The Sun.
London, England, 1832-10-27 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 27, 1832.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

G UILDHALL.

A young man, named Peter Payne, was charged before
Mr. Alderman ANSLEY yesterday with stealing the car-
cass of a Welch sheep and two hind quarters of mutton
from the premises of Mr. Hicks, a salesman in Newgate
market.

Mr. Hicks stated, that the trick by which this meat had
been stolen had been repeatedly played off on the different
salesmen of late. Two persons were engaged in it, one of
whom watched a retail butcher, whose name he happened
to be acgoa'nted with, until he made some purchase. The
buyer having paid for his meat, usually gives the salesman
a penny to take care of it till he sends a porter to fetch it.
Before the latter arrives, however, the carcass is fetched
away by one of the confederates, who has obtained his clue
from the other, and who comes boldly in the name of the
buyer. It is then taken to some other salesman for imme-
diate sale, as being the property of sotne retail butcher
who is overstocked, and the thieves get the full market
price fur their plunder. About three years ago three men
were transported for this praetice, and the market was
very quiet afterwards till about a year ago, when it was
revived. The meat in question was consigned to him by
Mr. Swanton, of St. George's mat ket, and he sold it to
Mr. Smout, a retail butcher, in Gray's- inn•road, for about
28s. About five minutes after Mr. Smout went away,
the prisoner came as a porter, and asked for the meat in
his name It was delivered to him, and he went directly
to another salesman named Sowten, and left the meat for
sale, as the property of a butcher named Wood. Shortly
after the porter really sent by Mr. Smout arrived, and the
fraud was discovered.

Mr. Alderman ANSLEY committed the prisoner for
trial on this charge, bui: remanded him till Tuesday, to
meet a second charge of the same nature.

BOW-STREET.

Yesterday Mr. Aldridge, one of the Churchwardens
of St. Martin's-in-the- Fields, accompanied by one of the
overseers and Mr. Rawlings, their clerk, appeared before
Mr. HALLS and Mr. GROVE, a county Magistrate, to
show cause why they had neglected and refused to allow
Mr. Fenn, a rated householder of the parish, to inspect
the rate books, by which refusal they had incurred a pe-
nalty of 51. and not less than 20s.

Mr. Simpson, a parishioner, on Friday last accompa-
ni,d Mr. Fenn to the house of Mr. Aldridge, the church-
warden, to whom Mr. Fenn formally made a demand for
the production of the poor-rate books. Mr. Aldridge re-
plied that he would take time to consider, and send Mr.
Fenn an answer.

Mr. Fenn subsequently received a communication from
Mr. Aldridge, refusing to allow him the inspection of the
books.

In answer to a question by Mr. HALLS, Mr. Fenn ad-
mitted that he had ❑ot tendered 6d. as required by the
Act, when he applied to inspect the books.
Mr. Haus then said, that it was clearly the intention
of the Legislature that all books and accounts relating to
the parish should be open to the inspection of every pa-
ishioner, and he considered that Mr. Fenn had done per-
fectly right in asserting his claim. He had omitted, how-
ever, to tender the 6d. required by law, and the summons
must therefore be dismissed, although the case was other-
wise fully proved.
Mr. Aldridge said that the only books he had refused
Mr. Fenn were those relating to the church- rates. He
had never refused him the inspection of the poor-rate
books, which be or any other parishioner might see when-
ever they thought fit.
Mr. Fenn said that if he had not been refused the in-
spection of the poor-rate books, he should not have been
obliged to take out the summons.
A ter a considerable discussion,

Mr. HALLS strongly recommended the parish-officers
not to throw any unnecessary impediment in the way of
Mr. Fenn or any other parishioner who should claim a
►ight which was sanctioned by law.
The parties then retired, on the understanding that the
b,,oks rtquired by Mr. Fenn should be ready for his in-
spection whenever he app'i d to see them.

Grossmith, the officer, accompanied by some of the trades-
men of Bury St. Edmund's, proceeded to the post-office
yesterday morning; and as the clock struck 10, the time
for issuing the letters, the prisoner, wrapped up in a
green cloth cloak, entered the edifice, and, walking up to
the letter-office, inquired whether there were any addressed
for him. The officers and tradesmen having a full view
of the accused, at once recognized him to be the man
they wanted, and accordingly took him into custody, and
brought him to this office. Before the Magistrate (Mr.
WEDGWOOD) it was stated that the prisoner was well
known at Birmingham. Bridgewater, and other places,
where he obtained property to a large amount of various
tradesmen in a similar way to that above detailed. The
tradesmen of Bury St. Edmund's baying identified the
prisoner, the Magistrate asked him if he was inclined to
say any thing in his defence, or whether his name was Sir
William Payne? Prisoner—At present I decline answer-
ing any questions, until I have the advice and assistance
of a professional man.—He was remanded.
Thursday a stout able-bodied seaman, waited on the
sitting Magistrate, Mr. CHAMBERS, and said that he had
just come from India, after seven years' absence, and upon
his arrival in town bad the mortification to bear that his
wife, to whom he was tenderly attached, was the inmate
of a gaol.—(Here he burst into tears.)

