The Sun.
London, England, 1847-01-04 00:00:00

THAMES.

CROYDON.

SINGULAR CHARGE OF FELONY AGAINST A DAUGH-
TER-IN-LAW OF THE LATE MR. CORBETT. - Mrs.
Blaney Blanch Cobbett, the wife of Mr. W. Cobbett, the
eldest son of the late well known Mr. Cobbett, was
brought before Messrs. Lucas and Wilkinson, the pre•
siding magistrates, charged, together with a lad named
Alfred Sims, with stealing an iron shutter-bar, the
property of Mr. Jesse Oldfield, the landlord of the Red
Lion Inn, Smitham Bottom.
It may be necessary to explain that Mr. Oldfield was
one of the executors of the late Mr. Cobbett, and for
several years proceedings have been going on in Chan-
cery between him and Mr. W. Cobbett, the husband of
the lady now under charge.
From the evidence of Mr. Oldfield it appeared that on
Friday evening, about seven o'clock, the boy Sims came
to his house and asked if Mr. Oldfield was at home.
He suspected that he had come to serve him with some
process, and he therefore inquired his name, and what
business he had with Mr. Oldfield ; and, upon his re-
fusing to tell him, he went into the parlour and shut the
door. He then heard a voice, which he believed to be
that of Mrs. Cobbett, say, " She would not be done,"
and that he had gone into the parlour, and an attempt
was made to force open the door, which be resisted. He
shortly afterwards heard a cry of " Murder !" and
" Police !" and on his coming out he found that Mrs.
Cobbett and the young man were gone, and he was in-
formed they had taken away the iron shutter-bar. lie
immediately went after them, first to the railway station
at Stoat's• nest, where he found that they had left the bar,
and he afterwards proceeded to the Croydon police sta-
tion, where he found them ; and it appeared that Mrs.
Cobbett had been making some complaint against him,
and he gave them both into custody upon the charge of
stealing the iron bar.
Mrs. Cobbett, in answer to the charge, said, that the
lad accompanied her to Mr. Oldfield's for the purpose of
serving a copy of a writ upon him, and she went to point
him out. When they went to the house, Mrs. Oldfield
came out with the iron bar in question, which she at
first thought was a 'gun, and made a rush at them with
it, and the bar fell between them, and struck her on the
heel, and if it had fallen upon her head it would in all
probability have killed her. She took away the bar
solely for the purpose of having it produced before the
magistrate, to whom she intended to apply for redress
for the assault that had been committed upon her.
Inspector Bilson, who took the charge at the station,
deposed that Mr. Oldfield first came to him and com-
plained that two persons had stolen a shutter bar,
and he wished to have the assistance of a policeman ;
and . a constable was accordingly sent out with
him to look for the parties. While they were gone, Mrs.
Cobbett and the lad came to the station-house, and the
former asked his advice how she was to act, saying that
she had been to serve the copy of a writ upon Mr. Old-
held, and that Mrs. Oldfield had thrown an iron bar at
h'er, which she had taken away, and left in the charge of
the clerk at the railway station. Mr. Oldfield at this
moment returned, and he charged the parties with
felony, witness telling him that if he made such a charge
he was bound to entertain it, but he must understand
that it would be upon his own responsibility, and Mr.
Oldtield accordingly gave them in charge for stealing
the iron bar.
Mr. LueAs—And have they been in custody ever
since ? Inspector—They have, sir. As Mr. Oldfield
made the charge, I had no alternative but to detain
them, although certainly, if bail had been offered, I
should have taken it, under the circumstances.
The MAGISTRATES, after a short consultation, said
they were of opinion that, as regarded Mrs. Cobbett,
there was not the slightest ground for the charge, and
they should, therefore, dismiss it as against her, and
allow her to be sworn and make a statement upon oath
in reference to the charge against the other defendant.
Mrs. Cobbett was accordingly sworn, and she re-
peated the statement she had made with respect to her
being attacked by Mrs. Oldfield with the iron bar, and
its being thrown at them ; and she stated that the lad
took the bar away by her direction, solely with a view
to its being produced before the magistrates.
The MA•ISTRATES then dismissed the charge agains
the boy, and the parties retired.

VERY INNOCENT FOR A THIEF.—A lad named
Thomas Johnson, a regular thief, being charged at the
Borough Court, on Wednesday, with stealing a box of
cigars from the shop of Mr. Goodman, Cooper-street,
made the following " innocent " statement to the magis-
trate in defence:—" I was coming up Tib-street, Sir, and
I heard a cry of Stop thief !' and a boy as near my size
and as like me as could be threw down this box of cigars
and I took them up, and then that man (Mr. Goodman)
took me into custoly!" The prosecutor stated that lie
saw the prisoner take the cigars, and he never lost sight
of him till he was taken.—Consrnitted to the sessions.—
Manchester Times.

