The Sun.
London, England, 1832-04-27 00:00:00

LAMBETH-STREET.

Yesterday, the officer who apprehended the four
men and a woman who were examined at this office
on Tuesday last, on a charge of forging the will of a
person named George Friend, who had lately died,
with a view of obtaining nearly 500/. which the de-
ceased died possessed of, laid before the sitting Ma-
gistrate a great number of books and papers which
he found at the house of Dalton, one of the pri-
soners. From these documents, it appears that the
gang have carried on a most extensive and profit-
able system of forgery. One parr of their plan was
to keep a regular register of all the vessels leaving
this country on long voyages, such as the whale
fishery or the West Indies, with the names of all
the men on board, and on their return to ascertain if
any of their crews had died during their absence,
and if so, what wages were due to them, or what
property they possessed at the time of their demise.
The moment they ascertained these particulars, they
at once drew up a fictitious will, forged to it the
names of one or two attesting witnesses, and by this
means soon got possession of the property. This
system had been carried on with great success by
them for many years past, and they continued it
with perfect impunity, as it rarely occurred that the
relations of the deceased persons ascertained the
fact as to the disposition of their property, and
whenever they gave themselves the trouble to do so,
they were generally satisfied that the wills were
genuine, and therefore took no further notice of the
matter. Among the documents are nearly 200
copies of the wills of seamen and others, and at
least treble the number of blank printed forms, so
that from this some estimate may be formed as to
the extent of their nefarious operations.

CHESTER, APRIL 23.—The sudden death
of Mr. Cu fiurFE OFFLEY, after only twenty-four hours'
illness, has caused a vacancy in the representation of this
city, and the freemen are already busily engaged in casting
about them for a suitable successor to the Hon. Gentle-
man, than whom no man in the House of Commons more
faithfully discharged his duty to his constituents. Mr.
lEnwAan Davis DAVENPORT, formerly Member for
Shaftesbury, is confidently spoken of by a numerous party
in the city, and it .is said that the Hon. Gentleman is
nothing loth to represent our ancient city in Parliament,
provided always that it cost him neither trouble nor ex-
pense to obtain his seat. If any further proof were want-
ing of the falsehood and folly of the cuckoo cry of " re-
action," and that " the people are indifferent about Re-
form," it is to be found in the fact, that upon the mere
strength of his known character as a reformer, meetings
have already hen held, and placards issued, recommending
Mr. PONSONBY to the choice of the freemen ; and it is,
I believe, determined to send him an invitation to allow
himself to be put in nomination, and returned free of ex-
pense. This, it should be remembered, is by a body of
electors (freemen) of whom nineteen•twentieths are of the
working classes—men who have obtained the franchise by
birth or servitude. This much is certain, that none but a
reformer will have the slightest chance,

SALE OF A WIFE BY HER HUSBAND

AT CARLISLE.

I From the Lancaster Herald.On ;
Saturday, the 7th instant, the inhabitants of
Carlisle witnessed the sale of a wife by her husband,
Joseph Thompson, who resides in a small village
,bout three miles from this city. He rents a farm
of about forty-two or forty-four acres, and was mar-
ried at Hexham, in the year 1829, to his present
wife. She is a spruce, lively, buxom damsel, appa-
rently not exceeding twenty-two years of age, and
appeared to feel a pleasure at the exchange she was
about to make. They had no children during their
union, and that, together with some family disputes,
caused them by mutual agreement to come to the
resolution of finally parting. Accordingly the bell-
man was sent round to give notice of the sale, which
was to take place at twelve o'clock. This announce-
ment attracted the attention of thousands. She ap-
peared above the crowd, standing on a large oak
chair, surrounded by many of her friends, with a
rope or halter made of straw round her neck. She
was dressed in rather a fashionable country style, and
appeared to some advantage. The husband, who was
also standing in an elevated position near her prc-
ceeded to put her up for sale, and spoke nearly as
follows :

