The Sun.
London, England, 1826-12-27 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

'MANSION-MOUSE.—Yesterday;.; a dashing;looking young
niau, named John Minton, was brought up for examination, before
the LORD MAYOR, on a charge of fraud.
Mr.- Chaffers, the-pawnbroker, Of Watlingstreeti stated, that
the prisoner came to his house, and offered to pledfce half a dozen
massive silver table spoois, of whit is called the king's new pat-
tein. He wanted la upon them, give his word' of honour, as
a gentleman, that they, had cost much more, anti said he would
call again for them in the evening. Mr. Chaffers examined them
carefully, notwithstanding' the defendant's word and gentlemanly
manner, and finding them to be good elver, lie offered to lend 6!.
upon them. The prisoner failing in obtaining a better offer, took
up the spoons, and went from the counter, but returned again,
saying, " Well, he must take the sum offered." He then put
down his half dozen of spoons on the countelb. -Mr. Chaffers, iu
turning them out, detected them, by the ring, as being counterfeit.
He immediately had the prisoner taken into custody. On search-
ihg him, the half dozen of good spoons were found upon him. The
counterfeit spoons were plated with a coat of silver, over a species
of Britannia metal.

Several pawnbrokers came forward, and stated that they had
been defrauded by a sleight-of-hand trick, similar to that which
the prisoner had played off.
Mr. CHARLES PHILLIPS, for the prisoner, submitted, that in
law the prisoner must be discharged, inasmuch as no money had
pissed to him, and no offence bad therefore been committed.

The LORD MAYou admitted the Learned Counsel i objection
to be good, and discharged the prisoner, who, however, was im-
mediately taken into custody, charged with having completed the
offence in another jurisdiction, to which he was conveyed.
A mad was brought up on Friday, by Mr. Goldham, before
Mr. Alderman KEY, charged with being in possession of stolen
property.He wassent fur one month to Bridewell.

• ill-. Ooldhani stated, in the course of the investigation, that he
had discovered, since he came into office, that a most enormous
system of robbery was carried on in Billingsgate-market, and that
a chain of nearly 100 men were engaged in it. He calculated that
property to the value, upon a moderate calculation, of not less than

io,bool. per annum, was taken in this way. His interference
with the system had occasioned many threats of personal violence
towards him.

The Superintendent then charged James How, the master of the
fishing-smack Sarah, and Mark Smith, a snorer, on suspicion of
having stolen a quantity of fish, the property of Mr. Jacob Henry
Spashet, the owner of the Sarah.
Mr. Goldham stated, that Mark Smith, whom he regretted to
be obliged to bring before the magistrate, was generally considered
the most honest man in the market. He was what was called a
snorer, that was, a person who lands fish from the boats, and
conveys them to the salesinen. He was in the employment of Mr.
Savory, the salesman. At about half-past seven or near eight
that morning, witness observed him with a' basket marked "
on his head : instead of going to Savory, he proceeded with it to
another place, and there emptied the content* into another basket.
Witness followed him, and found that he had deposited ten plaices
and eight maids, for which he could not account to his satisfaction ;
he stated that he had them giyen to him by the other prisoner,
How. Witness went to How, who treated his interference as
officious, but stated, that he
,had given some of the fish to Smith,
for assisting in getting the cargo on shore. Witness did not
consider this account as probable, and brought both the prisoners
before the magistrate, to account for their conduct.
Mr. Spashet, the owner, here came forward,. and deposed, that
he had given the prisoner How permission to give away a few fish
to reward those who assisted in landing the cargo.
Mr. Goldham, whom this
,evidence seemed to take by surprise.
oaken fir. Spashet whether he permitted his servant to give away
se many as ten plaice and eight maids.---Mr. Spashet admitted
that' such a quantity was rather more than be contemplated. A
couple or three plaice, or so, he should not think out of the way.
The Chief Clerk—lt is to be hoped, Sir, that you will allow
him to dispose of your whole cargo.
Mr. Wooller, who attended as Mr. Harmer's clerk, for the pril-
soners, said, Mr. Spashet might dispose of his property as he
thought proper. The prisoner How might have exceeded the per-
mission given him. That was a question between him and his
master; but no felony had been committed.
The Magistrate discharged both prisoners, observing that the
consequence of such permission as that given by the owner, and
the practice of paying men for their labour in such a manner, must
be extremely mischievous.

