The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-14 00:00:00

110LMIES V. SMITH.

Thir was an action brought to recover the sum of 81.45. sd.
for ref airs done to some carts alleged to belong to the de.
feudal] t, who was, until lately, a potato salesman in Spital.
tields market.

The defendant pleaded that he was not indebted, and the
evidence in support of that plea went to show that the busi-
ness tvelonged to Samuel Smith, the son-in• law of defendant,
whose name was painted on the cart, and who had actually
sold the carts, one of them to plaint ill' himself. On the other
hand it was proved the defendant had sold the goodwill of
the premises, and when his son-in-law sold the cart he gave
him in charge for stealing them, but did not follow up the
charle.ne.
The SECONDA.RY said the evidence was very loose, and if
Samuel Smith had been called he could have set the matter
at rent at once. In these family quarrels it was rather diffi-
cult to discover the rights of the respective parties.
The jury, some of whom said it was almost hopeless that
they 1;hould agree, suggested that they should be dismissed.
The SECONDARY said they must give a verdict.
After being locked up some time, they gave a verdict for
the plaintiff.

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY, March 13.
(Before Mr. Commissioner GOULBUR.N.)
IN RE WATTS.

Today was appointed for the last examination of this
bankrupt, who was formerly a linen and cotton factor in the
Old Jewry. His examination had been adjourned in con-
sequence of his ill health, which had prevented him from
making out his accounts.

Mr. LAWRENCE, the solicitor to the fiat, now stated that
the bankrupt was dead, and requested the Commissioner to
mak.; a record of the fact, so that the necessary steps might
be t.ken to carry on the proceedings under the fiat.
The LearnedCOMMIOSIONER said he did not see how he
could take the mere statement of the solicitor so as to make
any entry. In the case of Fauntleroy, the bunker, who was
executed on tile, very day he was to have attended, the Com-
missioner under the old system had male an entry that
.he bankrupt did not appear or send any excuse ; that
showed that even a matter of notoriety could not strictly be
received.

Mr; LAWRENCE said that no person who could positively
prove the death of the bankrupt was present, but a policy
of insurance had been paid.

The Learned CO3I3IIiSIONER said there could be no doubt
of the fact, but it would be as well to call a witness, so that
he might make a minute on the proceedings, to say it had
been satisfactorily shown to him that the bankrupt was dead

