The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-18 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

GUILDHALL.—Richard Biggs and Ruth Biggs,
his wife, were placed at the bar before Alderman Moon,
charged with robbing their employer of property to the
value of between 3001. and 400/.

Daniel May, the detective officer, said—l received in-
formation from Mr. Waters, a wine merchant of White-
cross-street, that he had been robbed to a considerable
extent, and accordingly commenced watching his pre-
mises on Wednesday last. About half-past seven in the
evening I saw the female prisoner leave, and watched
her to a marine store shop in Whitecross-street. She
had some empty bottles with her at the time. I then
saw her go back to the prosecutor's warehouse and re-
turn to the marine store shop with more bottles. On
Thursday night I watched her twice to the same shop,
and each time she appeared loaded, but I could not seer
with what. On Saturday last I saw her leave the
bottle warehouse six times, and she was away each time
long enough to go to the marine store shop and back.'
She went out loaded each time, but I did not follow her.
On Monday night she went out twice with bottles, each
time leaving the male prisoner in the bottle warehouse.
The second time I stopped her on the way to the marine
store shop and found 10 bottles in her possession.
Mr. Robert Waters said—l am a wine and vinegar
merchant, carrying on busineiis at 15, Lower Whitecross-
street. The prisoners have been in my employ about
four years and had the care of the bottle warehouse
during that time. I took stock on the Ist of January
in the present year and discovered a deficiency of from
3001. to 4001. I thought I must have been mistaken,
and therefore took stock again, and found the result
the same. I then took stock of the quantity of wine I
had received during the year and added it to the stock I
had on hand at the time I took stock in January, 1853,
and then deducted the quantity I had sold and the
stock on hand remaining, and the result, after allowing
169 gallons for waste, was a deficiency of 1,570 gallons
of wine during the last year. I therefore suspected I
was being robbed, and applied to the Commissioner of
Police, and the officer May was placed at my service.
There are four other persons in my employ, but some of
them hare only been with me a very few months. The
prisoners were allowed to make overtime, and therefore
had the key of the bottle warehouse, and I imagine they
must have got a false key to the counting house, where
the keys of the rest of the premises are kept. I pay the
male prisoner 235. per week, and they earned about 15s.
more by working at night at bottle washing.
Alderman Moon said—lt seems almost incredible that
the prisoners could have taken so large a quantity of
wine.

Mr. Waters said—l have noticed that the casks fell
short of their proper quantity, but attributed it to the
carelessness of the men in not chalking on the casks the
quantities as they were drawn.
Mr. Garratt said—l am a marine store dealer at 78,
Upper Whitecross-street. I know the female prisoner.
She brought some bottles several times during last week
and the week previous, and my wife bought them of her.
I have not known her more than a week or two. I have
only been in business six months.
Mr. Alderman Moon said—l suppose your predecessor
made a fortune and retired from business.

Witness said—No, sir. I married the person who
had the business before I came into it, but knowing no-
thing of it myself, I left her to buy everything. I was
generally in the way when my wife bought bottles of the
female prisoner, but I cannot say how many she bought.
She might have bought four or five dozen last week, but
I am sure she did not buy that quantity every week, nor
can I tell if it was a dozen a week. The female pri-
soner came several times with bottles during the week
before last, and always said they were her. perquisites.
We sell them to the bottle collectors, but I don't know
what my wife gets for them.
Alderman Moon said—Bottles are very dear just now,
and wine-merchants have great difficulty in getting
enough, and surely if you have any interest in the busi-
ness you would know what price your wife sells them
at. Do you keep any books ?
Witness—Yes, sir, we keep books, but we don't enter
bottles in them.

Alderman Moon—What do you enter, then ?
Witness—Oh, metals, sir. We buy lead and other
things.
Esther Garratt, wife of last witness, was then ex-
amined, after which the prisoners were remanded.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.—John Brown and
William, Smith, two gentlemen under assumed names,
were charged with being drunk the over-night, and with
having assaulted several persons.

John Rendall, waiter at Scott's Oyster Supper-
rooms, 18, Coventry-street, said—About half-past 11
on the previous night the defendant's came into the
shop and were served with their supper in the first-floor
room. They had some beer with their supper, and
Brown ordered more, but-seeing they were intoxicated
he refused to let them have any more beer. Brown
swore he would split his head if he did not obey
his orders, and got up from his seat and smashed one of
the door panels, declaring at the same time he would
serve everybody in the place in the same way unless he
was supplied with what he wanted. Witness and
another waiter tried to get Brown away, upon which
Brown lifted a stick he had in his hand and struck him
several times over the body and head with it. The
other waiter was also struck by Brown. At last the
defendants were pushed as far as the door, and then
Brown turned about, and seizing one of the waiters by
the throat, and at the same time laying hold of a knife
which stood on the sideboard, swore he would stick the
knife on the first person that touched him. The damage
done to the door was 10s.

John Scott, the proprietor of the supper rooms, said
—On hearing a disturbance in his house, he went down
to the first floor, and found the defendants, who were
drunk, making a great disturbance and using filthy
language. Witness called in the police and gave him
into custody. The defendant Smith struck him a severe
blow on the face and his eye was cut with a ring which
Smith wore.

Police-Constable Collins, 19 C, said he was called to
take the defendants into custody. He saw Smith strike
Mr. Scott in the eye.
In defence, Brown replied he had nothing to say.
Smith said he was perfectly sober.
Inspector Parkes denied this. Smith was not sober,
but he was not so drunk as Brown.

Mr. Hardwick asked Smith why he assaulted the com
plainant ?

Smith replied that the complainant presumed to put
his hand upon his collar.
Mr. Hardwick asked what they were ?
Brown said he was a doctor, Smith that he was a p 6
vate gentleman.

Neither of these statements are entirely correct.
Brown is not known to the police. Smith is very well
known, and his real name was mentioned by Mr. Scott
in court.

Mr. Hardwick said it was impossible to bring a series
of more discreditable acts against persons in the position
of the defendants than what had just been detailed in
evidence. The defendants were proved to have been
mixed up in a vulgar night brawl in an oyster shop,' as-
saulting waiters, threatening one with a knife, using
filthy and disgusting language, and not sober. He
should inflict the higest fine en each for the assaults,.
namely, 51., and in addition require Brown to pay the
damage.
The fines and damage were paid.

charged before Mr. Broughton, with committing a vie- I
lent assault.
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the kitchen. I became quite helpless from the ill-usage,
can-
not swear, came and helped to turn me into the street ;
defendant gave me a kick. He also swore, whilst he
was beating me, that he would knock my brains out.
banudt lonrl
Mr. Broughton—Had he anything in his hands that
could have inflicted such dreadful injuries on your face?
Complainant—I do not remember seeing anything in
his hands, but believe he had rings on his fingers.
Defendant—Did I not order you to leave my house,
and you refused with an oath ?
Witness—You did not, nor did you give me an op-
portunity to make such a reply.
The defendant, in defence of his conduct, said that the
complainant had detained his clothes for the purpose of
pledging them ; that he was very insolent on Monday
evening when he called, and that when he took him by
the arm to turn him out of the house, he (complainant)
struck him in the mouth, He then considered that he
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