The Sun.
London, England, 1833-09-23 00:00:00

M.ARY LEB ONE.

Charles Tomlinson, a respectably-attired man,
about 35 years of age, of exceedingly emaciated
appearance, was placed at the bar on Saturday,
charged by his wife, Maria Tomlinson, under the
following distressing circumstances :
Complainant (who, from the acuteness of her
feelings, was scarcely able to tell her sad story) de-
posed, that on the previous day the defendant, while
in a state of intoxication, came home to his residence
at 27, Clarence-terrace, Regent's-park, and without
receiving the slightest provocation, seized the kitchen
poker, which he uplifted, and was about to strike
her on the head, giving at the same time vent to ex-
pressions indicative of his diabolical intention ; she,
however, fortunately succeeded in making her escape
from the room, and caused him to be secured by a
neighbour, who, attracted by her cries to the spot,
prevented the infuriated man from endeavouring to
commit further outrage; on former occasions he had
taken up knives and forks, while labouring under
the effects of drink, and threatened to " do for
her" by plunging them into her body ; he had
also once attempted to cut his own throat ; she
(the complainant) therefore hoped that as her life
was in the most imminent danger, the magistrates
would afford her that protection to which, under the
lamentable circumstances detailed, she considered
herself entitled.

Mr. BRODERIP (who sat for Mr. Hoskins)—
Yours is, indeed, Madam, a most melancholy case,
and you shall be protected from violence. What is
your husband ?—Complainant. He is now out of em-
ploy, Sir ; formerly he held an excellent situation
in the Post-office, where he remained upwards of
21 years, but lost it through his dissolute course
of life.

Mr. BRODERIP (to defendant)—lt is a dreadful
thing to see a person like you in such a disgraceful
position, and it is quite clear, from your enervated
frame, that you have been a slave to the vice of in-
to3xne
:Ica'tion. What have you to say to this charge
nr,d, by your wife ? D,fendant—l'm very sorry
for it, but did not know what I was then doing.
Mr. BRODERIP.—Had she fallen by your hands,the
plea of drunkenness would not have saved you from
an ignominious death.
Defendant.—If she'll forgive me, such a thing
shall never happen more.
Complainant.—l entreat your Worship to insure
my safety by binding him over to keep the peace,
otherwise my life will surely be one day or other
sacrificed.

Mr. BRODERIP then called on the defendant to
.
find bail, himself 40/., and two sureties in 204
each, for his good behaviour for the ensuing twelve

months; no being prepared therewith, he was
locked up.
James William Peat was placed at the bar on
Saturday, together with his wife, Mary Ann Peat
on the charge of swindling, in the most daring man-
ner, a great number of tradesmen, principally bakers,
under the pretence of stocking shops, which it was
set forth they were about to open in various parts of
the town.

About a fortnight ago four others, connected with
the same gang, named John Boone, Jane Boone,
William Jones, iWary Anti Jones, and the male pri-
soner Peat, were brought before Mr. HOSKINS, and
were liberated on their own recognizances, in conse-
quence of there being at that time no evidence of a
directly conclusive nature against them. It was
then understood that they were to appear in a few
days ; but, owing to the extent of their depredations
arid the probability that an immense number of
tradesmen would appear against them, they all, with
the exception of Jones and his wife, kept out of the
way. At the appointed period for their re-exami-
nation, upwards of a donor respectable tradesmen,
who had been duped to a considerable amount, were
in attendance, but as they could not fix on either of
the prisoners Jones or Boone, they were accordingly
held to bail in their own recognizances for their ap-
pearance when required. Since which time Keys,
an active officer of this establishment, has been in-
defatigable in his exertions to capture the well-known
Peat, which he fortunately effected on Friday night,
in the neighbourhood of Cloth-fair, at which time
he (Peat) was engaged in betting on a game at baga-
telle in a low public-house, the resort of persons of his
own stamp and quality. On being placed at the bar
on Saturday, the prisoners encountered the presence
of but few of their dupes, in consequence of the short
period which had elapsed from the time of their
caption. The evidence of three tradesmeu only
was gone into against them. The first of them was
Mr. F. Cooke, of Queen's-road, Pimlico, who de-
posed to having been swindled out of a quantity of
tabacco and other goods by the prisoners, who,
unauthorised by a respectable gentleman of the
neighbourhood, made use of his name, by which
means they succeeded in obtaining the articles in
question. The nefarious acts of the prisoners were
in a few days after discovered on his (Mr. Cooke's)
proceeding to the shop which they stated they had
opened, but from which immediately on the receipt
of his and other persons' property they had deemed
it prudent to decamp.
A baker named Farrington, and an oilman named
Broad, residing in Tavistock-street, Covent-garden,
gave evidence of a similar character against both the
prisoners.

- Keys, the officer, observed that a tradesman of
Old Compton-street had suffered to the amount of
nearly one hundred and fifty pounds by the prison-
ers, who were understood to be the principals of as
well-organised and daring a gang of swindlers as ever
infested the metropolis.
Mr. BRODERIP said he should remand both the
prisoners till next Friday, in order that those who
had suffered from their practices might have the op-
portunity of coming forward to identify them.