The Sun.
London, England, 1822-06-28 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

HORRID DEPRAVITY.
UNION-HALL.—Yesterday Mary Ann Wilson, aged 14,
Eliz. Johnson, 13, Louisa Hughes, 16, and Rachael Wilkinson,
17, were charged by Hall, the superintendent of the police at
Vauxhall Gardens, with being _disorderly, and exercising their
infamous pursuits at the grand entrance to the gardens at two
o'clock that morning.—The prisoners, who were all well-look-
ing' girls, but very wretchedly attired, appeared ,to hesitate
for a few minutes ; but atlength, apparently with the consent of
the others, Wilson ac ivainted the Magistrate that herself and
companions were the total support of three men and their
wives and families, who lived luxuriously on the ill-gotten
rrofits of their practices. Their names were, Israel Belasco,
Simmonds, and Allen. These men kept three houses of ill-
fame—one in Gravel-lane, Wapping; another in White Hart-
yard, Dru• y-lane ; and the third in the neighbourhood of Vaux-
hall. The latter had only been instituted since the• opening
of the gardens ; and, for the better administering to the pro-
fits of the infamous traffic, they had been removed from their
haunt, up and down Catherine-street, Strand, to this new
babitatio 1, where their nocturnal pursuits might be turned.
to more lucrative advantage to their wicked employers, who
provided them with food, lodging, and clothing -for their
services. It was entirely at the discretion of their piasters,
as to what public place they resorted. Sometimei they attend-
ed the gardLns, at other times the theatres, for which places
they were attired in the most costly dresses ; at other times,
they were dispatched in their dishabille, amongst the
Lascars and Sailors in Wapping. Their duty was to
go out every evening about twilight, and to entice as
many gentlemen as they could, where one of the pro) iietors
was stationed, to take the money. The prisoner Hughes said,
she had only left her parents a few days before she engaged her-
self tol3elasco and his compani )ns.

ALARMING FIRE.—Two LIVES LOST..—" Si.
Coland), Cornwall, Tuesday, June' 25.7,-T his
morning, about one o'clock, a fire broke out in a
stable belonging to the Half Moon Inn, 'in this
place, kept by Mr. Lawrence, and in little more
than an hour, the said Inn, with the whole Hof the
furniture and stock in trade, together with the
adjoining houses in possession of Mr. -.Ellis,
addler, Mrs. Keam, grocer, Mr..Yelland,.baker,
and Mrs. George confectioner, were .totally
CO :stirred. The flames at one time.7raged
with such fury as to threaten destruction to the
whole town, principally owing to a scar ty of
water, but as fast 'as it could be procured the
fire-engine was supplied, and worked With the
utmost effect, which, aided by the greatiexer-
tions of the inhabitants, happily prevented the
further progress of the devouring element:'. Me-
lancholy to relate, the daughter of Mr. Lawrence,
a fine girl of about 12 years of age, and maid
servant, perished in the flumes ; their bodies were
dug out of the ruins about six o'clock, burnt in a
most shocking manner."

ALARSIING Fiar.—On Tuesday, aboh'. six
o'clock in the evening, the extensive stack-yard belongng to
Mr. W. Minter, of Ickham, was discovered to be on fire at the
back, towards the fields, which being to the windward, in a few
moments communicated from stack to stack, and barn to
barn, so that the whole square was a continued mass of flame; the
devouring elem en t quickly communicating to an ad joining.cottage
inhabited by a poor mechanic, which it ent r ly demolished, in a
few minutes the workshop, dwelling-house, and outbuildings of
widow Sha p, a carpenter and wheewright, became a prey to ;11:
devouring element; and now the scene became awful, and the
probable Lonsequences very alarming, for buta fewyardadistant,
across the road, in the direction of the wind, were an extensive
range of farming buildings, with large wheat and bean stacks,
which continued for hours in extreme Jeopardy. A little before
7 o'clock an express arrived at Can erbury for aid ; in about 20
minutes two engines reached the scene of devastation. The at-
tention of the conductors was directed to allay the burning masses,
which, wi6 infinite Air, they accomplished between the hours
of 2 and 3 o'clock in the following morning. A very fine cow, a
favourite pony, 2 greyhounds, some poultry, rabbits, &c., were
burnt in the devouring element. The cries of the poor pony, while
he was enveloped in flames, were of the most heart-rending de-
scription. The stacks consisted chiefly of seeds, straw, &c. TI e
loss falls very heavy on the widow Sharp, whose house is burnt
to the ground, and all the yard a mass of injured timber. 1 11s
cause of the fire is involved in mystery, but suspicion attaclei
-
to an individual (whose name, from motives of delicacy, we for.
bear to mention) who was seen near the spot where the fire corn-
menceil, and who is said to be deeply tinctured with insanity.
( Kent llra'cl.)