The Sun.
London, England, 1848-09-18 00:00:00

SEPTEMBER 18, 4848.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE':
MANSION--HO USE.
Mrs. Ann. Batt, the owner or the hor.te No. 19. Mid:-
lcribuy, and alb.) of' Ole No. 6, B.)vd-eourt,
swrala.,re.l by f„,,v, c.,,,er5,,r,3 of the pari,il of
St. Sieoheo, Wzi.ll32;),At, for aqd neg!,
poe.,r-raks, du© upon ttv;.) houses, to the urpoutit, of
251. 10.1.

Mr. Maninie, the collector of the poor-rates, attended
with the overseers, and proved that several ineffectual ap-
plications had been made to Mrs. Batt for payment of the
rate, but sho excused herself upon the ground that the
parish was largely indebted to her.

A person Wilo- attended on the part of Mrs. Batt re-
presented the lady as being unable to obey the summons
in consequence of indisposition, and handed in the fol-
-I.)vring communication, signed by her son:—

"Sept. 16.
"My Lord,—Mrs. Batt (the sextonesa of St, Ste-
phen's, Walbrook), being summoned to appear before
you this•day to answer the complaint of the churchwar-
dens and overseers for nut paying the poor.rstoa, I wish
to inform you of the facts relating to the reasons of not
paying. . _ • _

"The churchwardens are in debt to her nearly 5001.
for supplying the church with every necessary article
for these last five years, viz., for coals, candles, sacra-
ment wine, making and washing surplices, paying man
for bell-ringing, and every other article too numerous to
mention. The bills having been sent to the church-
wardens, and not being able to get one farthing from
them, I think, my Lord, you will not insist upon her
paying the poor-rates till she receives some part of the
large amount owing to-her from the parish. She has
not the least objection to the claimed rates being de-
ducted from her bills, or will settle the amount when she
receives the moneys from the parish, if they will give
her credit till that time.

" There is property to the amount of about 700/. per
annum belonging to the parish, and if the moneys were
properly managed there would be no occasion for any
rates at all, as there have not been any for the last 20
years. Hoping you will take the facts into your kind
consideration, I beg to be
" Your Lordship's humble and obedient servant,
"(For. ANN BATT), CHARLES BATT.
19, Bucklersbury.
" N.B. My mother is seriously ill with the rheumatic
gout, which prevents her attending the court."
The collector submitted that the overseers of the poor
had nothing to do with the debt to which Mrs. Batt had
alluded, and that as it was compulsory upon them to
raise the rate, they had no alternative but to apply to
his Lordship fora warrant against the defendant.
The LORD MAYOR—It seems that there is a large
amount of money due to her by the parish. Are you
aware that such is the fact?

One of the Overseers—lf she have any claim it is
against the churchwardens, and not against the over-
seers of the poor. We have a very considerable rate to
collect by the end of the month, and this refusal is likely
to he au impediment to that collection. The guardians
of the por will not wait ; they will expect a punctual
supply.

The LORD MAYOR—I really cannot think of ordering
a warrant in such a case as this. What I compel a per-
son to pay 251. to the parish when the parish owes her
twenty times that amount ?

The Overseer—What course are we to pursue in such
a case ? The application for a mandamus to compel
your Lordship to -Kraut the order will be attended with
considerable expense, and we very much dislike such an
alternative.

The LORD MAYOR—You must take your own course.
It is better that all the facts relative to the alleged debt
to Mrs. Batt should come out.

The overseer—l am placed in a most disagreeable
situation, being under the obligation to find upwards of
5001. for the support of the poor by the end of the
month. I have but lately come into the parish, and I
am scarcely in it when I find myself one of the over-
seers.

The LORD MAYOR —I admit that is a bard case, but
look at the situation of this poor woman. She has been,
it appears, in the parish for many years, and the parish
is indebted to her upwards of 5004, and she cannot get
one farthing of it. How can it be supposed that I would
issue a warrant in such a case? Cannot the parish
authorities come to some arrangement on the natter?
The Overseer—She has her remedy against the
churchwardens. To the overseers, I assure your Lord-
ship, this a very disagreeable task.
The LORD MAYOR—I have no doubt of it. Ido not
by any meanS question your humanity; on the contrary,
I am sure you perform your duty with the most kindly
feelings. But it would be both cruel and unjust to press
upon this poor woman for the payment of money to the
parish when the parish is her debtor in twenty times the
amount.

