The Sun.
London, England, 1844-09-21 00:00:00

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

Thursday Alfred Walker was brought before Mr.
Hard wicke for final examination, in reference to a
charge of having been concerned in stealing nearly
5001. in money, and some other valuables, the pro-
perty of Mrs. Tarbox, the housekeeper, from the resi-
dence of the Earl of Harrowby, in Grosvenor-square.
The whole circumstances of the robbery, and the
grounds of suspicion against the prisoner, who was
employed in the house in the capacity of bug de
strayer, have alre:idy been detailed in the reports of
the prisoner's previous examinations.
Inspector Pearce, of the A division, who has been
actively engaged in tracing out the property, and who
had obtained such a clue to the whole affair as to in-
duce him to apply for more than one remand, yester-
day made such a communication to Mr. Hardwick as
clearly showed that he had lost all hope at present of
being able either to produce the property or to bring
to punishment the perpetrators of the offence. Under
these circumstances Mr. Harwick ordered Walker to
be placed at the bar, and forthwith discharged him
from custody.
The accused has had more than one lucky escape.
Ile has been tried at the OH Bailey for a robbery in
the house of a lady in Macclesfield-square, and in
other houses where he obtained jobs property has been
missed. 'When the accused was first apprehended,
the servant of Lady Thomond was present to put
some questions to him relative to the loss of a cloak
which had been missed during the time he was occu-
pied in cleansing the rooms in her Ladyship's house.
In the course of these inquiries, the police ascer-
tained that very great facilities are afforded to persons
who call themselves bug or rat destroyers, and whose
characters are not ascertained, for obtaining admission
into the houses of noblemen and gentlemen. These
persons are generally allowe I to have free access to
every part of the house, and it is believed that more
than one serious robbery has had its origin in want of
due caution.

The police summoned a great number of omnibus
drivers before Mr. Maltby and Mr. Hardwick, for
causing an obstruction in the public streets by stop-
ping longer than necessary to set down or take up
passengers. The defendants were mostly drivers of
Kensington and Chelsea omnibuses, and the alleged
obstruction arose from the practice of the drivers
stopping before the White Horse Cellar and other
booking offices for a few minutes, in order to ply for
passengers.

The police stated that the rivalry of the different
omnibus companies produced a serious obstruction at
the White Horse Cellar, as, sometimes, so many om-
nibuses were collected in the same place, stopping
from ten to twenty minutes, as to render the road
almost impassable.
The defendants were all fined in a small penalty,
with an intimation that the full penalty would be in-
flicted if the practice complained of was not put an
end to.

The driver of a Hampton omnibus, who had been
summoned, pleaded that the public convenience abso-
lutely required that a pause of a few minutes should
be made at the booking-office when going or coming
from such a distance. It was impossible to collect
passengers and luggage in one minute, and therefore
he did not think that the ten minutes he took at the
booking- office was such an offence as the Act of Par-
liament contemplated.
Mr. MALTBY could not excuse the fine in this in-
stance, and on the grounds urged, because the Act of
Parliament made no exceptions in favour of any par-
ticular class of public vehicles.
Elizabeth Preston, about thirty-five years of age, of
rather superior manners and address, although her
clothing was literally in tatters, was charged with
begging in Stafford-street, Bond-street.
William Horsford, the head-constable belonging to the
Mendicity Society, stated that about seven o'clock last
evening he saw the prisoner beg of five or six different
gentlemen passing by. In pursuance of his directions
from the Mendicity Society, he took her into custody.
She had not succeeded in obtaining alms from either of
the parties whom she had importuned.
Mr. Maurnv—ls she known here ? Horsford—l do
not kno her, sir; I do nnt think she has been here before.
Prisoner—Yes, I have ; two months ago I brought a
letter to you, Mr. Maltby, from a sister of mine at the
West-end, who is in a very distinguished family. You
relieved me then ; hut:l afterwards became destitute.
Horsford said there was no doubt about her statement
being correct ; and, believing her to be deserving of
assistance, he would, with the Magistrate's permission,
refer the case to the consideration of the Mendicity
Society.
Mr. NIALTBY said that would be the better course to
pursue ; and, for the woman's immediate necessity, Le
would himself give her half a crown.
The unfortunate female expressed, with strong feel-
ings of emotion, her' sense of the Worthy Magistrate's
kindness.