" Gentlemen—l have to oiler to your notice my wife,
Mary Anne Thompson, otherwise Williamson, whom I
mean to sell to the highest and fairest bidder. Gentlemen,
it is her wish as well as mine to part for ever. She has
been to me only a bosom serpent. I took her for my com-
fort and the good of my house, but she has become my
tormentor, a domestic curse, a night invasion, and a daily
devil.—(Great laughter.) Gentlemen, I speak truth
from my heart when I say, may God deliver us from trou-
blesome wives and frolicsome widows.—(Laughter.)
Avoid them the same as you would a mad dog, a roaring
lion, a loaded pistol, choera morbus, Mount Etna, or any
other pestilential phenomena in nature. Now I have
shown you the dark side of my wife, and told you her
faults and her failing-9, I will now introduce the bright
and sunny side of her, and explain her qualifications
and goodness. She cin read nolb Is, and milk cows ;
she can laugh and weep the same ease that I
can take a glass of ale when thirsty indeed, Gentlemen,
she reminds me of what the Poet says of women in ge-
neral:—

' Heaven gave to woman the peculiar grace
To laugh, to weep, and cheat the human race.'
She can make butter and scold the maid ; she can sing
'Moore's Melodies,' and plait her frills and caps; she can-
not make rum, gin, or whisky, hut she is a good judge of
the quality from long experience in tasting them. I there-
fore offer her, with all her perfections and imperfections,
for the sum of fifty shillings."
After an hour or twe she was purchased by
Henry Mears, a pensioner, for the sum of 20s. and
a Newfoundland dog. The happy people immedi-
ately left town together, amidst the shouts and
huzzas of the multitude, in which they were joined
by Thompson, who, with the greatest good humour
imaginable, proceeded to put the halter, which his
wife had taken off, round the neck of his Newfound-
land dog, and then proceeded to the first public-
house, where he spent the remainder of the day.

DARING ATTEMPT AT DIAMOND

STEALING.

We yesterday adopted, in common with our
contemporaries, an account which was furnished to
us of an alleged robbery which had been committed
on Mr. Isaacs, the respectable diamond-merchant,
in Sr. Clement's Church-yard, which, on inquiry,
we find to be incorrect in the main particulars. The
real facts of the case are these :-011 Thursday last,
about three o'clock, Mr. Isaacs, who was sitting in
a parlour behind his shop, was called forward to his
counter by a man of gentlemanly appearance, who
said he wanted six brilliants to match two which
he produced. M. Isaacs, unsuspicious of any
sinister intention, returned to the parlour and
brought out a packet of diamonds of the value of
about 2001., unluckily closing the parlour door as
he returned. On opening the paper to make the
selection, his customer suddenly flung a paper of
snuff in his face, a great portion of which entered
one of his eyes; but the other was luckily preserved
by his spectacles. The ruffian then seized the packet
of diamonds and attempted to escape. Mr. Isaacs,
although an aged and infirm man, and smarting from
the effects of the snuff, however, rushed round the
counter and succeeded in reaching the door in time
to prevent the miscreant from opening it. He then
seized him, and in the scuffle broke a pane of glass
and cut his hand. An accomplice outside, who was
watching the issue of the attempt, at once saw
what was occurring, and, opening the door, suffered
his comrade to escape. The ruffian rushed towards
Wych.street, where he was caught by a gentleman;
but two fellows, no doubt part of the gang, knocked
the gentleman down, and the fellow reached in
safety a small passage, leading into New Inn, called
New Inn-passage. Here there was a gate, which
another accomplice closed, and thus enabeld the
fellows to get clear off by reaching the street and
alleys on the other side of the Inn, and communi-
cating with Clare-market. While the pursuit was
going on, in which Mr. Isaacs and part of his fa-
mily joined, Mr. Isaac's youngest daughter, who
had been up stairs, arid was attracted by the noise,
came down, and on entering the shop, the door of
wh'cli was left open, most providentially found the
whole of the packet of diamonds, which the rob-
ber in his fright had dropped, lying on the mar, and
on the counter lay the two brilliants, which he had
brought, under the pretence of getting t hem matched:
Thus -Mr. Isaacs escaped the deep-laid scheme of
plunder of which he was to have been the victim.
About three years back he was not so fortunate, for
he was then robbed of 300/. worth of brilliants, he
believed, and the police believed, by the same robber.
Then the fellow went into the shop under pretence
of purchasing a diamond for a shirt pin, and after a
li!tle shuffling, seeing .Alr. Isaacs touch a bell to call
for the presence of some of his family, he snatched
up a packet of brilliants of the value described,
rushed out of the shop, shutting'the door after biro)
and got clear off. As the person of the daring de'
predator is known, unless he takes a country excu!'
sion, which it is more than probabls he will do, in
all likelihood he will find his way to the " strong
house" in the Old Bailey. Nothing but the courage
and presence of mind of Mr. Isaacs in the present. l-
nstance saved his property. In future he take
especial care not again to expose his valuables. ‘...
ads h
such
e a rtise fire,
risk. The old adage says, "a burnt child