The Overseer—We do not know that the money is
due to Mrs. Batt.

The person who represented Mrs. Batt here stated
that he could bring the bills to his Lordship to prove
that the whole amount mentioned by her was due, and
she had not the slightest objection to pay if she got part
of the debt.

The LORD MAYOR—I suppose she has not the money
to pay- the rates.
Mrs. Batt's representative—She certainly has not.'
The Overseer—But, my Lord, we, the overseers of
the poor, have nothing to do with her claims, and the
guardians will certainly look to us, in whom delay is a
transgression of the law.
The LORD MAYOR—What has become of the 7001. a
year, of which Mrs. Batt speaks in her letter as belong-
ing to the parish ? The Overseer—That I believe is in
Chancery. We have nothing to do with it, and know
nothing about it.

The-LoaD MAYOR—You surely had better suspend
your coarse of proceedings for the payment of this de-
mand until that matter is decided. This poor woman is
not able to pay, and I shall not compel her unless a man-
damus compels me. If you choose to adopt that course,
do; it will the thing to a point.
The Overseer—The guardians of the poor may seize
upon my property if I fail in the collection ; and other
parishioners may, as they have already threatened to
do, refuse to pay the demands upon them, in conse-
quence of the non-enforcement of the obligation upon
Mrs. Batt.

The LORD MAYOR—Not one of the parishioners has
the same ground of refusal. We have had instances of
refusal here from other persons in the parish, but they
did not hold out long. Every one of them soon paid.
But I thought, everything was on the point of being
settled in the parish, and that litigation was at an end.
The Overseer—We are informed that Mr. Rock and
Mr. Flight, who have all the money in their hands, re-
fuse to have it settled. They call themselves the church-
wardens, and Mrs. Batt ought to apply to them. It is
our anxious wish that there should be no more litigation;
but if your Lordship has made up your mind upon the
subject, why I do not see that we can help applying to a
judge for a mandamus.
The LORD MAYOR—I most' assuredly have made up
my mind. I must of courso obey a mandamus, but I am
greatly mhtaken if any judge will grant you one under
such circumstances.

Application for a warrant was then formally refused,
but the LORD MAYOR aain expressed his conviction that
the overseers of the parish performed their duties in the
most humane and at the same time the most efficient
manner.

GUILDHALL.
Nicholas Locke, in the service of Mr. Edward Boyle,
of 48, Parringdon-street, at the corner of Holborn-hill,
was placed at the bar, charged with having robbed his
employers to a considerable extent.
Mr. Boyle said, that being convinced that he was
robbed by some one he began to watch, and the previous
evening saw the prisoner come out of the private door of
his (witness's) house with a large bundle under his arm.
He was immediately given into custody, and was taken
back to the house, when the bundle was found to contain
goods to the amount of 51. 14s. He afterwards, in com-
pany with the constable, went to the prisoner's lodgings
at Spring-row, Wandsworth, and there found some other
goods, consisting of flannels, stockings, and handker-
chiefs, which had been missed ; and he likewise dis-
covered that he was a married man with a family, which
he was not aware of before, as the prisoner slept on the
premises. • •
Sir P.-LAURIE asked in what capacity he was em-
ployed? Mr. Boyle said, as shopman. Ile had received
a good character of him from a tradesman in Holborn,
and as he appeared to be anxious to get on he at once
gave him the situation, but for the future he should be
more cautious.

Sir P. LAURIE asked what amount of property Mr.
Boyle thought he had lost? Mr. Boyle though he had
been robbed to the amount of between 704 and 801.