POLICE INTELLIGENCE,
MANSION-HOUSE.
A City policeman, named Samuel Tarrant, was charged
on Thursday before the Lord Mayor, under the following
remarkable circumstances :
Mrs. Taylor, the wife of a licensed victualler in Dark-
house-lane, stated that about twenty minutes before two
o'clock on Thursday morning, the prisoner and another man
came to the house and asked for two glasses of stout and a
pint of half-and-half. Witness served them, and the other
man took the pint of half-and-half outside the door, whde the
prisoner called to the servant girl, and asked whether he
could go to the back yard. As witness knew the other man,
and could depend upon him, a candle was given to the pri-
soner, who was told to go up a few stairs, and take the first
door to the left. Soon afterwards her suspicions began to
be aroused, and she went to the yard, but saw neither the
prisoner nor the candle. She then sent the girl up to a
double-bedded room on the second floor, which was the
only one unoccupied, and from what she heard
from that girl she sent for a person named Webb, who went
up to the higher floor, and found the prisoner in the dark in
the bed-room of her daughters, one of- whom was thirteen
and the other eight years of age. She did not know that
the prisoner was a policeman, as he was dressed in plain
clothes ; and as soon as Webb brought him down stairs she
said tis him, " You good-for-nothing man, what do yon
mean by going into my daughters' room, and putting out the
light you took up ?" To which he replied, " Well, what if I
did ? I asked your servant if you kept girls iu the house,
and she said ' Yes,' and gave me the light, and told me to
go to the top of the house." Witness told bins her house was
not of that description, and she would give him in charge,
which she accordingly did.
The prisoner upon his first appearance before the Lord
Mayor said, in answer to this accusation,—" I was
nearly drunk, my Lord; I was better than three parts
drunk at all events."
Upon the subsequent examination of the prisoner, Webb,
who stated that he was a boatswain, attended to give evi-
dence. He said that he went up stairs with the servant
girl at the request of Mrs. Taylor, who stated to him that
she had missed a man from twenty minutes to half an hour.
They then went to the next story, and saw the door of a
bed-room about a foot and a half open, and the prisoner close
to it inside in the dark. Witness took him by the collar and
brought him down stairs, but did not hear him say a word.
The servant girl confirmed the statements made by her
mistress and Webb; and said that upon going into the bed-
roont ie which the children lay, after the prisoner was ap-
prehended, she found the candle and candlestick upon the
washhand- stand near the door. The female children were in
bed together, and a boy, their brother, occupied a bed in a
distinct part of the room.
Mrs. Taylor, in answer to questions put to her by the Lord
Mayor, said that the beds of the children had notiebeen
teuched, and that nothing had been disturbed in any of the
rooms. The prisoner did not appear to be in the slightest de-
gree intoxicated.
The prisoner's solicitor contended that there was no ground
for supposing that the man had gone into the room with a
felonious intent, as the whole of his conduct was open and
unreserved. The probability was that he mistook the place
to which he we: directed to go; or, being fresh and amorous
he supposed in his cups, thought he could meet wit h the sort of
accommodation which could not be obtained in Mrs. Taylor's
house.
The LORD Matort— His object certainly could not have
been a good one, whatever it was. Such conduct, espe-
cially in a person whose assistance the public have a
right to expect, in a case of such a nature is, I consider,
very flagrant.
The prisoner's solicitor assured the Lord Mayor that his
unfortunate client had already been severely punished for
his indiscretion, for he had been dismissed from the force,
The Lon!) M Al-Olt—As that is the case I shall discharge
the prisoner, who certainly well deserved to be discharged
from the police.
The house is what is called a night-house for the ac-
commodation of the market-dealers, and is allowed to be
kept open during the greater part of the night. It is a
rule with the magistrates never to give permission of this
kind to an 3 house, the proprietor of which is not most
cautious as well as respectable.
MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
Edward While and William Flint, young men, dressed in
the garb of working engineers, were charged with being
concerned in the following robbery. About eleven o'clock,
on Thursday, ti e prisoner White entered the shop of Mrs.
Ann Lacy, Well-street, Oxford-Street, tobacconist, and asked
for some tobacco. While serving him, the other prisoner
came in, and asked also for some tobacco. They were acting in
concert, together, and they made every effort to confuse her.
While in the act of taking some silver from a bag, the
prisoner Flint rushed forward, and sna.ching the bag made
off with it ; and while waiting at this Court, before the
charges came on, she identified the prisoner Flint amongst
the crowd, waiting outside, and gave him into custody.
White was apprehended on the instant of the robbery.
The prisoners gave a very unsatisfactory account of them-
selves, and were remanded until to-morrow.
John Price and Henry Jackson, two young men, were
charged with stealing the hind check-braces from the car-
riage of Earl Ducie.
Between seven and eight o'clock on Thursday, William
West, police-sergeant 106 of the F division, saw the priso-
ners, whom he knew to be bad characters, in Drury-lane.
The Earl Dude's carriage passed, and the prisoners 'Janie-

diately jUmped up behind. Suspecting that their intention
was to commit a robbery, he followed the carriage, and in
Piccadilly, opposite to Si. James's church, the prisoners,
having unbuckled and secreted about their persons the hind
braces of the carriage, got down and were about making off,
when the police captured them. In their possession was
fund another set of carriage check-braces, which haye no
doubt been stolen. —R emanded.
MARY LEBOIV E.

COMMITTAL OF DR DE PRATI FOR EIGAMY.—On Thurs-
day Dr. De Prati, residing in Mortimer-street, Cavendish-
square, was placed at the bar for examination, before the
sitting magistrate, Mr. Long, on a charge of bigamy.
Mr. Humphrey's clerk intimated to the magistrate that
the parties were now desirous of withdraWing the charge.
Mr. Loves, in reply, observed that if the witnesses on the
former occasion, of the 12th ult., had spoken the truth, and
of which he could see no reason to doubt, he felt that it
would be his duty to send the matter before a jury.
The depositions taken on the 13th of February were or-
dered to be read over by the chief clerk, Mr. Fell.
This was done, and it appeared that on the. 23d of April,
1841, the prisoner was married at St. James's, Clerkenwell,
to Mary Anne Caroline Pocock, and that on the 3d of Ja-
nuary last he was married at All Souls' Church, Marylebone,
to a female named Mary Anne Melville.
The required proof as to both marriages was given, but the
second wife was not in Court. The charge was originally
preferred by Charlotte Pocock, a sister of the first wife, who
it was proved was living at the period of the last marriage.
The prisoner was committed for trial, and the magistrate
refused to accede to the application. of Mr. Clarkson that be
(prisoner) might be allowed to give bail for his appearance
at the Central Criminal Court.