The Sun.
London, England, 1857-01-20 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE—Jan. 19.

MANSION-HOUSE. Mr. Hodgson, the superin
tendent of the City police, attended, at the request of the
Lord Mayor, upon the subject of some public meetings
of artisans that have recently been held in Smithfield.
The Lord Mayor said he had been given to understand
that a report was prevalent that he had sanctioned the
holding of the meetings. He had never given any per-
mission for their being held, nor had he sanctioned them
in any way ; and nothing could be further from his
thoughts tha❑ doing so. He at the same time bad no
means of preventing meetings being held in Smithfield
so long as they were properly conducted and did not
cause inconvenience to the public. He was desirous of
learning from Mr. Hodgson of what class of persons they
consisted.

Mr. Hodgson—They are very orderly, well-conducted
persons, and are generally what they represent them-
selves to be. They are principally mechanics, and others
engaged in industrial pursuits, stonemasons and brick•
layers.
The Lord Mayor—ls there a large number of this
class out of employment at the present time
Mr. Hodgson—There is. Their object in meeting is
to impress upon the unions the necessity of relieving all
persons out of employment. They intend to apply to
the unions for relief.

The Lord Mayor—lf a man cannot get employment,
and is destitute, he must go to the union and receive re-
lief ; but from what I know of the working classes of
teis country—a most respectable body—l am satisfied
that they will conduct themselves orderly and peaceably,
and there can be no doubt that their wants will be at-
tended to.
Mr. Hodgson—The spot on which they meet is actu-
ally beyond the bounds of the City. We are only de-
sirous of preventing public inconvenience, and doubtless
your lordship's statement, when it goes forth to the
public, will have the effect of removing the impression,
which is very general, that the meetings are held under
your sanction.
The Lord Mayor—l cannot imagine how such an
impression ever got abroad.
Mr. Hodgson--I believe that one of the orators pub•
licly made the statement.
The sabject then dropped.

GUILDHALL.—MiaII Meagher, a respectably
dressed young man, described in the charge sheet as a
soldier attached to the Warley Barracks at Brentwood,
was charged with obtaining seven shawls, value 321. 10s.,
of Messrs. Kerr and Scott, warehousemen, of 58, Can-
non-street West, by means of a forged order.
Mr. "liner said he was manager in the establishment
of Messrs. Kerr and Scott, wholesale warehousemen, of
Cannon-street West. On Thursday last his firm received
a letter by post purporting to corns from Messrs.
Smeaton and Co., drapers, of Leeds, stating that Mr.
J. H. Moor, their traveller, would call upon Messrs.
Kerr and Scott, and recommending them to do business
with him if po•sible. Witness saw the prisoner on
Friday when he called.
Mr. J. Patten, employed in the same establishment,
said that when the prisoner came ou the Friday, he se-
lected seven shawls, value 321. 10s., which he directed
to be sent to Paul's coffeehouse to be conveyed to Leeds
by a person who would take them free of charge. Other
goods which he selected were to be sent direct to Messrs.
Smeaton at Leeds, and some were to be directed to him-
self at St. Paul's coffeehouse. The seven shawls were
packed up and sent as directed.
Mr. Kilner said that on Saturday, in consequence of
some suspicions entertained by the firm, they telegraphed
to Leeds, and received a reply from Messrs. Smeaton,
denying all knowledge of any person of the na.ne of
Moor, or that they had authorised any person to order
his goods in question on their account.
Richards, the officer, said he had no further evidence
at present to offer in this case ; but there was another
charge against the prisoner.
Mr. Bradbury, of the firm of Bradbury, Greatorex,
and Beall, of Aidermanbury, said he received a letter
purporting to come from the same parties as in the last
case at Leeds, but in consequence of information he re
ceived from Messrs. Kerr and Scott, when the prisoner
came he interrogated him upon the letter be brought,
and the order for silk goods which he had received. The
prisoner said he lived in the house of Kerr and Scott,
where the goods were to be sent for enclosure to Messrs.
Smeaton. Mr. Bradbury proceeded to look for the order,
and in his absence the prisoner made some excuse to get
away, and was leaving the premises when he was detained
by Mr. Beall.
Mr. Beall said as soon as he heard the prisoner say he
came from Kerr and Scott he left his desk, when the
prisoner said he had two or three places to call at, and
as they closed early, it being Saturday afternoon, lie
wished to send them the goods for enclosure to Kerr and
S .ott. He was then going out when Mr. Beall stopped
him, and the prisoner then said, " Good God! I am
done for. I have been made a dupe of. I have been a
tool, and have been compelled to do it."
Richards,aftertakieg the prisoner into custody, searched
him, and found 13 duplicates of goods in pledge, some
letters and memorandums, among which were a list of
wholesale warehousemen in the City, and an unopened
letter addressed to Sir J. Melville. There was also a
furlough paper made out in the name of M. R. Meagher,
lance corporal in the Hon. East India Company's service.
Alderman Wire directed the officer to deliver the letter
to Sir James Melville, and inform him of the manner in
which it came into his possession.
The prisoner seemed very much annoyed that the let-
ter ehould be forwarded, and said he did not wish to dis-
grace his friends. He was then remanded ; and as he was
leaving the dock a gentleman from the firm of Bevington
and Morrie came forward and said he had a charge of a
similar character against the prisoner.