Sir P. LAURIE asked what was' found on the prisoner
besides the parcel alluded to? Mr. Boyle replied, that
some cards belonging to several " sweeps" held at public-
houses were found in his possession., and from what the
wile.had told him- respecting-the time at which he gave
her money, he had no doubt that the produce of the rob-
beries had been expended in such lotteries.
Sir P. LAURIE said he did not know anything more
injurious to the interests of society than these sweep-
stakes, which had now become general throughout the
country, and-which held out inducements to the foolish,
not only to embark their money in .a speculation where
the odds were so much against them, but to incite them
to go still further, and make away with their employers'
property, in the hope that they might at one time or an-
other be the " lucky individual;" and thus they went
on, step by.step, nail they were placed in the position of
the prisoner, a position which placed his family in a pre-
carious situation, and by which he bad lost his character.
The prisoner was remanded.
BO IV-STREET:
Witham Frazer, a well-dre.ssed, respectable looking
man, about 50 years of age, was brought up for final ex-
amination on several charges of swindling tradesmen in
the metropolis. The prisoner declined giving his address.
• The first case heard .was the following :---Mr. A.
Morgan, a hosier, in Middle-row, llolborn, stated on
Friday evening week, about seven o'clock, the prisoner
came to his shop and ordered a quantity of goods, in-
cluding shirts, handkerchiefs, and gloves, to the amount
of 31. 78. 6d., saying that they were for his brother, who
was going out of town. He added that he should also
want some shirts himself, but would call again respect-
ing them.. Witness asked his address, when he gave
him a card bearing the name of Henry Mooreton,
George Tavern and Chop-house, Brook•street, 11,1 bare,
giving witness to understand that he was the landlord,
and directing that the goods should be sent immediately.
Ilent•y Young, shopman to Mr. Morgan, stated that
on the evening in question his master gave him a parcel,
with a bill for 31. 7s. 61, directing him to take it to the
George Tavern, and tellir'e him to wait for the money.
On arriving at the tavern he found the prisoner stand-
ing by the side of the bar, without a hat and reading the
paper. He appeared to be the landlord of the heuse.
He asked witness if he had brought some goods from
Mr. Morgans's, and on receiving an answer
in the affirmative, ho asked witnese into the
parlour and offered him a glass of stout. Witness de-
clined the stout, and asked the prisoner how ho found ,

husintso. The prisoner, with a aigh and a shake of the
head, replied, " I don't find it all." Ho then kicked at
the bill, and said he would fetch a pen and ink in order
that witness might receipt it, but witness said he had a
pencil, and could receipt is with that: The prisoner
said he had htst. have a pen end ink, and, taking np
Ino parc(l under. his are), wailed out, closing the pae-
lour-dor after him. Witness, hoWever, suspecting that
all was not right, opened the tkor a little way, and saw
the prisoner, with his hat on, walking cut of the house.
lie immediately, pursued him, and caught sight of him
running down Fox-court, Gray's Lin-lane. He over-
took him at the end of the court, when the prisoner said
he was coming back directly to the George. Witness,
however, caught him by the collar and seized the parcel,
upon which the prisoner made a blow at him, which he
warded off. He then twisted witness's arm, and pinched
a piece out of his hand in his endeavours to make him
let go, but witness succeeded in detaining him and tak-
ing him over to Mr. Morgan's shop, where he com-
plained of having a sprained ancle. He said he was
very lame when he ordered the goods, but when he was
runuing in Fox-court he appeared to be perfectly sound
in both legs. Ile was given into custody in the shop.
Mr. Moreton, landlord of the George, proved that the
prisoner was never landlord of the house, and had no
authority to order the goods.
The next case was precisely similar as to the facts,
except that the prisoner had got clear off with the goods,
which were worth nearly 31. He had ordered them from
Mr. Joy, a hosier, in Westminster-road, and represented
himself as landlord of a public-house in Canterbury-
place, Belvedere.road, to which house Mr. Joy's as-
sistant took the goods, and found the prisoner, without
his hat, reading the paper. Ile took the goods from
the assistant, saying, he must show them to his brother,
but of course at ter the young man had waited until he
was tired he discovered that his customer had fled.
There was one other case heard, in which he had
defrauded a Mr. Williams, a hosier, in Blackfriars-
road, to the amount of 3/. 9,. 3d. in a precisely similar
manner.

F 58, who had taken the prisoner into custody, said,
he bad been three times convicted, and on the present
occasion he had no less than seven clear cases against
him.

