The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-14 00:00:00

1P44.

gun to his shoulder, fired into awood opposite. The ex-
plosion he described as considerable, plainly denoting, in
his opinion, that there had been a heavy charge in the
barrel, although he admitted that he did not h ear any-
thing struck at the time of the discharge., 'rho weapon
was proved to be a rifle, possession of which was ac-
counted for from the circumstance of the prisoner hav-
ing former), served in the 60th Regiment, awl, although
an inference unfavourable to him was sugges..;ed from the
fact that there were five or six loose balls in the " trap"
in the stock, the Learned Counsel for the prisoner (Mr.
Beadon) very properly observed that this was nothing
more than would be found to be the case in ninety-nine
rifles out of one hundred.
Upon the clove of the case for the prosecution Mr.
Beadon submitted that no evidence had been offered to
show that the rifle had been loaded, within the meaning
of the Act.

The COURT concurred in the view of the case pre-
sented by the Learned Counsel, and consequently directed
an Acquittal.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
WORSHIP-STREET.
ROBBERIES BY A GENTLEMAN.—A very gentleman-
like and remarkably finely proportioned young man,
named Octavius Clarke, the son of an eminent deceased
divine, was placed at the bar before Mr. Bingham, charged
with stealing a gold watch, a number of articles of jewel_
lery, a quantity of wearing apparel, and other articles,
the property of Mr. Daniel Stalker Leese, a gentleman
residing at No. 13, Haberdashers'-place, Hoxton.
Jane We.itherall, servant to Mr-:. Anne llethering,ton,
a widow lady. in whose house the prosecutor resides,
stated that Mr. Leese left home shortly before eleven
o'clock on the morning of Wednesday, the 17th ult., and
that, directly after he had done so, the prisoner, whom
she recognised as a friend of the prosecutor's, rung the
door bell, and cn her answering it he wished her good
morning, and walked directly up stairs into Mr. L se's
sitting room, where he asked for hot water to shave
with. She procured him a jug full, and the prisoner po-
litely thanked her, and directed her to take the wa!er
into the prosecutor's bed-room, which she did, and was
followed there by the prisoner, who then turned to her
with a matter-of-course air, and said, " Jane, Mr. Leese
says that you are to let me have his valise out of the
closet, and you are to put his shooting coat into it." The
prisoner was making preparations to shave himself, and
witness not being able to find the coat, the prisoner
suggested that it might be in the sitting room, and
directed her to take the valise with her and put the coat
in it. Witness went down stairs and packed up the
things, leaving the prisoner in the bed-room, where he
remained about twenty minutes, and then came down
with another coat of the prosecutor's, a velvet one, upon
his arm. He next asked her to call a cab for him, which
she did, and on returning with it met the prisoner at the
garden gate, holding in his hand the valise, which hav-
ing placed in the cab, he good-humouredly wished her
good bye, and saying, " I dare say, Jane, we shall not
be home till near ten to night," drove off.
Mr. Leese stated that he had known the prisoner, who
was most respectably connected, for several years, and
on the 15th ult. received a note from him, stating that
he should call upon him the next day. The succeeding
morning he accordingly did call, and passed the greater
part of the day with him. On the morning of the 17th
he left home, leaving all his property safe, but on re
turning in the evening was informed by the servant that
the prisoner had. been again, and taken away his valise
and coat by his directions. Knowing the scape-grace
character of the prisoner, and that he had sent him with
no such directions; his suspicions became excited, and
he immediately went to his drawers in the bed-room,
one of which, where he kept his jewellery, he could not
open with his key ; and on examining this drawer he
found that it hail already been forced open and broken.
On pulling the drawer out, he discovered that his gold
watch, two finger rings, a gold` breast pin, two gold
watch keys, and two mounted razors in a case, had been
stolen from it; while from another drawer had been
taken a blue cloth cap, silk stock, one of his shirts, and
a pair of socks. As it was perfectly manifest that no
one but the prisoner had taken the articles, he caused a
description of the property, together with that of the
prisoner's person, to be advertised in the Hue "and Cry,
and this' had led to his apprehension. The prisoner had
formerly been in the navy, which he had been obliged to
leave in consequence of robbins, his mess, and while fill-.
ing that situation had tattooed his arms with the figure
of our Saviour, and representations of -the sun, moon,-
and various stars. These the witness had noticed while
the prisoner was washing himself at his house one day,
and accordingly included them in his description of him
in the Hue and Cry. After the prisoner had been taken
into custody, he wrote witness a letter, requesting him
not to prosecute so old a friend as he had been, and be-
seeching him to call upon his (the prisoner's) mother at
her estate in Essex, and arrange the affair with her ;
but witness did not think it proper to do so, and now
put this letter in evidence against him.
John Dennett, footman in the service of Captain Chap-
psi, Queen street, May-fair, with whom the prisoner
was on visiting terms, stated that he met the prisoner on
Monday, the 15th ult., in Half-moon-street, Piccadilly,
with a valise in his hand. The prisoner said that he
wished to leave it somewhere till he was able to go down
and see his mother, and witness promised to leave it for
him at. the Sun public-house, in Sun court, in that neigh-
bourhood. The prisoner accompanied him there, and
-saw him deliver it to the landlady, when they came out
together and parted at the door. •
Sergeant Rogers, C 5, stated that, from information he
had received, he went at half-past twelve o'clock on
Monday night, the sth instant, to a house in Queen-
street, May-fair, where he saw the prisoner, to whom he
read the description in the Hue and Cry, and told him
he must take him. The prisoner merely replied, " Very
well," and on examining his arms witness found the
marks described by the prosecutor on them. Witness
placed the prisoner in a cab, and on the road to the sta-
tion, the prisoner told him that it was of no use troubling
• any witnesses to prove the charge, as it was his inten-
tion to make a full acknowledgment of the whole. Wit-
ness told him not to be so rash, when he answered, in a
tone of poignant regret, that he wished sincerely that he
had been shot, for 'he' had done it through spite. Wit-
ness afterwards saw the witness Dennett, and from what
he had told him he went to the Sun public-house where
he found the valise, containing a shirt and silk stock, a
razor, and razor-case, which he now produced. '
These the prosecutor immediately identified as form-
ing part of the property he had lost.
The prisoner, in atone of despondency, declined saying
anything, and he was fully committed for trial on this
charge.
The prisoner was then charged with stealing a horse,
the property of Mr. Samuel Smoothy, a farmer, at
Birdbrook, near Clare, in Essex.
This prosecutor stated that he held his farm on a
tenantcy from one of the prisoner's aunts, and had seen
the prisoner repeatedly, while residing with his mother.
on' her estate at Yeldham, in Essex. On the 23d of
February last he received a note from the prisoner, re-
questing him to lend him his mare, and he accordingly
sent the animal by one of witness's servants to Haver-
hill, in Suffolk, for him. In the evening the prisoner
called with the mare at the witness's father's house, and
took tea with the family, promising, on leaving, to send
the mare back by two o'clock the next slay. Witness
bad never seen the animal since, nor the prisoner either,
till he found him in custody at this Court, on the pre-
ceding charge ; when, on asking him what he had done
with the mare, he replied that the animal had fallen
sick, and that he had disposed of her at a sale near
Smithfield for 31., the real worth of the mare being 151.
The prisoner, with increased despondency, if possible,
declined offering any observations on this case also, and
was likewise fully committed for trial upon this charge.
Sergeant Rogers then stated that he had found on the
prisoner's person a number of duplicates relating to
valuable property, and as he was satisfied that some of
these, if not the whole, were connected with other rob-
beries committed by the prisoner, he prayed the Magi-
strate to remand the prisoner, that he might have time
to carry out his investigations.
Mr. BINGHAM immediately acceded to this request,
and remanded the prisoner till that day week.
GRAVESEND.
OUTRAGE ON AN OFFICER OF THE RUSSIAN FRIGATF:
AURORA.—Yesterday, two young watermen, named
Applecoy and Davis, appeared before Messrs. Oakes and
Tickner, county magistrates, at the Town-h •11, High-
street, Gravesend, to answer a complaint preferred by
the Admiral and Commander of the Russian frigate
Aurora, now lying off the Terrace-pier of the above
town, for having created a disturbance on hoard that
vessel, and threatened serious injury to the officers and
crew.

