The Sun.
London, England, 1828-01-02 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

BOW-STREET.—Yesterday William Godfrey and
Gorge Staples, who underwent an examination at this
office on Saturday, the former charged with stealing, and
the latter with feloniously receiving a gray mare, the pro-
perty of Mr. Brumbri lge, a farmer, were brought forward
for a re-examination. The case as it proceeds develops
an extensive and atrocious system cf horse-stealing, and
shows to what a vast extent the traffic of the horse
slaughterer or " knacker'' is carried on in the metropolis.
The prisoner Godfrey, it will be remembered, was fur-
ther charged with stealing a roan horse belonging to a gen-
tleman named De Coatlegon, Who residet at Ashford, and
Staples was accused of pUrchasing this horse also. Evi-
dence of these facts 'ivvre yesterday gone into.
Wm. Fotheringham, is servant to Charles Frederick Dr
Coatiegon, Esq., of Ashford. On Thursday morning, the
'Fith of December, he missed from one of the fields a horse
belonging to his master. Went in pursuit, and found the
horse just killed in the slaughter-house of a person named
Smith, in Sharpe's-alley, Cow-cross. The carcass was hot
and smoking, and the entrails had just been taken out.—
White, the owner of the slaughter-house, said, that he pur-
chased the horse from a man named Staples, and he and the
witness Went;to look for him in Smithfield. Staples there
told him that he had purchased the horse for 15s. from the
prisoner Godfrey.
Davis, a city officer, stated, that when he went to Staples
respecting the horse, he (Staples) told him that Godfrey
would bring a blind horse to his house next day, and he
would take care to secure him when he called. Staples ad-
mitted that he was in the habit of purchasing horses very
frequently froin Godfrey. The witness went down on
Friday night to the house of Staples, at Shepherd's Bush,
and Staples showed him two receipts, signed 'William God-
frey, for 15s. each, for the gray mare belonging to Mr.
Brumbridge, and the roan horse stolen from Mr. De Coat-
legon. Godfrey soon after called upon Staples while the
witness was absent, and Staples caused him to be detained
until the witness took him into custody. Godfrey admitted
having received 15s. a-piece for the horses.
Thomas White sworn—Keeps a slaughter-house for
horses in Sharpe's-alley, Cow-cross. Bought the straw-
berry horse in question from the witness Staples, and also
two dead horses at the same time. Gave Staples 30s. for
the strawberry or roan horse. The person who brought
the horse said, he could not leave the yard unless he saw it
killed. Witness accordingly sent for the Inspecter, and en-
tered the horse in his book, together with the price he,paid
for it, and the name of the person from whom he purchased
it. The horse was killed at 10 o'clock in the morning,
and about 12 o'clock Mr. Brumbridge and Mr. Coatlegon's
servant came to the yard, and the latter identified the car-
case of the horse as that which was stolen from his master.

Mr. Brumbridge had ascertained that Mr. Coatlegon's
horse was brought to Sharpe's-alley as early as seven
o'clock in the morning, where it was hawked about to the
different knackers with a view to get a higher price.
Some person offered 21. for the horse, to keep him alive,
but 30s. were taken for him from Mr. White, the object
being to get the horse slaughtered at all events, in order to
avoid discovery.
This concluded, for the present, the evidence respecting
Mr. Coatlegon's horse.
A man named Watts, who, it appears, is also a knacker,
residing in Sharpe's-alley, was about to be brought for-
ward as a witness in the case of Mr. Brumbridge's mare,
but from strong circumstances which appeared tending to
fix Watts with a guilty knowledge, he was not admitted to
give evidence.
A farrier, residing at Feltham, deposed that the two fore
legs, now produced, belonged to a horse which was lately
in the possession of Mr. Brumbridge. The legs were
found, amidst an immense quantity of horses' limbs, in the
slaughter-house of Watts.

The case teas remanded until Friday.
Itwas stated that the horse stolen from Mr. Coatlegon,
and slaughtered at White's, had carried its master at the
battle of Waterloo, and had actually a bullet in its body at
the time it was killed. The horse, of course, was a great
favourite, although old and nearly unserviceable.
QUEEN-SQUARE.—Yesterday a very curious scene
Occurred at • this Office. A young man named Benton,
most respectably dressed, entered the Office, attended by
Mr. Butt, a solicitor, to make an application to the sitting
Magistrate, W. A. A. WILITZ, Esq. Mr. Butt begged the
Magistrate's interference for the recovery of his client's
wife, unlawfully detained from him by her aunt. His
client had married his wife about a month since at Lea-
mington, and having come to town, he took her to see
an aunt of her's (Mrs. Davis), who resided in Tufton•
street, Westminster, and she now detained her. Last night
he went with his client to demand his wife, when 11Irs.
Davis sent for Weale, the officer, who threatened to turn
both out of the house, if they did not go quietly.
Mr. WHITE could not interfere ; probably the lady would
return to her husband when she knew where he resided.

