The Sun.
London, England, 1823-04-08 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE.

s3ow-STREET.--Yesterday Lord Prudhoe waited upon Sir
IL Brawsu, accompanied by a man named William Martin,
wlio, his Lordship said, was desirous of communicating some
adventures of rather an extraordinary nature, which he stated
to Neve befallen him while at sea on a voyage from Shields to
LOndon. -
Martin was desired to tell his own story, and he began with
stating that he had been more than 20 years in the service of
Si D. W. Smith, Bart. in Northumberland. About a fort-
ni ht ago, in consequence of some disagreement between him
i
an his master," they separated, and being anxious to get to
London as cheaply as possible, he hastened to Shields,,where
he'engaged a passage on board a trader, but she sailed without
him iii consequence of his being a little too long in leave4aking,
and he would ha-ve lost his trunks had not a bout belonging to
the Customs brought them ashore fore him. While standing
on'the beach ruminating upon his misfortune, and the best
mode of remedying it, the Hope, a fine north country brig,
bopnd to London, hove to off the harbour. He put off to her,
engaged with Captain Rutherford, who commanded her, for
his passage, and got his trunks on board. Captain Rutherford
requested him to go below when they were about to put to sea,
but he objected, observing that the want of air, added to the
motion of the, vessel, would disorder his stomach. The Captain,
however, insisted upon it, and said he would explain the rea-
son another time. He went below, and shortly after they.
had put to sea, he heard the sound of female voices in the
next birth. He heard them at intervals that day and the
next,- and on the second night, at a very late hour, he was
dreadfully alarmed at healing the same female voices (he
judged there were three or four) supplicating for mercy,
and imploring, that whatever else might be done to them,
their lives might be spared. • To these supplications a man's
voice replied. ' It's of no use, you must submit to your fate t"
Shrieks followed this awful declaration—a emit& was heard,
and' all again was silent for a tune ; but he afterwards heard
heavy steps ascend the " stairs" to the deck. He lay all this
time sweating with horror at every pore, but fearing to make
any stir, lie remained in his birth until morning. When he
went upon.deek, he looked fearfully at the Captain and crew,
but said nothing, because lie thought they would have littlak
hesitation in getting rid of him if they should discover the ex.
tent of his knowledge. At breakfast he obterved that they
looked " queerly" at him, and sundry obscure hints were thrown
out ;. the Captain, for instance, remarking " that the old lady
had walked farther that night than she had- done since they had •
left Shields"--an observation which he had no doubt applied ,
to one of the unfortunate women he had heard. At length,
overcome with terror, he-threw himself on his knees and.begged
them only to spare his life and he would give them all he had
in the world : upon which they seized him by the arms andlegs,
dragged him into the hold, and fastened him with his back
to the mast, in which position they kept him until they arrived '
in London, when they set him on shore. He went to Northum.
berlancl-house, where lie was known to all the servants, and
Lord Prudhoe' who also knew him in Northumberland, and
who happened to be at his Noble Brother's, kindly advised an
application at Bow-street.
The applicant told this story without hesitation or wander-
ing, but with childish minuteness, and there was a singularity
about his manner which gave rise to a strong suspicion that
the strange tale was but the offspring of a disordered ima-
gination.
Sir R. Bream? after questioning Martin very closely, sent
Bishop with him into a private room, and that Officer, after a
feW minutes' conversation, expressed his opinion that he was
deranged. Bishop and lipston, another Officer, were, how.
ever, sent to the brig at Wapping, and returned in the after.
noon with Captain Rutherford, a blunt Scottish seaman, with a
countenance full of good-nature, who, when told of the charge,
could not refrain from laughing heartily. Ile assured the Ma-
gistrate that Mr. Martin was the oddest customer he had ever
met with, either at sea or ashore. He had not been on board
the brig many hours before he began to walk the deck at a fu-
rious pace, an exercise which he continued for four days and
nights, in spite of fogs and heavy rains. He (Captain Ruther-
ford) thought every moment he would throw _himself everboard,
andhdoinfir,syalaipotie.itiaitdeenoviunirsiisoestrnoctonhaiaeentxngbeetdthathi e suddenly threw himself on his knees
spread out some bank-notes and silver upon the capstan, and
geoheti :gent
eitiltpbibebileyntoultowfitwwhaoltsluialulehyds
iieingo
ofatogitaireskedehtie;fluilasiilisietnsto}::?aelautnoinpdlnedose wasl money and
he
anaesa
konsdtdld.neiwfndee
tthaae nicerarr
aee:
broad piece of leave to
liberty. This was done entirely, with a view to preserve him
from-harm; awl in order that lie might be as comfortable as
possible, he supplied him with a bottle of liquor and a pipe of
tobacco, for both of *hick he had manifested a strong liking.
His food was sent regularly to him with plenty of good ale, and
at night he'suitbred him to sleep In his (Captain Rutherford's)
own birth.
Sir It. BITUTIZ.—But where are the women, Captain ?
Captain Rutherford.—l suppose they are stowed away some-
where about the ship, Sir, for I have never seen them.
Sir R. Biftstre asked what old lady it was he was talking
about one morning, and the Captain gave an explanation which
created no small merriment. He said, he called his brig " The
Old Lady," and sometimes he was so rude as to designate her
" The Old B—h !" On the night in question, they had made
better way than before.
Sir R. BzniezE dismissed the matter altogether, and advised
Martin to keep himself quiet, or he Might get into trouble.

