The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-23 00:00:00

COURT OF EXCISE, Jan. 21.

Before Captain PERCY, J. F. STSPIIENDON, Emq., and
J. C. FrERRIES, Esq,)

EXTENSIVE ILLICIT DISTILLATION AND ATTACK ON

THE EXCISE OFFICERS.

Frederick Jones, alias Frederick Timbermere, of No.
5, Little Collingwood- street, Bethnal-green, was charged
with carrying on illicit distillation, and also with re-
sisting the officers in the execution of their duty.
Mr. W. Cartwright stated, that he went to the above
premises, accompanied by Messrs. Kiddie, Jones, and
Wallis, officers of Excise. After considerable trouble
they succeeded in effecting an entrance, and found a
large quantity of fermented wash, and other materia's
used in distillation. They then proceeded to the house
No. 7. They inspected the lower part of the house,
and afterwards wished to examine the upper part, which
was refused. The defendant then came in, and, taking
up a bar of iron, with a dreadful imprecation, said he
would clear the house, and made a blow at the officers,
which fortunately missed them. They then returned
to 'the house, No. 5, the officer Kiddie climbing the
back wall to prevent anything being removed. in that
direction. When defandant saw the officer upon the wall
he took a pole about fifteen "feet in length, with which
he attempted to knock the officer down, and said " he
would smash the head of the first man that entered ;"
but was prevented from doing so by the arrival of a body
of police. The officers then pursued their search, and a
cart being obtained they were about to deposit their
seizure in Kwhen defendant said that if they did take it
he would clear the house, and he would get forty men to
help him, and left to fetch them. In a short time he re-
turned with about that number, when a general melee
took place : bricks and other missiles were thrown at the
offices, the finch -pins were taken out of the cart-wheels,
and it was with considerable difficulty the mob were
prevented from cutting the harness to pieces. Eventu-
ally, however, the officers succeeded in carrying off their
seizure.

The, other officers corroborated this testimony, and the
Court inflicted a penalty of 501.
John Nicholson and William Nicholson, wine-mer-
chants, of St. Martin's-lane, were fined 251. for having
the words " Licensed dealers in foreign wines" over their
door, having no such license.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
(YESTERDAY.)
MAIVSIOIV-HOUSE.

