The Sun.
London, England, 1840-09-04 00:00:00

LAMBETH-STREET.

EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE. - Yesterday, George
Beer, alias Thompson, alias Cumming, alias Wilson,
alias Sbephcard, a middle-aged man, of rather respect-
able appdaranec, was placed within the felon's bar, be-
fore Mr. Bingham, charged under Sir Robert Peel's
Act, 7 and 8 Geo. IV., c. 29, sec. 8, " with accusing
one Harriet Reed, the wife of Richard Reed, with a
crime punishable by law with transportation, that is to
say, the crime of stealing from him his purse, con.
taining thirteen sovereigns, on Wednesday, the 19th of
August last."

Mr. Pelham, who appeared for the prosecutor, after
stating the precise terms of the charge against the pri-
soner, proceeded to say that it would be in the recol-
lection of the Bench that on Wednesday, the 19th day
of last month, Mrs. Harriet Reed, the wife of a respect-
able master mariner, residing at 11, Bedford.strect,
Commercial road East, had been brought to this office
in custody, with her daughter and niece, and charged
by the prisoner with stealing from his person a pur=e,
containing thirteen sovereigns ; and, after hearing the
statement of the man now at the bar on that occasion,
he (Mr. Bingham) was pleased to remand Mrs. Reed,
or, at all events, to detain her.
After Mrs. Reed had been examined, she was re-
moved to one of the cells, or strong rooms, where she
was visited by one of the ushers of the Court, who,
notwithstanding her strongest declaration of perfect
innocence of the infamous charge made against her,
strongly urged her to settle the matter. She again
exclaimed against the gross injustice of being compelled
to pay a sum of money for an act of which she was
perfectly innocent, and ohterved that her doing so
might be construed into an admiselon, Still, however.
the officer pressed her to settle the matter ; and, al-
though her house had been previously thoroughly
searched by the officers belonging to the metropoliOn
police, he (the usher) proceeded then with the niece of
Mrs. Reed, and searched it with the greatest scru-
tiny ; but he did not succeed in finding anything
calculated to fix the slightest guilt upon the ac-
cused. On his return the usher Shelswell again vi-
sited Mrs. Reed, who during this time remained locked
up, and again urged her to make up the money, or
give security for its payment to Beer, the complainant.
She again complained of the great hardship and injustice
of doing so while she was innocent of the-charge. Shels-
well, upon this, told her that if she did not do so she
would be certain, in the first instance, of being re-
manded and locked up for a night, as the complainant
was going into Kent for that time ; that on his return
he would appear against her, and the result would be
that she would be committed to the Old Bailey, and in
all probability be transported. By this species of inti-
midation, which he (Mr. Pelham) must say was highly
improper on the part of an officer, and while under ab-
solute duress; his client, Mrs. Reed, at length consented
to ply the money, and her niece having brought her a
receipt for some money which she had lodged in the
London and Westminster Bank, she proceeded to that
establishment with Shelswell, and drew out 13:., which
she paid over to that officer, together with 10s. for him-
self for his trouble and ss. for the policeman in the case ;
and, having done this, was discharged on the same evening.
Fortunately for the ends of public justice, the circum-
stances of the case obtained publicity, and the conse-
quence was the assemblage round Mrs. Reed of a num-
ber of friends who were thoroughly acquainted with the
former exploits and extraordinary character of the pri-
soner. An application had been made to him (Mr.
Pelham) on the subject, and during the inquiry which
he found it necessary to make he had discovered suffi-
cient, he felt persuaded, to satisfy the Magistrate that
the prisoner was not entitled to belief upon his oath, and
that the charge made against Mrs. Reed was the result
of a conspiracy, and had been concocted to plunder that
lady of the 131. said to be lost. He (Mr. Pelham) had
first traced the prisoner paying his addresses to a re-
sleet able young woman in the service of a gentleman in
the Borough, as a single man, though at the time he
appeared to have been married. This young woman,
under the promise of marriage, he succeeded in seducing,
and she, in order to furnish a residence for their recep-
tion, made free with sonic of her master's property, and
for this he had been tried with his victim, and sentenced
to a period of imprisonment in Horsemonger-lane Gaol.
Seseral similar acts reflecting great discredit on the
accused were stated by Mr. Pelham, who amongst
ether_ charzes I I aid he would be able on a future day
to prove the fact of his having been brought there with
his brothers on a charge of fcloay, in stealing plate from
the Phoenix Tavern.

Mrs. Harlot Reed was then called and examined.
Her evidence fully bore out the statement of her soli-
citor, Mr. Pelham. Afterw.trds
Mr. BINGIIAM obst•rved that in her evidence state,
'vents were made affecting the conduct of an officer of
that Court ; but as he could not think of giving a judg-
ment on ex parte statements, he would at present re.
Frain from offering any opinion on that part of the case,
but would investigate it after the case against the pri-
soner had terminated.

