The Sun.
London, England, 1853-12-21 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

GUILDHALL.—Mr. Jones, a refiner of gold and sil-
ver, carrying on business in Wilderness-row, was sum-
moned before Alderman Humphery under the following
circumstances :
Mr. R. R. Rowell said he was a watchmaker, residing
at Oxford, and on the 19th of last July his shop was
broken into, and watches to the value of 801. stolen.
Nothing was traced of the property until the 28th of
October last, when one of the missing watches was
offered to him for sale by a dealer with whom he had
done business. He traced the watch to Barnard Philips,
of Castle-street, Houndsditch, who said he purchased it
of Mr. Jones. Complainant went to the defendant, in
company, with Philips and an officer from Oxford, and at
Mr. Jones's request he left the watch with him, to try
and discover of whom he purchased it ; but at the end of
six weeks he called on Mr. Jones, who said he had
learned nothing respecting the watch, and refused to give
it up unless complainant would give bhp a guarantee that
he should hear no more of the matter. Complainant de-
clined to do so, and left the shop, but was shortly after
called back, and the watch was restored to him on his
giving a receipt for it.
Alderman Humphery—Well, Mr. Jones, can you tell
now of whom you purchased this watch ?—Mr. Jones—
I have asked a great many of my customers, and among
them Myers, but they all know nothing of it.
Alderman Humphery —Of course, any one would deny
having sold you stolen property. Have you no books by
which- you could ascertain who you bought it of ? Mr.
Jones—l have my cheque-book by which I can always
account for transactions of a large amount.
Alderman Humphery—Did you pay the cheque for
151. that was found upon Myers, who stands charged
with being concerned in the robbery at Leighton Buz-
zard? Mr. Jones—l did, sir ; but it was in exchange
for cash, and not for goods.
Alderman Humphery—Did you ever buy any watches
• of Myers ? —Mr. Jones—Oh yes, sir. I should think,
as many as 150 during the three years I have known
him. He has sometimes had parcels from America,
which he has sent on to me directly he received them.
Alderman Humphery—Do you keep any account of
the purchases you make ? Mr. Jones—l have so many
small transactions during the day that it would be im-
possible to keep an account of all of them, as it fre-
quently happens that I buy a lot of one customer and
sell it to the next that comes in.
Alderman Humphery—l suppose you have crucibles
in your establishment ? Mr. Jones—Certainly, sir. I
am a gold and silver refiner, and a dealer in plate and
watches, and have crucibles always at work.
Alderman Humphery—Then I think you ought to be
more careful in purchasing property of this kind.
Mr. Jones—l do business with dealers who are known
in the trade, and if I were to refuse to purchase of them
I might as well give up business.
A friend of Mr. Jones's, who said he was a watch-
maker, said that everybody was liable to purchase stolen
property, and he had no doubt that if he took a parcel
of watches to Mr. Jones, he would buy them without
asking many questions.
Alderman Humphery—That is the very thing corn-
-4 . plained of. There must be some way of getting rid of
valuable property, and if more inquiries were made by
purchasers, there would be less inducement to persons
to steal. But when watches are purchased without any
questions, and there are crucibles always at work handy,
there is very little 'chance of detecting either receivers
or thieves.
Mr. Jones's friend said, the fact of Mr. Jones always
having his crucibles at work was nothing out of the
ordinary course, as nearly every jeweller had crucibles
to melt their own metals, and I believe there is not
one in twenty free from having, at some time, bought
stolen property.
Alderman Humphery—You must not tell me that so
many respectable jewellers are, or have been, receivers
of stolen property. If every jeweller is allowed to melt
his own metals, the facility for the disposal of stolen
goods is greatly increased.
Mr. Jones- -If Mr. Rowell will let me have the watch
again, I will see if I can find the person I bought it of.
Alderman Humphery—l don't think Mr. Rowell feels
inclined to trust you, as you may want a guarantee be-
fore you give it up again.
Mr. Jones— Certainly not, sir ; and I should not have
required it. in the present case, but I was labouring under
the mistake, that-it was Barnard Philips that deposited
the watch with me.
Inspector Shelford—When I called on Mr. Jones, he
said he never gave 'a cheque to Myers, and on my telling
him I had one of his that was found on Myers, he then
said it must be numbered as given in exchange for
cash. There was a 101. note found on Myers, which
Mr. Jones paid to him for some gold chains.
• Alderman Humphery then dismissed the summons,
with a recommendation to Mr. Jones to keep an ac-
count of all business transactions, and as he was ex-
' spedingly liable to have stolen plate and jewellery
Mered to him for sale, to make a little inquiry before
purchasing.
Mr. Rowell said lie saw the circumstances of a cheque
of Mr. Jones's being found on Myers reported in the
newspapers, and thought it due to public justice that
the facts connected with this case should become known.
The Parties then retired.

