The Sun.
London, England, 1822-09-24 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

Mivsani-Housi.—A case of considerable importanie to
the proprietors of what are termed the short stages round Lon-
don, came on for hearing at this Justice Room yesterday.

Charles Hear? Med, the iirtilifietor of one of the Highgate
stages to the Bank, appeared to iiiisfhr to an information ex-
hibited againtt him by Thomas Webb, of Great Queen-street,
a hackney-coach proprietor, for that he the defendant, not
being a person licensed by the Commissioners for licensing
and regulating HatkneY Cotiches,:did, contrary to the stanite;on
the day natured, stand and ply for hire with a certain coach hav-
ing two horses, within the city of London, *hereby he forfeited
the sum of 5/.
The short stages, as every one knows, • are in the habit of
taking up paSsengers to all the places intermediate to their final
destination ; thus a Highgate coach from the Bank will be very
glad of passengers to Somers-town, Kentish-town, or Camden-
town, as well as to Highgate. The taking passengers these
short trips, the hackney-coachmen find interferes considerably
with their business and profits, and it was with a view to put
an end to the practice, that this information was brought on the
part of the hackneymen.
Mr. Archnool, of No. 3, Hunter's Mews, Brunswick-
square, a respectable hackney-coach owner, was called to
prove the fact, and stated that on the 9th of September he saw
the defendant's coach standing opposite the Bank, and the driver
of it plying for hire. •He held up his finger and plied him, by
asking if he wished to go to Kentish-town. He subsequently
saw him take up seven outside passengers.
Mr. Clement, another hackney coach owner, said he was
With Mr. Archpool at the time ; the defendant's coachman also
plied him twice by asking if lie wanted to go either to Camden
or Kentish town.
The defendant, who had evidently mistaken the nature of
the offence charged against him, conceiving it to be the having
exceeded the bounds of his license as to distance, was about to
show that his coach had not been near Broad-street. Being,
however, set right by his Lordship's clerk, he observed that he
was licensed to carry passengers to and from Highgate and the
• Bank • that he paid duty 2s. 6d. every journey, 10 guineas a
year wheel duty, 2/. 6s. for his driver, and 10s. annually for his
license, and if he were not permitted ;to ply for passengers, he
might as well cease his business altogether.
On reference to the statute, it appeared that the words were
—" Any person plying for hire with a coach and two horses
within the cities of London . and Westminster, or five 'miles
theieof, unless licensed under the statute 9th of Anne, should
forfeit 5/."

The LORD 31AYwt inquired if those statutes were unre-
pealed 7 . • • I•
His Lordship's Clerk replied in the affirmative, and sug-
gested that as the question was of considerable importance to
the proprietors of stage coaches, and the defendant did not ap-
pear to be aware of the exact nature of the question at issue, it,
might be advisable to defer the consideration of the case, that
he might avail himself of legal assistance.
Mr. Webb; on the part of the hackneyrnen, was Most willing
to consent to-the adjournment ;' they were not, he said, coin-
mon informers ;• their object Was not the penalty, but to' bring
the question to an issue. .
The =ewes accordingly adjourned, with a recommendation'
-to the defendant to make known the circumstances by a peti-
tion to the Commissioners by whom he was licensed, and who
would probably direct their solicitor to attend on their behalf
at the next hearing, fo defend the interests of so large arid re-
spectable a body of the stage coach ploprietors.
G u respectable looking yoring woman, named
Ann Freeman, Was yesterday brought before Mr. Alderman
Cox on a charge of felony.- A Mr. 31., of Cheapside, came
forward, and stated (from some papers which he held in. his
hand) various charges against the prisoner, but the Magis--
strate decided that the matters' stated by Mr. 31. had nothing
to do with the present eharge. Mrs. M. was brought forward
to prove that'the prisoner had' at various times pilfered sundry
small quantities of tea, sugar, coffee, starch, stone blue, &c.
which articles were rroduced. ,It appeared, that during the
absence of the prisoner her draWer was searched, and about an
ounce and a half of coffee was found in a bag ; this her ',mis-
tress supposed had been pilfered out of her own stock. An
officer was brought, prisoner's box was searched, nothing was
found belonging to her mistress ;' but in a kitchen cupboard
the small quantities of tee; sugar, starch, and stone blue were
found. The articld or course could not be sworn to, nor was
there any direct evidence of the girl having stolen. them. Spe-
cimens were, however, produced, of 14Ir. M.'s black and
green tea, coffee, brown and white sugar, and even a lump of
her stone blue, to shew by comparison th,at „the articles pro-
duced had been part of his property, and their agreement in
colour and •quality Mr. M. urged as sufficient evidence against
the girl to go to a Jury. The Magistrate, however, thought
the evidence by no means conclusive, and submitted to .1.1.4.
31. himself whether he as a Juryman would convict upon
such evidence ? Mr. M. declared he thought he should. The
Magistrate was of it different opinion ; but as he believed the
girl had been guilty of Pilfering, he should take some time to
consider what he-shbuld do with her, and accordingly remand-
„ed her fOr another hearing.