WORM IP-STREET.—..HOL YWELL-MOTINT BURIAL-
Gaon); D.—The same anxiety prevailed yesterday for the open-
ing and application for that purpose was made to
W m. BENNETT, Esq., the presiding Magistrate, who, in con.
sideration of their distressed feelings, permitted the relatives to
enter the ground and satisfy their dreadful anxiety. In conse-
quence, the crowd, consisting of many thousands, kept thfbng.
ing through the gateway, and as many graves were opened as
on any preceding day. The remains of those who had been
consigned to the earth eighteen months ago were dug up for the
satisfaction of their friends, and it was a great comfort to their
minds ; for, we believe, there was only one instance yesterday
of the sought-for body being taken away. •
Before Mr. BEvgri• left the office, he desired it might be
understood by the applicants for admission to open the graves,
that they would be- allowed to do so till four o'clock, that after-
noon, and no longer. He thought sufficient time had been
granted to satisfy all persons, and it was highly necessary there
should be a limit to this. extended indulgence, otherwise there
would be no end to the opening of graves. It was also observed
by the officers, that one coffin had been opened three times
and they believed there was not a spot left in the whole burial.'
ground which had not been disturbed for the examination of
bodies beneath. They also stated, that so many of the coffins
had been opened, &putrid effluvia arose from the ground, which
was not only offensive in the highest degree, but dangerous to
the Mafitudeinyho.visited the place.

NastsioN-Hotrat.—Two well-dressed men, named Thal.
ker, who al.e well known asjitislt coveys, as the thieves desig-
nate the upper order, or more, desperate of their trade, were
charged' upon suspicion of having broken into and robbed the
premises of Mr. Grace, a respectable hatter in the neighbour,
hood of OxfOrd4oad, of nine dozen of hats some ladies'
bonnets, and two looking glasses,. on the'9th of March.
Mr. Cope, the Marshal, stated, that in consequence of in-
formation which) he had received on the subject of the reb-
bery, he Went to the lodgings of the prisoners, and upon
searching, found two new hats, which were produced in the
Justice-room. . -

Mr. grace said, that on the 9th of March his house had been
opened with picklock keys, and robbed to the extent specified.
lie identified one of the hats as his workmanship, but said that
the lining of it had been changed. The other hat was not'his.
The prisoner very confidently asserted' that they were honest
Men, and had purchased the hats. They expressed much in-
dip;nation at being suspected of such mean'pursuits as that of
robbing a hatter, but upon a subsequent examination they drop-
ped the lofty tone.
Mr. Cope requested that the Lord Mayor would postpone the
Case on account of some serious charges against the prisoners,
of which he had been apprised. Upon searching the privy at
the lodgings of the prisoners, he .found a plated coffee-pot-,
with the Goldsmiths'-hall mark • upon it, and he expected to
make further discoveries in the same place. The .prisoners Were
remanded.

SUDDEN CUALLENGE.—As M r. Ito lIERT BAKER,
of Heyden, Essex, was on his way to Hert-
ford market, on -Saturday last, he was sud.
denly surprised by' Mr. N. V. STEELE, of Bark.
way, alerts, surgeon (who, it is supposed, 'Was
in wait for him) ; the latter presented the
former with a pistol, at the same time having
another in Weiland. So theatrically was this done,
that the former gentleman (both having been on
friendly terms) thought it a joke, and began to
laugh most heartily. He, however, was soon
undeceived, for the latter began belabouring the
former with his horsewhip suns coehNnic, and
both separated, taking opposite directions. This
subject is refelred already to the gentlemen of
the long robe.—(Doichister Gatettc.)