Mr. HENRY thought that three cases would be quite
sufficient to send before a jury, and the witnesses being
bound over to prosecute,
The prisoner was committed for trial on the cases
above mentioned.
MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
James Waller Gardner, of 43, Great Portland -street,
a well-dressed man, who has passed under the names of
E. H. Green, Straubenzee and Co., Rutter and Co., and
several other names, and who calls himself a bill dis-
counter, was brought up for further examination,
charged with having stolen a bill of exchange for
2001, the property of Mr. 'William Barnwell, of Jer-
ilyn-street, under pretence of getting it discounted.
The prisoner has been long known in the discounting
world, and his apprehension created a good deal of inter-
est in those quarters in which he was more particularly
known.

Mr. Redpath, of the firm of Dean, Leeks, and Red-
path, St. Swithin's-lane, on behalf of the City of London
Protection Society, attended to prosecute. Mr. nobler
appeared for the prisoner.
The prisoner, it appeared, obtained information by
some means that did not transpire, that the prosecutor
was in want of temporary accommodation. Thinking
this a good opportunity, he wrote a letter to the prose-
cutor, stating that he could accommodate him by dis-
counting his bill. The prosecutor answered the letter,
and ultimately an interview was obtained with the pri-
soner, when the latter, by his plausible manner, and re-
presenting that he had a large cash account at Messrs.
Coutts', succeeded in getting possession of the prose-
cutor's bill for 2001., on the promise of bringing him the
money in a few hours. This promise, of course, the
prisoner never intended to perform, and the prosecutor
saw no more of the prisoner until Tuesday last, when
he met him in Albany-street, Regent's-park. He im-
mediately demanded the prisoner to restore the bill.
The prisoner said he had not got it, and begged, for God's
sake, that the prosecutor would not expose him, and
Promised that the bill should be returned to him. The
prosecutor, however, turned a deaf ear to the prisoner's
protestations, called a constable, and gave him in charge.
The only additional evidence produced this day was that
of Mr. James Allan Green, clerk in Messrs Coutts'
banking-house, who proved that the prisoner never had
an account with them in the name of Green. He also
stated, that to the best of his recollection he never saw
the prisoner before in his life.

solicitor, whose name did not transpire, said, he
attended on behalf of Sir W. Worsley, from whum the
prisoner had obtained a bill for 3001. by precisely
similar means. As Sir W. Worsley would not be in
town for a few days, he must beg to have the prisoner
remanded.

Mr. 13INGHAM remanded the prisoner until to-morrow.

WORSHIP- S'IR EE T.
A 3 oung woman, :named Rachel Bradley, was
charged before Mr. Arnold with annoying and
threatening the life of Mr. John Lettice, a clerk in the
Post• office.

The complainant stated that the prisoner had for-
merly been in his service, but left it about three years
ago, and he had almost ever since, at intervals, been
subject to annoyance and threats from her. While re-
turning hoaie on the preceding afternoon she waylaid
him again with the object of extorting money from him,
telling him that if he locked her up it should be the last
opportunity he would have of so dealing with any one,
as it was her determination to serve him as Annette
Meyers had the soldier, and, as it was impossible to get
rid of her by any other means, he was compelled to give
her into custody, though be had no wish but to obtain
protection.

The prisoner burst into tears when called upon for her
defence, and said that while in the complainant's ser-
vice, in attendance upon his
,wife, who was ill, he had
availed himself of that opportunity to seduce her, the
result of which was the birth of a child which she had
no means of supporting. She afterwards went to
Ramsgate, where he again met her and induced her to
come to town; but he had refused her the means of
subsistence, and, as she did not wish to cause his wife
unhappiness by calling at his house, she had determined
to importune him in the street in the way he had de-
scribed, to make him do something for her.
The complainant offered some observations strongly
impeaching the young woman's conduct, and said that he
had not only more than once relieved her, but had
offered to send her home to her friends, by whom she
would be properly taken care of. He, however, ad-
mitted the substance of the girl's allegation against him,
and

The MAGISTRATE, after telling the young woman
that if she had any grounds of complaint against her
accuser she must adopt legal means for their adjustment,
instead of resorting to such violent courses, said he did
not feel disposed to punish Ler under the circumstances
stated, if she would give an engagement to abstain from
such annoyance in future; and the girl having made the
required promise, though with much reluctance, was ul-
timately discharged.