7...11,11M80110,13GR.5T WEE Ti.--Ahn Moore, Otherwise 'Mine,
was brought up charged with embezzling property. to a very
considerable extent, belonging to his employers, wholesale•ma-
nufacturers at. Manchester. A reward of 501. had been offered
for the apprehension of the prisoner, and he was taken into
custody by two-soldiers, who were formerly quartered at Man-
chester, who swore to his identity. The accused had lately re-
turned from France, and had changed his nape. He was re-
manded till Friday, and the manufacturers at Manchester are
written to.—A respectable looking publican from the vicinity
of Lewisham, attended foiadvice bow to get his wife restored
to him, she having eloped from her home and three children,
.and was now living in Hampstead-road with a mechanic who
had worked at a mansion in Kent during the summer, and
boarded and lodged at his house. lie had seen his faithless
rib, who refused to return home, or to account for some things
she had taken away. The applicant was told that his remedy
was by civil process only.—Yesterday several persons applied
at this office, complaining they had been defrauded of various
sums (one person with a wife and family of 201., his whole pro-
perty), by a person calling himself Illackthorne, who keeps an
Echo Office in Wyeb-street, and who proiniSed to provide the
parties with situations. it appears that, the accused has houses
of a similar description in Windmill-street, Golden-square,
Plummer-street, City-road, and at Brighton; when he received
'the different sums he gave bills promising to refund them in
twelve months time. The Magistrate considered that, they
would only be warranted to proceed against him for debt, in
consequence of the bills which he had given them, promising
.to refund the money at a future period. They left the office, de-
termined to apply to the parish for relief.

B ow-ST llEET.—Yesterday a person calling hiMself John
krphen Ward, and stating that he belonged to the Theatre
Royal, Haymarket, was brought before Sir R. RIRNIr, for an
assault under aggravated circumstances.
Mrs. Parker, landlady of the Orange Tree public-house,
Bloomsbury-place, stated, that about nine o'clock on Sunday
night, Mr. Ward, accompanied' by a friend, came into her
house ; that his friend called for a glass of gin and water, and
they went into the parlour; that before they had been long in
'the rdom she heard a great noise, some person talking very
loud, and presently al.ady and Gentleman came out of the room,
complaining that they had been alarmed by one of the Gentle--
men who'had just come in pulling out a large pistol, and
threatening to shoot any person who should offend him (no one
having said a word to him), and brandishing the pistol in all
directions. 'While the Lady and Gentleman were relating the
circumstances to' Mr.. Parker, Mr. Ward came out of the par-
lour with the pistol in his hand, swearing that he would shoot
any one that stood in his way; he particularly directed his con-
versation to John Richards (coachman to Dr. Lester), who was
sitting quietly in the tap room ; he preSented the pistol at him,
and threatened to blow his brains out. •
John Richards said on his examination, that he felt himself
:under great apprehension-from 'Mr. Ward's violent conduct ;'1
1 that-as soon as he could get out with safety, he went to seek a
watchman ; that not being able to find one, he tried to get a
constable, and while inquiring for one, he met with the Bow-
street patrol in Southampton-row, and they accompanied him
to the public-house.
Thomas Amsden, one of the Bow-street patrol, stated, that
being on duty with others of the patrol; and being informed by
the last witness of the disturbance at the Orange Tree public-
house, they went there, and found Mr. 'Ward in the tap-room;
he was walking about abusing every one in the house, saying
they were all a pack of' cowards ; that there was' not an Eng-
lishman in the room. Witness desired him to be peaceable,
and he directly drew from his pocket the large hotse pistol,
which the witness produced, and threatened to shoot the wit-
ness, who, together with Godfrey, his fellow patrol. tried to
take it away ; but they did not succeed until Mr. Ward had
given Amsden a severe blow on the head with the butt end of
the pistol.
The pistol appeared to be a part.of an old gun barrel, set in
. the stock of a horse pistol ; it was, however, with,a Bock.
Mr. Ward, during the examination, was making all sorts of
gestures,, and was evidently under the influence of liquor : he
'asked the coachman if he eras afraid of being shot with a pistol'
without a cock; the coachman said that he did'not notice
whether it was cocked or no--that he was in fear of being
-shot, and that any one might have knocked him down with a
feather.
A friend of Mr. 'Ward's informed Sir Richard that for the
last few days something unpleasant had disturbed Mr. Ward's
mind, and he had given way to liquor. •
'Sir RICHARD • Brnr•xE remarked; Altar 'the charge was too
Joutraleati to be overlooked, Annie shotad detain Mr; Ward