The Sun.
London, England, 1854-11-17 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HOUSE.--Inspector Newnham, of the
City police force, attended before the sitting magistrate
(Alderman Rose), for the purpose of complaining of an
evil which appeared to him to be only capable of being
effectually removed by the press. Printed catalogues of
books (all valuable standard works) had, the inspector
said, been sent to persons in different parts of the coun-
try, in which catalogue it was stated that the works
were on sale at 66, Cheapside, London, and formed
" John Fortescue's extraordinary cheap supplementary
list of new books (chiefly theological)." The cheapness
of the books was calculated to catch the eye, as were
the following paragraphs in the introductory part of the
document :—" J. F. begs to state that he has framed
this catalogue on the principle of' quick return and
small profit, and would, therefore, in order to prevent
disappointment, beg to remind his friends that an early
application is necessary, as the unparalleled low prices
ensure a speedy sale. All orders must be accompanied
by a remittance for the full amount, no discount being
allowed. Orders amounting to Si. will be sent carriage
free." It had been ascertained, as soon as parties had
reason to complain, that at No. 66, Cheapside, which
was a public newsroom, there were no books on sale,
and that John Fortescue was not known to the proprie-
tor of that establishment, 'out it appeared that a great
numbers of letters, which were directed to Mr. Fortescue,
had been received there the day before, and given to a
man who applied for them in that name, and that seve-
ral other letters addressed to the same person had been
brought in in the course of the morning, but were re-
jected by the proprietor of the rooms.
Mr. Somers, of the firm of Somers and Isaacs, sta-
tioners of Houndsditcb, said he had received a letter
from a customer in the country, who had received one
of the catalogues by post, and having observed that the
books were to be sold at a wonderfully cheap rate, had
determined to make a purchase, but instead of remit-
ting the money to Mr. Fortescue, he had taken the
precaution of requesting his London correspondent to
call at 66, Cheapside, to make the purchase, and upon
inquiry it was found that the whole was a gross attempt
at imposition.
Other gentlemen from the country, who were stated
to be engaged in the booksellieg trade, to whom cata-
logues had been sent, appeared to confirm the truth of
the statement.
Jarvis (the detective officer) preduced the following
letter, which had been handed to him by the proprietor
of the rooms, who had received it that morning :
" Coffee-house, Londonsbridge, Nov. 16, 1854.
"Sir,—l exceedingly regret tho trouble and inconve-
nience to which I have put you in not first asking your
permission to have my letters addressed to 66, Cheapsido,
and explaining to you my reasons for so doing
" For the last four years I have been in the habit of
selling books on commission for several of the most respect-
able second-hand booksellers in London. Having saved a
little money, I thought it would be more profitable to do
a little business on my own account, by buying job lots
of books, and then retailing them at so much a piece.
I should never have dreamt of having my letters ad-
dressed anywhere saving to my own lodgings, had I
not been given to understand that many agents were
in the habit of having their business letters addressed
in a similar way. I beg again to say I am extremely
sorry for having given you so much trouble, and I am
willing to give you whatever sum of money you may
deem sufficient to compensate you for the trouble, if you
will only receive illy letters for one week, counting from to-
day. By doing so yon would reader me a service for which
I should be very grataful; for in 31331V0r to those letters
which you kindly took in for me ou the 13th and 14th, I
have sent off several parcels of books which have not been
paid for, but for which my customers promised to remit
the amount by return of post. If the Post-office authorities
would allow use to have the rejected letters I would not
trouble you, but they will be sent to the dead-letter office,
and be returned to the writwho,not knowing what to
perhaps
make of it, will writers
refuse to pay again, or perhaps
will not in future favour e with their orders.
stead o
"I should
writing, had. have ealle oil you personally to explain, in-
f not , b u siness compelled
lea,v,eliLtobints
a eni
nnfcanr
geroyodur bigenttke 11. o'clock-train. me to
Will not Mt you, perhaps you ,

will bo kind enough to inform the bearer, and then I will
call on yon myself this evening, between 7 and 8 o'clock.
"Apologising for giving you so much trouble,
" I remain, your obedient servant,
" JOHN FORTESCUE."