A respectably-attired female, who gave her name
as Diary Keele, and stated her age to be thirty-nine
years, but whose appearance denoted that she had seen
some twenty summers more, was placed at the bar
before the Lord Mayor, charged with bigamy. The
facts of the case are somewhat novel and curious, the
charge being preferred by the mother of the husband
by the second marriage, a young man who only at-
tained his majority in the month of August last.
Mrs. Sarah Keele, the prosecutrix, stated that she
was the wife of George Keele, who was not in. any
business, and that she resided at St. Stephen's, near
Canterbury. The prisoner at the bar had contracted
marriage with her (the witness's) son some time about
last Michaelmas. Witness had known the prisoner
for about a fortnight before the marriage took place.
The prisoner's husband by the first marriage was a
man of the name of John Weller, who went to Aus.
tralia about three years ago, and there, as the pri-
soner had stated, died. Weller has a sister living at
Canterbury, who had informed the witness that her
brother (the husband) was still living, and in perfect
health, in Australia, and that a letter had recently
been received, which . could be proved to be in his
'handwriting. On learning this, the witness came up
to town and gave the prisoner into custody as she
was getting out of a Hackney omnibus in Bishops-
gate-street.
The Loan MAYOR—Is there anybody here to
prove the former marriage ? Witness—lt can be
proved by the first husband's sister, who resides at
Canterbury.
William Gurney Keele, who appeared to give his
testimony with great reluctance, ,c&ted that he lived
in Back-lane, Hackney, and. was in the service of
Messrs. Marnett and M.anley, nurserymen. He was
married to the pris,arer some time in the month of
October last Qr.e could not remember the day), at St.
George's, lianover-square, which was the church in
which the first marriage was solemnised. He had
become acquainted with the prisoner from going to
ner house on the business of his employers at Canter-
bury. Witness believed her to be a widow—indeed,
he heard about three or four months ago that her first
husband was dead. He heard this from the prisoner'
whe told him that some person had called upon her
and told her that her husband was dead, and that in-
formation had been corroborated to her by a gentle-
man, who had stated that he had seen " the last of
her husband" in Australia. This the prisoner told
witness before the marriage, or he would not have
proposed to her a marriage. He had engaged to
marry her about a fortnight before the marriage ac-
tually took place.
John Dixon, 619 City Police, proved that he took the
prisoner into custody yesterday morning on a charge
of bigamy, preferred by the prosesutrix, Mrs. Sarah
Keele. He had not had time to obtain a certificate of
the first marriage from the register of St. George's,
Hanover-square.
The prisoner, when called upon for her answer to
the charge, and when questioned by the Lord Mayor,
manifested the most perfect self-possession, and
evinced, both in manner and deportment, that she had
moved in a superior station in life to that into which
she had descended by her marriage with the son of
the prosecutrix. She stated that when she mar-
ried the young man Keele she fully believed that her
'first husband, Weller, had died, and her belief had
been founded upon the information of a female, four
years ago, and also of a seafaring man, who had
called upon her about the same time, and stating he
did so at the dying request of her husband, of whom
he had seen the last in Australia. She did not know
the name of either of these parties, nor could she pro-
duce them ; the last told her he was going back im-
mediately on a voyage to Australia, and she had never
seen him since.
The LORD MAYOR—Have you any objection to
state when it was you were married to your first hus-
band ? The prisoner—Not the least, my Lord, as
far as I recollect it. I think it was in the month of
June, twelve or thirteen years ago. I forget the pre-
cise day. My maiden name was Mary Frances
Witham.
The Loan MAYOR directed the constable to search
the register of St. George's, Hanover-square, for
the certificate of the first marriage.
The LORD MAYOR intimated that the prisoner.
Must be remanded, in order to procure the attendance
of the witness from Canterbury, and inquired from
the prisoner if she had any friends in London who
would be answerable for her appearance.
The prisoner replied that she had been out of
London for many years, and she had been so unex-
rectedly taken into custody that she had not had an
opportunity of communicating with any person. She
hail, however, friends to whom she could send.
The husband. (Keele) hereupon came forward, and
expressed his readiness to be answerable for his wife's
appearance on any future day the Lord Mayor might
appoint.
The Loan MAYOR, addressing the young man,
said—Well, as you are the aggrieved party, I will
take your recognisance in 501. that the prisoner shall
appear here this day week to answer any charge that
may be then preferred against her.
The parties then withdrew.
Sinops Kent, charged with bending a threatening
letter to Messrs. Prescott, Grote, and Co., was
brought up for re-examination. No further' evidence
was adduced, but the depositions taken on a former
day having been read over to the witnesses, they were
hound in recognisances to prosecute, and the pri-
soner was committed for trial at the next session of
the Central Criminal Court.

BOW-STREET.
Eleanor Eyndell was charged with being found in the
streets with a quantity of bedding in her possession, not
being able to give a satisfactory account of herself.
A policeman of the E division said that at about three
o'clock this morning he met the prisoner in Church-
oreet, St. Giles's, with a large bundle under her arm.
He asked her what it was, and she said it was a child,
list, on pulling her cloak aside, he saw that it was
something wrapped up in a sheet. He examined it and
found that it was a pillow, a pair of blankets, and a pair
of sheets. He then took her to the station-house.

Prisoner said that she had quarrelled with her hus.
baud, who had turned her out of doors a few minutes
before she met the policeman. The bedding was her
own, and she wanted to sell it to pay for a lodging.
Her husband lived in Church-street.

A policeman went to the address she gave, and saw
her husband. On his return he stated that the husband
denied all knowledge of the bedding, and said that she
had been drinking for three days, and had not slept at
home during the whole of that time.
itemanded till Friday.