GUILDHALL.--A boy, names Charles Fashnact,was brought
up for anal examinition yesterday, before Mr. Alderman C.
Smith, on suspicion of having • stolen a parcel, containing two
20/. Salisbury bank-mt.-14 a rd. note of the same description,
and four sovereigns.
The stolen notes have not yet been offered at either the bank-
ing-housed in town or country, where they are payable, and the
evidence being deemed too weak to warrant his commitment, the
prisoner was discharged.
Upon his person were found two letters from discarded mis-

tresses ! One of them directed to himself, and the other, it sp.
pears, to the present object of his attentions, and when we say he
is nearer I-1) than 15 years of age, and stands four feet and a half
high, the perusal of these documents will perhaps create a smile.
The first is dated Nov. 26, and directed to " Miss Humphreys."
Miss,—l am astonished to think as you should keep company
with such a low lad us Charles, for when ho first spoke to me he
behaved very well, but when he completed is desire he used me
very ill. I have got over my confinement. I hope I shall be no
more trouble to him. I take the liberty of writing this epistle to
you, hoping it will be a warning to .you, as he has seduced two
. .
young girls. ANN LUSHINOTON.

Dear Charles,-..Thin comes with any kind love to you to no
wher I have offended you that you did not speak to me lartt night.
I did not no that I had. If 1 have, let me now. You beams to
say that I care nothing about you, but if I did not I shot't not
took the troble to wark till nine o'clock last night. Pleas to send
it sneer as sun as you can. By doing you will match oblige,
Yours, E. GISBOURNE.
The officer did not omit to tall upon Miss Humphreys, a fine
young girl, sixteen years old, but be could digit nothing from her.
BOW-STREET.--A respectable-looking young man, flamed
John Minton, was brought In custody front the City, charged by
Joseph Turner, a pawnbroker, of Brydges-street, Covent-garden,
with a fraud under the following circumstances.
Thqnsas Webb was a shopman In the employ of Air. Turner.
On the 16th of December instant, the prisoner came into Isis 111AS_
ter's shop, and presented six silver .table-spoons, on which he
wanted to borrow eight pounds. Witness having examined and
weighed the spoons, returned them to prisioner, and offered to ad-
vance 71. on them. The prisonei' pressed fur the suns he asked,
stating that he bad some money to make up, and was so much de-
ficient. He then offered to leave hie umbrella as a security' for
the other pound ; but the witness refuted to lend any more than
71. on the spoons. The prisoner remained in the shop a short
time, and then consented to take the sum which the witness had
offered him, producing, at the same time, from his coat-pocket, a
parcel, containing, as witness believed, the six spoons which he
had previously weighed and examined. The prisoner received
the 71. and left the shop. In about a quarter of an honr after
his departure, the witness' went to pack up the spoons for the
purpose of putting them aside, when he discovered that they were
not the same which he had examined, but six plated spoons of '
exactly a similar pattern. The witness Isere produced the six
spoons left by the prisoner, and thought they might be worth 245.
The mime of " Reynolds, Strand," was written on the duplicate
by desire of the prisoner.
The prisoner requested leave to put a few questions to the wit-
ness, stating that he had feed Mr. Charles Phillips, the barrister,
to attend on his behalf; burp he did not think proper to attend,
he was obliged to be his own Counsel.
The next case was that of Mr- Hodges, a pawnbroker in
Drury-lane, whose shopman deposed, that on the 16th of Decem-
ber, the prisoner offered him fur pawn two dessert spoons, on
which he desired to obtain the utmost that the witness could afford
to lend. Witness offered to advance 11. on the spoon's, having ex-
amined and weighed them. He subsequently lent a guinea on two
spoons, bidieving them to be the same that he had inspected. His
attention, however, having been called to the circumstance by a
pawnbroker, two days after the transaction, be examined the
spoons, and found that they were plated, and riot worth more
then ss. The prisoner gaze the alone 'of " William Horn,
prisoner had been brought
Strand."
The officer in whose custody the
from the city, said that the prisoner, 'since his apprehension, had
twice attempted to escape.
On Christmas night, his wife having
been admitted to see him, he exchanged clothes with her, and was
very near effecting his purpme--Remanded to Friday next.
";Nn
fe-
lony against a man nanaed Gregor MI Gregor.
There was considerable merriment excited in the office during
the applicant's statement against the poor Scotehman, who it ap-
!Cr thefi cAolLoLur.s— oreithte eriralain
out Y' alernale named Wilson, dressedhow, applied for a warrant of
peared was deprived of every article of the dress he had entered
the house in, except his shirt.
The Magistrates--Mee. 'Wilson, you may leave the office, for
I shall grant you no warrant; your house, I understand, is one
of the very worst description in this neighbourhood, and I shall
recommend it to be indicted.

Mother Wilson then flounced out of the office in her fisiby dress,
quits disconcerted at the reception she had met with.