The Sun.
London, England, 1847-10-20 00:00:00

WEDNESDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 20. 1847.

Mr. AUSTIN said that, having proceeded so far, the
next question was where these prisoners were to he
accommodated ? The sir( ,Idy (o:it;:ll: .4
larger number of prisoners than it was calculated
for; and he suggested that application should be
made to the Secretary of State to allow 20 female
prisoners to be removed to Brixton gaol to make room
for the County Court prisoners.
Mr. PECILLE hoped they would not think of send-
ing them to Brixton. The gaol was already so
full that the prisoners were sleepingithree in a bed.
Mr. BRISCOE said it appeared to bim that the Court
had already proposed more than they could carry into
effect. What was the use of asking the Secretary of
State to sanction the reception of a different class of
prisoners in the gaol, when there was no room in the
gaol to contain them? He hoped the judge of the
County Court would not press the point at the pre-
sent moment ; but the present state of matters was,
at all events, a strong argument for proceeding as
quickly as possible to erect their new gaol.
Lord LOVAINE said it appeared to him that the only
course to be pursued was to let Mr. Frazer commit
parties, if he pleased, and if the prison was so full
that it could not take them in, the governor should
refuse to do so. _ _ _

Mr. AUSTIN said that Mr. Frazer considered the
Act would be entirely inoperative if the power of
committal was not exercised, and he was determined
to try the question.
The CHAIRMAN said that on a former occasion,
when Brixton gaol was very much crowded by pri-
soners, the visiting justices made an application to
the Secretary of State, and he relieved the gaol bya number of prisoners ; and he sug-
similar course might be adopted at
dgisesctheadrgtihnagt a
Guildford.

The Court concurred in the suggestion of the
chairman, and a motion to that effect was put and
carried.

The committee appointed to superintend the erec-
tion of a central gaol for the county reported that
they had completed the purchase of some land for the
site of the building on Wandsworth-common, and the
necessary steps will therefore shortly be taken to
commence the new prison.
Som other routine business was then disposed of,
and the Court adjourned.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MAN SION-HOUSE.
Charlotte 111'Gee, a notorious petitioner of the hu-
mane, and an able assumer of characters calculated
to excite commiseration, was brought before the
Lord Mayor by Horsford, the officer of the Mendi-
city Society.
The prisoner, who has been several times appre-
hended and convicted as a common impostor, was seen
by Horsford dressed in deep mourning, and with a
widow's cap drawn closely over her head, and he had
no doubt that she had been calling upon some of the
charitable victims of the City for contribution. Her
husband, who was of the same profession, and, in all
probability, carrying it on within a street or two,
had been several times committed by magistrates,
but had not a quarter of the experience of common
gaols to which his wife could lay claim. The mo-
ment she saw the officer's face, than which she had
often said she would rather have seen the devil, she
ran into a public-house and managed to get rid of her
widow's cap, but was seized in possession of a peti-
tion, pathetic language the aid of the
benevolent,nclaiming in
andof a letter, of which the following,
which caused much laughter, is a copy. It was
directed to her husband, who is called Peter M'Gee,
alias Wood, alias Thompson :
" Castle Donnington, Sunday Evening.
" Dear Friends,—We hope these few lines will find
each of you in the enjoyment of good health, as it
leaves us all at present. We were from Birmingham
at the time your letter arrived there, or it would have
been answered before ; however, we hope this will
reach your residence before you leave. Give our
best respects to Mrs. Anderson, and tell her we are
very sorry to hear of her husband being in trouble
as well as others. We have been spending the day
in this delightful hole. Richard says you know it
well.
" We have been doing very well lately, thank God;
got a double fire from a lady, and two pounds from
another ou the same day. 'We have dropped on some
first-rate monkerry lately.
" We have got a capital receipt for hair-dye, which
Richard says he will sell you for a trifle. We expect
to be in Birmingham in about a week, and you can
address a letter to us at Joseph's, in Old Thomas-
street, where the old woman is still staying. With
best respects to all inquiring friends, we remain your
sincere friends,