Mr. CHAMBERS asked him for what offence his wife
was committed ? Sailor—" I am informed, your Ho-
nour, that it was:for getting drunk and kicking up a bit
of a shindy in the street one night. I know," added he,
a that she loves a glass of grog ; but it is a hard case that
site shook/ not be at home to comfort me with her society
after so long an absence."
Mr. CHAMBERS—" You ought rather to rejoice, I
think, that such a woman as you describe your wife should
be in gaol than out of it." Sailor—" I have fought for
my king and country twenty•eight years, and served in all
parts of the world ; my pension for past services is small,
to be sure, but I should rather lose it altogether than
suffer poor old Poll, my wife, to remain in gaol."
Mr. CHAMBERS inquired in what prison she was con-
fined, and the sailor said that be heard she was grind-
ing away in the treadmill at Brixton ; adding that if she
was suffered to come out he had no objection to go in
himself and serve the remainder of her time there. lie
pleaded so eloquently in behalf of his wife, that Mr.
Chambers promised if she was committed from that office
she should be ',berated.

The sailor was delighted, and left the office in great glee.

MARLBORO UGH- STREET.

George Smith, a middle-aged man, who, it is pre-
sumed, is subject to temporary fits of excitement border-
ing on insanity, was yesterday brought before the presid-
ing Magistrate, J. E. CoNANT, Esq. charged with being
disorderly.
The particular charge ❑nder which this individual was
apprehended was that of having knocked at the door of
the house in which he resided, No. 13, Little Chapel-
street, Oxford-street, and by so doing annoying the neigh-
bourhood, and be was then given into custody by the
landlord. On his arrival at the watchhouse he was ac-
commodated with a sheet of brown paper (as we under-
stood), in which he wrote to the Secretary of State, and
very politely read it to Mr. Baker, the Inspector, for his
particular edification, but, as police constables are not
employed to officiate as messengers, this precious informa-
tion remained in the prisoner's possession at the time he
was here.

Prisoner said be was a man of intellect. " I am, in-
deed," said he; " ask me any question you like in the
history of England, and see if I can't answer it."
(Here the defendant opened a volume of Hume and
Smollett's England, and prepared himself for the lecture
which he wished the Magistrate to institute.)
Mr. CONANT, however, appeared to think that Hume
and Smoltett bad but little to do with police business,
and told the defendant that he had nothing to do with it.
Several gentlemen residing in the neighbourhood in-
formed the Magistrate that the defendant was a complete
nuisance. They had no doubt he was of unsound mind
at intervals.

" Scoundrels," thundered forth the defendant, " villains,
lam of unsound mind, am I ? Is not this a tine thing ?
I've got these very fellows down in the list of conspirators."
The gentlemen continued their statement. The de-
fendant had placarded hills all over the front of his house
of the conspirators, amongst whom was the worthy Ma-
gistrate, Mr. Conant himself. It appeared that he had a
happy knack of calling every thing which displeased hint
a constructive felony, and no sooner did any person oppose
him, or a Magistrate decide against him, but he was added
to the list of conspirators immediately. He opened his
parlour windows on Sunday week as the people were
coming out of a chapel near his house, and harangued
them on the conspiracy above mentioned. Another cir-
cumstance was that in his harangue to Mr. Peacock, the
butcher, he told him he'd fry all the fat out of his bones,
and make him a pea-lien.
Mr. CONANT inquired where any of his friends lived?

Defendant, who ;vas very violent relative to the con-
spiracy, declared that Mrs. Smith could tell all about it.
The lady who had borne the tender appellation of Mrs.
Smith, but who denied her relationship to the prisoner,
vory shortly made her appearance ; but during her ab-
sence defendant had been vociferous for bread and cheese
and beer. "Ah !" observed be, " they want, you see, to
starve me; that's the way they mean to treat me."
The soi-disant Mrs. Smith, in answer to the Magis-
trate's inquiries, really was of opinion that her alleged
husband laboured under temporary insanity occasionally.
The son of Dr. Parrot, of Mount-street, was fetched,
and Mr. CONANT observed, " He has some sisters, but it .
appears that in consequence of some quarrel they have no
communion with him."

" It is a villanous lie," observed the defendant, " a di-
abolical conspiracy. You ought to be ashamed of your-
srlf. I never said so. How dare you sit there and tell
suck a lie about me'"

Mr. Cosa/ix—You really must be quiet.
Defendant—Quirt, Sir ! How dare you look me in
the face and tell such an infernal falsehood ? I have writ-
ten to the Secretary of State to let him know your tricks.
Now I mean to cross-examine every body in the place. I
have a Just right to do it.
Mr. CONA NT-Really, Sir, 1 shall send you to prison if
you persevere in such conduct. I will not sit here as a
Magistrate and be so abused.
De'endant—Yon send me to prison! You dare not;
you know that the Secretary of State would order my
release directly. You know better than commit me.—
Come, Sir, I'll have no trifling ; I've sent another letter to
the Secretary of State.
Mr. CONANT—If you will he quiet I do not wish to
resort to harsh measures. I only wish to have you taken
care of.

Defendant—Take care of yourself ; just so long as me-
mory holds her influence over my senses I'll remember you.
Mr. CONANT--I don't think you are in a proper state
to be set at large.
Defendant—Ask me any question out of Hume and
Sinollet's England, and try it I can't answer it. I will
be heard.

Mr. CONANT—WhiIe you behave in this outrageous
way you shall not be heard.

Defendant—But I will be heard. You bring me up
on one charge, and try me on three or four. You shan't
shit, your story.
Mr. CONANT, and Mr. Allen, the Clerk of the Peace,
consulted together, and were of opinion that he had not
committed any offence, and on being detained until four
o'clock, he put in his own recognizances to keep the
peace, and was discharged.

SHEEP SKINS.
Short Wool Os. Oil. to Os. Oil. I Lambs Is. (d. to 2s. ticl,
Shearlings o.t. to ls.Bd.