The Sun.
London, England, 1830-05-14 00:00:00

BOW-STREET.

Yesterday a young woman, named Elizabeth
Salter, was charged with having robbed her mistress.
The articles were identified by the prosecutrix as
her property, and the prisoner was committed for trial.
She had just been removed from the bar, when a
woman, named Turner, came to complain of the con-
duct of the police-officers concerned in the above
case, who, she said, had forcibly entered her house
between one and two o'clock on the previous night,
and remained ransacking her place until half-past
two, under pretence of searching for property alleged
to have been stolen from Mrs. Henn by the girl Salter.

Sir R. BIRNIE asked if the officer had a search-
warrant ?—Serjeant M'Sweeney replied that they
had no search-warrant, but he conceived they were
justified in what they did, the girl being in custody
on a charge of felony.
Sir R. BIRNIE said that the constables had no
right whatever to force into any man's house after
sunset without being armed with a magistrate's
authority, and if the landlord happened to have
used a pistol, he did not know but that the law
would have justified him.
Mr. MALLARD, a county Magistrate, observed that
not only were people unsafe in walking the streets,
but it appeared they could not rest securely in their
own beds, from the unwarrantable interference of
police constables.
Mr. HALLS observed that a friend of his, who
lived over the water, upon whose veracity he could
rely, assured him that on his return to his own
house, a few nights ago, he found a policeman
fitting a key in the lock of his street door. Upon
demanding why he did so, the man unbuttoned his
great coat, and showed him his uniform, telling him
that if he found his door unlocked at night again,
he would report him ; so saying he walked away,
without offering any other explanation.
Sir R. BIRNIE advised Mrs. Turner to lodge a
complaint against the constables who had forced
into her house without authority.
A young man of respectable appearance was
brought before Sir R. BIRNIE, by Mr. Thomas, the
superintendent of police, who stated that the defen-
dant was found dead drunk in the neighbourhood of
Covent-garden the previous night, and having been
b ought for security to the police station, it was
found that he had upon his person a very valuable
gold watch, chain, and seals, also a bank note for
1001., and other monies. Mr. Thomas added, that
under these circumstances he deemed it right to
bring the gentleman to this office, and restore him
his property in his worship's presence, a course
which he (Mr. Thomas) determined to adopt in
all similar cases, in order to remove any suspicion
which might attach to the police, who had quite
enough of obloquy to encounter.
Mr. Thomas here produced the property, obser r-
ing that the young man had been at the station
once before in a state of intoxication,.

The defendant, who seemed to be quite stupified
from the effects of drink and dissipation, declined to
give his name, but said he was a solicitor's clerk in
Chancery-lane.
Sir R. BIRNIE observed, that he .would not be
satisfied to let the defendant go unless he would
bring forward some respectable person to speak to
his character ?—Preece, the inspector, said, that
the young man had told him that .be had left. 3001.
in the hands of a publican near the Surrey Theatre
on the previous night.
The young man on being again questioned by the
Magistrate as to who and what he was, betrayed
considerable agitation, and said he would sooner
give up the property than that his name should be
exposed in the newspapers. lie, however, gave
the name of the street in which he said he resided,
arid Mr. Thomas offered to accompany him to as-
certain if his statement was correct.

Sir R. I3rnNIE approved of this arrangement, ob-
serving that Mr. Thomas ought also to go to the
public-house where the young man said he hld left
his money, and take charge of it for him ?—The de-
fendant said he neither knew the name of the land-
lord, nor the sign of the house, but he thought he
could point it out to Mr. Thomas.

Sir R. BIRNIE requested Mr. Thomas to lose no
time in recovering the money. The affair was at-
tended with some suspicion, and the young man
must consider himself in custody until it should be
satisfactorily explained.
Mr. Thomas left the office with the defendant,
with a view to investigate the matter.