The Sun.
London, England, 1856-12-08 00:00:00

SOUTHWARK.

RINGING THE CHANGES.--THE OLD DODGE.—Mary
Ann Hayward, a woman about 30 years of age, was
before Mr. Burcham, charged with attempting to defraud
Mr. Harding, a baker, out of a shilling under the fol-
lowing artful circumstances.

William Shillinghurst, a journeyman baker, in the
employ of the prosecutor, said he was in the shop on
Saturday evening with his mistress, when he saw the
prisoner come in and ask for half a quartern loaf. Mrs.
Harding served her, and the prisoner handed her half-a-
crown. Witness was standing close to the counter, and
he distinctly saw Mrs. Harding hand her two good
'shillings and two pence. The prisoner took them up,
and after changing one of the shillings for a counterfeit,
she threw it on the counter asking it to be changed for
two sixpences. Mrs. Harding refused to change it, when
the prisoner said she had given her a bad shilling, and
she was determined to have a good one for it. Witness
perceiving her dodge, slipped round the counter and
seized up the counterfeit shilling, which she marked, and
secured the prisoner until a constable came in, when
Mrs. Harding gave her into custody.

Mr. Burcham said he should remand her until Satur-
day next, for the attendance of the solicitor of the Mint,
who, he had no deubt, knew something of her.

THAMES.

SHAMEFUL RoZBERY of A PORTUGUESE SAILOR.—
William Brawn, an Irishman who is well known in the
neighbourhood of the St. Katherine's Dock, was brought
before Mr. Yardley, charged with stealing a large and
massive gold ring, with an engraving of an idol and two
elephants upon it, and five rupees, from Augustus
Riviere, a man of colour.

The prosecutor, a little man, who gave his evidence in
the Portuguese language, and also spoke the Hindostaneo
tongue, said that be came from Rangoon to Bremen
in a ship in which he acted in the capacity of cook.
The captain mulcted him of a great part of his
wages, and sent bim away from Bremen in a
steamer. He arrived
,in London yesterday (Sun-
day) evening. He was in a street near the
Royal Mint, when the prisoner looked at the gold ring
on his finger, and asked him to sell it. He took the
ring from his finger, and the prisoner immediately
snatched it from him and knocked him down, and then
rifled his pockets, and took five rupees from him.
He got up and pursued the prisoner, who turned
round and knocked him down again, and ran away.
Charles Price, a young man residing in Norwich-
court, Upper East Smithfield, said he heard a noise last
night about 9 o'clock, and on going out caw the pro-
secutor in Noate's-buildings, looking about him. The
prisoner was concealed behind some barrels. He
called for the police, and the prisoner ran away.
The prosecutor and the witness both followed
the prisoner, who turned opposite the guard-house of
the Royal Mint, and knocked down the prosecutor. The
prisoner again ran away, and was stopped by a police-
man.

Police-sergeant Griffin, 3 said he stopped the
prisoner as he was running, and the prosecutor imme-
diately afterwards came up and made signs he bad been
robbed of his ring and money. On the way to the
station-house the prisoner took a ring produced from his
pocket and handed it to witness.
The prosecutor identified the gold ring produced, and
said it cost him 25 rupees in Rangoon.
Mr. Yardley committed the prisoner for trial.

LINCOLN'S INN-FIELDS.—There was a time when Lin-
coln's Inn-fields was probably the handsomest square in
the whole metropolis ;
.but for much more than a hun-
dred years it has continued without a suitable access
from any surrounding quarter, although for the same
period of time, this inconvenience has been complained
of ; as will be seen in the following extract from the St.
James's Chronicle, from June 6 to 9, 1761 : —" A plan
for new str2et, fruln the end of 6carle-strett to Teruplt-
bar, is actually concerting, which has peen a thing long
wanted, as the avenues to Lincoln's Inn-square are so
extremely bad. It is also said, that in order to make it
complete, Turnstile will be widened, so as to admit of
carriages passing."!—NoteS and fitfcriff.