The Sun.
London, England, 1828-10-28 00:00:00

HATTON-GARDEN.

John Cocker, an itinerant Methodist preacher, and
a native of Doncaster, who, being charged by a
young woman of the name of Amelia Joyce with
being the father of an illegitimate child, of which
she was then enceinte, has been confined during the
last four months in the New Prison, Clerkenwell,
for want of sureties, was yesterday brought up be-
fore the sitting magistrates, Mr. LAING and Mr.
ROGERS, by the parochial authorities of St. Pancras,
to have an order of affiliation made upon him for the
maintenance of the child, and also an order to in-
demnify the parish for the expences incurred at its
birth, amounting to upwards of 51.
Amelia Joyce stated, that about twelve months
ago, having lived as servant in a respectable family
at Kentish-town, she first became acquainted with
the defendant, who, to his profession of evangelical
missionary, subjoined the occupation of plasterer.
paper-stainer, and baker, and every morning sup-
plied the family in which she resided with bread,
whereby she formed a close intimacy with him ; and
as he used to preach in the chapel at Kentish-town,
and also in others in the surrounding neighbourhood
and at Barnet, she was in the habit of frequenting
those places of worship to hear his sermon, and by
that means their intimacy grew to a closer connexion,
till finally she yielded to his importunities and soon
became pregnant. At her former examination, in
July last, both she and the overseer of the parish,
Mr. Coulthart, then stated to the Magistrates, that
the means practised by the defendant to lull the ap•
prehensions of his devoted victim, to disarm the
delicacy natural to her sex, and to throw down every
barrier of virtue and common decency, were the
most abominable and unholy that were ever resorted
to by a being its the form of a man ; for, whenever
an appointment was made between them to meet
alone—and they were numerous -and frequent—he
always came prepared with the Scriptures, and read
and pretended to expound to her weak and inex-
perienced judgment in a sense answerable to the de-
signs he had formed upon her virtue, certain pages
of the sacred volume.
Mr. LAING asked the defendant whether he had
any thing to say why the order should not be made'
Defendant—l don't know of any thing particular

can say.
Mr. LAING—Then you admit yourself to be the
father of the child ? Defendant--Yes, Sir.
Mr. LAING —What do you profess to be ? The
defendant, after a good deal of hesitation, and a
frequent repetition of the queition, replied, " A
preacher, Sir."

Mr. LAING—A preacher of what ?—The de-
fendant was silent and appeared confused.
Mr. LAING—What do you propose weekly for
he maintenance of the child ?

Defendant—l know not what to propose: I have
been now sixteen weeks in confinement, and am at
the present moment destitute of all means. Per-

hap; half-a-crown a week is the most feat; possi-
bly give.
Mr. Coulthart said that he had received instruc-
tions from the parish to press the charge with the
utmost rigour against the prisoner, if the expences at
which the parish had been at the birth of the child
were not immediately paid.

•
The Magistrates then made an order for 4s. a week
to be paid for the maintenance of the child, and for
51. expences, to be paid at the end of eight days,
and threatened in default thereof to issue a warrant

for his apprehension again.
The terms were agreed to, and the parties lel
the office.

LAMBETH-STREET.

Three most wretched-looking beings, named James
Gernare, Richard Bernard, and John Smith, who
had scarcely as much clothing on them us common
decency required, were brought up from Stepney
watch-house on the following charge :
Mr. Gardener, an extensive cow-keeper in the
Mile-end-road, stated that en Sunday evening the
prisoners were found in a fields belonging to him with
a quantity of potatoes, upwards of 501 h. weight,
which they had dug up and were carrying away.
Though he had suffered considerably by this specie:
of theft, he did not bring the prisoners before his
worship with a view of punishment, but merely that
something might be done for them, as lie conscien-
tiously thought that it was absolute necessity, and
the cravings of nature, that compelled them to com-
mit the offence. Mr. Gardener added, that the spec-
tacle almost nightly witnessed in his neighbourhood.
is truly appalling. Nearly-100 of these young men
assemble round some brick-kilns, there to rest for
the night and-the greater part of the day; and were
it not for the support which they derive from po-
tatoes and other vegetables, which they obtain in
this way arid roast before the kilns, he was satisfied
that numbers of them would die of absolute star-
vation.

The magistrate, Mr. WYATT, out of mere charity
to the unfortunate creatures, sent them for a month
to the House of Correction.

As they were the office Mr. Gardener very hu-
manely gave them Is. each.

In our account of the Kent Meeting on
Friday, Mr. WiNcims.ricit's name appears among those
Gentlemen who opposed the proposition of Mr. Gipps,
when, in fact, he was one of the many who supported it.
RAPE.—On the Bth instant, JOHN ARM-
STRONG, butcher of this pity, a person moving in a respect-
able sphere of life, was apprehended on a charge of commit-
ting a rape on ANN Pr.mtsoN, who was living with him
in the capacity of a servant. On Monday last he was
brought up to the Police office, when the girl and several
witnesses were examined, and he was committed to take
his trial at the next Assizes, but was admitted to bail, him-
self in 5001., and two sureties in 2501. each. The affair
has excited a considerable sensation in the town.— Carlisle
Journal.

EXECUTION AT GLASGOW.—On Wednes-
day morning Trroatas Comics and BELL MAC MErentr
paid the forfeit of their lives, at the front of the Court-
house, to the offended laws of their country. The un-
happy criminals were convicted, at the last assists, for
assault and robbery, en the person of a poor Ilighlandman,
whom Mac MENEILY decoyed to the banks of the Canal at
Port Eglinton ; where, by previous concert, CON and
two others followed; and APKtrixoN, the person robbed,
was at this place brutally attacked, knocked to the ground 1
by a blow on the head with a piece of a brick, to the effu-
sion of his blood, whereby he was rendered insensible,• and
robbed of upwards of 40s. in silver, which he had secreted
in one of his stockings, —Glasgow Paper.