The Sun.
London, England, 1841-10-29 00:00:00

MORNING SUN

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
GUILDHALL.
A respectable-looking person, named Le Strange, ap-
peared before the Sitting Alderman, on a charge of
having been possessed of a quantity of iron and brass
work, the property of the Lords Commissioners of the
Admiralty.
Mr. Pontifex, an extensive brass and iron-founder, of
Shoe-lane, stated that about a fortnight since he pur-
ceased a quantity of old metal from the defendant, who
dealt in such articles at Woolwich, and on further exa-
mination he found about 14 pounds of it to be marked
with the broad arrow, and other stamps, proving it to be
the property of her Majesty. In accordance with the
terms required by the Act of Parliament, he sent informa-
tion to the Admiralty, when the present proceedings
were instituted. -
After a short inquiry, it appeared that the defendant
had erred from ignorance in selling the articles, and ne
was fined 405., the lowest sum allowed by the Act.
BOW-STREET.
eneral
William Henry Meuce, a messenger
in
Mr. the
J G
ardine,
Post-office, was yesterday brought before
enno ny
ducted
Piece'
charged with stealing a letter, containing P
Mr. Peacock, solicitor to the Post-office,
c

the prosecution.
Jobn Forbes, a messenger, stated that he was on duty
yasterday morning in the inland office, stamping
.letters
for the day-mails, and the prisoner was engaged in car-
rying them over to the sorters. About nine
o'clock,
with he
observed a thick letter lying beside the pr.isoner, a
pin in it, and on witness taking it up, it appeared to
him to contain cash. It was addressed l,
etter " Mr. H. Day,
Queen-square, Bristol ; and was ihe produced.
Witness then reached over for the puzpose of takinr, up
the parcel of letters, on the top of which it lay, when
She prisoner said; " Stop, they are not yet obliterated ;"

N-

.

at the same time taking them up and obliberating them,
and keeping them some time in his hand.
,Hethen-Mfeht,,_.
behind the desk, where he put the letters on the stamp=
ing table ; but when witness looked 'pver them, he dis•
covered that the letter produced was /tot 'among them, -
They next went into the Railway-roo and witness's
surprise being excited, as the letter 43ktirketo Yound,•be.:'"(
communicated with Mr. Hodd, one of the clerks.
Further evidence was given, when the prisoner stated
in what way he had the letter in his possession, and
added, that not knowing what would become of his poor
wife, he attempted to get away.—Committed for trial,
but to be brought up next Wednesday to have the evi-
dence completed.
MARLBOROUGH STREET.
SHOCKING CASE OF DESTITUTION.—EIizabeth Far-
nell, a young woman of very decent appearance, with
her daughter about six years of age in a very sickly state
of health, were placed at the bar before Mr. Hardwick,
the presiding Magistrate, having been taken into the
custody of the police under the following circumstances :
Police Constable No. 176 of the C division, stated
that about half-past 10 o'clock on Wednesday night he
found the young woman and her (laughter sitting on
the steps of the Pantheon, in Oxford-street ; they
seemed' to be in a very exhausted state, and were
drenched to the skin and shivering with cold. On
questioning them as to what they did there at that time
of night, under such circumstances, the young woman
said that the child and herself were in an utterly desti-
tute state, not havinc, the means of even procuring a
place of shelter for the night. Witness therefore took
them to the station-house.

IlAnDwicK—To what parish do you belong.
Young Woman—To Bristol, I believe—at least I've
heard my husband say so.
Mr. HARDWICK—Your's is a melancholy case, in-
deed, as no parish here will, under the circumstances, do
more than afford you a little temporary relief, and in a
few hours you will be in as bad a plight as you are now.
No parish will take upon themselves the responsibility of
passing you to Bristol, merely because you think it is
your parish. But I believe your story : I will supply the
means for your child and yourself to proceed to Bristol.
The worthy Magistrate then ordered a meal to be given
to them, and afterwards that a police constable should see
them off by a Bristol waggon.
The young woman with tears expressed her gratitude.

EXTRAORDINARY ACCUSATION

OF ROBBERY.

