The Sun.
London, England, 1844-06-17 00:00:00

I was driven to Grosvenor-street. Some time after she
alighted she missed her purse, which she was confident
she had left on the seat, but being ignorant of the
number of the vehicle, she gave information of the cir-
cumstance at Scotland-yard, and also made inquiry at
Somerset House to ascertain if the cab driver had depo-
sited the purse and contents there. Being unsuccessful,
however, in her application, Policeman Radcliffe, being
informed of the circumstances, with difficulty traced the
prisoner as the man who had driven Mrs. Carr on the
day in question, although he at first equivocated
a good deal on the subject. When, however, he
was brought into the presence of the lady,
he at first denied that he knew anything about the purse
or its contents, but upon Mrs. Carr assuring him that if
her property was restored to her she would not prose-
cute, the prisoner then admitted that he found the purse
and all that it contained some time after she quitted the
cab, and said they were all safe, with the exception of
one sovereign, which he had foolishly spent. The above
admission was made in the presence of Radcliffe, to
whom the prisoner then handed over the purse and its
contents, with the exception of the sovereign which he
said he had expended. The policeman added that Mrs.
Carr, being perfectly satisfied with the restoration of
her property, particularly the gold seals, one of which
had been recently sent to her by Captain Carr from In-
dia, was therefore unwilling to appear against the pri-
soner, and was not in attendance.
Mr. Corrixotuot said that it was a very serious rob-
bery, and that such offences were very frequent, and it
would be necessary to have the attendance of the lady
to whom the purse and its contents belonged.
The prisoner said that he regretted what had occurred;
that he admitted he was wrong in keeping the purse, but
that, having set down the lady at the corner of Gros-
vernor-street, and not knowing where she lived, he could
not call at her house to make her acquainted with her
loss. He added that, Mrs. Carr having promised not to
press any charge against him on his returning her the
property, he trusted that the Magistrate would not com-
pel that lady's attendance.
Mr. COTTINGHAN said that, even if the prisoner was
cognisant of the lady's residence, he knew very well that,
as an honest man, he was bound to take any property
left by mistake in his cab to Somerset House, where the
owner would have an opportunity of having it restored.
This, however, the prisoner did not do, and, for the sake
of the public, he (the Magistrate) should compel Mrs.
Carr to attend, observing that so serious a charge must
not be allowed to be compromised ; therefore he should
remand the prisoner until Wednesday.
WANDS WORTH.

Inspector Creed, of the V division, applied to the
sitting magistrate for his advice and assistance under the
following circumstances :
Some time last summer a pier was thrown out near to
the Red House, Battersea-fields, at the instance of the
Westminster Steam-boat Company, to enable their boats
to land and embark passengers. The consequence has
been that Battersea-fields has become a favoured resort
on the Sunday for some thousands of mechanics, their
wives and children, the opportunity of reaching this
spot being within the means of the most humble artizan.
To afford amusement to the visitors, several persons
have speculated in the letting out of horses and donkeys
for " penny rides," and another person has laid out a
considerable sum of money in the erection of a gigantic
swing. It was to devise some means of putting down
these " nuisances," as they were termed, that the Inspec-
tor waited on the magistrate.
Mr. PAYNTER inquired if any complaint had ever been
made to the police ? The inspector replied, several,
and one of the complaining parties was Mr. Wright, the
landlord of the Red House.
Mr. PAYNTER wished to know if the ground upon
which the donkey-riding took place was common land
or private property? The inspector said it was private
property, as was also the piece of ground where the
swing is situated.
Mr. PAYNTER—Then I have no power to interfere,
and Id) not see why I should interfere. In no other
country are the working classes restricted in their Sun-
day amusements, and I do not see, so long as those
amusements are harmless in their character, that they
should be in this. The gentry throng Rotten-row on
Sunday in carriages and on horseback; then why is the
same privilege to be denied the humble mechanic?
The inspector said he should not have interfered but
that some of the resident gentry made complaints.
Mr. PAYNTER—Let the gentry, before they make
those complaints, set the example of abstinence in their
own persons. The worthy Magistrate concluded his ob-
servations by stating, that although he wished to see the
humble classes allowed every means of recreation, yet
he would not countenance any irregularity of conduct,
either on their part or those who catered to their enjoy-
ments; therefore, if any complaints came before him, he
would severely punish the culpable parties.
KINGSTON.

Before Captain ROBERTS, and a full Bench of Magis

trates.)