Alderman Rose said ha was decidedly of opinion that
the most effectual way of preventing the mischief which
might be contemplated by the person who had taken
such measures to procure customers would be a very
extensive advertisement of the plan and the proceedings.
The Lord Mayor requested that the press would ac-
knowledge his receipt of 31. from the parish of Somer-
sham, in Huntingdonshire, the amount of a collection in
the parish church for the sufferers from cholera.

CLERKENWELL.—John Frederick Fish, a grocer's
assistant, residing at 115, Bishopsgate-street, was charged
with assaulting Elizabeth Silcock.
The complainant, a modest-looking young woman,
dressed in mourning, said—Last night I was sitting in
the back parlour, when the man at the bar walked in.
Mr. Tyrwhitt—Did you know the defendant before?
Complainant—Why, your worship, I have been a short
time in town, but whilst I was in the country I was
about three years engaged to him.
Mr. Tyrwhitt—To he married I—Complainant--Not
exactly to get married, but I kept company with him.
However, when I came to town, I found that his cha-
racter and disposition would not suit me.
Mr. Tyrwhitt—Do you keep the place in which he
assaulted you ?—Complainant—No, I do not ; but I at-
tended to the shop of Mrs. Langridge, a stayrnaker, at
iligh-street, Islington. Since I have been in town,
now nearly nine months, he persists in corning after
tne, although I told him I did not want him, and that
my employer never allowed any "followers." On last
night, as I said, he came through the shop ; and when
I told him to leave, he said he would not, that he
wanted and would have me ; and that unless I con-
sented to keep his company he would kill me. When he
used that threat I was about to go and call my mistresss
when he struck me in the face ; the blow stunned me,
but I think he must have hit me more than once, from
the state. I found myself in when I recovered. A con-
stable had been sent for in the meantime, and I gave
him into custody.
Cooper, 61 N, gave corroborative evidence.
Mr. Tyrwhitt—You must go to the House of Correc-
tion for three months. This is a most wanton and un-
provocked assault. The young woman has displayed a
great amount of love towards you, and has also acted
very judiciously in rejecting you, when she found that
you had wilfully deceived and betrayed her affection.
Mr. Tyrwhitt acknowledges the receipt of a guinea
from G. M. IL, of Marlborough-street, for the poor-box.

THAMES.—John Faller, a sweep, aged 23, of Rose-
mary-lane, was brought before Mr. Ingham, charged
with assaulting Emma Sarginson, a married woman,
residing in Farmer-street, Shadwell.
The complainant stated that she was passing the shop
of Mr. Dicker, pawnbroker, in the West India-road,
adjoining Limehouse Church, at two o'clock that after.
noon, when the prisoner, who had a chimney-sweeping
machine on his shoulder, pushed against her and soiled
her dress with' his sooty garments. She asked what he
did that for, when he struck her on the eye with one of
the rods and blackened it, and then threw her down on
the steps of a door, seized her by the throat and mauled
her in a shameful manner. She called aloud for help,
and a policeman came up and extricated her.
Wm. Grimes, a police-constable, 291 K, stated that he
heard the shrieks of the woman, and found the prisoner
standing over her with her throat in her grasp. The
woman was prostrate on the steps of Mr. Dicker's door
and quite helpless. He told the prisoner to release the
woman, which he refused to do, and he was obliged to
strike him three times on the arms before he would relax
his grasp of her throat. The woman seemed quite ex-
hausted. (The policeman then produced a black wooden
rod with which the prisoner struck the complainant.)
The prisoner, whose person and clothes were perfectly
blackened with soot, on being called on for his defence,
said the woman pushed up against him, and called him
a great many bad names. Ho had some rods on his
shoulder, and one of them might have struck her by
accident.

The woman was recalled, and said the blow was wil.
ully inflicted, and that she offered no provocation.

Prisoner—The woman was quite drunk, sir.
Mrs. Sarginson declared she was perfectly sober.
Grimes was recalled, and said he thought the woman
had been drinking a little.
Mr. Ingham—What makes you think so ?—Grimes :
Her bonnet was off, sir.
Mr. Ingham—That is no evidence of her being intoxi-
cated. It might have been knocked off.
Mrs. Sarginson—Yes, sir, the prisoner knocked it off.

• .
Grimes--She was so black where the prisoner had
mauled her it was impossible to make out who she was.
Tier face and neck • were blackened with soot, and her
clothes were also black.
Mr. Ingham fined the prisoner 205., and in default of
payment ten days' imprisonment.