The Sun.
London, England, 1844-10-16 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
(YESTERDAY.)
CLERKEIV WELL.

A stylishly-dressed middle-aged man, who gave
his name as John Gill, was charged with violently
assaulting Mr. Haynes, landlord of the Mortimer
Arms, in Tottenham-court-road, under the following
circumstances :

It appeared from the evidence for the prosecution
that on the previous night, at a very late hour, the
prisoner and two other persons came into the bar of
the Mortimer Arms, and having called for some drink,
one of the prisoner's companions obtained five
sovereigns from the prisoner and said he would toss
any one present for one or for five sovereigns. There
were several highly respectable tradesmen present,
and the prisoner and his party made several attempts
to induce them to gamble with them. The landlord,
however, said he would not allow any such illegality,
and desired the prisoner and his gang to leave the
house. The prisoner refused, using grossly abusive
language towards the landlord, who no sooner at-
tempted to expel him, than the prisoner attacked him
in the most violent manner, and literally tore the
clothes off his back to the very last garment, and
even that same. He struck the complainant a -violent
blow on the chest. When the police arrived he
wanted to give Mr. Haynes in charge for stealing his
watch.

Mr. GREENWOOD—Do you know who this
.'man
is ? The prosecutor—Oh, yes, I know him very
well ; he is what is commonly termed " a sharp," a
well-known character in the gambling world. Some
of the licensed victuallers know him to their cost.

The prisoner called his two confrieres as witnesses.
The first was a sharp-looking fellow, dressed as a
groom, who said his name was Stephens, and that he
was servant to the Hon. Augustus Chichester. He
subsequently stated that he was groom to Earl Grey,
but on being closely interrogated by the Magistrate,
he admitted that itwas six months since he was in the
service of either of these gentlemen, and that during
the latter period he has had no certain means of sub-
sistence. He swore the prisoner only assaulted the
landlord in self-defence. The second witness was a
person named Smith, who gave his address as Half-
Moon-crescent, but who, in cross-examination, turned
out to be a man of unsettled habitation and occupa-
tion—at one time a carver and gilder, at another
time an engraver, at another time a servant ; in
short, a sort of Caleb Quotem. He admitted having
offered to bet five sovereigns, and swore that Mr.
Gill had been assaulted in the first instance. Had
seen a silver watch with the prisoner before the occur-
rence.

Mr. GREENWOOD said a more abominable con-
spiracy to take away the character of a respectable
tradesman he had never listened to. It was quite
plain that the whole trio were nothing but a set of
sharpers, who entered the house at a late hour hoping
they might find some inebriated persons there, whom
they could cheat out of their money. The allegation
of Mr. Haynes having stolen the watch he believed to
be a base falsehood. He did not believe one word of
what the two witnesses for the defence stated, and
should fine the prisoner 31., and the amount of damage
done to Mr. Haynes' dress, or one month's imprison-
ment.—The money was paid at once.
BO TV- S TREE T.

A good looking woman, named Sarah Smith, was
placed before Mr. Jardine, charged with stealing the
sum of 91. 10s. from the person of Mr. Myers, of Craven-
buildings.
The prosecutor stated that he was going along the
Strand last night, when the prisoner came up to him and
spoke to him. He told her to go away, but she would
not, and walked by his side for about twenty yards.
When he got to Drury-court, he felt the prisoner's hand
in his pocket. He immediately felt for his purse, and on
examination he found that one end of his purse had been
emptied, and 91. 10s. gone. He had had 12/. 10s. in his
purse, but he found three sovereigns lying loose in his
pocket. Upon discovering his loss he called a policeman
and gave the prisoner into custody. The money was not
found upon the prisoner.
Mr. Wontner, who appeared for the prisoner, cross-
examined the prosecutor, but he did not shake his
evidence.
The policeman who took the prisoner into custody
searched the place where he took the prisoner in charge,
but he could not find the money.
Mr. JARDINE committed the prisoner for trial.
MARYLEBONE.
John 7'hummond, a journeyman baker, was charged
with the following outrage on the police :
Police-constable,l9 E, found the defendant yesterday
afternoon in Well-street, Oxford-street, in a beastly state
of intoxication. He was throwing half-quartern loaves
at a dog, and offering to fight every one that passed
along the street ; he soon congregated a mob of 200 or
300 persons. He grossly assaulted 19 E and two other
constables, one of whom he kicked in a dangerous part
of his person, and stated, whilst he was inflicting the
blow, " that he would ruin him for life."
The defendant's mistress and his brother gave him an
excellent character.
Mr. RewuNsosi fint d him for being drunk, and 20s.
for each assault, in all 41.
WORSHIP-STREET.
Monday three men and a woman, who at this court
give the names of Henry Miller, Thomas Smith, and
William Smith, father and son, and Sarah Dewar, were
placed at the bar for reexamination, on charges of ob-
taining a vast quantity of property from tradesmen in
every part of the metropolis by means of false and frau-
dulent pretences.
From inquiries prosecuted by the police, it appeared
that the prisoners had occupied no less than seven houss,
in as great a variety of names, within the last six months,
from all of which, after carrying on the most dishonest
practices, they had suddenly absconded.
Mr. Humphreys attended for the prosecution, and
Mr. Duncombe on behalf of the prisoners.
The court was completely packed with respectable
tradesmen, all anxious to get into the witness-box and
prefer charges against the prisoners ; but a selection
from their complaints is necessary, find we give the fol-
lowing as a specimen:—
Elizabeth Faulkner, a fancy bonnet dealer at Cam-
den-town, stated that the prisoner Dewar called at her
shop, and, stating her name to be Watson, and that
she resided at No. 5, Grove-terrace, Upper Kentish-
town, selected a quantity of goods, the price of which
she did not ask, and desired them to be immediately
sent to her residence. A young woman named Po-
cock was sent with the goods, and with directions not to
leave them without the money, but was shown into the
kitchen by a woman who passed as a servant ; and,
some of the goods having been selected by some parties
up stairs, a fresh order was given for some other expen-
sive articles, to be delivered on the Friday morning.
Pocock objected to go) without the money, but the
" servant" plainly told her she should not give the goods
back, and that the " lady" would call and pay for
them, and the girl was therefore obliged to leave with-
out them.

