The Sun.
London, England, 1834-03-31 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HOUSE.
A porter, named John Smith, was brought before
the Lord Mayor and Mr. Alderman Winchester, to
be made responsible for the support of an illegitimate
child.

Elizabeth Meares, a servant in the family for
which the defendant occasionally worked, swore that,
after having paid her some particular attention, he
prevailed upon her to go astray on the 21st of
May last, the consequence of which she now car-
ried about in her arms.
The defendant was convinced that the child was
not his, as the mother had a very general acquain-
tance amongst the coal-whippers at the water-side,
and was much admire dby persons of tha !class.
The defendant's wife (a fine young woman) was
convinced that her husband had no more than a
Platonic acquaintance with the babe's mother, who
had nothing whatever in her appearance to excuse a
man's infidelity. There were, she assured the Lord
Mayor, several parties concerned ; and she had
heard that a proposal was made that the paternity
should be decided by the toss up of a halfpenny
amongst five or six gentlemen of the sack and fan-
tail.

The mother said that the only person who ought
to toss up the halfpenny was the defendant, who,
but that he said he was an unmarried man, would
not have succeeded.

The overseer had no doubt this woman speculated
upon compelling the defendant to marry her, in con-
sideration of the new tie thus sprung up between
them.

The mother—He tries to throw dirty water
upon me; but he didn't act so when I gave him the
money to buy gloves with.

Defendant—You certainly did give me money,
but you knew I was a married man, and you ought
not to have encouraged me.
The defendant's wife—My Lord, is it not too
hard that I must work for this woman's child as
well as for my own five children ? Is it not enough
to make one mad ? My husband is an excellent
man, and must have been led to this business by the
vice of this woman. He is out of work, and lam
compelled to support him, and to work the skin off
my bones, and here is a new burden to weigh me
down. Here the poor woman wept bitterly.
The LORD MAYOR—lndeed it is a severe hard-
ship upon you, my poor woman ; we compassionate
your case sincerely, but what can we do ? She
swears that your husband is the father of the child,
and we have no alternative but to make him contri-
bute to its support.
The defendant's wife—My lord, look at the con-
sequences ; I and my poor children must look to the
parish for relief, and that's the last thing we'd wish
to do. Why are not women who act in this way
obliged to maintain their own children ? If that was
the case, I am sure this woman would not appear so
impudently to swear this child—she would have no
child at all.

The LORD MAYOR—The overseers appear to be
as lenient as possible, on your account ; they will
remit all the expenses hitherto incurred, and be sa-
tisfied with 2s. a week, in order to inconvenience you
as little as possible.

The defendant's wife—lt is impossible for me to
give a shilling ; and I am obliged, and with shame I
say it, to look now to nothing but the workhouse.
The mother of the child—Well, why did he pass
himself upon me as a bachelor ? The child is his,
and he must support

The defendant's wife—Until such sluts as you
are made to maintain their children, there will be
no security to decent people.
The overseer said, that if that principle were
acted upon, there would, as was the opinion of the
commissioners of the poor laws, be a great deal less
of distress, as well as immorality, amongst the
lower order.

The order for the support of the child was con•
firmed.

BO W-STREET.

William Kershaw, a decent-looking man, was
charged with embezzling 1/. 11 s. the property of
his employer, Mr. Chalmers, a bootmaker, residing
at No. 14, St. Alban's-place, St. James's.
The prisoner was fully committed for trial.
The proprietor of the hackney-chariot No. 31,
attended in consequence of a summons issued upon
the complaint of Byers, the informer, charging him
with allowing the said carriage to wait in the Strand,
between the east end of Exeter 'Change and Cha-
ring-cross, on the ground the property of the Com-
missioners of Woods and Forests, a longer time
than was necessary for taking up or setting down
passengers, on the 19th inst., between ten and eleven
o'clock at night.
Mr. MxNsHuLL said the law was imperative, and
he must convict. He should therefore fine the de-
fendant in the mitigated penalty of 10s. and costs,l
amounting to ss. 6d.

The defendant paid the fine, not without grum-
bling, however, that he should be thus made to pay
for his attention to public convenience.

MARYLEBONE.

Mr. Laxton, of George-street, Portman-square,
one of the overseers of Marylebone, gave informa-
tion on Saturday of his loss of 200 sovereigns, which
he left in a coach, the number of which he was igno-
rant of.

Mr. RAWLINSON directed Thisselton, the officer,
to make inquiries.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
A fashionably-dressed young man, who gave his
name as Mackenzie Lewis, was charged with hav-
ing assaulted Mr. Pavey, the landlord of a public-
house in Cranbourne-street.
Mr. Pavey stated that on Thursday evening the
defendant and some friends entered his house, and
finding they were in liquor he put one of the party
out, and then proceeded to order the remainder out ;
while outside of the house the defendant struck him
a violent blow on the face. He immediately gave
him into the custody of one of the police constables
who was on the spot.
Mr. Lewis called a witness, who stated that he
and several friends went into the house of the com-
plainant, and had two pots of half-and-half ; while
there, a conversation took place upon theatricals,
whovh enj
no; 'tp ebresfoonr
es a
hadid, "
bCe
eunr s
ee
tt
nega t rs
oe " e
ofMt
hr .e Lfienw:sst,
passages in Shakspeare, exclaimed, 4‘ He who curses
Shakspeare curses me !" This led to a disturbance,
and while outside of the house the Goth who had ,
cursed the Bard of Avon took off his coat, and, it
was his belief, struck the landlord.
The defendant was fined 10s.