The National Register.
London, England, 1817-01-20 00:00:00

SATURDAY, JANUARY IS.

John Stafford was indicted for burglarionslv breaking and
entering the dwelling house of John Field, and stealing
tiles ein a foather bed and pier glass, his property.
The prosecutor lives at Norton ',Agate. On The even-
ing of the 27th of December he left his house about
four o'clock, and on returning at seven, he discovered
that his &ma, which he left locked, was opened. He
called to a neighbour to come and assist him, as he be-
lieved there were robbers in his house.- While thus calling,
the prisoner Ensiled out of the door against hi" saying,
" Don't offer to make a noise, or call for assistance, ur it may
be worse for von—my mum is John Stafford ; von know me
very well." Witness then, with the assistance of a neighbour,
secured him. On going in, he missed his pier looking glass,
which he had left in Ida house at going out ; 6e also found
that his bed, and several other articles, hail been removed
from the place in which he had left them, though not taken
out of the premises.
Joimson, the person with wham the pier glass
was discovered, stated that it was sold to him by the pri-
soner.

The prisoner pat in a written defence, in which he stated,
that he • was frequetffly defective in his intellect, and had
often attempted his own life. On his previous cross•exami-
nation of the witnesses, he endeavoured to spew that the
gla‘s was 110 the property of the prosecutor. but of a woman
with whom he cohabited. Proseentor admitted that the
articles were not his, but that he had the care of them, which
the Court jutiffed sufficient in point of law to support the
indictment. Verdict—Guilty, Death.

Abraham Allen NI as put to the bar, charged with breaking
and entering the dwelling-house of William Meadows, and
stealing therein twelve pair of shoes, his property.--Ac-
quitted.
Daniel Leary and Jeremiah Sullivan were indicted for
breaking and entering the dwelling-house of Joseph Oates,
and stealing therein some glaa cruets, the property of Henry
Piet vepoint. The prosecutor, a glass cutter in Drury-lane,
went from his house about nine o'clock on t..e 10th Decem-
ber. On returning. he saw am an (the prisoner Leavy) with
his hand extended into his shop, the door being then open.
watched him for a short time, and saw some eructs in his
hand, with which hr made off. lie AT.LS pursued and taken
with the property in his possession.
Levy, in his defence, said, that the cruets had been put into
his hands by a stranger.
It not appearing satisfactorily that the door had been
fastened on the evening of the robbery, the charge of bur-
glary was given up, and the Jury found both prisoners guilty
of stealing under the value of .10s.

Thomas and Isaac Greenslade were indicted for a bur-
glary and robbery in the 'tame of Francis John Gates. On the
4th ;January the prosecutor and his family went on a visit to
a friend in Paddington' and on his return the following
mornings-he found that his house had been robbed of sever,'
articles of wea log apparel, so sac hooks, and pictures. The
door of the prosecntor's house had been forced open, and the
staple removed. When the prisoner Thomas was arrested, an
instrument was forma upon him which corresponded in size
with the incisions mode. in the door oldie prosecntoos house
it further appeared that the persons lodged in the same house
with the prosecutor, and that one of them (Thomas) when
taken, confessed that he hail sold some of the articles to a
woman, at whose shop th'v were afterwards found.
Mr. Justice Park summed up the evidence, and observed.
thatihere was not sufficiently strong evidence to skew that
the robbery was not comntittyl in the night time.
The Jury acquitted Isaac of all the chards, and found
Thomas not guilty of the burglary, but guilty of stealing to
t c value of 395. _

The prisoners were brothers and both very young.

David Pickard was indicted for asiatilting Mary Clark on
the highway, witting her in fear and tvking from her per•
son two shirts, and some other articles of wearing apparel,
his property—Not guilty.
Charles linglies and Robert Penman were indicted for
•saolting Joint Briggs on the highway, and forcibly taking
from him a watch and seals, his property.

The prosecutor was going through Lon:T-111es., in Shore.
ditch, on the Ist instant, wise!) he wa • met by lso;11 prisoners.
They pressed him against the wall, esidyntly with &sign.
It was then ahmit halt' past 3 o'clock in the afti ruohu. When
they. had stone from him, he missed his watch, and imme-
diately followed, crying '• Stop thief." In a short time offer
he saw his watch in the hands of a constable, who had the
prisoner Hughes in custody.
Both proslaced several witnesses. w'io gave them a good
character.

Mr. Jnotee Park summed np, and the Jury brought n ver-
dict of Not Guilty as to PCISILIA:I j Was convicted—
Death.

TIE

POLICE.
-410-
MANSION HOUSE.

DISTRMED SEAMEN.—A number of those perishing ob-
jects who have been lying übout the streets since the Board
of Admiralty took them under their protection, applied to
the Lord Mayor to give them relief. They all said they were
without food or lodging.
" I wish," said his Lirdship," that Lord Melville's sympa-
thies were properly awake upon this occasion; perhaps, if
his Lordship were to take my place for five or six days, he
would approve of the plan is Melt I recommended, and partly
acted upon. He would have !Well that the diatress was not
imaginary, and would dread, as 1 do, the consequences likely
to ensue *front the rejection."
One of the applicants said he feel a claim upon those by
whom lie had been refused relief; that a considerable sum
of prize-money was due to him, notwithstanding which he
was compelled to starve or to rob.