WINDSOR, WEDNESDAY.—The Mayor and Magis-
trates of this borough have been engaged during the last
four sittings of the Bench in investigating a charge of
alleged robbery brought by a lady named Sarah Anne
Gwynne, the widow of the late Colonel G Wynne, re-
sidinglin the Lower Cloisters (Windsor Castle), against
her servant, whose house, it is stated, was robbed be-
tween Thursday night, the 14th instant, and the follow-
ing morning, of various articles of jewellery, consisting
of a gold chain and bracelets, a large gold cross studded
with garnets, a locket containing a portrait of a General
Officer set in enamel and pearls, portrait of an infant in
a double gold case, pearl and brilliant brooches, a large
star of rose diamonds, gold rings and seals, cornelian
necklaces, &c.
The proceedings ›cupied the time of the Magistrates
on Saturday, the 16th instant, and the following Tuesday
and Friday, and also yesterday, when they were brought
to a close.
It appeared that upon the accused, Maria Anne Hea-
ton, the servant of Mrs. Gwynne (and who had been in
her service for two or three months, having been engaged
by her at Jersey), going down stairs on the morning
after the alleged robbery, she discovered that a rosewood
writing-desk, containing the above-named articles, was
missing from the drawing-room, She immediately in-
formed her mistress, who was in bed, of the circumstance.
Mr. Gillman, the superintendent of Windsor police, on
examining the premises, felt confident that the house had
not been broken into. The cellar was then minutely
searched by the police, but no portion of the missing pro-
perty was discovered. A pair of new pincers, however,
were. found upon the ledge of the cellar-window. In the
course of that day (Friday) the accused, Maria Anne
Heaton, having been suspected of being concerned in the
robbery, and treated unkindly by her mistress, she stated
to Mrs. Gwynne that she would not ge to bed that night,
and went to the police-station and gave herself up, with-
out any charge having been preferred against her.
On the following morning (Saturday) a woman
named Roach, who had been sent for to assist in the
household work at Mrs. Gwynne's, saw, upon going into
the cellar to draw some beer, the missing writing-desk.
The girl Heaton was then taken before the Magistrates
that afternoon.
It appeared, on examining the marks upon the desk
which had been broken open, that it had been forced
by means of the end of the pincers found in the cellar ;
and there were found to be missing the greater portion
of the jewellery above described. The prisoner was then.
remanded until Tuesday, when, after examination (during
which nothing was elicited to criminate her), she was
again remanded till Friday last, when Mr. Williams, bar-
rister-at-law, and Mr. Martin, the solicitor, attended for
the prosecution, and Mr. Voules for the prisoner.
Mrs. Gwynne was then cross-examined by Mr.Voules,
and the substance of her evidence was as follows :—The
prisoner has only been out of the house two or three
times since she has been with me in England. Towards
the middle of Friday (the day the robbery was discover-
ed), she seemed uneasy, and said she would not serve
me again until the desk was found, and she would rather
go to gaol, and return when the thief or desk was disco-
vered. I thought it very extraordinary, if she were the
thief, she had not taken another desk, which contained
my money. Several of my friends, including Mr. Wil-
liams, the barrister, searched the cellar during Friday,
but they did not find the desk, which was discovered
there the next day by Mrs. Roach. I never knew the
prisoner have any visitors.
The deposition of Mr. Gillman, the superintendent of
police, having been read over, and being asked if he had
anything more to add, he stated that he was positive the
two cases found by the witness Roach in the cellar on Sa-
turday were not there when he carefully searched the
place the day before.
Mrs. Roach was then called in, and her deposition
read over. Upon being cross-examined by Mr. Voules,
she admitted that she had been listening at the door
during the whole time she was out of the jastice-room,
for which she was severely admonished by the Bench.
She then deposed as follows :—I went down with the
candle to draw some beer, when I saw the desk. I went
up stairs, and told Miss Gwynne of it, and she returned
with me to the cellar. We then took it up into the draw-
ing-room to Mrs. Gwynne, who examined it, and it was
afterwards taken back to the cellar. I swore in my
former evidence that the police were the first to remove
it, but it was removed by me first. Anybody with eye-
sight could have seen the desk upon going into the cellar.
Mr. Williams then addressed the Bench, and applied
for the further hearing of the case to be postponed,
pledging his professional reputation that if the prisoner
were remanded till Tuesday, he should then be able to
produce further and sufficient evidence to connect her
with the robbery.
The Bench consented.
Yesterday morning, at eleven o'clock, upon the case
being called on, neither the prosecutrix, nor her counsel
or solicitor were present.
The MAYOR then said, that as no further evidence
had been produced, he should certainly order the accused
to be instantly discharged.
Mr. Voules complained with considerable warmth, of
the conduct of the prosecutrix in having kept his poor
client incarcerated in the station-house for twelve days,
and now abandoning the prosecution, especially after the
solemn pledge of her counsel to produce important evi-
dence to-day. It was most unfair towards his persecuted
client, and the public, that the groundless charge should
be so attempted to be swamped and hushed up.
The MAYOR said that the case on Friday was ad-
journed only in consequence of the Bench relying upon
the promise of Mr. Williams. Yesterday he (the Mayor)
received a communication from Mr. Williams, stating
that no further evidence would be produced, and that
the girl might be discharged ; " but," observed the
11isyee, " I sent a message to Mr. Williams to the
effect, that as the girl had been publicly in that hall
accused of the robbery, she had a right to expect to be,
and justice demanded that she should be, as publicly
discharged."—(Considerable applause amongst those
present followed this announcement.)
Mr. Voules complained of the infringement, in this
case, of the liberty of the subject. He would say, and
publicly too, that it was a most gross prosecution ; not a
tittle of evidence had been brought forward to connect
the accused, in the most remote way, with the alleged
robbery, and had it not been for some kind friends (gen-
tlemen who were present), unknown to the poor girl,
stepping forward in her behalf, she would have been left,
in a strange country, totally unprotected.—(Applause.)
Mr. Martin, solicitor for the prosecution (who had a
few minutes before entered the room), then stated that
the prosecutrix had no further evidence to offer against
the prisoner.
.not
pledged himself to bring forward further
Mr. BLUNT observed that if MrlVeirillidaemuseettaod.day,
the accused would have been discharged
at the last examination. Magistrates for the
the by the Bench
J. B. SHARPE, Esq., one of b
d ;Puiprotected state of
county of Bucks, who chanced to 0_
and after alluding to the painfulze
_p
and that he
bt he eenn
treorseed,
tion
the accused, suggested that
jtheersuenyflortunate girl.
intowould to
bdee f
happyay h
te
or expenses
assist,
coincided in the views of
The Magistrates p /E'?
era guinea towards the girl's
Mr. Sharpe (who subscribednexample which has since been
expenses to Jersey,i withl
boas:erste,
an
the principal inhabitants of the
followed by severe
town) and the girl
was then discharged. She win be
town), and the gi
taken care of till she leaves for Jersey.