Mrs. Reed was cross-examined at some length, ut
nothing material was elicited.
Anne Dye, the niece of Mrs. Reed, and Hariette
Eliza Reed, her daughter, were examined at some
length ; but the evidence was merely corroborative of
the former witness.

Police-constable William Butch, 107 K, said that on
the night of the alleged robbery he partially searched
the person and thoroughly searched the house of Mrs.
Reed, but could not find the purse or money.
In reply to a question from Mr. Pelham, he said he
hal, made such a search as to enable him to swear that
no such thing could be concealed in the house or pre-
mises without his finding it.
A female, who searched the prisoners at the station-
house with great care, swore she had only found a few
pence on them.

Mr. BINGIIA M said it was impossible he could get
through the case that day, and he should, therefore, ad-
journ it to a future day ; and, in the interim, would ad-
mit the prisoner to bail, in two sureties of 100/. each,
and himself in 2001.

THE NEW BISIIOP OF CIIICIIESTER.—We
have heard from a person likely to be well informed, that
Dr. Hampden, the Regius Professor at Oxford, will be
appointed to the vacant see.
The officers and servants of the Zoological So-
ciety have been thrown into much alarm by the sudden
disappearance of William Lewis, one of the oldest ser-
♦ants, and for fourteen years the messenger to that esta-
bli3hment. He had been, as usual, to the bankers, from
whom he received the amount of a check, which he faith-
fully accounted for, and having left the museum has never
since been heard of. It is feared that the unfortunate
man, who was much respected by the officers and members,
has committed suicide, as no cause can be assigned for his
absence.

The number of visitors to the Zoological Gar-
dens in the month of August was 16,248, from whom up-
wards of 6101, was taken. There has been no addition to
the menagerie of importance, with the exception of a
moufflon, from Sir Augustus Foster, of Berlin. The
most important present to the museum was a very rare
spaniel dog, from Malta, with long flowing hair, brought
to Malta by some of the tribes from Jerusalem, where it
was presented to the Queen Dowager, by whom it was
again given to the Duchess of Kent, who presented it to
the Sojety. The animals at the gardens are in good
health.

DISCOVERY OF CoINs.-A gold refiner, in
the neighbourhood of Clerkenwell, lately purchased a
quantity of old gold and silver, and, on examining his pur.
chase cloiely, after the person who had sold them had
gone, he found amongst it some extremely rare Greek
and Roman coins in a very fine state of preservation,
amongst them were three Vespasians, two Julius Caesars,
and one Titus ; there were also some curious English ones
amongst them, particularly one Alfred, several William
Rufus, Stephen, Richard 1., &c. Whether these are the
produce of some late robbery of some collector or not we
cannot state; the purchaser says the seller Was a most re-
spectable looking man,

-
THE BRITISH QUEEN.—An elegantly-shaped
gold snuff-box, richly decorated, has been presented by the
Chairman and Directors of the British and American
Steam Navigation Company to Mr. Edward Paterson, the
chief engineer of the British Queen, as a mark of their' ap-
probation of his conduct as an officer and his skill as
an
engineer. The device at the top represents the British
Queen; at one end of the device underneath is a figure of
Father Thames, and at the other the arms and motto of
America. surmounted by the eagle and stars of the several
States, between which is a rich medallion of scroll work,
with the British Queen sailing between the two countries.
Around the sides are introduced parts of the steam engine,
with American birds arranged among the scrolls. There
is also an inscription appropriate to the circumstances under
which this gratifying testimonial was presented.
The birth-day of Prince Albert was celebrated
at indsor in a very delicate manner. As soon as the
Prince arose in the morning, her Majesty suggested to
his Royal Highness that as this was his birth-day, they
should breakfast together at Adelaide-lodge, about half
a mile from the Castle, and at the end of the slopes in the
Home Park. The Prince and the Queen accordingly
proceeded thither ; but the surprise of his Royal High-
ness may be imagined when he perceived, on his arrival
at the lodge, that not only the moat elegant and gratifying
preparations had been made by the Queen's commands to
receive him, but that the whole of her Majesty's distin-
guished visitors, and all the members of the Royal house-
hold, were there awaiting his arrival, to offer his Royal
Highness their warm congratulations on the anniversary
of his birth-day. The children of the Prince and Princess
Hobenlohe, who were attired in elegant fancy costume,
strowed flowers before her Majesty and the Prince on
their entering the lodge. As soon as breakfast was over,
the Royal and distinguished• party returned to the Castle,
...—BrOton Gazette,