CLERKENWELL.—Just before Mr. Tyrwhitt left
his seat on the bench, Captain William Martin, of the
Conqueror, lying in the London Docks, was placed at
the bar, charged by Mary Ann Macklin, a young woman
of respectable appearance, and good-looking, a gover-
ness, residing with her widowed mother, at No. 17,
Clarendon-street, Somers-town, with having intermarried
with her while his first wife was alive.
It appeared from the evidence, that about 13 months
ago, she met the prisoner at a party, when he intro-
duced himself to her as a single man, and professed
attachment and love towards her. His addresses were
sanctioned by her mother, and he corresponded with her
by letter in such terms that kft no doutdon their minds
that he. was truthful and sincere. He passed his time
at her mother's house, took her out, and treated her in
.every respect as if his intentions were purely honour-
able ; at length he proposed marriage, which was con-
sented to, and they were married on Tuesday last, at
St. Andre W's Church, .Holborn." After the ceremony
the prisoner propiised that the prosecutrix and her mo-
ther should go to the Loudon Docks to see his ship,
when they went together in a cabriolet to Blackwall,
where the prisoner left them in . the vehicle for upwards
of three hours, and, on making inquiries after the pri-
soner,. they ascertained that he was a married man, and
that his wife was living at Hartlepool. They left Black-
wall ; and prosecutrix. to satisfy herself, immediately
addressed a letter to his wife, at Hartlepool, to which
she received the following reply, viz. :

" It is with sorrowful heart I receivedartle ypooourl kinDd letter,
which I received this morning, and, in answer to your re-
quest, I am the wife of William Martin, and if you will be
so, kind as to write and let rim know where he is, and what
ho is doing, and, if you see him, as to tell him to write
home to me and let me know what ho intends to do, as•ho
is well acquainted with my present circumstances. Tell
him, if he has made up his mind to forsake me and his dear
children, to write and let me know. I should have been in
London to-night, but I was SO ill I am not able to leave
my bed. I have been very ill this last fortnight, and also
my youngest child.—l remain, .
" William Martin's broken-hearted wife and your
well-wisher, MARY MARTIN."

The prosecutrix, on receiving this letter, gave infor-
mation to the police, when the prisoner was traced and
given into custody.
Mr. Tyrwhitt inquired whether the prisoner said any-
. thing when he was given into custody ?
• Sergeant William Mepham, 147 S, replied that 'when
asked by the inspector at the station-house if he had his
first wife living, he replied that his former wife was

The prisoner now said nothing to the charge.
Mr. Tyrwjiitt remanded the prisoner for a week, with
instructions that all necessary evidence should ,be
brought forward at the next examination.
He was then conveyed to prison. It was stated that
the prisoner has four children, and his wife is now
enceinte.

SOUTHWARK.—Murray - Hollis, a costermonger,
was brought before Mr. Combo, alleged with commit-
ting a violent assault on Mary Hollis, his wife.
The complainant, a decent-looking young woman,
whose face was literally covered with cuts and bruises,
stated that she had been married to the prisoner a little
more than three years, and had one young child living.
She lived with him at No. 6, Windmill-street, New-cut,
and assisted in selling fish in the street, while her
mother remained at home to look after the child. On
the previous day she returned to their lodgings, and
handed the money she had taken for the fish, retaining
only one shilling to get supper with. He immediately
abused her, telling her that she had been with other
men, and when she remonstrated with him he knocked
• her down like a bullock, and dragged her several times
across the floor by the hair of the head. He then lifted
her up, and threw her on the ground several timer, and
Bhe was sure he would have murdered her had not a
policeman entered the house and prevented him from
;IloiElinagat, further injury to her. He not only beat her with
t threw the chimney ornaments at her, and
cut he
poker r Ol
when thet arms and face. He also seized up a
to knock e police-constable entered, and threatened
.both their brains out. In flourishing that
about he struck
her on the arms., The poor creature here exhibited her head, neck, and
arms to the magistrate,
however
were a mass of bruises,
black and blue,
e againstnizver, appeared reluctant to
press the charge
Mr. Combe—Has h,
sir, fie_
e ever ill-used you before ?
it patiently.
Complainant--Yes
quently ; but r put up with
Mr. Combo—Have you complained here about his
conduct before ?
Complain4nt—Yes. I have taken out two summonses
against him ; but when they came for hearing, y o.
ther prevailed with mo not to appear against hint. m I
should have been murdered last night had not the con-
stable nome and took the poker to my assistance, from
him.
The prisoner declared that his wife was a vixen. She
made his house like a taproom with her relations, and
robbed him daily; and when he remonstrated with
her about her extravagance, she abused him and aggra-
vated

Mr. Coombe asked him what he had to say for brutally
ill-treating her on the previous night, as well as other
times ?

He replied that it was all her own fault; she should
not aggravate him, and treat her familyNvith his money.
The wife here declared that she worked as hard as he
did, and only kept her old mother at home to take care
of her young child, as it was cheaper than having a girl.
As he had made such a false accusation against her, she
must tell his worship that only a fortnight ago he broke
her head with a poker, and she was compelled to go to