-.--The November Number
-NA
v ANDART-11-4,..a5e vice Journal and Naval and Military
of the i-dr"-- -- r ng other important papors Co
contains, Wino , ae-
rations .
with the whole of the Despatches—.
tions in China,
raria, during the Camp • •
tugn against
,s Expedition—Sy 'R bl -
Anson
's
m t Ali—A Three Weeks
am e and Cruize in
Me-e- e T Barrow, Esq.—llistorical Details Rela-
tivelB4l, by John
to the Military Force of Great Britain—England's
Wooden 'Walls : the Vanguard—Personal Adventures
in Georgia, Circassia, and Russia, by Lieutenant-Col.
G. P. Cameron—Nights on the Fo'castle, by the Author
of " Ratlin the Reefer —A March and Detachment in
Ireland—Notes from the lonian Islands—Statistics of
the Recruiting Department—Distribution of the Army
and Navy; with all the Naval and Military Intelligence
of the Month.
RECENT OFFICIAL DEFALCATIONS.--It iS
the bounden duty of the Tory Government to provide
an effectual check against a repetition of the disgraceful
plunder recently practised by some of the black sheep
among those otherwise efficient public functionaries,
" the Official Assignees." No suggestion can be more
pertinent to the questions, or better deserving the atten-
tion, not only of the Government, but of every merchant
and tradesman in the kingdom, than those • contained in
the Sixth Edition of Mr. Jackson's "Check Journal," in
which he points out the most effectual method of pre-
Tenting forgery, fraud, and embezzlement.