" RICHARD and CHARLEY."
Horsford said he had ascertained, and he had re-
ceived the willing assistance of the police, that every
one of the signatures was fictitious, but he could not
find any one to whom she had applied on the day he
apprehended her.
A venerable gentleman who was sitting next the
Lord Mayor when the prisoner was put to the bar
said, " Why that woman got half a sovereign from
my wife some time ago at Brixton."
The prisoner—Ali, sir, you wickedly wanted to
inveigle me.—(Laughter.)
The LORD MAYOR said, no doubt women of the
villanous] trade followed by the prisoner would not
hesitate to make any charge, either for money or re-
venge. He much regretted that the evidence against
her fell short of conviction, but she should be watched,
and the heaviest punishment should certainly follow
her Conviction.
The prisoner—You shall never see my face again,
nor my husband's, if we once get out of the City.
The prisoner was then discharged.
GUILDHALL.
A RATHER UNPLEASANT JOKE.—Mr. Whitehorne,
a carman in a large way of business, residing in the
New-road, St. George's in the East, was placed at
the bar, charged with being a deserter from the
Scotch Fusilier Guards.
Corporal David Barclay, of the 2d battalion of
Scotch Fusilier Guards, stated that while walking
along Fleet-street the previous afternoon, he was ac-
costed by the prisoner, who said that at one time he
belonged to the same regiment, but deserted some
time ago. Seeing a policeman near, he considered it
his duty to give him into custody as such, and ace
cordingly did so.
Alderman GIBBS asked the corporal if Mr. White-
rfectly sober.
in liquor ? Corporal Barclay
:aid that when the prisoner
saidhcprnoehl
incen.ocnosni appeareddstear
bet
idoeibl
iem P
343
arrived at the station-house he declared it was all a
joke, for he never had been in the army.
Mr. Whitehorne here assured the magistrate that
a joking way, and that he had
plenty
he
natyofsaidwaspersonsin
who could prove that he had never
been a soldier, his ambition not at all taking that
direction.
A gentleman residing in Turner-street, Commer-
cial-road, here stepped forward and said that he had
known the prisoner since he was a child, and he at
present carried on his mother's business. So far
f rom
hadbeinga
and holy
horror for such deadly weapons as
they used.
Alderman Gißßs—Then you mean to say he only
gets courageous when in a certain state ?
Gentleman—Exactly so. After he has taken a
glass of wine he generally becomes most martially
inclined.—(Much laughter.)
Alderman GIBBS—WeII, I think after all the
trouble the soldier has been at, and the great care he
has taken of the prisoner, the least he can do is to
compensate him with ss. for his trouble.
Mr. Whiteborne smilingly assented to this arrange-
ment, and left the dock.
MARYLEBONE.
A profligate female, named Eliza Dutton, well
known to the officers of the various divisions of po-
lice, was placed at the bar before Mr. Broughton,
charged by police-constable 120 D, who stated that
at an early hour in the morning he found the pri-
soner very drunk, and using language of a most ob-
scene description, in Hyde Park-place; she was taken
into custody, and on the way to the station-house she
was exceedingly violent and abusive to the officers.
Mr. BROUGHTON asked if the pris9er was known
to have been in charge before ?
Inspector Hunt said he believed she had been
brought up at least twenty times.
Mr. Jones, the usher, observed that that was much
below the mark, as he was almost certain that she
had for years past spent somewhere about ten months
out of every twelve in the House of Correction.
The prisoneradmitted that her conduct had hitherto
been extremely bad, but she implored in tears that
the magistrate would look over her present offence,
as she had fully made up her mind to reform her
habits.
Mr. BROUGHTON said he could not look over her
conduct in this instance, but instead of sending her
for a month, ho should commit her for a fortnight only
to prison.
She was then removed and looked up by the gaoler.
MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
A PUGILIST.—John Crawley, a coarse bull-necked
fellow, wrapped in a borserug, which, with a piece of
torn shirt, was all the clothing he possessed, was
brought before Mr. Hardwicke, charged with having
created a disturbance at the Thistle and Crown public-
house, Thomas-street, done damage to the extent of
10s. and assaulted the police. •
The defendant, who belongs to what is called the
" ring," and who is well known at this office for his
indiscriminate assaults when provoked or drunk,
appeared to be still labouring under the effects of
drink.
Mr. Bird, the landlord of the public-house, said,
about eight o'clock that morning his wife came up to
him and told him the defendant had come into the
house quite drunk, was very quarrelsome, and insisted
on being served with a pint of ale. He told his wife
not to serve the man with anything, and she went
down stairs. He proceeded to dress himself as fast

