The Sun.
London, England, 1821-08-31 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

DISTURBANCE IN THE NE W. CATHOLIC CHAPEL.
MANSION-HOUSE.—The, beadle. of the new Roman Catho-
lic Chapel, in illoorfields, was summoned before the LORD
MAYOR, on the complaint of Mr. Bromley, a respectable citi-
zen, on a charge of having committed an assault upon him dur-
ing the performance of the service.
Mr. Bromley stated, that on the afternoon of Sunday last he
went with a child of his to see the new Roman Catholic Chapel,
and that on entering the door he was beset by persons with
plates, who demanded a contribution in -a manner that was
not customary in such places on such occasions, and he re-
fused to give any thing, particularly as lie did not mean to stay,
but merely went to see the interior of the building. On his
entering the body of the church, a person came, up to him, and
demanded threepence for his admission there, and intimat-
ed, on the demand not being complied with, that the coin-
plainant had the alternative of going out if lie did not choose
to pay. The complainant answered, as 4t was a place of pub-
lic worship, that no one had any right to make such demands;
he therefore refused either to pay or to retire until it ,;:cited
' The-dispute caused a crowd of the congregation t.7-I.at--Nr round
them, when the complainant's child expressed that It should be
,suffocated by the heat, and the complainant. unwittingly elevat-
ed it in his arms. This circumstance appeared to rouse all
about him to a most serious ferment. They were mostly ()Nile
lower class of Irish, and spoke sharply in their own language
at the complainant. The organ was stopped, and all was at
a stand. Whilst the complainant was thus surrounded, the
defendant came up to him, and presenting his mace of office,
first desired him to pay the money asked by the seat-keeper,
or to go out ; and on the complainant's refusing to do either,
the beadle seized him by the collar, shook him, and dragged
him forcibly out of the 'church, with a degree of outrageous
violence and savageness of manner, such as the complainant
said he had never witnessed, even in cases of desperate resis.
tance.. Four other gentlemen who were present and interfered
in behalf of the complainant, were likewise ejected in the same
uncerenionious manner. For this assault the complainant
claimed the interference of his Lordship, not as a private but
as a public matter; and to show the parties that they were not
justified either in exacting money for admission, or in forcibly
expelling,-any one who conducted himself peaceably in. a lao.:
of pub,ixc Vitirship, which the complainant declared he had done:
those who knew him' would declare he was incapable of acting
otherwise. ,
The beadle admitted that he had turned the complainant out,
but it was as much to preserVe the peace as any thing else. The
fact was, that the founders of the church had an, outstanding
debt which they wished to payoff; and fir that purpose they
were under the necessity of raising some money at the doors.
The complainant had certainly been told, that unless he would
pay the customary fee he could not be allowed to remain there,
and on his refusal he had been put out-with no more force than
was actually necessary. He contended that he was perfectly
justifiable in acting as lie had done, particularly as it was to
preserve the peace of the church, which had been broken by the
conduct of the complainant.
Several of the assistants and of the congregation came for-
ward in support of the conduct of the beadle.
The LORDMAYon was decidedly of opinion that no one had
a right to exact money in a place of public worship,. and consi-
dered the conduct of the beadle on this occasion highly repre.
hensible. The way to preserve the peace was not to turn out
persons who did not choose to submit to exactions, in the un-
necessary violent manner in whichit had been sworn the beadle
had turned out Mr. Bromley ; but as the latter had brought the
matter forward on public grounds, and not for the personal as-
sault, he would probably forego a prosecution if the satisfaction
of an apology were offered. ,
Mr. Bromley said lie was perfectly willing to accept a written
apology properly worded. •
The hcaalc positively refused to make any apology.
The LORD MAYOR then ordered him to find bail to answer
for the assault, and the beadle having no bail present was given
into custody. _ _

THEATRICAL ORDERS, &c.
BOW-STREET.—Late on Wednesday evening a young man
of gentlemanly appearance, and five young and interesting
females, dressed in the most fashionable style, were brought
to the Office, and underwent an examination before WIL-
LIAM BECKETT, Esq., on the following charge, which was
made by the constable into whose custody they had been con-
fided, namely, that " of uttering and riublishing as true to
the Check-taker of the Haymarket Theatre, certain false,
forged, and counterfeited orders (not for the payment of money,
but) for the admission of six persons into the boxes of the
Theatre." This definition of the charge had considerable ef-
fect on the risible muscles of the persons present in Court; and
even the fair culprits, sonic of whom, although greatly alarmed
and suffused in tears, could not refrain from paying a similar
tribute to its apparent ridiculousness.
' On their being placed at the bar, their gay dresses formed a
striking contrast to the persons who generally occupy that un-
enviable situation, and the worthy Magistrate expressed that he
felt the greatest regret at the necessity which obliged him to
place them there.
The Check-taker was then called, and he then stated that in
consequence of several forged orders having been passed to
him, he was desired by the Managers of the theatre to mi-
nutely examine all that were tendered to him in future, and
"that about' seven o'clock on that evening the six persons pre-
sented to him six orders, purporting to be signed by Mr.
Terry, one of the performers; he directly discovered that they
were forged, and for the purpose of securing them, gave them
checks and let them pass on ; he then informed the constable
in attendance, who took them into custody, and finally con-
ducted them to Bow-street.

Mr. Beckett said, lie must call upon the parties to explain
how they came in possession of the tickets, which was imme-
diately undertaken by one of the Ladies, who was at least six
feet high, and who seemed to possess courage above tlle..rest in
proportion to her size. She stated that she was desirous of
treating her friends, and hearing that a man of the name of So-
himon, residing- in Russell-court, Drury-lane, sold orders very
cheap, she had applied to him, and he had let her have the or-
ders in
_question for half-a-crown a piece.
Mr: llECxEirr then remarked, that as Mr. Terry was not
present to prove that the signatures were forged, he did not
feel justified in detaining them in custody, but would take their
words to appeal at the office at twelve o'clock the next day
(yesterday), and in the mean tune he would have the man Solo-
mon apprehended.
The caption of Solomon being effected, and all parties
being present, the case accordingly came on yesterday be-
fore Richard Birnie, E'Sq. and on the circumstances being
recapitulated to him he proceeded to interrogate Solomon
concerning the orders, and he readily undeitook to prOduce the
person who had employed him to sell them. Two of the patrol
were sent with him, and in about half an hour they returned
with a man in their custody, who gave Ins name as Reach, but
refused to answer any questions concerning the orders.
kir. Terry being in attendance, his deposition was taken, and
the prisoner,,Roach, was committed for re-examination.
The parties then left the office, and if we may judge from ap-
pearances, with very different feelings to those with which they
entered it on the preceding evening.