The Sun.
London, England, 1838-11-19 00:00:00

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

Mr. Charles Ackerley, an eccentric gentleman, whose
" scientific efforts for the diffusion of (what be considers
to be) useful knowledge," are not entirely unknown to the
public, was on Saturday brought before Mr. CONANT,
charged with having disturbed the residents of Davies-
street, Berkeley-square, by knocking and ringing too ri-
gorously, at the door of his lodgings, No. 42, in the same
street.

The landlady of the house had the misfortune to have
the defendant for a lodger. All her support was what she
derived from the rent received for her apartments, but such
were the eccentricities displayed by Mr. Ackerley that she
stood a great chance of being completely ruined unless she
could get rid of him. The defendant occupied the front
parlour, the window of which he had covered over with dials
and absurd placards, thereby attracting the attention of
passengers, and causing frequent mobs before the house.
The defendant was also in the habit of addressing the mul-
titude from the window, and thus causing not only much
annoyance to herself, but also to her neighbours. In addi-
tion to these unpleasant matters, the defendant was consi-
derably in arrears for rent, but this claim she would cheer-
fully forego if he would quit the house.
Several tradesmen came forward and corroborated the
complainant's statement.
A shopkeeper opposite to the defendant's lodging said he
heard the defendant, a morning or two back, haranguing the
persons whom his freaks had assembled in the street, and
assuring them, if they consented to be guided by him, he
would put them in situations that they had never dreamt of.
Mr. CONANT asked the defendant what be had to say in
reply to the charge ? Mr. Ackerley wished to know by
what authority be had been given into custody ? He had
been giving a lecture in illustration of the wonderful dis-
coveries he had made concerning the dial, and while apply-
ing for admission to his lodgings, he was taken away by the
police.
Mr. CONANT asked the defendant if, after what had been
stated by his landlady, he could, consistently with the cha-
racter and station of a gentleman, refuse to leave the house ?
Mr. Ackerley answere that he had done nothing which
required he should remove. He had made a discovery re-
pecting the dial. He had expended above eighty pounds in
the matter, and as he was prohibited from selling his dials
in the usual way, he was obliged to make a shOp of his
apartment, where any one might come and make a pur-
chase. His landlady had complained of him, but he had a
prior charge to make against his landlady. His room and
bed had purposely been fouled over with turpentine. He
could prove the fact.
Inspector Beresford said Mr. Ackerley sent for the
police, but he behavud in such a singular way that there
was no knowing what to think of him. The defendant
had a drawn sword, and he flourished it about, swearing
that his apartment was his castle, and he would defend it
to the last gasp.
The Bench intimated their doabts as to the sanity of
the defendant.

The inspector handed over some instruments and books
which had been found on the defendant.

Mr. CONANT asked the defendant what a long piece o
brass was intended for ?

The defendant replied that the brass instrument was the
universal yard standard. He was one of the Justices of
the Peace for Gloucester, and by virtue of his office he
bore one of the yards at her Majesty's Coronation. The
circular instrument was the dial, which illustrated many
extraordinary matters both mathematical and scriptural.
A clear insight into the nature of these discoveries would
be afforded by a look into the placard of his Friday
night's lecture, and the book which he had published on
the subject.
On reference to the documents it appeared that the
defendant had been enlightening the literati of the Milton-
street Institution on Friday evening with " A philosophical
lecture on the wonderful discovery of the dial like unto
that of Ahaz," demonstrating to the humblest capacity
that a dial of his own invention, which he termed the Eco-
nomical Enchiridion, proved the infallibility of the Scrip-
tural similitudes of the ancients in the Bible—the
sacred mysteries of religion—and the Divine attributes
of the Supreme Being existing in and throughout
the life of man. The pamphlet was equally recondite. It
professed to prove that the " Enchiridion" explained all
the religions in the world. The Bible, the Talmud, and
the Koran were, by the aid of the dial, rendered equally
clear and easy of comprehension. The author also under-
took to show that the principle of his wonderful dial
contained not only the "cherished angle," or " bar of
justice," but also " the rule plumb, or plymbob, of truth."
He likewise made it manifest, beyond question, that Burns,
the poet, was aware of the miraculous properties of the
" Enchiridion," and that when he wrote the song, beginning,
according to the author's orthography—

" Shold auld ackentai;ceL4 forgot,
i' the days of ueld Ling sync,"
the poet did not, as most people suppose, intend the stanzas
as an eulogium on friendly reminiscences, but that he had
his eye upon those mystic "plymbobs" which the dial so
miraculously illustrated.
Mr. ComArrr appealed to the learned lecturer on behalf
of the landlady, observing that he felt reluctant to take
any steps against him, and he would willingly consent to
liberate him if a promise were given to leave the house.
Mr. Ackerley would not make any promise, and was or-
dered to find bail.