NEW YEA n's-nAr.---Friday being New Year's-
day, the poor inhabitants of the several City parishes
had a supply of coals, bread, and other necessaries dis-
tributed among them by the respective parochial autho-
rities. The Ladies' Visiting Societies of St. Marylebone
and St. Pancras, in addition to their numerous gifts of
meat, bread, tea, sugar, oatmeal, coals, blankets, and
flannel clothing during the late inclement weather, have
ordered a further supply of coals to the poor inhabitants
This gift will make above 250 tons distributed this
winter. The parochial authorities of St. Mary-le-
Strand and the precinct of the Savoy, St. Clement
Danes, and St. Paul, Covent-garden, gave tickets for
bread and coals in their respective parishes. The
clergymen of the extensive parish of St. Mary,
Lambeth, distributed coals, bread, and oatmeal to the
poor of their respective districts. There were similar
gifts in other parishes, and a very large quantity of coals
were issued from the City kitchen, and by the inhabi
Rants of St. George's, Hanover-square.
A RARE LUNAR OCCURRENCE.—In the present
year there will be thirteen full moons—two in January,
not one in February—two in March, and one in each
succeeding month. A phenomenon of this kind will not
occur again for many years.

RESUMPTION OF THE SUNDAY TRAINS ON THE
EDINBURGH AND GLASGOW RAILWAY.—We stated be-
fore that the resumption of the Sunday trains on the
Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway was virtually settled,
and we have now the satisfaction of stating the grounds
upon which the public may rest assured that such will
be the case, as soon, at least, as a general meeting of the
shareholders takes place. The committee for Sunday
trains, we understand, have already received answers
from the proprietors of 15,000 shares favourable to the
re-commencement of the Sunday trains. The whole of
the shares in the concern amount to 35,000 or 36,000,
one-third of which arc in the hands of the bankers and
other parties who never vote or any question. It will
be found likewise, on referring to the proceedings of tl •
company, that the largest number ever represented in
any vote, on any question, was only about 10,000 shares.
It is quite evident, therefore, that the cause of the Sab-
batarians is hopeless, and that they have fairly miscal-
culated both the feeling of the country on the subject,
and the extent of their own influence, and notwith-
standing the extraordinary demand for single shares of
late, it is confidently believed that they will not muster
one share against the Sunday trains for every three or
four that will be brought forward in their favour.—Glas-
your Argils.
PROVISIONS FROM THE UNITED STATES.--The
Finland and Talisman, from New York, and Edward
Boustead, from New Orleans, were reported at the
Customhouse, Liverpool, on the 31st of December, with
4,670 barrels of flour, 28,421 bushels of Indian corn,
4,824 casks of lard, 474 barrels of pork, and 217 casks
of beef. a

remanded, and ordered him to be brought up on Satur-
day next.

---
THE REV. MR. KING AND THE MAGISTRATE.—The
Rev. B. King, rector of St. George's•in-the-Last, who
was complained of on Thursday by a man named Hair-
garty for refusing to perform the funeral service over the
body of his sister-in-law, came before Mr. Yardley to
complain of Haggerty's statement, and make a counter
one. The reverend gentleman, who appeared to labour
under a little excitement of feeling, held a peper in his
hand, and begin as follows :—" I complai❑ of the con.
duct of Mr. Yardley, the sitting magistrate on last
Thursday, respebing an c.z pure application made by a
person named Haggerty, an account of which appeared
in the Times newspaper of yesterday. The statement of
Haggerty-, that I refused to perform the funeral rites
over the body of his sister, is n ,thing but a tissue of
falsehoods. First, the verdict of the coroner's jury was
not ' Found drowned,' as stated by Haggerty, and I
have received from the registrar of deaths the true ver-
dict, which was, ' That the deceased threw herself
into the waters of the London Dock, but in what
state of mind she was in at the time there
was not sufficient evidence before the jury.' Secondly,
It was asserted that the corpse was brought into
the churchyard, and that I refused to perform the fu •
neral rites. That is false, entirely false. As soon as I
received the verdict I sent the parish clerk to the par
ties to inform them that I could not, consistently with
my sacred calling and the Christian feelings I possess,
perform the burial rites. Lastly, it was asserted that I
received a certain fee for the performance of the service
for the burial of the dead, and that I had refused to re-
turn it. That is entirely false. I never received any
fees, and knew nothing about them until I saw the ca:e
published in the Times.

Having finished reading his denial from the paper in
his hand, the rev, gentleman protested against the con-
duct of the magistrates in countenancinz the applica-
tion of a person, and allowing him to make a statement
prejucial to another in his absence. The system was a
most nefarious one, and ought not to be permitted. He
then handed to Mr. Yardley the paper he had been
reading from.
The MAGISTRATE declined receiving it, and said, Mr.
King, do you know who you are addressing? The Rev.
Mr. King (sternly)—No, I do not.
The MAGISTRATE—I am ➢ir. Yardley, and the person
you complain of, and whatever my conduct has been I
shall not condescend to acquit myself before a private
individual. I think any person of common sense on
reading the report you complain of would come to a
very different conclusion to the one you have arrived at.
I neither countenanced nor discouraged the application,
but it was my duty to hear it, and I could not ascertain
whether I had any jurisdiction in the case until the man
had made his statement, when I told him I could not
interfere. I might have stopped you before, but I al-
lowed you to vindicate yourself from any aspersions
you might think injurious.
The Rev. Bryan King—l complain of the magistrate
countenancing the publication of Haggerty's statement.
Mr. Yardley—I deny it, Sir; it's false!
The Rev. Bryan King—I beg your pardon, if the
case is inaccurately reported.
Mr. Yardley—I saw nothing in the Times report
which was incorrect or unfair, and I shall not listen to
anything more you say.
The reverend gentleman attempted to address the ma-
gistrate, but finding no attention paid to him he hastily
withdrew.