as he could, well knowing the ruffianly character
Uf 11:3 ii, 4 i, 1 r
ll.' t;::. • ':;.:
screams of his wife for assistance. He ran down
stairs, and saw the defendant in the act of throwing a
quart-pot at his wife's head. He immediately laid
hold of the defendant, and with assistance got him
out of the house. The police were called, and after a
violent resistance the defendant was conveyed to the
station-house. The defendant had thrown several
quart-ports at Mrs. Bird, but they had fortunately
missed her, and had struck some bottles on the shelves,
and had broken them. The damage done amounted
to 10s.

The police-constable, who was called to take the
prisoner into custody, said the prisoner kicked him
severely about the lower part of the body.
The defendant denied the assault. He said he had
received a blow on the head from the handle of a
pick-axe some time ago, vs hich, whenever he took a
drop too much, made him mad. _ _

kr. lIARDWICK asked if the defendant was in the
same unclothed condition when he entered the public-
house.

The constable said the defendant was dressed, but
while in the station-house he had torn all his clothes
into pieces.

Sent to hard labour for one month.
WORSHIP-STREET.

A DANGEROUS CHARACTER.—An elderly man,
named Henry Leggett, was charged with attempting
to bite off the nose of Mr. John Hawke, a tradesman
in the City-road, and also with violently assaulting
several other persons.
It appeared that the prisoner entered the parlour of
a public-house in the Kingsland-rcad at about noon
that day, and commenced using most abusive lan-
guage to a number of decent working men, who were
quietly taking their dinner, and upon being requested
by the landlord to desist, made such a violent attack
upon him that he was obliged to call for assistance.
The complainant, Hawke, then came forward, and
was endeavouring in a conciliatory manner to induce
the prisoner to withdraw, when he instantly seized
him by the throat, which was much lacerated with
his nails, and with a rapid movement fastened his
teeth into his nose till it streamed with blood, and he
was forcibly dragged away by the bystanders. The
prisoner was then given into the custody of Police-
constable Sayer, who with great difficulty conveyed
him to the station.

Holland, the warrant. officer, stated that the prisoner
had been nearly a dozen times in custody upon
similar charges, and which, in two instances, were of
such an outrageous character that he was committed
for trial, and sentenced to lengthened terms of im-
prisonment.
The prisoner, in defence, said that he was unfor-
tunately subject to fits, and when under the influence
of excitement he lost all command over his actions.

Mr. HAMMILL said, that he was evidently a person
to he placed under strong restraint ; he should order
him to pay a penalty of 51, or be committed for one
month, at the expiration of which he must find sub-
stantial bail to be of good behaviour for the next
three months.

FROM THE LONDON GAZETTE OF

i ;T .7.

.:::2:111.;i:i1);_.1. 1'161..L):., F.', 1647.
The Duke of Cambridge has been ple.used to appoin
Henry Stanhope Illingworth, Esq., to be Joint Apothc,
cart' with Edward D. Moore, Lg., to his Royal High
ness's household.