The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-08 00:00:00

netted with omnibuses very much increased the difficul-
ties of such a situation. He assured the Alderman that
the violence attributed to him was very much exagge-
rated by all the rarties, and he was perfectly justified, in
consequence of the refusal of the complainant when or-
dered to move on, to proceed exactly in the course he
had adopted.

Alderman Ginns—Have you any witnesses? Tho
defendant—No.

Alderman Ginns—l am at all times anxious to pro-
tect the police in the performance of their duties, but I
also owe a duty to the public. It is evident that in this
affair you used a great deal of needless violence. You
ought not to have collared and dragged the gentleman
in the way desoribed. I shall deal with you under the
Police Act, and fine you 20s. and costs, or fourteen days'
imprisonment.

The defendant very soon produced the money, end
paid the fine.

James Roberts, porter at Toms' coffeehouse, was
charged with having assaulted his master.
From the account given by Mr. Curtis, the prosecutor,
it appesred that the def'enchnt, having got leave to go
out on the preceding thy, returned home at eleven
o'clock at night drunk,- ran down to .the kitchen where
his master and mistress were, stripped to fight, and
struck his master, who returned the blow in such a
manner as to disfigure his assailant. That blow, how-
ever, only made the defendant more desperate, and a
policeman was obliged to be sent for to take him into
special protection. The defendant was fined 10s.

IMPORTANT PAWNBROKING
CASE.

CAUTION TO PARTIES ILLEGALLY PLEDGING.

Two young woman, named Mary Ann Richards and Ann
Attersly, were charged at the Warwickshire Assizes with
having been found in possession of certain articles, xnowing
them to have been stolen. Mr. Miller, instructed by Mr. T.
Harding, appeared on behalf of the prosecution. The pri-
soners were undefended.
Mr. Miller, in stating the case, said that the prosecrticel
had been instituted by the Pawnbrokers' Society of Birming-
ham, for the protection of the trade from parties pledging
articles feloniously obtained. The reason why the present
prosecution had been commenced was because, according to
law, if stolen property is pledged with a pawnbroker, and
that property was afterwards discovered to have been stolen
and found in the pawnbroker's possession, he was bound to
deliver it up to the right owner without receiving the amount
of money he had advanced upon it. It could easily be seen
that, by artful representations, the most respectable men in
the above-named trade could be plundered to a great ex-
tent. Indeed, the practice of pledging stolen articles
had been carried to such a height in Birmingham, that
the trade were now determined by all the means .in their
power to put a stop to it. With respect to the case against
the prisoners at the bar, should the jury return a verdict of
guilty, it was not the intention of the prosecutors to press
for any severe punishment, the present being the first case
of the kind that had been brought before the Court, and that
principally for the showing parties acting, as he should show
the prisoners had acted, the punishment to which they were
liable for the offence. After some other observations, Mrs.
Atkins of Worcester, deposed, that her house had been
broken open on the night of the sth of January last, and a
variety of articles stolen therefrom, among which were two
shawls and two scarfs, which were found to have been
pledged by the prisoners at the shops of Mr. T. Hadley and
sMr. Haywood Vernon.
Mr. Hadley and Mr. Vernon, jun., were then examined, and
proved that on the evening of the 6th instant the two pri-
soners brought the articles in question to the respective
shops of the witnesses, and pledged them ; in one instance
for 10s., and in the other 12s. ; at each place representing the
property as their own, and mentioning the amount they had
given for the goods.
Police-constable Edmunds and a woman named Langford,
proved that the prisoners were in company with the two men
who had committed the burglary on the evening that the
articles were pledged, and that the prisoners had since given
evidence on the trial of the men who were convicted at the
last Worcester assizes and stated that they had pledged the
articles at the request of the two men. The Learned Judge
having summed up,.the jury returned a verdict of Guilty
against the prisoners for being in possession of the property,
knowing it to have been stolen.
Mr. Justice Coltman, in passing sentence upon the pri-
soners, said,—The prosecutors in this case, through the
Learned Gentleman who conducted it, have interceded
somewhat in your favour, in consequence of this being the
first prosecution of the kind. I must say that the prosecu-
tion is a very proper one; and it was perfectly right on the
part of the pawnbrokers to carry out these cases, which are
occurring every day. I only wonder that they have not
before carried out these cases ; but this being the first case
of the kind that has been brought before the Court, I shall
not sentence von to so severe a punishment as otherwise I
should have felt it my duty to have passed upon you. I.
wish you to understand, that for the offence of which you
have been found guilty, you are liable to be transported for
fourteen years, but, for the reasons I have named in this case,
I shall only sentence you to be imprisoned for two calendar
months, with hard labour.—Birmingham Pilot.

