The Sun.
London, England, 1831-01-18 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

BOW-STREET.

Yesterday a young man named Inlliam Alexander,
whose appearance came under the description of
" shabby genteel," was placed at the bar, before Sir
RICHARD BIRNIE, charged with having sent a
threatening letter, with intent to extort money, to
Mrs. Ann Chandler, an elderly lady, residing at
Church Farm, Pusey, Wilts. The letter was re-
ceived by Mrs. Chandler on the 11th instant, and
the threat contained in it was that unless she for-
warded a sum of 101. to " X.Y.Z.," at the Nag's
Head public house, James-street, Covent-garden, by
a given day, her house should be levelled to the
ground. " Swing," the incendiary cognomen, was
the signature attached to the letter, which so seri-
ously alarmed Mrs. Chandler, that she without delay,
by the recommendation of her friends, wrote to the
Chief Magistrate or this office, who advised her to
forward a letter containing a shilling, as directed, in
order to entrap the writer. This Mrs. Chandler ac-
cordingly did, and on the afternoon of Thursday last
the prisoner called at the Nag's Head, where on pay-
ing the postage, amounting to 2s. 3d., the letter was
delivered to him, and upon his placing it in his pocket
he was taken into custody by Dodd, one of the
gaolers at this office, who had been on the watch
for him some time previously.
William Clarke was a serjeant in the 14th regi-
giment of Light Dragoons, and on the 13th of Ja-
nuary last he met the prisoner in St. James's Palace-
yard, and after some conversation agreed to enlist
him. Witness took the pi ironer to his quarters at
the Prince's Head, Princes-street, and while there
the prisoner said that he was expecting a money-!et-
ter, and on the next morning stated that it had ar-
rived, but that he had not sufficient change to pay
the postage of it. They accordingly walked to the
Nag's Ilzad, and on entering the parlour witness
gave the prisoner ss. with which he went out to the
bar, arid presently returned with a letter in his hand,
saying, "It is all right," or " Iv'e got it," at the
same time placing a letter in his trousers pocket
without opening it.
John Malcolm, landlord of the Nag's Head, stated
that on the morning of the 14th instant the prisoner
called there to ask if a letter had been brought there
Ly the postman, directed "X. Y. Z." On being
answered in the affirmative he went away, and re-
turned again at half-past three o'clock in the after-
noon, accompanied by the soldier, when he paid the
amount of the postage, and received the letter, which
bore the Pusey post-mark.
William Dodd, the gaoler, described the manner
in which he apprehended the prisoner, and added
that, as he was conveying him to this office, he said
that "he knew what it was all about." The wit-
ness here produced the letter found on the prisoner's
person, the seal of which was unbroken.
Sir RICHARD BIRNIE directed that the witness
should preserve the letter unopened until the pri-
soner's trial.
Mrs. Ann Chandler stated that she had received
the letter before alluded to, signed " Swing," and
that, in consequence of her fears, she adopted the
steps already mentioned.

The witness identified the letter produced as that
containing the shilling, which she had forwarded as
directed by " Swing's" letter. She had no know-
ledge of the prisoner.
Mr. Nathaniel Lowe stated that the prisoner had
lived as porter in the employ of Messrs. Savory and
Co., silk-manufacturers, in the city, and that the
letter received by Mrs. Chandler, signed " Swing,"
Kai in his handwriting.
The prisoner wus then fully committed for trial.