The Sun.
London, England, 1825-02-17 00:00:00

CHARGE OF SWINDLING.

BOW•STREET.—Yesterday Eliza Louisa Web-
ster alias Rdy, was brought up in the custody of Thos. Jonea,
a police constable, on a warrant, in which she stood charged
with obtaining by false and fraudulent pretences, three silk
scarfs, and a quantity of gros de Naples, bombasin, and other
goods, value 25/. and upwards, the property of Messrs. Mann,
drapers in Parliament-street. The prisoner, several months
ago, kept a coffee-house at Charing-cross, and was at that time
in custody at this office on charges of obtaining money under
false pretences from one of her lodgers, and other persons.
From the evidence now adduced, it appeared that a lady of
the name of Johnstone, widow of the late Comptroller of the
Twopenny Post-office, in Gerrard-street, Soho, had been fot
many years a customer at Messrs. Mann's. She now resides
at Woodford, in Essex. A short time since, during the ab-
sence of the managing partner, a letter was received by the
principal shopman of Messrs. Mann, dated •` Woodford,
anti purporting to be written by Mrs. Johnstone, desiring that
mourn ing fbr her three nieces might be furnished, and plac l
to her account. The articles which would be require
were then enumerated, and the firm were requested to
send them packed to her (Mrs. Johnstone's) late residence, in
Gerrard-street, from whence, it was added, they would be for-
warded to Woodford, by one of the post-boys, who had been
spoken to upon the subject, and who would bring them without
delay. The shopman, believing the letter to have been written
and sent by Mrs. Johnstone, packed the gros de Naples, scarfs,
bombasin, and the other things comprised in the orders, and
sent the parcel to the Two-penny Post-office, in-Gerrard-street.
The order was placed to the account of Mrs. Johnstone in the
regular way, and no more was thought of them after until
Friday last, when another letter, purporting to be written bY
Mrs. Johnstone, came by the two-penny post to Messrs.
Mann's, in which the articles before sent were referred to in
terms of praise, and directions given that some more gros de
Naples, lawn for handkerchiefs, and other things, might be
sent to the shop of a Mr. Pedley, in Holborn, where their
would he called for by a friend of her's, who was coming
to Woodford by coach from the George and Blue Boar, lloPe
born. Mr. Mann was at home when this letter came, and there
was something about the manner of it which made him susPect
that all was not right. He, however, caused the goods to be
packed and taken to Mr. Pedley's shop, taking care himself to
accompany the young man who conveyed the parcel. He ob,'
tained leave to sit in a parlour at the back of the shop ; and 13
the course of the afternoon the prisoner came in and asked for
the parcel which was to he left there, addressed to Mrs. John"
stone, at Woodford. While she was speaking, Mr. Alan
entered from the parlour, and put sonic questions to her, which
she declined answering, observing that as he appeared to have
l
some scruples, she would leave him to settle the matter with
Mrs. Johnstone. She then left the shop, and was followed bY
Mr. Mann's shopman, who watched her till he saw her go into
the George and Blue Boar, when he returned to his employer'
—Subsequently, however, an application was made to Airs'
Johnstone, and she declared that the letters were mot writtenby her, or with her knowledge. Further inquiry was tne-
n
made, and it was ascertained that on the morning of the tit);
upon which the first letter was received at Messrs. Mann's, t,
prisoner called at the post-office, and inquiring for a lad 0'1;
was employed when Mr. Johnstone officiated there, asked hi f;
if he would take a parcel which would be sent there in th
course of the day, down to Mrs. Johnstone, at Woodford ?
He readily assented, and the parcel was brought from Messr;
Mann's, but in the afternoon the prisoner called for it herseh
and said she would forward it by another conveyance. By vv.sl,
of satisfying any scruples that he might have, she shewed 11111
a note, apparently written by Mrs. Johnstone to her, befl:
ning My dear friend," and requesting her to make some ,
teration in the order which she (Mrs. Johnstone) had sent to
Messrs. Mann. She took the parcel away. A warrant Ws
issued at this office on Tuesday, and Jones ascertained that the
prisoner was living at No. 5, Queen-street, Brompton, With e
Life-Guardsman named Withnell (the same with whom
avowedly cohabited when before in custody here), and he 01,
there with one of the prosecutors. He found Withnell Ito
house, but he denied that he knew where the prisoner was be
be found. Jones, however, went up stairs, and found t",
prisoner behind the door of one or the rooms on the attic st°r4;
Ile found some lawn handkerchiefs, bearing the prosecut°rto
private mark, in the house, but could find nothing relating,.
the charge when he searched her person. Yesterday morning'
however, when he went to fetch the prisoner from the acute
house, he found in the room where she had slept a great man'
pieces of pawnbrokers' duplicates. The pieces were wet. y
The prisoner seemed dejected, anti when asked if she had 8:0
defence to offer, remarked that she had, ever since she war"e,
child, had things from Messrs. Mann's, on account of -3i'd
Johnstone, who was her aunt.- It was very strange, she adue
that neither Mr. Mann nor his shopman, nor the' post-I
knew her, when she had been, almost from her infancy, °v
her aunt and late uncle. She thought her aunt ought tQ
present.
Mr. HALLS said, that the presence of Mrs. Johnston Was" b
et
solutely necessary; and the prisoner therefore would see her
theT next examination.
fare
he prisoner was committed to Tothill-fields prison for •
ther examination on Tuesday next. eb
The following very singular document was found in
pocket by Jones, the officer :