CAPTAIN GROVER.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
DEAR Sin,—You have been kind enough to insert my
letter to the friends of Captain Conolly ; I am sure that you
will also not object to insert the following appeal
TO ALL THE OFFICERS OF HER MAJESTY'S ARMY.
Most gallant of warriors. and at the same time the most
generous of warriors the world ever has seen I—You very
frequently extricated me from difficulty and distress, and
only lately I was enabled through the gallant, generous, and
noble-minded conduct of one of your comrades—the ardent
lover of the British army, Captain Grover—and with his
assistance to undertake the journey to Bokhara.
You have already read in the newspaper that I disclaim
all right to a compensation from Government, for, as Colonel
Stoddart and Captain Conolly had been killed twelve months
at least previous to my arrival at Bokhara, I was not suc-
cessful in my enterprise; but I consider it very hard indeed
that the noble-minded Captain Grover should have suffered
in his purse, and not only in his purse, but that lie actually
should have lost his promotion in the army, on account of
his zeal in his attempt to liberate the prisoners. I, therefore,
take the liberty to attempt to excite your interest and sym-
pathy in behalf of your noble-minded fellow officer, Captaiet
Grover, who at different periods has displayed the highest
enthusiasm in the service of our Queen and country.
When there was a likelihood that war would break out with
America, he offered to outfit a whole regiment at his ow*
expense. He spent 500/. on my account, and offered 3504
for every English soldier I should be able to ransom.
Gallant and noble-minded officers, in case that it should
not be inconsistent with your military duty, I beseech you to
petition on behalf of my noble-minded friend, Captain Grover,
who actually has suffered, even in his health, on account of
the death of Captain Conolly, Colonel Stoddart, and Captain
Wyburd, in order that he may obtain his promotion in the
army, and that the five hundred pounds may be repaid to
him ; and in case that you should be inclined to repay Min
the said five hundred pounds which he spent on my account,
I solemnly promise that I shall reimburse you the sum as
soon as the third edition of the narrative of my expedition
to Bokhara, which shall be published in a few days, will be
sold off ; for I am determined not to allow that my beloved
and zealous friend, Captain Grover, should suffer on my ac-
count. I beseech you, therefore, do not disregard my appeal
to you.
When I was robbed of everything in Mesopotamia, Major
Keppel, at Bagdad, assisted me. When I was ill at Bus-
sorah, Colonel and Captain Taylor assisted me. When I was
plundered by pirates near Salonica, Captain Adolph Slade
assisted me. After my liberation from slavery in Khoras-
saun, Captain Shee and five English sergeants assisted me.
When robbed of everything in Affghanistan, Sir Alexander
Burns assisted me. At Busheer I was assisted by Colonel
Stannes ; upon the Mount Caucasus by General Russell;
at Teheraun by Sir Henry Willock and Sir John Campbell.
Having thus always receivedl benefits by British officers, I
do not deserve any compensation for my late expedition.
But noble Captain Grover is deserving at least not to be a
loser by his attempt, which he hitherto has been.
Noble and generous officers, grant my request on behalf of
Captain Grover !_

Your most affectionate servant,
JOSEPH WOLFF,
Vicar of Isle Brewers, near Langport, in Somersetabiri.
Bolton-le-Moore, April 7, 1846.