from tile st. Alban's Coffee-house,
in Charles-street, St. James's-square.
' Tile evidence against the prisoner was that of Thomas Winter,
a waiter at the St. Alban's, who stated, that within the last fsw
weeks a considerable quantity of plate had been stolen from the
Coffee house at dillerent times, and it being suspected that it was
pilfered by some person who was in the habit of coming to the
house, he kept a sharp look out. On Wednesday evening the pri-
soner walked into the Cofiee-room, where there happened to be no
other person at the time, and the witness looked through a glass in
the door, and saw hint place himself near to a table where a tea-
tray was standing. The prisoner soon atter walked out, and the
witness ping him the toffee-room foutd that a tea-spoon had been
taken from the tray. He followed the prisoner out, and saw
him enter the Union Club-house, which is next dare to the
St. Alban's, and being close behind him, he heard him in.
quire of the porter if the lion. Col. Collier was there, or if the porter
knew his address. The porter said be knew nothing about such a
gentleman, and the prisoner went out and walked into St. James's.
square, where the witness stopped him, and said he must return
with lion to the St. Alban's collie-house. On the way the witness
taxed hint with stealing the spoon, and the prisoner acknowledged
the fact, but said the offerce was but trifling, and he was sure Mr.
Duncan, the proprietor, would forgive hint. When they got to the
coffee-mom the prisoner produced the missing spoon from his side
pocket or the sleeve of his coat, and threw it on the table, saying,
"There is your spoon, and I suppose that will satisfy you."
Smith, the officer, said, that while the prisoner was coming to
the office, he complained of the harshness of the proprietor of the
hotel in prosecuting hint foe so pastry a thing. lie said the prose-
cution would be the ruin of him for ever.
When asked by the Magistrate what he had to say, be de.
elated that he was perfectly innocent. lie went into the St.
Alban's to write d ,IVZI the name of Colonel Collier, who was a
friend of his, and whom he wanted to find, ate' he afterwards went
into the Union Club House to learn his address. lie denied that
he matte any acknow:olgemmt to the waiter, and said, that when
he returned to the coffee-nom, h 3 saw a tea-spoon which was
lying on the end of the table, stud taking it up, he threw it down
again, observing to the waiter, " Why, here is your spoon." lie
said that he was most respectably connected at Liverpool, and that
a public prosecution would totally destroy him. lie complained
further that it was currently harsh in Mr. Duncan to prosecute a
man who had spent no much money in his house as he had.
Mr. Duncan said his knowledge of the prisoner was very slight.
About twelve months' ago, the prisoner was with a gentleman of
some rank in the neighbourhood, and dinners were supplied to
them from the St. Alban's, and that was all he knew of him.
Sir R. BlaitiE said the evidence was much too conclusive to
admit of any alternative but prosecution, and fully committed the
prisener for trial.
Crone &wine. a countryman, was brought up by Mr. Westeott,
one of the constables serving in his own right for St. Martin's
parish, on suspicion of stealing a piece of cloth, the property of
Hewes. J. and T. Sergeant, clothiers, at Trowbridge, Wilts.
The prisoner was stopped at three o'clock in the morning of the
19th instant, in Lon-ore, with a large package on his shoulder,
addressed to " Mr. J. Bush, Newark." Ile gave confused an.
ewers to the questions put to him. and was taken to the watch-
house, where Mr. Westcott, it being scold night, suffered him to
remain up stairs before a good fire. While he was sitting there.
he, unperceived those about him, took out a pocket-knife and
cut his threat. The rush of blood attracted the notice of the coo.
stable, who sent for a 'urgent, and the prisoner's life was preserved.
It has been since aseertaMecl, that the parcel was sent by Messrs.
Sergeant to Mr. Bush, at Newark, and was stolen from a Franc
wag:4on at Hunnslow.
1 lie prisoner was remanded for further examination on Monday
next.

HATTON-OARDEN.
