The Sun.
London, England, 1825-09-10 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

EFFECTS OF DRUNKENNESS.
MANslON".HousE.—Yesterday John Plunkett was charged
with endeavouring to enter the service.ofa Mr. Dennis, as foot-
man, by a false character. The complainant stated, that the
prisoner' referred him -to a Mr. Chippendale, at Tooting, for a
character, to whom he wrote a letter, and received one in an-
swer, giving him an excellent one. Suspecting some fraud, he.
made inquiry, and found that no person of that name resided
at Tooting, and that the letter was taken from the postman by
the prisoner, who caused an answer to be sent to him. The
moment the prisoner was placed at the bar, the Lord Mayor
recognized him as having formerly lived in his service for
two years; when his Lordship addressed him in a very feel-
ing manner, and stated, that during the time he lived with
him, he was one of the best servants lie ever had, except that
lie was in the habit of getting intoxicated. " I have (said his
Lordship) often addressed you, even with tears, and pointed
out to you the dangerous consequences of indulging in that fatal
propensity, and you have as often assured me you would alter
your conduct, and which, had you done, you would not have
been placed in the disgraceful situation in which you now stand.
Were you but to leave off your habits of intoxication, you would
make a most excellent servant ; and I must say, that is your
only failing, as I always had the highest opinion of your ho-
nesty.and integrity." The complainant, after consulting with
his Lordship, said, he did not wish to press the charge, and lie
was consequently discharged. The prisoner, who appeared
much affected at his Lordship's address, bowed respectfully, and
withdrew, solemnly promising to attend to his Lordship's advice.
THE DISTRESSED ARTIST.
GUILDHALL.—Amongst the prisoners brought up before
Mr. Alderman BRIDGES, yesterday, was John Brown Eaton,
the artist, of Fetter-lane, whose attempt to destroy himself in
a court in Fetter-lane, we noticed in our Paper of Friday last,
and as the particulars of his case, and the story he then told,
were calculated to excite commisseration for him, as to cause
unfavourable impressions as to the character and conduct of his
wife, it is proper that the public should be undeceived upon
these subjects ; and the more so, as, in consequence of the ac-
count that appeared, one charitably disposed lady forwarded to
Mr. Alderman Atkins a 51. note for Eaton's use.
Mrs. Eaton has since made affidavit that the distress of her
husband was wholly attributable to his own dissolute habits
and propensity to drinking; and that his conduct, for some
time past, towards her, had been such as to make it necessary
for her to have recourse to her own friends for subsistence.—
She also stated that, instead of her instigating him to commit
suicide, she, in her endeavours to take the razor from him, re-
ceived a severe blow in her stomach, and she declared that she
considered her own life and that of her child to be in danger

from his violence.
The poor woman having removed to her mother's house in
Hind-court, Fleet-street; she was pursued there by her hus-
band, as soon as he was liberated ; and it was in consequence
of his conduct on that occasion that he was now in custody.
Mrs. Street said, that she believed that the prisoner had been
intoxicated every day since he had been liberated from the
Compter ; that her daughter and her children had been with
her ever since Monday, and if she was protected from the an-
noyance of the husband, she was willing to support them ; but
he came there on Thursday, was exceedingly troublesome, and
as he declared he would not leave the house, she was obliged to.
give him in custody.
Eaton in his justification said, that on his return home, on
Monday, he found himself locked out of his lodgings, and was
told that all his property was detained for an arrear of 2/. 15s.
due to his landlord. He was, therefore, now without a lodging,
and by the seizure of all his portfolios and apparatus totally de-
prived of carrying on his profession.
Mr. Alderman ATKINS said, .that .his brother Magistrate
and himself thought, that as he was able, but did not sup-
port his family, the proper thing for them to do would be to
throw themselves on the parish ; the Overseers would in con-
se9uence apprehend him, and the Magistrates would then have
it in their power to do that which alone it would seem could
cure him of his passion for stating, send him to the tread-
wheel for three months.
Eaton, in the sequel, on his promise not to annoy Mrs.
Street in future, and to communicate with his wife only by
letter, was discharged.
POST-OFFICE ROBBERIES.
BOW-STREET.— William Henry Austin, a letter-muter in
the General Post-office, who has undergone several private exa-
minations before Mr. Misismuer., on various charges of
having purloined money-letters, was again brought up yester-
day for a final and public examination before the,same Ma.:
gistrate.—By the evidence against him, which WWI very
voluminous, it appeared that he had long been in the habit
of purloining the money-letters, which came into his hands
as a sorter, and converting their contents to his own use.—
There were a nurnbbr of witnesses examined, but the principal
one was a person named Charles Wallis, who described him-
self as a paper-dealer, residing at No. 3, Bermondsey New-
road. This person, who was an old acquaintance of the pri-
soner, had unwittingly been employed by him to dispose of the
stolen notes is the purchase of foreign money, and the whole
afTair was discovered in consequence of his having given his
name and address in getting change for one of the notes at the
Bank of England. The prisoner, by advice of his solicitor,
declined saying any thing in his defence, and he was fully com-
mitted to Newgate for trial.