William Faulkner, the last witness's father, deposed
that he had gone to the house of the " Watsons" the
next afternoon, and, being answered by the servant in
the area, demanded the goods. The servant refused to
give them up, said the " lady" would not be home till
ten o'clock the next morning, and on his refusing to
leave without his property, threatened to charge the po-
lice with him. " A crowd" of other tradesmen were
coming up to the house loaded with parcels. but on
hearing tie colloquy with the servant, took the hint,
and quickly disappeared again. Witness was indignant
at being " swindled by a nest of s w indlers," and
" stormed" till he got quite hoarse, is the hope of
shaming the parties, or spoiling their plans ; but with
no such result ; the property was still refused, and after
another threat of the police from the " serNant," he was
obliged to leave as he came. The next morning, " de-
termined not to lose a chance," he went again at half-
past nine o'clock, and found that the house was empty,
and that the prisoners had decamped. A.. 11 the goods
were sent on approbation, and none of them sold.
A bonnet was produced by Kemp, the officer, and
shorn to by the first witness; but she thinking Dewar's
hair was lighter when she came to her shop than now,
Sergeant Dubois produced four boxes of fa Ise fronts
found at the house where the prisoners were taken, in
Harvey-street, Hoxton, and the witness identifi ed one of
these fronts as that she had seen worn by Dewa,....
Sergeant Dubois said he had seen the landlord of the
house in Grove-terrace, who had shown him ant agree-
ment for the house for three years, taken in the la ame of
Watson; but, though the prisoners were the partii,es who
lived there, a well-dressed man, driving a horse as td gigs
had signed the agreement, and he was not no w tc be
found.
Mr. BROUGHTON said that this was claarly a .case of
felony, and he should certainly commit the In•isoner
Dewar upon it.
Mr. Duncombe ably addressed the magistrate , and,
contending there was not a tittle of evidence la gainst
the Smiths of a criminal nature, demanded the ix dis-
charge.
Sergeant Dubois said there was a multitude of la ersons
in court ready to prove the connexion of all t h e pri-
soners, and one gentleman was at that moment pt •c pared
to establish a case of forgery against the elder :smith,
who, he might also state, he should be able to pr.n ye had
been, together with a man named Frost, who then lived
with him in the Kingsland-road, sentenced to trans porta-
tion at the Old Bailey about twelve years ago, a nd re-
turned, after serving his time out.
A case was then proved in which the elder Smi t! b, who
gave his name as Dewar, and his residence as 22, Ash-
ford-street, Hoxton, had obtained goods to the v alue of
not less than 50/., paying part of the money dow" n ; and
giving for the rest a bill, which he signed in the I lame of
Dewar, and which, of course, was dishonoured.
This charge, also, the Magistrate expressed i t as his
determination to entertain, and told the witness- to com-
municate with Mr. Humphreys.
A gentleman then stated that at Lady-day :last the
prisoners Miller and Dewar, who then passed' by the
name of Cooper, took a house of his, No. IT., Bolls-
buildings, Fetter-lane, for three years, and after 'defraud-
ing the whole neighbourhood, suddenly abscon, ed. The
day after they had left, upwards of forty tradesn len called
at his house to make inquiries after them, ar td among
theta a Mr. Perry, living in Oxford-street, who ) .bad been
swindled out of 401 worth of goods by them.
The se cases the Magistrate could not enter Lain unless
more specifically preferred.
Two other charges were then preferred by tradesmen
at Hammersmith, as to which
Mr. BROUGHTON said, he was strongly of. opi 'pion that
the goods had been fraudulently obtainevi, at id should
certainly take time for consideration.
Sergeant Dubois intimated to the magistrate. that the
numerous charges already made were not half' of those
he could bring forward, and recanted another-. ;remand.