The Sun.
London, England, 1817-11-12 00:00:00

INFAMOUS CONSPIRACIES.

The following statement is well deserving the
attrotion of the. AI agistracy, awl of Country
ilja-
gistrates 11).1m-tit:I:kr
For silpe time past., there has existed a novel but desperate
gang of swindling informers, whose eiliarts have beet; particri-
larly directed against the I'mq:llu:re:is Ssr,stae Cotactk's, to
"whoM we trust the exposure oft he present account will prove
a salutary warning.
The plan pursued. by the harpies is this:—Tory loiter about
all parts-of the Country, -through which Stage Coaches pas.,,
and under pretenre of r,iring- infortualion against the owners
'for carrying an extra numL-er of passengers, or of luggage,
they sibtain a summons or warrant, which they contrive to
serre themset'ecs, and by :means of which, but too frequently
succeed in frightening the party into the payment of the full
penalty, or at least a sun& of money by way of coni;iisinise-.
In either case the Magistrate or t he Crown seldom met ire el en
oneltalf of the amount levied, while the: informer most gene-
rally pockets the whole ! But the following account of the ne-
farious proceedings of these public roliber.s, exceeds any thing.
we have premised :
Oil the Bth of October last, an information was laid before
ii: S. Trimmer, F.N.,'a Magistrate residing- in the parish of,
Middlesex, gainst
..Mr. B. Brother-ton, of Liverpool.
This Cientlerrian,v.ho has acquired a eoniiderable fortune as
stage-coach owner, t.:as resided in the town mentioned for
mails years., where lie has also been held in high estimation,
nut for the extent of his establishments, but for his probity
anti worth. The vile informers, however, determined upon
the attainment of their " base-lucre," actually set fort h° in their
information, that Mr. Brotherton.was w resident of the :afore-
said parish of Ealing in Middlesex, . andthat he had suffered,
or caused to be carried on his coach, front Liverpool to Lon-
than, a quantity of extra luggage, the penalty on Which
amounted to nearly 70/. The name of the-principal informer
advaheed in this case, was John Situppin, fit. Martin's-
lane, Charing-cross ut upon the most vigilant enquiry, since
set IM foot, no such person was to be,found. The companion
of this redaubtable-rufliatt was a fellow calling himself Wit-
limn Bowes, -who bore out the testimony of Simpson, and they
obtained what they wanted —a summons, which they pro-
mised to serve thonselves ! The day arrived for hearing the-
summons, the Informerswere in 'attendance, nod swore the
sommons was left at the Liverpool Coach-Office, Saracen's
Head, SnoWhill No such SUMMOIIS was kit to any one per.
sole; but Mr. Brothertmt did not appear, the
ia fact, without service, put the. summons in their
pocket.
They now urged the issue of a warrant for the apprehen-
sion cr-rlllr. 'Brothcrtion, and after saute hesitation obtained
one if, the.usual foram, directing the body of the said good
Gentleman to be convoyed to the prison of Coldbai la-Gelds, in
default of his paying the penalty. By virtue of this, aoother
men), natatcd*James Rogers, proceeded to the residence of
Mr, Brothertoo4 at Liverpool, where, after hissing his warrant
backed by Mr. W -a •Magistrate there, he attempted to
take the former into custody, unless he paid the penalty
Mr.' B. was at the moment in the most 'dangerous state of
health, and his physicians were of opinion that to rethove hint
would he to hazard his life.- •The informer said, he did not so
much .rcgardthe custody of Mr. llrothert on, -as lie desired the
possession of the money I the penalty which his warrant at-
tested

