The Sun.
London, England, 1835-11-05 00:00:00

UNION-HALL.

James Blunden, an elderly man of respectable appearance,
was charged with stealing a quantity of bricks, the property
of Ned O'Neal, the pugilist, and landlord of the Rose and
Crown, at Norwood.

It appeared that O'Neal has for some length of time re-
tired from the ring, and set up in business as a publican at
Norwood. Some short time back he purchased 15,000
bricks, for the purpose of erecting a cottage, and had them
placed within an enclosure in the vicinity of his own dwell-
ing, until the bricklayers commenced their work. On
Thursday last he observed a boy with a barrow taking down
several bricks from the pile, and upon questioning him by
whose nuthority hP had come there for such a purpose, he
't4r:Teci 1.4 to a gentleman named Withers, on the spot,
Ow. knforknetl O'Neal that he.,)tic'purebased a shilling's
h a
worth of the apOlOirtibort time before at his
house and that under the supposition that the pile of
bricks in question belonged to that person, be (Mr. W.)
hd .given the boy with_ the wheel-barrow directions to take
them from it. -O'Neal, however, informed Mr. Withers
at the'brieks were his property, and did not, belong to the.

accused, upon which they were immediately reph.scEt but
the latter person not having come forward to gwe any ex.
planation otr the subject, or make any apology, O'Neal 1'1;
lied for a warrant against him for felony, and had him tisk(
into custody on the charge, first
Mr. WEDGWOOD, who granted the warrant in the -
instance, upon hearing the real nature of the charge, 3-4
that O'Neal had not stated the correct facts of the C°l
when be came there to give his information against the aci
cused, otherwise a warrant would not have been lode
against that person.
O'Neal said that the accused had taken a shilling ful th,e,
bricks, knowing that they were not his property ; and adde°
that he thought this made out the case of felony ag-ainhie,i;
Mr. Withers, the gentleman referred to, gave a int'',
:recount of the whole transaction, by which it appeared tli4
he purchased a small quantity of bricks of Mr. Blunde°'
who lived at Norwood, and who has a quantity of there
near his dwelling. That, after the purchase, he (witocs4f
instead of going to Mr. Blunden's pile, went to that ci
O'Neal, and hence the mistake arose. This fact be
plained to O'Neal at the time, and went back to the accuse,
who, on being informed of the circumstance, immedieefi
returned the money that had been previously given to him
for the bricks.
Mr. TRAILL said that O'Neal had not the
grounds for making a charge of felony against the accused
It was evident that the circumstances arose from the
take of Mr. Withers in directing the boy to O'Neal's PlA`e
of bricks, instead of that belonging to the accused ;
upon an explanation to that effect, O'Neal ought to hare
been satisfied, and not brought so serious an accusatiou
against a respectable man. There appeared to be-comet
vindictive feeling on O'Neal's part, otherwise such cod°
could not be accounted for.
O'Neal still maintained that he was justified in gi.vigthe
accused in charge for felony.
The Magistrates condemned O'Neal's conduct through.
out the affair ; and, in dismissing the charge, said that tb°
accused left the bar without the sligb imputation "t• Cpu a lon te
l
his character.