The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-25 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE—Feb. 23.

GUILDHALL.--Peter Briggs, who wag remanded
from the previous Saturday, on a charge of stealing some
brass work from oae of the doors of the law courts in
Guildhall, was placed at the bar for further examina-
tion, when a gentleman came forward and identified the
hat worn by the prisoner as one he had lost in the Bank-
ruptcy Court on the 9th of the present month.
Combes, the detective officer, produced a quantity of
property consisting of a great variety of articles of brass
work, which he found at the prisoner's lodgings.
Prisoner pleaded guilty to the charge, and said he had
been out of employ for the last 12 months, but this was
the only time he had been guilty of such an offence.
The officer said he had frequently seen the prisoner
hanging about the Bankruptcy and other law court•,
and many complaints had been made of hats and coats
belonging to gentlemen attending there professionally
being stolen. Nearly all the brass work in all the
offices in the Guildhall, as well as in the courts, had,
within the last few months, disappeared in a most mys-
terious manner.

The prisoner was committed for three months' hard
labour.

BOW-STREET.—Miss Lydia Wheatley obtained a
summons against Henry Hollis, a costermonger, of
Charles-street, Drury-lane, to show cause why he re-
fused to give up a donkey, which she claimed as her
property.
It appeared that the complainant, Mis 3 Lydia Wheat-
ley, was the daughter of a farmer at Shinfield, near
Reading, and while living with her parents, nearly 14
years ago, first became possessed of the animal in dispute.
It remained with her from the day it was foaled until
the year 1851, and, being a very small donkey, was em-
ployed to draw her about in a little chaise when she was
a child. It was cherished as a great pet, and became
the admiration of the ;neighbourhood. It attracted the
especial notice of Miss Mitford, authoress of " Our Vil-
lage," who resided in the vicinity, and another literary
lady used to borrow it repeatedly. The discovery was
made one August morning, in the year of the Great Ex-
hibition, that the donkey had been stolen. Complainant
was at the time in London, where she now resided, in a
house of business in Regent•street. No tidings of the
donkey were ever received, and she had abandoned all
hope of recovering it. On Tuesday week, while return-
ing t) Regent-street, she saw the defendant with the
long-lost animal in his possession. She knew it instantly,
but controlled herself sufficiently to prevent suspicion
while continuing to get into conversation with the man
about the donkey. She said it was a very pretty animal,
expressed a hope that he used it well, and fed it herself
with a biscuit. The donkey knew her directly. Having
continued talking to the man till a policeman came in
sight, she, stated her case to the latter, who took care
that both the man and the donkey should be forthcoming.
The father and mother of Miss Wheatley, and a young
lady, a former schoolfellow, identified " Tuppy" (the
donkey's name) and, the magistrate also took a personal
inspection of the donkey, which bad been brought to the
door of the court.
For the defence a farrier in Short's-gardens was called,
who said he had known the donkey for some years, and
shoed it when it was a "bobby." It was now 8 years old.
Another man named Jones was called, who said he
bought the donkey at Smithfield in 1850 for 15s.
The magistrate disbelieved these statements and or-
dered the restitution of thedookey to Miss Wheatley,
who lefethe court with her 'Meads and the companion of
her youth, much delighted at its recovery.

WORSHIP-STREET.—John Crockett, alias .Rooke, a
young man of stylish appearance, was charged with the
commission of several artful robberies in the neighbour-
hood of Stoke Newington and Dalston.
Mime Hazy Ration amaiden lady, residing in Albion.