A genteely-dressed young man, who gave his name as George
Scott, was charged by John Wheeler with attempting to steal a
paper parcel nut of a waggon belonging to Messrs. Waster and
Stubbs, 3d, Wharf, City Basin, on Friday last.
The Prosecutor, who is town-carrier to \Vanier and Stubbs,
stated, that he had stopped at a house in Middle-row, Holborn, to
hand in a package of goods, and, when he turned round from the
door, he saw the prisoner Jump nut of the waggon with something
in his hand, and run away. Prosecutor pursued him, and gave
him in charge to a constable. The parcel produced was found on
the prisoner's person, and is directed--" Mr. Ullathom, Gate.
street, Lincoln's Inn-fields," where the prosecutor was charged to
deliver it.
Mr. th-oree Hall, clerk in the employ of Messrs. Wooster and
Stubbs, said, that the parcel came to their office by canal the day
before, and was delivered by him to last witness to take out.
The parcel being opened was found to contain shoe-thread to the
value of about 31.
The prisoner made no defence, except by repeated sobs, and was
fully committed for trial.
1111P0 AAA T TO PAWISROICEIS.-31r. Crea, • respectable
pawnbroker in Gray's Inn-lane, appeared upon a summons to an-
swer the complaint of a 31m..31•Carihy, under the follow.ing circum.
stances :
It appeared that complainant had pledged a bonnet for Ss. 6d.
with Mr. Crea, on the 10th of November 1823 ; on the 21st of
November of the present year, compluinant went to Mr. Crea's, and
requested to have her bonnet, which he gave her, though in point
of fact forfeited. In a few days she returned, and complained that
it was moth eaten, and of no value, and insisted on receiving from
Mr:Elea the amount of its original cost.
The presiding Magistrate was of opinion that the damage which
the bonnet sustanied did not bring the case within the provisions of
the Act of " wilful beglect," as it might be exposed to the same
accident, had it been kept most carefully at hone. lie also was of
opinion that the courtesy of the pawirbroker, in permitting the re-
demption after eleven days of a forfeited article, did much credit to
him. Under such circumstances he could not interfere.
Mr. Crea vtatel that his object in resisting this paltry claim, was
to have the Magistrate's unction in correcting a very prevalert
public error, that if articles are pawned, and left for the full period
of twelve months, if they appear in the least degree impaired, the
pawnbroker is chargeable for neglect.
The Magistrate fully concurred in his view, upon which Mr.
Crea, to show that he only wanted to have this erroneous opinion
corrected, returned the complainant her 3s. bid. and the interest
which she bad paid on the article.
QUEEN-SQUARE.
In consequence of the report that a dead body had been stolen in
the neighbourhood, a notoricnis resurrecion man appeared at this
office to offer his services to restore the unfortunate deceased to his
friends, if rewarded for his trouble. The Magistrate questioned
him as to his knowledge of the circumstance, but lie denied know.
ing any thing about it. Ile had seen Timbre!), a constable and a
man named Reynolds, who were in search early on Monday. Ile
told them he could pretty well tell where it had been coneeyed, and
conducted them to a certain house in Smithfield.
The Magistrate inquired if he was any relative, or had seen the
body in the house in question, to which he teplied, no relationship
existed between them, nor had he seen the deceased in the house.
The 3lsgistrate then declined giving him any orders whatever.
Soon after he left the Justice-room, Joseph Reynolds entered,
and stated himself to be a neighbour, and the only trien.l of the de-
ceased, previous to whose death he male a solemn promise to see
the last sad office on such occasions decently performed • he had.
in consequence, taken possession of the money he died po'ssessed of
(about 2(5.). and had procured a coffin, in which the body was de-
posited. On Sunday evening, as the watchman was going his
murals, about nine o'clock, during a heavy rain, the front door of
No. 68, I wchard-street, in which house the deceased lay, in the
front apartment of the ground floor, was found to be opened, and
the padlock which secured the parlour door forced, and the body
taken away. The Magistrates, in consequence of Reynolds's state-
ment, were willing to grant him • warrant. However, the latter
declined taking it out, in consequence of the expense.