(COPY.)
" I, Eliza Louisa Webster, wife of John Webster, of Biairs;
rough-street, Burton-crescent, and before marriage Eliza 10,,iip
Dunbar, daughter of the late Sir George Dunbar, of Fo%C`lell
park, and Mount-pleasant, Liverpool, do solemnly bind n'lo
to live during my natural life with Thomas Henry SOPoi
Withnell, now private in His Majesty's first Life Guards, fur
in case I fail to fulfil any part of the above contract, I do leg
tiler agree to forfeit to the above-named Thomas Henry Sta7oB
Withnell, the half of whatever property 1 may at all, ';js,
from the date hereof possess, such as by bonds, will, or ute:pcit
goods, chattels, lands, tenements, &c. As witness icy
this twentieth day of December, in the year of our Lord 18# ''
10'
(Signed) ". ELIZA LOUISA WEBS - ~ree
Several applications were made some weeks ago, for a nor
mons against Mr. Charles Pitt, of Adam-street, Adelph'' In
disturbing a congregation of Dissenters, at a meeting-houseLf,4
Burleigh-street, Strand. Both Sir It. BIIt2IIE and Mr. 0 04
referred the complainants to the Sessions; and finally °TI afe
plication was made to the Court of King's Bench, fora dalo
dames, and a rule to shew cause was granted. On Mon rot
summons was issued, and yesterday the case was heard .t.,1 to
length, and the result was that Mr. Pitt was held to bs'
appear at the Sessions to answer the charge.

9
Dublin is at length to be lighted with rag'
The erection of lamps, and laying down of pipes, will be
pleted by the middle of April. titig
Ou Monday evening week, a prayer-mee.,,es,
was held at the Methodist chapel, Pontefract : Mr. Ptitiitte
shoemaker, of Brotherton, and his son, were passing at the e
and stopped to admire the congregation singing,- they w!,/,,telf,
tracted near to the front of the chapel, when both unforttl..i;e ci
fell into a deep area, that had been sunk. for the purro'clitit
giving light to the school-room, which was under the bu" 4 eV
On Mr. Baines being extricated, it was found that life 03'01°
tinct, as lie had violently fractured his skull in the fall, thd
son was injured, but not severely. An inquest was heldfoll;
body, when the Jury returned a verdict of Accidental Ow.
and recommended the building committee to have the P
made secure by a fence, which was immediately tone. ref,
ATTEMPT AT MURDER.—On Monday morning
of
Irish labourer, named Cannon, who has a family
children, called on his employer, Mr. Brady, a master ge!;
viour of Westminster for the amount of his week ~
's --del
Brady had refused to pay him on Saturday, and feeling en per,
at the request, he struck Cannon a violent blow on tile :ill!'
with a handspike, which fractured his skull. Cannon re d 9
in a dangerous state in the Westminster Infirmary. 1311
in custody.

COAL MARKET, FEB. 16.
Sllips at Market. Ships sold
72 Newcastle . 39
21i Sunderland - - 19

P.rice',. 'O6l
2288:
80act

BIRTHS.
On the 14th inst , the lady of Cuthbert Rippon,
~01,
a son. . .
On Tuesday, the 15th inst., in Bernard-street, the •
Nathaniel Bowden Smith, Esq., of a daughter.

' •
MARRIED. (fr'
Av
On the 15th inst., at St. I.llartin's-in-the-Field, Lialt•
T. Lewis, of the Hen. East India Compan) 's military se
to Caroline, second daughter of Mr. Hume, of Long-acter.rotr
On the Ibth inst., at Earl's Colne, Essex, J. P.
-1311,411 r
Esq., of Austinfriars, London, to Henrietta, . second Ll 3"
of the late Rev. Thomas Carwardine, of Caine Priory-

711
Printed and Published for the PROPRIETORS, at tbeSd
„,
OFFICE, No. 312, Strand, by J. B. CAltsT AO'