WORSHIP-STREET.—Thomas Reid, a malicious-
looking youth, by trade a shoemaker, was charged with
a brutal assault upon his mother. The prisoner, who has
frequently been punished for serious outrages upon the
complainant, returned home on the previous evening, and
commenced putting out t,e fire. On being remonstrated
with he strteck the prosecutrix two heavy blows with the
poker, which rendered her senseless, and she was after-
wards conveyed to the hospital for medical treatment.
The prisoner, who asserted that the injuries were ac-
cidentally inflicted, was fully oommitted for trial.
James Smith and Michael Gess, working men by ap-
pearance, were charged with stealing a horse, gig, and
harness, the property of William Lambert, Hill-street,
Hackney-road, value 15/.
At 8 o'clock p.m. on the 2d inst, the prosecutor had
occasion to call upon a friend in Hyde-place, Hoxton,
leaving his gig unattended ; on returning a few minutes
afterwards it had disappeared. On the 9th he visited the
New Cattle Market and there saw the horse in posses.
sion of Smith, who was offering it for sale to a butcher
and demanding 61. for it. Smith was then given in
tamtoe dwaaynTdBvrivisosr,tb4,satioNd,
ifnroamlainnefotrhneirae.
charge. On
received,On twheens
found the gig. Gess was standing near, aud, in reply
to the officer's questions, asserted that it was his pro-
perty, having purchased it of three men on the previous
Saturday, with the horse and harness, for the small sum
of 2/. The hor-e and•harness had since been sold. Stur-
geon, 492 N, found the harness in the possession of a
man named Gore, at Battersea, who admitted that be
had bought it of Gess for 4e.
Gess now persisted in his statement made to the con-
stable, that he had bought the whole for 21, of strangers,
and that, having but 30s. they accepted that, promising
to call for the remainder, which they had never done.
Witnesses were called to substantiate the sale, but
the magistrate fully committed both prisoners for trial,
agreeing to admit them to bail.

WESTAINSTER.—James Archer and Edwd. Kelly
were yesterday placed at the bar, charged with stealing
a great quantity of plate and other valuables from Gun-
ton Hall, Norfolk, the seat of Lord Suffield.
On the nigh,. of the 12th of December it is supposed
that the thieves concealed themselves in some way on
the premises, arid broke out of them during the morn-
ing. Although part of the family resided at the time
at the hall the robbers were completely undisturbed,
and ransacked several apartments in the hou-e, carrying
off with them valuable plate and property of all descrip-
tions. Placards were posted offering a reward of 1001.
for the apprehension of the offenders, and it was not
until Saturday night that the accused were captured.
Information having been given to the Metropolitan Po-
lice—it having been conjectured that they had come to
London, their abode had been ascertained by Sergeant
Moore, of the B division, who had been watching their
proceedings for some days past, in order to bring the
charge home to them, but was anticipated in the capture
of Archer by Mr. Best, a greengrocer, at 5, Marlborough-
road, Chelsea, who having seen a descriptv.n of him
identified the man as he passed by last Saturday night,
and secured him. Sergeant Moore immediately appre
hended the other at his lodgings. The evidence connect-
ing the prisoners with the robbery is that Archer was a
discharged servant fron the hall, who well knew the WAN
and habits of the family, wh!ch knowledge was indis-
pensable for the commission of the robbery. The prison-
ers were seen in company shortly before the robbery, in
the neighbourhood of the ball, and Archer, in the pre-
sence of the other, was found disposing of part of the
stolen property, while more of it was diseovered in pledge
in the country. In London the accused were also to-
gether selling different stolen articles, and Archer, when
captured, was wearing a pair of his master's shooting
boots.
Mr. Paynter inquired of the superintendent of the
Norwich Police what course he intended to pursue re-
specting the prisoners
The Superinten4lent replied that, with the magistrate's
authority, he would immediately convey them to Nor-
wich.
Tey were accordingly sent there.

LAMBETH.—dames Welsh, a Kent-street mendi-
cant, was charged before Mr. Elliott with attempting to
rob Harriet Christmas on the Queen's highway.
The prosecutrix, a
young woman, deposed that on
Saturday night she had been out for some things, and
when returning to the house of her master, 3, Albion-place,
H gb-street, Peckham, she had to pass a dead wall, and
there met the prisoner. lie asked her for alms, and she
told him she had nothing to give, upon which he placed
one hand round her neck and the other towards her
purse in her hand. By a sadden jerk she got away
from bin and ran home and told her master.
Mr, Robert Coulson said that, on his servant coming
home and telling him of the outrage that had been
attempted he went in pursuit of the prisoner, and en
coining up with him ho charged him with the offence,
but he stoutly denied it. Having no doubt, however,
thmt he was the person, as be had asked charity from
himself but a short time before, he gave him into the
custody of a constable.
Policeman 44 P deposed that the prioner had admit-
ted that he had been begging, and he found is. 11d. on
him.
The prisoner denied the charge of attempting robbery,

and was told by the magistrate that there could be no
d )übt of h's vitt, that such outrages could not be per-
mitted. He was untenced to three months' hard
labour.