The Sun.
London, England, 1833-12-21 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

G UILDHALL.

The parish officers of St. Swithin, in London
Stone, appeared some days ago for a warrant against
a young man named John Stansfeld, one of the
waiters at the celebrated eighteen-penny dinner-
house, for having deserted his wife, and Merrilies,
the constable of the parish, went to Dover to execute
it. The particular, of the case were curious and comic.

Stansfield was in the habit of picking up a good
many twopences, and dashed away in his moments
of leisure into the midst of the fashionable move-
ments. On the 21st of February in the present
year he married Margaret, the present complainant,
and got tired of her in a few months. He then pro-
posed a suspension of conjugal rights, and offered
his wife a separate maintenance at the rate of 10s. a
week, which she accepted, for the sake of her health
as well as other comforts. The separation, however,
in this instance was effected on the part of the de-
fendant as a means of accomplishing a more agree-
able connection with another, and a second Mrs.
Stansfield made her appearance. A hubbub natu-
rally arose out of the detection, and the defendant
thought the best course he could pursue was to cut
and run. He accordingly decamped, bag and bag.
gage, and arrived at an inn at Dover, where he or-
dered the waiters about " like a real gentleman,"
and strutted in a furred great coat and a gold watch,
with the chain festooned from his neck into his
waistcoat pocket. He was not long in Dover when
he wrote the following affectionate epistle to his new
enamorata :
" Deerest Wife,

" I rite to you wonce more hopping that 1 slid not
have to rite no more til I have the plesurable opportunity
of imbrasing you in my Harms. I hopes cincerely from
my hart that you will Corn with the bayror of thins note
fur I am comfurtably settled with regard of sume things
and I ham out of all the trubbles that I was bin when I
left you, and I hope that I for ever shal remain. My Deer
this gentleman is the gard of coach and if you will com
with him, be will bring you safe to me : pleas he so kind
as to come within, for without you there is no happiness in
this life for me, so I remain your obejuant and kind hus-
band till death. i 4 J. S.

" If you have no ' blunt' I'll pay coachman when he
brings you dow❑ with him, but I do hop you'll corn down
vether or not."

This letter was brought to town by the guard of
one of the coaches, and delivered to the lady to
whom it was addressed; but the complainant, who
had been watching her rival's movements, managed
to get possession of it, and immediately handed it
to the parish officers, who, conjecturing that the
ten shillings a week would be discontinued, took the
necessary measures to secure the body of the deserter.
Merrilies saw the woman whom he believed to
be the second wife of the defendant get upon the
Dover coach, under the protection of the guard, and
that he travelled on the same vehicle. A good deal
of caution was used by the guard and the lady upon
the arrival of the coach at Dover, but witness fol-
lowed them up close, and after several twistings and
turnings he had at last the satisfaction to see the
wished-for meeting. " Oh, Nancy, darling," said
the defendant. " 05, my Jack," cried the lady.
" Beg pardon," said witness, " but I've got a war-
rant to bring you to London to support your other
wife, Mr. Stansfield." This intelligence was re-
ceived in a valiant manner. "I am able to support
them bath well," said the defendant, " and I shall
give bail." So off they all came to town.
Mr. Nobler, jun., for the defendant, said that
his client was not married to the lady who went to
visit him at Dover, and that he could be charged
with no legal offence, for lie had paid his wife up to
Saturday night, and had no idea of leaving her to the
parish.

The wife was convinced her husband had married
the other female at Christchurch, in Surrey, and that
it was reported he had several other wives.
The defendant was then remanded.
Yesterday a young man named Johnson was
brought before the LORD MAYOR.
Captain Johnson, a gentleman of fortune, stated
that the prisoner, two years and a half ago, obtained
about thirty shillings from him under false pretences.
Prisoner—Nonsense ; I borrowed fourteen of you,
that's all.

Captain Johnson—He said that he had been
brought up in the Hibernian School in Dublin, which
I often visited; and that my brother had from corn
passion to him sent him to sea, and treated him with
the greatest kindness. His representations were so
strong, and apparently so correct, that when he
stated he was distressed I relieved him with the
sum I have mentioned. I afterwards learned that
he went to others in the same neighbourhood, and
was equally successful; and then I was assured that
there was not a syllable of truth in all the prisoner
said. One of the persons taken in by him was an
old maid to whom he had promised a monkey, and
another was also an elderly lady for whom he said
he had a parrot.—(Laughter.)
The prisoner—My Lord, the Captain is telling
falsehoods. He knows I borrowed a little silver
from him. I never robbed or swindled him.
Captain Johnson—l do not appear here for the
gratification of any vindictive feeling. Idoit to aid
in arresting the progress of the gangs of swindlers
about town. I met the prisoner near this place
some days ago, but upon going up stairs I was told
that he must be brought before a magistrate else-
where.

Prisoner—Ay, but you didn't succeed in taking
me before a magistrate. I popped off.—(Laughter.)
Captain Johnson—No doubt of it; but I have
you now. When I pounced upon him a little while
ago, he said to me, " Oh, Captain Johnson, if
you let me go, I'll give you the money I got from
you.. "
Prisoner—The money I borrowed from you, you
mean. You know well it was a debt. What false-
hoods you do tell.—(Laughter.) My Lord, it was
a mere trifle of borrowed cash.

Mr. Booker, one of the officers of Bishopsgate
parish, stated that the prisoner contrived to impose
upon the Rev. Mr. Hawkins, of the parish church,
by calling on him to return thanks for kindnesses
which had really never been offered, but which Mr.
Hawkins, in the multitude of services be rendered,
could neither confirm nor contradict. When the
prisoner had finished his expressions of gratitude,
he said hat he had brought a parrot home from
abroad, but that it was detained where he owed a
little silver. The money was immediately advanced
to him, and he never saw Mr. Hawkins afterwards.
Prisoner—Oh, you had better hold your tongue,
or I'll talk about you.
Mr. Booker—He came to me about three months
ago, and said that he was going to Scotland, and
that, if I would give him a few shillings, he never
would trouble me again. I told him I wt,uld pass
him to his parish, and the moment he found he was
to get no money, he walked off.
The LORD MAYOR—I cannot deal with this per-
son, as the offence was committed out of my juris-
diction. Let the officer take him away in custody.
The prisoner whispered to the officer, " If I
must I must, but I say, if I walk I'm blowed."
The officer mentioned to the Lord Mayor the
prisoner's threat, and his Lordship immediately
ordered that a town-cart should be procured, and
that Johnson should be conveyed to ,his destination

in it. This had the desired effect. The prisoner
declared that he should quietly walk with the officer,
who, however, thought it necessary to handcuff so
slippery a customer.