The Sun.
London, England, 1824-07-01 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

A cOUNTRYMAN'S VISIT TO THE ROYAL
SALOON, PICCADILLY.

•
GUILDITAI.L.—A most extraordinary discovery-scene arose
out of an examination before the sitting Magistrate, Jr.
Alderman Titostrios, of two very respectably dressed young
men, named Henry Druid and Thomas Weaver, who were
charged with disorderly conduct in Holborn, ,between two and
three o'clock in the morning. The officers had found them
kniaing and ringing violently for admittance at the Bell Inn,
Holborn. The-porter not knowing them, refused to let them
in, and the watchman not being able to prevail with them to go
away, were constrained to take them into custody.

This was the whole charge on the part of the watchmen ; but
the Alderman having► had private intimation that illr. Weaver
had lost his pocket-book, and that he had no knowledge what-
ever of his fellow prisoner, proceeded to question the latter as to'
who and what he•was. Druid replied, with a pert and careless
air, that he was a gentleman. The Alderman did not affect to
question that, but required a more minute account. The pri-
soner then stated that he had formerly been in the Navy, but
was not upon half-pay, and supported himself on an allowance
he received from Ins family : he resided with a friend, Captain
Duncan, Earl's Court-lane, Kensington. • .

Mr. WeaVer then told his story. He stated himself to be a
draper residing at Abingdon, at present in town on business;
lodging at the Queen's Arms Tavern Mr: Westwood, a coun-
try neighbour of his, and himself, set off' from the City about
ten o'clock to pay a' isit to the Royal Saloon in Piccadilly (a
place of resortibr gay folks of both sexes), of which they had
heard much talk. While there' the prisoner and another gen-
tleman, :who was addressed as Captain Duncan, came and sat
down in the same box. He found.thein very pleasant and gentle-
Manlike companions, and they continueddrinking and convers-
ing together for some hours. As he and his friend wore'to go by
the coach in the, panting, the latter would not stay longer, and
not being able to prevail with him (Mr. Weuver) to Coma with
him, left him with his new acquaintances, who shortly afterwards
accompanied him in a liadcney-cdaehlo the Bell, it beitiC his
intention to sleep there, as the coach set olf from that hut. ll° w.
he and Druid got to the Compter is already stated, but in the
morning he missed his pocket-book containing Bank of Eng-
land and country notes to the amount of 1001. The reason for
the bustle at the Bell Inn he stated to be his missing his watch,
and inskting upon going back in the coach to the Royal saloon
to inquire for it, when his new friend Mr. Druid called him back
and gave him his watch.; .

