The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-01 00:00:00

UXBRIDGE PETTY SESSIONS.

COMITTAL OF A RELIGIOUS THIEF. Saturday, a
young man named Charles Shell, respectably connected,
late shopman to Mr. Jesse Jones, draper at Uxbridge,
was brought up for final examination, before Messrs. T.
Dagnail, H. H. Cox, C. Mills, and I'. T. Clark, the sit-
ting magistrates in that town, on a charge of having, for
a lengthened period, robbed his master. The case ex-
cited the greatest interest, the magistrates' room at the
King's Arms Inn being crowded in every part during
the examination, which occupied three hours. From the
depositions taken it appeared that the prisoner, previous
to his entering Mr. Jones's service, was a member of an
Independent chapel at Woolwich, where he instructed
the children on Sundays, and by such an ostensible show
of true religion, he so ingratiated himself with the mem-
bers of the congregation, that he was universally re-
spected. When he came to Uxbridge he courted the
society of the dissenters, and by them was considered a
fit person to assist in their schools. Ile also preached oc-
casionally in the neighbouring villages, and was a pro-
fessed despiser of evil associates. Eventually, however,
from some extravagant purchases the prisoner made, Mr.
Jones began to suspect that he was more hypocrite than
saint, and the fact was established by the admission of
the prisoner himself, who acknowledged that he had
frequently robbed his master. He was, however, al-
lowed to go away from Mr. Jones's in the first instance,
but the prosecutor, finding subsequently, that he had
been robbed to a great extent by the prisoner, the latter
was taken into custody at Woodford, in Essex, where he
had got into a new situation. He was fully committed
for trial.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MANSION-HOUSE.

