The Sun.
London, England, 1847-01-13 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGEN="7-7E
GUILDHALL.
Henry Standard Pearce, a decent looking man,
was charged with wilfully breaking a pane of glass,
value 211, at the shop et' Messrs. Bailey and Ritchie,
drapers., Sa Paul's Churcayard, about noon yesterday.
Mr. Low, a member of the Common Council, stated
that he was passing, and he saw the prisoner take the
stone from his pocket, place himself before the pane, and
hurl it through with great violence. lie was taken into
the shop, and, in answer to the inquiry why he did it,
he stated that was his business.
Mr. Bailey proved the amount of damage. He had
nevi r given offence to ihe prisoner, and he was paying
about 251. a 3 ear towards the rate for the relief of the
poor.
Sir P. LAunla, looking at a piece of the glass, which
was three-eighas of an inch in thickness, said it was
very creditable to Mr. Bailey that is using well large
squares he had such very substantial glass, so that per-
sons falling or striking against it by accident were not
likely to break it.
Mr. Bailey said, when tradesmen went to the expense
of putting in elegant shopfronts they had no idea that
they would be likely to be broken malignantly by per-
sons who had received no provocation. If imprisonment
or relief were required, and the same purpose would be
answered by breaking a public lamp or a ls. 6d. square
of glass, it could not be anticipated that any one would
break a 20?. square in preference, and inflict such a loss
on an innocent person. Such vagabonds ought to be
transported.
Sir P. LAURIE agreed that the Legislature must pro-
videsome other punishment for this growing offence.
He asked the prisoner if he knew Mr. Bailey ? The
prisoner said he did not.
Sir P. LAURIE asked what trade he was? The pri-
soner answered, a shoemaker.
Sir P. LAURIE asked if he followed that trade? The
prisoner said he did.
Sir P. LAURIE observed that he slid not look like a
distressed man; and asked why he broke Mr. Bailey's
window? The prisoner replied, that as it was his first
act it was necessary that his previous character should
be established before he accounted for his conduct, and
he would refer to Messrs. Cowie and Co., in the Poultry,
Messrs. Ashley, St. Mary-at-Hill, and Mr. Roper, at
Bermondsey, for all of whom he had travelled at the
same time, up to March last. He wished these persons
to be brought forward to spank to his character.
Sir P. LAURIE said, he might assume they would
speak to his honesty or anything else, and told him to
proceed to state the motive that led him to break Mr.
Bailey's window.
The prisoner said he should explain nothing till his
character was established. He lived at No. 13, Russell-
street, Brixton-road.
Sir P. LAURIE sent to Messsrs. Cowie's, and one of the
firm soon attended, who said the prisoner had travelled
for them, but his letters from the country raised a strong
doubt of his sanity, and he was therefore recalled and
discharged.
Sir P. LAURIE said he thought from the first the pri-
soner was insane ; he should, therefere, now remand
him, that the prison surgeon might report on the state
of his mind, and that means should be taken to put him
under the proper restraint if he were insane. He de-
sired the prisoner to explain his motives fully to a gen-
tleman who would call and ask him some questions.
The prisoner, who smiled when he heard he was sup-
posed to be insane, was then removed.
BO IV-STREET.
Richard Essmond, who was remanded from the 2cl
inst. on a charge of stealing various articles of property,
and some money from letters which had passed through
his hands as messenger in the inland department of the
General Post-office, was again brought before Mr. Jar-
dine yesterday morning
The first case entered into was the charge of stealing
a letter and its contents, posted by Miss Emma Bentley,
of Hertingfordbury, near Hertford, who being examined,
said that, on the 31st ult., she was in London, and was
stopping at Mrs. Bardsley's, 103, Tottenham-court-road.
On that day she wrote a letter, which she directed to
" Ed. Ralf's, Esq., 33, Commercial-: treet, Newport,
Monmouthshire," and in which she inclosed a blue silk
purse, with steel beads, made by herself. She gave that
letter to her brother to post. The letter produced by
the witness Thorns at the last examination (signed
" Emma") was the same, and the purse produced by the
officer Peake, as having been found on the prisoner, was
that inclosed in the letter.
Robert Bentley, brother to the last witness, said that
he was in the service of Mrs. Bardsley, who kept the Post-
office Receiving-house, 103, Tottenham-court-road, and
assisted her in the masagement of the post office business.
He weighed the letter that was given to him by his
sister, and found that it required five postage stamps to
frank it. As it was inclosed in a stamped envelope, he
added but four adhesive stamps, and pent the letter off
by the next (the three o'clock) collection.
A clerk in the General Post-office was next called, and
said that the prisouer was,a messenger in the inland de-
partment, and it was part of his duty to carry letters
from the sorting table to the division where the bags were
made up. A letter posted in Tottenham-court-road, at
three o'clock, would pass through his hands in the course
of the same day. It ought to be dispatched by eight
o'clock.
The witnesses Peake and Thorns were re-called and
repeated their former evidence.
This completed the case, upon which the prisoner was
committed for trial.
He was also committed on another charge of stealing
a letter directed to Miss Maria Luke, Charlestown,
Cornwall, which letter contained a miniature and a
locket.