The Alderman now questioned Druid how the watch came in
his possession Who replied, that Mr. Weaver having occasion
to go out while their were at the Saloon, left it with him as a
pledge that he was_ not going away, but would return to the
party.
Dir. W. allowed that he had left his watch as described, but
it was with his friend Mr. Westwood, and on his return he had
it again before they left the Saloon.
Mr. Alderman THOMPSON addressing Druid, said—Well,
Sir, as you produced the watch, you can probably produce the
pocket-book also. The prisoner, however, protested he knew
nothing whatever of the packet-book. The Alderman seemed
somewhat unwilling to treat a person of the prisoner's appear-
ance .as a common thief, but felt it his duty to tell him he
should require him to be searched. Druid, with much appa-
rent. readiness consented, and retired with Fogg, the marshal.
man, into the parlour, and on their return Fogg prodUced two
pocket-books taken from the prisoner, one of which Mr. W.
declared to be that he had lost. On examining it, however,
the bank-notes had all disappeared. Notwithstanding this dis-
covery, the prisoner maintained his composure. Ile had en-
tirelyforgot, he said, that the pocket-book was about him,
but Mr. W. had given it to him to take care of at the time he
gave him his watch.
At this moment some of the watchmen said, that the lusty
Gentlernan they had called Capt. Duncan had just entered the
office,:and a respectably dressed man came up to the table, anti
observed, he attended there voluntarily, having witnessed the
whole:affair, to see if he could be of any service to the young
man. On being asked his name, he replied, Felix Macdonald,
living. at Earl's-court-lane, Kensington. He had formerly been
a Captain in the Militia, and was now a Subaltern of half-pay
from the late Duke of Cumberland's Loyal American Pro-
vincials. The Captain was very desirous of telling his own
story, but the Magistrate was more anxious that he should answer
;iis questions ; and, in reply to them, the Captain stated, that
Druid did not live with him ; that he had known him about
twelve months ; that he got his living as a writer for The
European Magazine. Being asked if he himself ever went by
the name of Duncan, he replied, No: Several of the watchmen
cried out that lie was addressed as anti answered to the name of
api. Duncan at the witch-hou'se. • " Yes," said the Captain,
'Thar-was because I did not choose to be known." The Alder-
man now recapitulated to the Captain the circumstances that
had occurred with respect to the watch and the pocket-book; to
all which the Captain replied, " That I know nothing about."
" But," said the Alderman, " you were present during the
whole time with the parties, anti notes to the value of 1001. are
missing. Under such circumstances you must submit to be
searched.". The Captain assented with a good grace, and re-
tired with Fogg; but on the search neither notes, nor a farthing
of money of any kind, were found on the Captain's person. It
should have been observed, that Druid's pockets were found to
be as pennylers as those of his friend. •
• In the bustle in taking the prisoners to the watch•house, a
small paper parcel fell from Weaver's hands, which one of the
watchmen swore he picked up and gave to the Captain to take
care of, and on his subsequently asking him about it, lie said
some man had gone up Holborn with it. This parcel, con-
taining a shirt and a hair brush, was still missing, and seyeral
watchmen swore to seeing.it in the possession of. the Captain,
who, however declared. he had n 4 recollection whatever of any
such parcel. He again reminded the Magistrate that he .had
come there voluntarily ; that he was engaged as a writer in
The European Magazine; that he was well known as the au-
thor of The Hermit in Loudon, and other publications; that
lie made 500/. or 6001. a-year by his literary talents, and it was
not likely he should be guilty of offences of this description.
lie was well known to Mr. Sheriff Whittaker; and Mr. Vaux,
MI, Russell-street, the proprietor of The European Magazine,
his employer, would testify to his respectability.
In addition to the evidence against Druid, who had denied
having heard any thing of the loss of the pocket-book, it was
stated that while coming in a coach to the office with Weaver,
who was lamenting his lots, Druid told him'not to be uneasy
about it, as they knew the number of the coach which brought
them from the Saloon, antl no doubt his pocket-book had been
left in it. The suspicion against him was sufficiently strong to
warrant his detention; and as the Captain was in company with
him the whole time, and the parcel missing had been seen in his
possession, the Alderman felt it his duty to detain him also, and
they were both remanded for another examination.
Scarcely had they been removed from the office, when tidings
were heard of the lost parcel. A man of the name of Edward
Marnoch, who lives at the Poulterer's Arms, Honey-lane-
market, came In and stated that lie was passing' in • Holborn at
the time of the bustle, and saw the lusty gentleman they called
the. Captain throw a parcel on to the coach-box;. it rebounded
h
he (Marnoch) picked it up, and left it at
the e n public-house, eu
the corner of Bartlett's-buildings, till it
t blt o
Li the
o gtrioseun dat;
should be inquired fur. He had heard nothing of the previous
examinations ; but knowing that some persons had been taken
to the Compter, he had come to the Office to. let:thern know
what bad become of the parcel. As the testimony of this wit-
ness would be important as respected the Captain, he was di.
rected to attend at the next examination, and to bring the parcel
with him.

M Ali s o 0 s E.—Yesterday a gentleman. connected with
the law, named Monkhouse, applied to the Lord Mayor for a
warrant of distress upon the gwods and chattles of one. of the
Society of Friends, resident in the City, for arrears of tithes
due to the Rector of St. Helen's, Bishopsgate. The applica-
war made in behalf of Mr. M'Dougall, of Lincoln's Inn, the
lay-impropriator of tithes in a very extensive district, who
claimed the sum of two shillings and ninepence in the pound
underthe Act of the 37th of Henry VIII. The tithe it ap.
peered was two years, in arrear on Lady-day last., The defend-
ant, according to the custom of the Society of which he is a
member, refused peremptorily to pay any tithes whatever, un-
less non compulsion by process of law. After a long conver-
sation, the Loan MAYOU declined granting either a warrant
or a summons.

BONV-STREET.—Mary While, late house-maid to Mr.
Archbold, the barrister, was fully committed to Newgate, late
on Tuesday night, for trial at the next Old Bailey Sessions, on
a charge of having stolen sundry shirts, stockings, &c. the pro-
perty of that Gentleman.--A wretched young woman, named
Amelia Savage, was also committed for trial by the Magistrate,
charged with enticing away the child of a poor shoemaker, and,
having stripped it of its upper garments, leaving it exposed on
the steps of some chambers in the Temple.

Yesterday morning two adroit shoplifters, fa-
shionably dressed in _blue coats and black cra-
vats, entered the shop of Mr. JARMAN, dealer in
curiosities, St. James's-street, and while the one
amused the attention of the shopman, by asking
the price of musical snuff-boxes, &c. the ether
managed to purloin several valuable articles of
jewellery, with which they got clear off.