MILITARY REGULATIONS.
MARY-LA-BONNE.—Mr. Abraham Bell, of the Bear and
Bummer public-house, Mortimer-street, Cavendish-square' ap-
peared on the complaint of corporal Thomas Barnes, of the
third battalion of the Grenadier Guards, for having obstructed
him in the execution of his•duty.—Barnes said, a part of the
military duty which had devolved upon him was calling the
roll, or visiting the quarters of soldiers out on billet, in order to
have them at their quarters before ten o'clock. On Tuesday
night last he was traversing the " roll call," and at about a
quarter after eleven o'clock arrived at the defendant's house,
and found it closed, but perceiving lights and hearing voices,
he knocked and demanded admittance. The defendant, on
ascertaining what he ' wanted, exclaimed from within, " I
have no soldier quartered here." The witness knowing he
could not be mistaken, mentioned Selling, the soldier's name,
and said, he must he admitted, as the Commanding Officer
hail given him strict orders to see every soldier. The defendant
again said he had not the soldier, but, after some altercation,
opened the door, saying, " I don't care for your commanding
officer or you either ; you shall not disturb. my house at
this hour ; the man is in bed." The witness called Selling,
the soldier, down, and being satisfied he was within, was about
remonstrating with the defendant upon the impropriety of his
conduct, when he threatened to kick him out of the house, and
used the worst language to him, finally giving him (the wit-
ness) into the watchman's charge, but at the watch-house the
constable of the night dismissed the charge.
Mr. GRIFFITH—What time did you take to traverse the dif-
ferent places where the men were quartered ?
Witness—Above an hour; the defendant's was the very last
house ; and had lie not seen that some of the family were up,
he should not have knocked. If the soldier had been in bed at
the moment of his calling, he could have demanded to be shown
to his sleeping-room. On entering the house there were four
men drinking at the bar.
Mr. Bell said, only a part of the statement made was cor-
rect, tlik complainant came in a state of intoxication after the
house had been closed for the night, and thundered at the door,
threatening to break it'open, if not immediately opened. He I
(Mr. Bell) knowing that a corporal of the battalion to 'which
the soldier belonged had been round the quarters, and had seen
the man at ten o'clock, and went away perfectly satisfied, was
not disposed to put up with such a nocturnal intrusion, anti for
some time refused to admit the complainant, who upon being
admitted commenced a 'volley of abuse, calling him puppy,
• monkey, vagabond, rascal, &c., and although the soldier was
called out of his bed to him, would not go, but continued abus-
ing him and saying, "d-- your eyes, it you had not been very
• quick, I would have broken open the door for }roil." At length
be became so disorderly that Mr. Bell called the watch, and
sent him to the watch-house.
Mr. GitiFFlTti.—Did he remain in the house after seeing
the soldier ?
Mr. Bell.—Yes, Sir, that was the reason I gave him into
custody.
One of Mr. Bell'e neighbours, who was paying his reckon-
ing at the bar, said he never saw such bad conduct or behaviour
as the corporal displayed.
Mr. H. Bell, cousin to the defendant, said he called in at
about eleven o'clock to see his cousin, and was drinking a glass
mthrleotltarncguusatognelers standing at the bar, who were paying
of wine with him within the bar ; there were then only two of
ttoilliseeeidir reckoning. The corporal, lie proved, was intoxicated, and
hArveoasuspiectiai called,abpl:
happening
nlvasg imputed to him by his cousin.
Mr. UnIFFITH could not understand why the watchman
tto be
bseu
thefli sufficient el
last
excuse raett ftoor
callliis beingat.
It
wlate,as cleartliat
that. the publican, although his doors were closed, had persons
tippling in his house after the regulated hours.
Mr. H. Bell said that was a general rule, which he rather
thought was not punctually acted upon, the two persons were
neighbours, and such parsons were not likely to
commit themselves; some discrimination oughtto be exercised.
Mr. GRIFFITH told this young gentleman that he did not
want any instructions from him, and also observed, that the
persons had no right there after eleven o'clock, by any means
or under any pretence. The conduct of Mr. Bell was, in his
opinion, 'extremely censurable, and would not be overlooked.
As to the corporal, he hoped the business would be correctly
reported to the Colonel ; but as far as the discussion went, he
could find nothing to interfere with, and therefore there was an
end to the matter. Nevertheless he was glad, on public grognds,
tliat the inquiry had taken place: r,
•