The Court was crowded on Saturday by persons
anxious to hear the proceedings against a man named
John Durdon, who had been apprehended by the po-
lice for keeping a gaming-booth at Hampton races, con-
trary to law, and in disobedience to the order recently
issued by the Secretary of State,
Mr. Allen, of the Oxford Circuit attended on behalf of
the defendant.
Henry Jackson, a police-constable of the V division,
deposed that he was on duty at Hampton races on
Thursday last, and in consequence of information be re-
ceived, he went round to the different booths, and, on
going into one of them, a man, whom he knew by name,
attempted to prevent him, and said there was no occa-
sion to go in, and asked him to go and have some sherry.
Witness told him he wanted no wine, and that he should
do his duty.
Mr. Allen objected to what passed between the man
and the witness, in the absence of the defendant, being
given in evidence. He also remarked upon the nature
of the proceeding.
Captain Roberts observed that the Secretary of State
had issued private instructions to put down gambling at
races, and those instructions must be carried out. For
his own part, he was glad to do all in his power to
prevent the public from being robbed as they had been.
Jackson then proceeded to state that, on his going
into the booth, he saw a roulette table, and he observed
the defendant turn the ball round, and several persons
were present playing. (The table and a quantity of
counters were here produced.) He took the defendant
into custody, and also assisted to seize the table and the
other implements used for the game.
The witness then produced 174 counters. They were
made of white metal, resembling silver, and on one side
were the words, "Established 1800, D.G.," and on the
other, "New Betting Rooms, Doncaster," and a repre-
sentation of the Grand Stand. He added that the ball
was one of the same description usually employed for
playing at roulette, As they were going to Kingston,
the prisoner offered to give him two sovereigns if he
would say nothing about gambling being carried on in
the booth.

By Mr. Allen—Believed that the ground on which
the races were held was private property, but he did not
know who it belonged to. The other man whom he had
mentioned ran out of the booth, or he should have ap-
prehended him also for gambling.
Captain WILLIAMS, to the witness—l believe the in-
structions issued by the Secretary of State were to ap-
prehend all persons found gambling in the booths ?
Witness—Those were the instructions we received.

By Mr. Allen—There were a great many booths, and
some thousands of persons were present. There were
stalls of all kinds, and forty or fifty booths, but not of
the same kind as the one in which he saw the defendant.
The last race was just over at the time. When they
were going toKingston, the defendant said to him, " You
did not see any gambling, did you ?" and he replied that
he should decline to give any answer. It was after this
that the money was offered to him.
Robert Checkly, another police-constable, deposed
that he went into the booth with the last witness, and
he confirmed his testimony relative to the defendant
being found working the roulette table. He saw the
counters lying about in different parts of the table.
Cross-examined by Mr. Allen—Witness was close to
Jackson when he went into the booth. It was about
two yards long and was covered on the top. The por-
tion of booth where the gambling was going on was
parted off. He did not know who the race course be-
longed to.

By Captain ROBERTS—CouId not say whether the
gaming-booth was under a different canvas to the
other.

This was the case in support of the charge.
Mr. Allen then addressed the Bench at considerable
length, in behalf of the defendant, and after remarking
upon the prejudice which usually attached to cases of
this sort, he said the Magistrates had a very important
and onerous duty cast upon them, inasmuch as they
stood in the positien of both judge and jury, and he sub-
mitted that they ought not to convict except upon the
strongest evidence. He then proceeded to contend that
no conviction could take place under the Act of George
the Fourth, commonly called the Vagrant Act, inasmuch
as that only applied to cases of gambling on a public
highway, and the evidence went to show that the race-
course was private property. If a party gambled upon
his own land the magistrate had no power to interfere.
The Learned Counsel then alluded to the New Police
Act, which he contended was only intended to apply to
fairs, and he went on to express his conviction that as
the race-course was proved to be private property, the
magistrate had no jurisdiction.
Mr. Jemmet, clerk to the Bench, remarked that the
Act gave very much greater powers than those sug-
gested by the Learned Counsel, and, among others, it
provided a remedy for telling fortunes in private houses.
Captain ROBERTS said that if the Bench entertained
any doubt of their power and jurisdiction they would not
act, but they did not entertain any such doubt.
Mr. Allen then went on to contend that there must be
some proof of parties having betted or played before there
could be a conviction. In this case there was no such proof,
and he, therefore, submitted that the offence contem-
plated by the statute had not been proved—there was
not the slightest evidence that the defendant had either
played or betted.
The Magistates then considered the case, and, after
they had consulted,
The CHAIRMAN said the Bench had given their most
serious consideration to the point that had been urged on
behalf of the defendant, and they were clearly of opinion
that the act was committed in a public place within the
meaning of the statute ; and, as to the objection that
there was no proof of the defendant's having played, they
considered the circumstance of his being at the table
and working the ball quite sufficient proof of that fact,
and the circumstance of his finding the table, the cloth,
and the counters, showed clearly that the parties were
met to bet and gamble. The Bench therefore considered
the offence proved, and adjudged the defendant to be
imprisoned for month in the House of Correction.
Mr. Allen gave notice of appeal.
The roulette table and other gambling apparatus were
ordered to be destroyed.
QUEEN-SQUARE.
A labouring man, named Win. Lloyd, was charged byWm
Crispin, one of the officartt of the Society for the Prevention