The Sun.
London, England, 1849-04-30 00:00:00

MONDAY EVENING, APRIL 30, 1849.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
G ("IL D fl AL L
Benjamin Ackroyd, a sickly looking, m3.idle a 4,1
mao, was charged with attempting self-destruction
by cutting his throat and taking a powerful dose of
laudanum.
The prisoner took lodgings for a night in a small
coffee•shop in Beech-street, Barbican. He was called
on the following morning at ten o'clock, and at
twelve the landlady found him lying on the floor,
apparently in a fit. On being examined a serious
wound was discovered in his throat. He was in a
sinking state, and on being removed to St. Bartholo-
mew's Hospital he admitted having swallowed a strong
dose of laudanum. The proper remedies were applied,
and it was some days ere he could be pronounced out
of danger.
The poor man, in reply to Mr. Alderman Law-
rence, said he had no friends, and that he came from
Sheffield 21 years ago, and since that time had
supported himself as a labourer in the docks, but
employment having got slack there he became
penniless.
The ALDERMAN directed the parish authorities to
provide suitable shelter tor the poor fellow, and to for-
ward him to Sheffield.
MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
William Watkins, John Nightingale, George Smith,
John Hall, George Perkins, and John Hopkins, six
stout, able-bodied working men, were brought before
Mr. Hardwicke, charged with outrageous conduct at
St. George's workhouse, Mount-street.
Lacy, the messenger, said the prisoners came in a
body to the workhouse, about nine o'clock the pre-
vious evening, and peremptorily demanded food and
lodging. Witness was at that moment engaged in
relieving some previous casual applicants, and he told
the prisoners to wait until their turned to be attended
to arrived. The prisoners all replied, " Victuals they
wanted, and victuals they would have." They then
went into the road, and filled their pockets with
stones. In a few minutes afterwards, while witness
was engaged in relieving a sick family, the prisoners
returned in a body to the workhouse, and said, "Now
we will smash your windows." Stones were imme-
diately thrown, and six or seven squares were
smashed. Witness immediately went out after
the prisoners, who ran ;off, and, having procured
the assistance of the police, he succeeded in capturing
them.

In reply to the charge the prisoners acknowledged
that they broke the workhouse windows, and they
said they would do the same again when set at
liberty.
Mr. HARDWICK said, it was scandalous to find
strong, able-bodied young men roaming about from
workhouse to workhouse, and demanding relief in
such a violent way. As a warning to others, he
should send them to prison for twenty-one days, with
hard labour.
John Williams was charged with having stolen a
piece of pork fat from the shop of Mr. Garland, pork-
butcher, by the following ingenious device :
Police-constable Davis, E 149, was on duty in
Oxford Market about three o'clock that morning,
when he perceived the prisoner hanging about, with a
long stick in his hand. He looked at the stick with-
out allowing the prisoner to see what he was doing,
and on noticing that one end of the stick was armed
with several stout pins, he suspected that the prisoner
meditated no good, and, accordingly, he placed him-
self out of observation, and watched the movements
of the prisoner. He saw the prisoner approach the
shop of Mr. Garland, a pork-butcher, and put the
stick between the iron grating in the shutters, and
then draw piece after piece of pork towards the
grating. As soon as the prisoner had found a piece
which he could draw through the bars by means of
the pins stuck at the end of the stick he deposited his
prize in a pocket handkerchief, which he placed inside
his waistcoat. While busied with another dive into
the shop witness came forward and took him into
custody. The piece of pork fat was found in his
po-session.
The prisoner said he bought the piece of pork fat.
The prisoner was remanded till Wednesday next.
WESTMINSTER.
_

Edward Bishop, Matilda Taylor, and .Eliza Sey-
mour, three persons known to the police, were
charged with obtaining money from Matthew Hall, a
gentleman's servant, by threats of personal violence.
Prosecutor was inveigled into a house in the neigh-
bourhood of St. Ann's-lane by the prisoner Seymour,
the previous morning, where they were immediately
joined by the other female, and after giving them
some money to procure drink, Seymour suddenly
opened the door, and called Bishop, who, having
entered the room, declared that prosecutor should
give him some money before he left that house. The
latter became alarmed, and offered a shilling and some
halfpence, all the money he had, when the whole of
them seized him by the throat, and Bishop insisted
that the prosecutor should leave his coat. At this
moment a violent altercation with some women oc-
curred upon the stairs of the house, and Bishop hav-
ing gone out to see what was the matter, the prose-
cutor availed himself of his momentary absence to
rush out of the room, and gained the street, where he
found a policeman, and the prisoners were all ap-
prehended.
The prisoners, who denied the charge, were com-
mitted to the Central Criminal Court for trial.
LAMBETH.
MORBID DESIRE TO SEE RUSII HUNG.—Thomas
Sutton, a young fellow of 21 years of age, was placed
at the bar, before the Hon. G. C. Norton, on a charge
of absconding with three sovereigns, the property of
his employer.
It appeared that the prisoner had conceived a great
desire to witness the execution of Rush, and on 'Wed-
nesday week, on his receiving three sovereigns from
his employer, to take to the office of Messrs. Davis
and Co., coal-merchants, Old Barge-wharf, Bankside,
he determined on gratifying his morbid curiosity,
and he accordingly set out for Norwich and remained
there until Monday last, when, his money being all
gone, he made his way up to town, and on reaching
the station-house in Kennington-lane he gave himself
up to the officer on duty.
e mseor
forer
Mr.
hishe
Mr. Marwood, the prosecutor, said that on account
of the prisoners previous good character, he did not
wish to press the charge against him, but should leave
thevery
er ;
casegrateful
i NORTONn th e bandsto to
hisldl aot f
the his
pa rs worship.itn
oughtdnests A
o.
feel
it was, he should send him to the House of Correction I
for two months.

William Mettle, a notorious smasher, was fully
committed for trial on four clear cases of passing
counterfeit half-crowns.
The officers said they were certain that they could-
if necessary, bring at least forty cases against him,
The ingenious system hit upon by the pri.
soner was that of taking apartments at different
places and paying a half-crown deposit. To do this
he handed a good crown piece to the parties, and then
requested a half crown ptece in exchange. This done,
he expressed a hope that his trade, that of a ladies'
shoemaker, will form no obstacle to his becoming a
lodger, as it had in his last place, and the answer he
invariably received was, that it most undoubtedly
would, and the agreement it upset. He then asked
for his crown piece back, and returned to the par-
ties that which appeared to be the half-crown he had
just taken, and went away, but it was soon found that
the half-crown was a bad one.

SOUTH W ARK.
SEIZURE OF AN ILLICIT STILL, AND ASSAULT ON
THE EXCISE.—James Calthorpe, a man dressed as a
cooper, was charged with being concerned in work-
ing an illicit still, and with assaulting the Excise
officers.

Mr. Brown, the supervisor of the Excise, said that
on the afternoon of the 12th inst. he proceeded to a
place in Thomas-street, Newington, which he found
fitted up as a cooper's shop. He saw the prisoner and
another man there, and on entering the back premises
he discovered a still in full operation, with sixty gal-
lons of spirits, two hundred of wash, a number of
tub,, and other things attached to an extensive dis-
tillery, and capable of doing a large business. The
other party was taken, and convicted before Mr.
Seeker at the time, but the prisoner made his escape
by the roof. He armed himself with a cooper's
draw-knife, cut two of the officers, and through his
violent conduct effected his escape, but that afternoon
he net him and gave him into custody.
The prisoner was remanded to a future day, when
the solicitor of the Excise will attend to prosecute.