The case appeared to create great interest amongst a
crowded auditory ; and, owing to the kind anel
gent manner in which the officers had allowed the public,
for more than three weeks, to inspect their fine frigate,
a deep feeling of regret seemed to pervade all, that, just
as they were on the eve of returning to their native
shores, they should be thus insulted.
Lieutenant Leatsham Nicholi, of the Aurora, who
spoke the English language in a very clear and intelli-
gent manner, and who was attired in his uniform, de-
posed that on Sunday afternoon, about five o'clock,
there was such a large influx of visitors on board the
frigate, and about fifty boats attached to her,
that he was directed by the Admiral and
Captain to clear the boats from off her, as the tide was
running down fast, and fears were entertained that she
would drive away from her moorings. He accordingly,
with a party of sailors, got into one of the ship's boats
and proceeded round the frigate for the purpose of clear-
ing the craft, when, on coming up to the prisoners, he
desired them to release their boat from the frigate, which
they refused, saying, " That they were on their own
river and could do as they liked." He replied that they
certainly could go where they liked, but they ought not
to hold on to a ship contrary to orders, and from the
frigate they must immediately move. Notwithstanding,
however, such request they still held on, and, finding
that there was no likelihood of their obeying his com-
mands, he directed his sailors to cut away the painter
(rope), and thus cast the boat adrift. No sooner was
that accomplished than the prisoners gave vent to the
most foul language and swore that they would do for
witness and his men. One of them hoisted his oar and
attempted to strike the man that cut the rope, whilst the
other came up to him, shook his clenched fist in his face,
and vowed serious injury. They continued their menac-
ing and disgusting conduct, when he informed them that
he should seek the a;sistance of the magistrates, and
they replied that they did not care a d—n for him or
the magistrates either.
Mr. Oaks.—Pray, then, Sir, did they really strike
you or any of the crew ? Witness.-oh, no, Sir, but
they would if they had been near enough to the sailors.
They used very foul words.
Mr. Oaks—l, for one, Sir, am very sorry that your
feelings should have been so far outraged by the pri-
soners, who belong to a class of persons that have rea-
lised a considerable emolument by the officers of the fri-
gte very considerately throwing it open to the public
view of the visitors who frequent this town. Has there
been any complaints against the general conduct of the