In Kilmarnoch the carpet trade is in a pretty
active state at present. The weaver's wages may, on on
average, be stated at from 104. to Iss. weekly. In the
shawl trade many hands are out of employm,nr, and those
employed at present, at middles, ig,t only one piece in five
or six weeks, for which they are paid 275. or 285., ad,
from this they have to pay Is, weekly for tear and wear o'
loom and other implements. The bonnet trade is very (I°l'f
at present, both here and in S,ewarton ; sales can scarcely
be effected at any prices. The shoe trade, which used to
and still does, empl..y a considerable number of our pope,
lation, is also flat. The leather trade, which is pretty e%_
tensive, has also been conducted more on speculatio;
through the past winter than in any winter for many Yea:
previous.—lfilmarnoch Chronicle.'

MARRIED.
tufgnhttleire 20.:).t lci7hiiai srtl., atCharles
:itiet,.,
iPtta,ntersaqs., NoefwmCatibtiterdc,hm, xfsP
-Ip4elaocreg,e "31.'4
On the 22d inst. Samuel Houslev, Esq., of Curzon-street, ~ id.
fair, to Mary Anne, daughter of T. Housley, F,sq. of Wakenews
Fletcher, Esq., of Wandsworth, to Charlotte Elizabeth sec °,„,
(la 'Burt
.-
crescent.
On the 25th inst. at St. lawrenceJewry, Mr. George Burbidge'
of Watling-street, to Miss Crosby, of King.street, Cheapsidc,
D. - I Di'
On the 2.1 d December las DIE
t, at Lima, South America, it ,
4I st year, Thomas Templeman, jun. Esq., of the firm of Temple.!
man and Bergmann, of that city, and eldest son of Th IP'
Templeman, Esq., Conyngham House, 11,1msgate: of belt
age, the 13th inst. at Clapham-common, in the SRI year .
~,,
Gosse, Esq., of that place. • ti,
On the `2sth inst. suddenly, of convulsions, Fanny ElizabCed
Amy, daughter of R. Bright, , l,sq. South Audley-street, a
age, Elizabeth, only surviving daughter of the late Joseph sots'
live months.
On the _nth inst. at Wallington, in the t..)Sth year of her age'
Frances Sophia, wife of Thomas Forbes Reynolds, Esq. 01
On the 10th ult. at Camberwell, the Rev. Benjamin Wills,
his 23d year.
On the 23d inst., aged 32, Ann, wife of Thomas Francis Bane'
Esq., of the City-road, surgeon.
On the 11th inst. at Buecleugh
Brown, late of London. -place, Edinburgh, Mr. Thoth'''
Brown,
On the `29th of February, at Demerara, John Dennistoun, 1-7 ,- ,
:on of the late Robert Dennistoun, Esq. of Glasgow.
_....4

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