The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-11-12 00:00:00

SWINDLING.

A young genteelly-dreesed person, calling himself the Roc
W. B. Gordon, ache Royal Navy, was charged with felonious-
ly stealing IS Bank of England notes and IS shillings from
Mr. Richard Munu, • haberdasher and hosier in Great Rus-
sell strict, Covent-garden; also with obtaining from him
'oriole articles of hosiery.
It appeared that the Prisoner went to the New Hammon's,
in Curt utgarden, un Monday, and ordered • bed, dm. by
the name of the Hon. W. B. Gordon, haying handsome
cards, elegiotly engraved as such. On Tuesday morning,
between nine and lets o'clock, he desired Richard Jour, one
of the porters belonging to the New Hummunis, to stud a
hosier to kith with sonic black and white silk stockings, some
cotton stockings, ice. The porter in consegneues went to
Mr. Mutin's shop, and gays the order. On his return to the
Humunusni, the Prisoner sent him with a draft fur 51. drawn
on Messrs. Esdaile and Co. in Lombard-street, which was
refused payment, the answer being, "No effects:* Mr.
Munn waited upon the Prisoner in his bedroom, sad sold
him several pairs of stockings, drawers, tic. to the amount
of 41.25. The Prisoner desired him to fetch him chatige Pura
TO/. Bank note, which he did, and gave the Prisoner 15!.
The Prisoner counted the notes carefully over, and Mr. Munn
remained at the dour, when the Prisoner suddenly exclaimed
be must run down to the water closet, and left his room. Mr.
Mimi waited • few minutes, when a suspicion arose in his
mind that the Prisoner wan an impostor, and he went to the
water closet, hat found he was not there ; hethen proceeded
down to the toffee-room, where be learnt from the head
waiter that tbs Prisoner bad ordered breakfast, but had left
the house in baste, saying he should return in a few minutes.
The suspicions against him were directly after increased by
• porter belonging to the house, who reported that be met
him in TaVistock.row, running al a great speed. He nut
returning, Mr. Harrison, the proprietor of the New Hum-
mums, slurred the bed-room which the Prisoner occu-
pied, when lie found that lie hail left several articles of
wearing apparel, a new leather note-case, and a une.ponad
bank cute lying loose on • piece of paper, which proved
to be one of those he bail obtained from Mr. Munn. In
the evening one of tee writers belonging to the New Hum-
ums was passing along the Strand, when he saw the Prisoner
enter the Sans Pareil Theatre, of which he gave information
to Mr. Harrison and Mr. MI4IIII, when he made application
at the Office, and Thomas Mayhew, a constable, accompa-
nied him to the Sans Pared theatre, where, ou describing
his person, they were informed he bad just left the theatre,
but was expected to return, and after waitiug 'it, the pas-
sage a short time, the Primmer returned with two dashing
females, one uu each arm. Ile was takeu by Mayhew.
to St. Paul's watch-hour, Covent-garden, where be searched
him, and found "two It Bank mites, tire Of them proved
to he part of those he obtained from Mr. Munn, who
could nut identify the other :wo. Ou being asked what he
had done with the remainder, be replied that he had given
three of them to one of the female', who were with him,
and had paid his landlady, in Cruse-court, between two and
three pounds. Oa his being brought to the office yesterday
morning, and placed at the bar, he said his name was
Thomas Baldwick. He made no answer to the charge, and
sou cusunsitteil fur trial.

MARLIMTIOVI
DESPERATE MENDICANT.

Yesterday • sturdy fellow, 26 years of age, named John
Dodos*, oss brought up by Litton, the beatfle, charged as
a rogue and vagabond.
It appeared that on Tuesday night the Prisoner was
found stretcle•d at a door near the Grua Ilan and Still, Ox-
ford-street, apparently in the last stage of exi•teuce. Navy
persons were assembled round him, who gave him money--
and one person, who really thought he was dying, ran to the
watcbdiuuse for assistance to convey him to the Infirmary.
Accordingly two or three beadles went to the spot, and
found him iu the manner described. Thinking, with the
rest, that he WAS 'lvor, they lifted him gently from the
ground and led him along, one supporting him on either
side. When half way up Oxford-street, he suddenly gave a
spring, toothed both his comturtnes down, and ►an with
great agility towards Caventlish-Anare. In IViistpole-street
he wu overtaken, and although opposed by five persons,
made so desperate a resistance, that it was found tercelwary
to beat him violently ; in the struggle hi. clothe. were alt►
torn. Being convert' with difficulty to the watch-house, he
was recognised as belonging to a gang of beggar. that int.st
the west end of the town, and bevy of late been the terror of
that neighbourhood's—He was committed.

nets/rem two and three o'clock yesterday moraine, as One
of the Mary-le-bons wttclimen wan going has a Is, be dis-
covered sitting at the at. p of a aunt a pour little female
child, about five years old, drenchtd by list heavy rain which
fell incessantly all the nicht. She was 'villain biltitly, and
nu brine questioned by the watchman, said, t,•at her mother,
io a state of drunkonnesr,land Wait her, and tlia ii turned her
out of doom The waitclansii csrried 41,e pour intent iu his
arms to tit walchJwuset when she was rut tutu a Mbilut bed