THE Poon POET.—An old man of diminutive stature,
who stated his name to be Thomas Mills, appeared to
complain against Mr. Roberts, one of the relieving offi•
cers of the East London Union. The officer was not
present at the time, but the Lord Mayor wished to know
why the complainant attended, as he had not the evi•
dente of pauperism about him.
The coinplainent said he complained against Mr.
Roberts, because he refused to endeavour to prevail upon
the guardians to advance him 21., for the purpose of re-
deeming 1,000 copies of poetry, which he had written
some dine ago, and the appearance of which before the
public would certainly fix him in an independent, as well
as an elevated position in society. Ihe rejection of his
appeal not having core from the proper authority, and
having no means of approaching the guardians, he un-
derstood the Lord Mayor was the most likely person to
give him satisfaction.
The LORD MAYOR said the law had undergone a com-
plete alteration, and taken the power of interfering with
the poor wholly out of the hands of the magistracy.
The Applicant—The poetry, of which a stationer in
Bethnal-green has 1,000 copies, is worth a considerable
sum. I redeemed fifty copies irom him some, time ago,
and he compelled me to pay 30s. for them. It is very
injudicious in the officers of the union to reject such an
application, for if they do not assist the to procure my
verses, they must have myself and my wife to support in
the workhouse.
The LORD MAYOR asked what led the applicant to
suppose that at such a time he could get such a good
sale for poetry, which his Lordship considered was not
exactly the sort of composition from which an independ-
ence was to be obtained, except it was poetry of a very
peculiar kind.
Th
to him to be calculated to do much public good. He
empuoraor l
apnodetrruerpalli,eadntdhautrtmhestvicehrsseus
hibeec t had
s writwritten
ware d
was well able, although upwards of seventy years of age,
to earn by his pen at any rate 1,5001. a year.
The Lome MAYOR—By writing poetry? The Poet—
No, my Lord. If so be I get these copies, I know that
they will be picked up by the public with great avidity.
One of tbem is on the popular subject of the extensive
use of granite stone, and others comprehend the use of
steam and gas, and are likely to gain additional cele-
brity from the philosophical tinge which I have given
to them.
The LORD MAYOR—But have you derived much pe
cuniary advantage from your poetry? The Poet—
Never, my Lord.—(Laughter.) I have been particu-
larly unfortunate in that respect, but that is no reason I
should despair. lam as well able as ever to write, and
have the advantage of additional experience every day.
Besides I have the promise of Mr. Disraeli to get the
patronage of the Queen and Prince Albert for me.
The LORD MAYOR—Have you any acquaintance with
Mr. Disraeli? The Poet—No, my Lord, but I know
the sort of writing which he admires, and I think I can
hit it off to perfection. lle and Mr. Briscoe took seve-
ral volumes of a work which I published seventeen
years ago; in that hook I did justice to Mr. Briscoe,
the Member of Parliament, for his humanity in perse-
vering till he succeeded in abolishing the cruel system
of the treadmill in the case of poor unhappy females.
The LORD MAYOR—But if you have been so unlucky
as not to have made a livelihood by the use of your pen
in poetry, you must have had some trade, or profes-
sion, or occupation by which you have been enabled to
live? The Poet—l am by trade a hoot-closer, but my
eyes are bad, and that sort of game is unprofitable.
The LORD MAYOR—But it is better than that which
produces nothing? The Poet—Scarcely; till I could
get by it was six or seven shillings a week, and that
without hope. But whatois that compared to 1,500/. a
year, with hope in the extreme?—(Laughter.)
The LORD MAYOR said the applicant was a very re-
markable instance of a persevering spirit under all the
discomfiture of hungry labour and aggravated disap-
pointments, and requested his acceptance of some silver
for his present exigencies.
Ths poet was grateful for the donation, but it was
quite evident that the advice of the Lord Mayor to prefer
a positive to an imaginary good, passed away with the
breath that uttered it. It was impossible to help smiling
at the resolute determination of the poor fellow to con-
tinue in the service of the muse, hard and unthankful as
tbsi/ee,
afflicting who
ss,a a witnessed the
that service evidently was.
T
een
scene were struck with ther
ri fact that the apapplicant,rdeismaaprpkou.inhtle.
retainer
(i ne
patienceof the
under
sr thei most
ments to which a poet can be subjected.
" What am Ito do, my Lord, if I cannot get the
copies of my poetry ?"said he. " Shall I go into the
Shoreditch workhouse ?"
Mr. Goodman—l am sue that Mr. Roberts will treat
such a man as you with kindness, and that the guardians
will not neglect your application if you make it through
him to them.
CHARGE OF STEALING COPPER.—John Moore, ware-
houseman in the Copper Mines Royal Company, was
charged with having stolen a quantity of copper, the
property of the company. The prisoner had been in
the service of the prosecutor between thirty and forty
years ; and Louisa Moore was charged with having re-
s
ceived the copper.
Suspicions having been attached to the prisoner Moore,
Mr. Kirkman, one of the directors of the company,
instructed llaydon, a very active policeman of the City
force, to watch his movements. The officer accordingly
went to work, and was almost the companion of both
prisoners in a coffee-shop and a public-house, and a but-
cher's shop, into all of which they went. He saw the
male prisoner give the copper to the female prisoner e
and all the other evidence necessary having been given,
both prisoners were committed for trial.
WORSHIP-STREE
CONVICTION UNDER THE FACTORY ACT.—OR Satur-
day, William Roberts, apparently a mechanic, appeared
before Mr. Broughton, to answer an information at the
instance of Mr. James Bury, a sub-inspector of factories,
charging him with having altered a certificate of bap-
tism, with intent to defeat the provisions of the Act of
the 7th and Bth Victoria, for the registration of infant
labour in factories, whereby he had incurred a penalty
of 20/., or six months' imprisonment.
It appeared from the evidence gone into, that the
defendant being anxious to obtain employment for Abel
Roberts, his son, a boy of twelve years, in the factory of
Mr. James Austin. the proprietor of the steam cotton
and flax mills in Princes-street, Finsbury, and knowing
that the boy would not be employed unless he was
thirteen years of age, went on the 24th of November
last to Mr. Foster, the vestry clerk of Wandsworth,
whose wife (Mr. Foster being from home) he asked for
a copy of the certificate of baptism of his son, who was
born in that parish, and having told her the object for
which he desired it, asked her if there would be any
harm in his altering the date, so as to enable him to get
the boy off his hands; on which she cautioned him that
such a proceeding might probably subject him to trans-
portation. The correct certificate was sent, him the
next day, and on the 28th of November ho obtained
employment for the boy in the factory on the faith of
the certificate which he had altered so as to represent
his son to be upwards of thirteen years old. The boy
remained there until the 18th inst., when Mr. Bury
visited the factory, and the discovery took place which
led to theeprestnt proceedings.
The Defendant pleaded poverty and distress in ex-
tenuation of his offence.
He was fined in the mitigated penalty of 40s or 14
days' imprisonment.

Mr Osbaldiston, tpwl
ea
as
dseudmsmootn eGdu ai l
tsyeaS:c oOnUdTtiHmellibAyksiCvy.
att,
he lessee of the Victoria Theatre,
the informer,
for selling spirits in the saloon.
Mr. Games appeared in behalf of Mr. Osbaldiston and
The Court was crowded with theatrical people.
Wyatt, the witness, proved having been served on the
morning of the 6th instant, with sixpenny worth of gin
in the saloon of the theat'a.
Mr. COTTINGRAM the magistrate, asked Mr. Games
whether he denied the fact ? Mr. Gam,:s said he did
not, but his client had been fined 265. at that Court so
late as the 15th instant, at the suit of the same parties
for a similar offence on the sth, and he pointed out the
injustice of the present proceedings.
Mr. COTTINGHAM said Wyatt ought to have laid the
present information at the time he did the former one.
It appeared to him that he was endeavouring to get
money from the defendant. Such proceedings were un-
fair to the magistrate and to Mr. Osbaldiston. He
would, therefore, on the present occasion, dismiss the
costs.
summons on the defendant paying one shilling and the

LAMBETH.
A LADY THIEF.—TLIE PLEA OF INSANITY.—iirs.
Caroline hay was brought up for final examination on
two charges of stealing umbrellas.
Several witnesses were called, whose evidence esta-
blished both cases quite clearly, and the prisoner was
fully committed to take her trial upon each.
In the course of the investigation the const‘ble in.
formed the magistrate that he had ascertained that the
prisoner had been tried at the Old Bailey on SI charge of
stealing a shawl.
Mr. Games said it was his intention to hare informed