To.the lasting credit of tifr. Brotherton, however, he re-
-sisted the claim, but pledged himself to appear before the
„Magistrates in London, the moment of his recovery. The
,Informer, frightened, decamped, and Me. Brat herton, • hap-
pily recovering a little, made jorernies to laindim, one to tip,
;peal, personally before the. Magistrate,. and. ;O:rwiteds to
attend the Quarter Sessions at to answer the
charge of the Intonners: The latter were tint to he found,
nor upon. a second visit of Mr. B did:the wi etches dare,tai ap-
pear to sustain the information. '1 he cons ietion, at:..first
ittakle, was of course quashed.
The foregoing statement we trust, have its dine effect,
and when we add, -from bur. own% knowledge, that ceveral
Coach-owners have- been.plundcrerl lit the way..in which yr.
Brottwyt,,,, athir,?to I.!, he, illlVOSed 011011, we trust we
have discharged a most necessary duty to the
in centiraxithur,of ate statement, we leave only to add, that
fl.tyi.)*,,t cbes who have ,a,lopted, t system hare,
been successful in pondering a r,spectalile coach ()WIWI' of
401 another at Leeds Was robbed of ,tad in tact, no less
than thirty per•otts jut the creditable occupations of coach
owners; particoltrly on the Noltiiejlono avid r M CI eS: er
roads, have suffered by the thaviiinaticas of rile Inforfuvri.

,
'tibticE

~SLIN~'IUA HGU It .

'Vetter(lay:the •ttigiit t
Dewily-elect(4;'Liiiil Mayor-, oonvi;eticed ihe per-
.
fm.tomire of it ties as Chief Ali,.g'istrate of the
Ci:y, and %vent th'i-Oti'gli.the usual roOtitie of
ties,' at this ()flee.

.(ittcAs I}listoNnbeT.,---Tki.o vounz. mett, of
(lashing appearance, wet': 'clut'r!..;ed with conim-
ting an assault on two rel.Peetahle
Iths. Jane Prosser, a inidtfte .age'l lady, residing
in Salishary-street, Strand, St 'that. on, Mon-
day night, as herself and a younglady,,,A relation,
wire passing along TheOld.Jewry, they were net
by the defendants, wli;tn she had unnerved pre.
vionsly talking to a female. They ran:violefuly
against the witness, and on her reinoustrating
with 'them, they immediately attacked both her-
self Mid the younger puning them about in
a toast indecent Manner, and making use of very
obstene language. A watchman, who observed
their conduct, -OuStied them away; and advised
them to go home ; but they persisted in maltreat-
ing the ladies, and were finally taken to the watch-
hois'e.

Two 'watchmen' corroborated the testimony of
Mrs. Prosser, and said that the conduct of the
young rarer► was most disgraceful.
The Loin) MOott reprehended the misconduct
of the young' men, and sail he would not suffer
such outrages to be 'committed with impunity,
His Lordship ordered them to find good bail for
their appearance at the Sessions, which they: did,
DARING RoBBERY.—Mary Cole, Charles Duproy
and WillOnz Sey►izour were brought rap on suspi-
cion.of having plundered the shop of Mr. Key,
dru:zgist, Aidgate.
,The shopman Said; that on
Sunday.: night, between 7 and- 9 o'clock; the till
of the- shop" .was robbed of a pocket •hook con-
taining a checkloripl. 145., and Bank-notes and
gold amounting to 241. J'l►'e witness was in a si-
tuation from which he thought he lid' a ciim-
mandit% ‘ie, of the shop. He wA mistaken,
tot Dirproy, who saw the
,shopman front• the
street, and found that-a, stratagem might defeat
his.vigilance, crept round the counter on his hands
kind feet, and having made free with the contents
of the till, returned in the same manner. The lose!:
did not know' whom to-suspect, until-the mother of
Duprey told him that her SOU was connected with a
gang of robbers who were both ingenious a►nd des-
perate, and who had, by the instrumentality of the
boy,'.rubbed his house.' An offick.r was imme-
diately sent to a house of ill fame where the un-
tortnnate mother said her son tilafi sure to be
found. After some difficulty the tbree prisoners
Were taken from Skittle-groundi, near Spitalfields,
where they had gone to regale themselves utter the
exploit of the night.: Seymour, to whOlt) repott
thr010) the uredinn► of the pOlice, given a
very bad character, made a desperate resistance
when the officer was conducting him to the Man-
sion-house. The boy has. atlhsitteil that he'was
concerned in the robbery upon the invitation and
tinder the direction of Sevtooor.-11emanded.