The Lord ,Mayor said, that such was the situation of num-
bers of the poor sailors who paid hint their melancholy visits
every morobig. Some of them had lost their papers, and
were therefore refused their does. others were put off with
the excusos always at baud, and sent back to the streets to
starve. Numbers were thus cruellyadded to the plunderers
of the metropolis. In so terrible an extremity he was wholly
at a loss what to do, iaterdict•d as he was by an authority
which, however he might eon:team in this instance, he could
not oppose. Butt the Admiralty, in their wisdom, perhaps
with a view to economical reform, had taken upon themselves
the responsibility. It was, indeed, cheaper to throw the
sailors upon the humanity of individnals than to provide them
wit► the comforts to which th,•ir past conduct esititled them;
but to avoid the honors of intestine commotions, Govern-
ment should resort to something not wholly adverse to freeing
or principle. The Helder had left her station opposite the
Tower; the Consuls of the different nations were languish-
ing in their exertions to send home the natives of the coun-
tries they represented, the streets were crowded with half.
naked seamen, whose appearance proved their condition;
and the Admiralty saw all this; they no doubt, spoke in terms of
compassion, except when pressed very hard, and dismissed
them with advice. Many of those who applied to his Lord-
ship within the last week were born at sea; and one of the
unfortnuate creatures said, that probably the Admiralty
wished them at the very bottom of their irtrishes. Ttiey
re-
tired from the Mansion-house into the street, his Lordship
having desired them to go down io a hotly to the _Admiralty,
and wait there until they were relieved.
At Guildhall, a seaman, apparently of great strength and
aetivic;, said he was willing to work hard, although hi, feet
were frost bitten, for a meal. The Magistrate having men-
tioned that he 'could not do any thing liar his petitioner, the
seaman left the office, saying, in the hearing of some of the
police officers, that lie was sorry to he obliged to rob. One
of the officers told him the coosequence. He persisted in
what he declared, and desired his adviser to take care of
his pockets. see what 1 can do toatight" said he.
The Portuguese Consul applied to the Lord Mayor upon
the subject of the distressed Portuguese seamen.
The Lord Mayor said, that a period bad been put to his
authority in every case of this description. The Admiralty
had monopolized the power of doiog good upon the subject,
but the inclination was not so ormifest in the exercise of that
authority which they were so unwilling to delegate.
In the couNe of time lay the Lord Mayor took an opportu-
nity to state, that a plan had been suggested, by Mr. Martin,
of Westminster, which promised considerable advantage to
several of the seamen, to whom pay and prize-money are
doe—namely, the appointment of a Register-office, at which,
the above mentioned creditors are to give a &scrip-
lien of their claims, amid where they are to be assisted with
all the facilities of obtaining satisfactory answers to their
applications.
BOW-STREE

On Saturday two brotherq, named Joseph and William
Follett, the former apdarently about eighteen, latter thirteen
years of age, nirderwent an examination. before Mr. Hicks,
the 'Magistrate, upon hie several charges brought against
them of uttering comiterliA flank of Eligkinil notes, know-
ing theni to be forged. They were committed for trial.
SWINULING--George Downey was brought to the aline,
and underwent a second exami.lation, before Mr. Hicks. the
Sitting Magistrate, being charged with several acts of felony.

in addition to the former witnesses, Elizabeth Malcolm, of
Artillery-street, Hishopsgate-street, attended and stared, that
has ing seen in the public papers an account of the prisoners
being in custody, she suspected him to be the man who had
rubbed her house, and on seeing him at the bar she had no
doubt of his person. He came to her loose about four or
live months ago, and looked at sonic apartmeuts she had to
let. He approved of them. but said he hail appointed a
gentleman to meet him there, and reqnested permission to
wait a little for him. He said he was faint, and requested
to have some perter; she told him she had no sersaut in the
lion,,e to fetch it, awl if he had it he must go and fetch it
himself, which he did and as he said lie was w ell acquainted
with her late husband, and was well known to the Solicitors
of the Bank of England, and he was in the law himself, she
gave him some cold roast mutton, also a book to read. After
he hail left the house, the IliSO/STR'd that Ii had taken a
silver spoon from a closet, and her spectacles.
Mr. Westwood, the solicitor to the Hank, was present, and
said he knew awhile. of :hr. prisoner, but knew the proseen-
trix extremely welt; her late husband hod been a clerk in
his office.

Another charge ttailast the prisoner was fur stealing a
great coat from a prisoner in the King's Bench prison, where
lie hail gained admittance by a false representation.
A number of other persons attended to make charges
against the prisoner far obtiiniug p row rty he similar means.
He was again remanded.