The Sun.
London, England, 1858-03-09 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—March 8.

WORSHIP-STREET. —C b arles Stuart, a police-
man of the N division, was charged with stealing a
pewter pot from the Nightingale public-house,
Hackney-road.
The prisoner came to the bar and called for half
a pint of porter. Directly after, while the barma'd
was serving another customer, he puffed some
smoke into her face from a pipe which he had in
his mouth, blinding her, and causing her to turn
away. When she looked round he was gone, and
a pewter pot was missing, He was pursued, but
not overtaken. A few days afterwards he came
again, and asked the barmaid if he had ever been at
the house before ? On her replying that he had
been there twice, and that a pewter pot bad been
missed on each occasion, he became very abusive.
He was then given into custody.
Sergeant Townsend stated that the prisoner bad
been many years in the force, and had always
borne a good character, but had been lately in-
valided in consequence of injuries the head received
in the oourse of his duty, and was subject at times
to mental aberration.
The magistrate said that the plea of insanity
mast be decided on by a jury, and committed the
prisoner for trial.

WESTMINSTER.—Mrs. Hessing, the proprie
tress of the Two Cnairmen, Dartmouth-street,
Westminster, was summoned for unlawfully suf

faring gaming in her house.
Sergeant Buckley, 17 B, said that at half-past 12
on the night of the 24th of February he was passing
defendaat's house, when he heard persons talking
witbiu, and the rattling of money. He then heard
a man say, "I won a sovereign of you ; I will ton
you to see whether it is two or nothing." The
house was shut up, but witness stood on the ledge
of the shutters, and looking through the window
saw seven or eight men in front of the bar. One
of them shook up money in his hands, and put it
on the counter ; the gas had been turned off, and
this was done by the light of a candle upon the
counter. After' the money was put down Mrs.
flossing said, " There is a policeman looking at
you ;" and witness then observed, " I can see what
you are at." Witness then went Into the house,
when Mr!,. flossing said they were tossing ior
brandy, and those present confirmed her account.
In cross-examination by Mr. Childe, the solicitor
for theLicensedVictuallers'Society,witnessadmitted
that all the persons in the house were respectable
neighbours, arid that business was apparently over,
all the lights being out. He was in the street, and
the house door was shut when he heard about the
sovereign, and then he climbed up on the shutter
tb look in.
Another policeman having corroborated com-
plainant's testimony,
Mr. Child° said that Mr. Kessing, who died 11
months ago, was a highly respectable man, and had
kept the house for 17 years years without any com-
plaint. Mrs. Kessing, who continued the business
with the same propriety, induc,ed her customers as
usual to leave the parlour at 12 o'clock on the night
in question, extinguished the gas, and lighted her
bedroom candle, when the customers who were in
front of the bar said they should like a drop of
brandy, and began tossing for it. She said she
could not allow tossing, but they insisted upon
doing it. She used as much influence as she rea-
sonably could to prevent it, and surely she was
not to be rendered' amenable for the acts of others.
He submitted that this was a very different case to
persons sitting down with cards or other instru-
ments of gaming ; and, in conclusion, pointed out
that because this summons had been issued the

licensing magistrates, last Wednesday, before her
guilt or innocence was determined upon, bad sus-
pended her license.
Mr. Paynter, with evident surprise, inquired
whether that was so ?
Mr. °Ade replied that it was.
Mr. Stillwell, a barrister's clerk, proved that the
parties tossed for drops of brandy ; and that, al-
though one man had offered to toss for a sovereign,
the cnallenge was not accepted.
Mr. Paynter thought that tossing, as in this in-
stance, was a species of gaming that the keeper
of a public-house could ;wither prevent nor control,
and dismissed the complaint ; desiring the police
to inform the licensing justices that there was no
imputation upon Mrs. Kessing's character or con-
duct.

WOOLWICH. —Robert Hinds, a police-con-
stable of the R division, appeared before Mr. Seeker
at the instance of the Commissioners of Metropo-
litan Police, to answer the charge of neglecting and
violating his duty, for which he had been sus•
pended, and was liable, by the terms of the Metro-
politan Police Act, to fine or imprisonment.
Mr. Mallalieu, superintendent of the R. division
of police, attended to watch the case.
Sarah Davis, a simple-looking young girl, de-
posed that she recently lived as servant in the
house of Mr. Renshaw a gentleman re,liding at
Lesuess-heath, Erith. On the 13th of November
last the defendant introduced himself to witness as
a single man, named Webber. He came to the
house almost nightly, and witness frequently
walked out with him, remaining in his company
from one to two hours whilst he was considered to
be on duty.
By Mr. Seeker—He was in the habit of looking
round my master's premises, and in consequence he
first saw me.
Caroline Berry, a portly damsel, deposed that
she was cook at Mr. Renshaw 's, and had often told
Sarah not to go with the policeman, as witness
knew that he was a married man. She al+) told
the defendant that no good would come of it, and
that be would be sure to get into trouble if he con-
tinued t.l c.,me after Sarah. In consequence of tins
intrigue Sarah had been discharged from her service.
Police Inspector Nemo, in reply to the magis
trate, stated that the defendant had hitherto borne
a good character in the force, and generally ma-
naged to be at his post when his sergeant came
round the beat. At other times he was at the pre-
mises of Mr. Renshaw.

It was proved by other evidence that the de-
fendant, when on night duty, had occupied his time
in a more agreeable manner than keeping " watch
and ward" over the property of the residents of
Erith.

Mr. Seeker said he had nothing to do with the
question of courtship, although he would recom-
mend the young woman Davis to take the more sap
advice of the cook, and not to keep polic?naen, whe-
ther married or single, from their duty. It wag
proved that the defendant had neglected his duty,
and was liable by a section of the Metropolitan Po-
lice Act to be fined in a pend'y not exe,,,.di„g 101.,
such penal .y to be deducted flow any sum N hick
migiit be due to him, or to I 0 inair Boned for one
month. He should now fine the defendant 205.,
oz;21 days' imprisonment.