The Sun.
London, England, 1832-04-21 00:00:00

BANKRUPTCY COURT, APRIL 19.

MAKING AWAY WITH PROPERTY BY A SAINT.
Robert Egdin Halliwell, late in business as an
oilman, in Whitechapel-road, nearly opposite the
London Hospital, who has frequently exhibited on
Sunday mornings as a preacher of the Methodist
persuasion, at Mile-end Turnpike, appeared before
Mr. Commissioner HoLRovD, pursuant to adjourn-
ment, for re-examination into his affairs. The bank-
rupt, and a person named Thomas Williams, who
had lived at one time in his service, underwent a
strict examination by Mr. Soames, a solicitor, who
appeared on behalf of the assignees, in course of
which he contradicted most of what the servant,
who was a witness in his favour, had stated ; and
admitted much of what he had sworn to himself to
have been false. Amongst various singular letters of
his produced in course of the examination, was one
which he had written to his wife since his confine-
ment in the King's Bench Prison, respecting his
property. The following is an abstract of it
My DEAR AND BELOVED WIFE—I have just had the
broker of the Court, a very civil old gentleman, Mr. Pat-
terson. He may call on you to-morrow or next day. He
took only what I had on. Give him half•a-suvereien the
first thing." [The bankrupt here mentions the names of
persons whom he wished to claim certain articles of his
property, and goes on to say]—" Thomas (alluding to the
servant) might dig a hole in the yard by the malt-house,
put down a box, and fill it with bottles and some of the
best show glasses in the window , take care to cover the
hole, make it level, and well trodden down, and throw
some ashes out of the dust-hole on it. Be sure that the
ground be not higher than usual. After the broker is
gone, you must not move a single article more than you
sell. Da not take less than 53/. for those mentioned.
Take care of my black stick.' Look to the Lord, and
trust to him, is the prayer of thy affectionate husband,

" R. E. H."
[Most of the passages were underlined, to make
them appear more emphatic.] It did not appear that
the wife followed the above advice. Some property,
ho►vever, was discovered by
.the assignees concealed
in a cupboard in a cocklofr, on the bankrupt's pre-
mia

Thos. Williams examined: Deposed that he bad
lived as servant with the bankrupt about eight years
ago, and that he had not since been engaged in his
service, except on one Saturday, while the bankrupt
had been in prison ; that he assisted Mrs. Halliwell
in transacting her business, and for this he denied
having received any recompense.—The witness hav-
ing signed these depositions,
Mr. Halliwell, the bankrupt, was called, and de-
posed that Williams had been in his service as lately
as two years back, and had frequently been em-
ployed by him since, to assist him in business, for
for which he paid him sometimes is., and some-
times Is. Gd.

The bankrupt was then examined on some bill
transactions: He first said a certain bill was ac-
cepted by his brother; then by a person he did not
know, and lastly, by himself. He was examined on
some of the details of his schedule, on which he
gave most contradictory evidence.
It was submitted to the Commissioner that
enough had transpired to warrant him in committing
the bankrupt to prison.
The COMMISSIONER said, that if much more had
transpired, and if it appeared to him that the bank,
rupt had committed even the greatest acts of in-
justice towards his creditors, on his admitting them-
he (the Commissioner) bad no authority to commit
him to prison; but if it appeared to him that the
bankrupt was concealing anything from his credi-
tors, and that he should persist in that concealment,
he could and should commit him. Enough, how-
ever, had appeared to warrant him in adjourning the
examination sine die.—The Learned Commissioner
concluded by cautioning the bankrupt against con-
cealing one tittle of the truth respecting his property.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

W OR SHIP- STREET.

On Thursday Mr. Drake, a respectable trader in
Pittfield-street, Shoreditch, attended for a re-hear-
ing of a case under the Metropolitan highway Act.
At the first examination, it was proved by Jack
Sheering that a cask lay for several hours on the
footway pavement before the shop-door of the de-
fendant. Sheering on that occasion admitted he
was both informer and witness, and expected one-
half of the reward (the Act makes the informer a
competent witness). Mr. Drake then applied for
an adjournment, in order to prove that Sheering
was unworthy of belief on his oath, which was
granted. After Sheering had entered the witness-
box, he underwent a long and severe cross-examina-
tion from Mr. Drake. He said he lined in Hoxton,
and was a gardener, but forgot the name of his last
employer ; he would not tell how often, or that he
was ever confined in the House of Correction ; he
admitted that he had been accused of being a body-
snatcher for several years, but would not say he
ever lifted bodies out of a grave-yard with others;
he dropped that profession for the more honourable
one of a public informer.
Mr. Drake—And do you call the profession of a
pUblic informer honourable ?—I do, for I now call
myself a gentleman (Laughter.)
Mr. Drake—Under what authority do you claim
that title ?—That part of the Act which makes me
a competent witness qualifies me to claim the appel-
lation of a gentleman.--(lncreased laughter.)
The magistrate, after some further questions, con-
sidered there was nothing elicited to invalidate his
testimony; and:the Act not leaving him a discretionary
power, he was bound to inflict the penalty of 40s.
arid costs.

The Council of the Birmingham Political
Union have declared their sittings permanent till the fate of
the Reform Bill is decided.

STATISTICS OF CRlNlE.—Within the last
21 years the number of commitments in England and
Wales has been, males 224,152 ; females, 46,522 ; total,
270,674. In 1811 the number of commitments was
5,337 ; in 1816, 9,091 ; in 1821, 13,115 ; in 1826,
16,16 t ; and in 1832, 19,647, exhibiting a progressive
increase of about the same ratio in each period of five
years: between the first year and the last, crime, as evi-
denced by the commitments, has increased nearly 400 per
cent. The number of conviction.; in the seven years end-
ing in 1817, 35,259 ; acquitted, 11,762 ; no bills found,
9,287 ; total commitments, 56,309 ; of these, 4952
were sentenced to death, executed 584, about one in nine.
In the seven years ending 1824, convictions, 62,412 ;
acquitted, 17,708 ; no bills found, 12,726 ; total com-
mitments, 92,848 ; sentenced to death, 7,988 ; executed,
628, one in thirteen. In the seven years ending 1831,
convictions, 85,259 ; acquitted, 23,442 ; uo bids,
12,819; total commitments, 121,518 ; sentenced to death,
9,316 ; executed, 410, about one in 23. In the seven
years ending 1817, there were executed for forgery, 101 ;
the seven years ending in 1826, 55 ; and the seven years
ending in 1831, the number was only 17 out of 218 con-
victions. The convictions for murder have also decreased.
In the first period there were 151 ; executed, 182. In
the second, 122 ; executed, 104. In the third, 100 ;
executed, 87.