Mrs. Davis was now sent for, who soon after arrived, at-
tended by her niece, fashionably dressed in a Scotch plaid
roquelaure, a large bonnet and feathers, and who threw her-
self most negligently into a chair near the Magistrate and
began to shed a flood of tears. The air and manner of the
lady was most romantic and interesting.

Mrs. Davis confirmed Weale's statement, and said that
Mr. Benton threatened to go up-stairs and take her niece
(Miss Fletcher) by force, when she was forced to send for
an officer. Her niece Lad confessed to her that morning
she was not married, and had given her the wedding ring.
The niece, who appeared much agitated, and seemingly
had paid little attention until the last observation, ex-
claimed—" You took the ring off the table, I did not give
it you."
Mrs. Davis —" What is to be done ?" Mr. WHITE
said, that she must ascertain whether they were married or
not; his conduct was very reprehensible in coming at that
hour of the night, 10 o'clock, to make a disturbance.
Benton in answer said, that he was married at Leaming-
ton by banns, but could not recollect the name of the church
or the minister ; be had lived three weeks at the Regent's
Hotel; Leamingtoa, awl was servant to Mr. Hill, of
Gresham Hall, Norfolk, and Mrs. Davis's niece was a ser-
vant in a gentleman's family.
This statement excited considerable surprise, from the
appearance of the parties.
Mrs. Davis.—Last night he said he was married by
licence.

Mr. WHITE asked the niece whether she would go with
her aunt, or the person who claimed lter.as his wife? The
niece declined giving any answer.
It was at length agreed that the niece should remain
with her aunt until the claimant could produce the eertifi-
rate, which he promised to do in a couple of days.
As the parties were leaving the office, the claimant said
to the niece, in a most pathetic style,
." My dear, dearest
love, come with me ; you know you are my own true wife."

Before there was time for a reply to this interesting sup-
plication, the aunt pushed the claimant on one side, and
said—" It is of no use to ask, for she shan't ;" and securing
her niece by the arm, led her out of the office, he all the
time supplicating, in the most tender manner, for her to
return to her own true love.

The wedding ring was left in the hands of John Weak,
the officer.

HATTON-GARDEN.— Thomas Hieks, No. 10, Clif-
ford's-inn, was yesterday brought up, under a warrant,
before Mr. Sergeant SELLON and Mr. LAING, charged
with having indecently assaulted Philippa Main, servant to
Mr. Le Mercer, stock-broker, residing at No. 70, Tarring-
ton-square.—The charge was dismissed.
An application was made for a warrant against a notori-
ous individual, named Jack Williams, a coster-monger,
for having on the night of the 26th December violently as-
saulted John Jackson, a watchman, in Little Sutton-street,
Clerkenwell.—Granted.

TOWN-HALL, SOUTHWARK.—The wife of a re-
spectable tradesmen in Webb-street, St. Thomas's, ap-
peared, accompanied by several of her friends, to prefer a
serious charge of assault against her husband.
The ALDERMAN said, unless he could prevail on his
wife to withdraw the complaint, he must he held to bail,
and there being no persuading the lady to kiss and be
friends, the needful securities were entered into.
UNION-HALL—Yesterday two men named George
Cornish and Francis January, were brought before the
sitting Magistrate, B. J. CHAMBERS, Esq., charged on
suspicion with having been concerned in robbing the
bleaching grounds of Mr. Reynolds, at Beddington-corner,
between Carshalton and Mitcham, of a quantity of us-
bleached linen.
Niblett, the constable, proceeded to give the Magistrate
an account of the numerous depredations committed by a
gang of as daring thieves in Mitcham as ever infested the
metropolis. He described that scarcely a single night pass-
ed that some houses in Mitcham or the neighbouring vil-
lages were not broken into and robbed by this daring gang
who constantly kept the surrounding country in a state of
alarm. The thieves mustered of a night in such numbers
that rendered it dangerous for the few constables belonging
to the place to interfere sith them.

The Magistrate then proceeded to put several questions to
the prisoners, as to the nature of their occupation, when
their answers fully confipted the account of the idle and
vicious life they wer leading.
They were remanded for further examination on the
above charge, and in the interim others concerned in the
offence'are likely to be apprehended.
_ . _ .

In the cour Qf the 'aay, a man named
,Foodruje, a

tailor, resident at Mitcham, was brought up on a charge of
being drunk and disorderly en the previous night.
Tailor—l went to see the two young men, Swayne and
Thompson, executed at Horsemonger-lane gaol ; the for-
mer I knew very well, poor fellow ; he was from the same
place that I belong to ; we were boys together ; I should
not, I think, be speaking above the mark, when I say that
upwards of 400 or 500 persons from Mitcham came to
witness the execution.

Mr. CHAMBERS-Getting intoxicated was a very ex-
traordinary way of evincing your pity for a friend who was
executed.

Tailor—Really, Sir, I was so cot up with the sight, that
I imagined the best way of driving the thoughts of the
scene from my memory was to get roaring drunk.
Mr. CHAMBERS-It has been proved that you were very
riotous in your cups : therefore you must pay the fine.
The tailor paid the penalty, saying that he should return
home pennyless.