The Sun.
London, England, 1828-05-24 00:00:00

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POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

GUILDHALL.—The parish officers of Christchurch
appeared upon summons before Sir PETER LAURIE to show
cause why they refused to relieve a decayed tradesman of
their parish. He was a tall, well-built old man, in a suit
of well-brushed rusty black ; he wore a tight white stock
(of the last century) round his neck ; his silvery hair was
close cropp'd ; his Roman nose was tipp'd with ruby, and his
manners were sprightly and debonair.
" Sir," said he, addressing the Magistrate—" lam an
humble suitor to your Worship against these gentlemen. I
and my father before me have been resident within their
parish sixty years ; during the whole of which time we
have been contributing to their funds, paying scot and lot
with regularity and punctuality ; and now that I am fallen
to decay they refuse to relieve me, though all I want from
them is a trifle to assist me in paying my rent."
The principal parish-officer replied that they had relieved
him with money; but they had come to a resolution not
to relieve him again—except by admitting him into the
poor-house; for, when money was given to him, he was
too apt to spend it in drinking.
" Aye, there it is l" said the decayed tradesman—" that
is always the way whenever I apply to them—they always
stop my mouth with drinking !"
" And can you say, conscientiously, that you arc a sober
man ?" demanded the Alderman.

...
The decayed tradesman arched his eye-brows, shrugged
his shoulders, spread out his hands, drew down the
corners of his mouth, inclined his head a little to one side,
and replied—" Your Worship is very close upon me ;
really—l hardly knew what to say—really ! But this I
will say, that I lost my wife two years ago last June, since
which time I have performed all my household affairs my-
self, in my own person ; my dusting, scrubbing, washing
and cooking—little enough of cooking, Heaven knows !
but such as it was I did it, duly and truly ; which I
humbly submit I eculd not have done had I been a conspi-
cuously drunken man as these gentlemen seem to insinuate ;
and I humbly submit also, that if they relieve none but
the faultless, many will perish."
" You had better attend the Board," said the Alder-

man.
" Lord bless you, my dear Sir !—there is no Board,"
replied the decayed tradesman ;—" there is scarcely any
parish, for the New Post-office had swept the greater part
away."
The parish officers now told him that though there was
no Board, there would be a Committee on the Friday
evening in next week ; and if he would attend it they
would take his case into consideration. In the meantime
they were willing to relieve him.
Accordingly, one of them handed a half-crown to the
decayed tradesmen, which he received with a very equivo-
cal sort of bow, and was walking off, when Sir P. LAURIE
stopping him by asking—" Now will you make an agree-
ment with me?"—" I must first know the nature of it, Sir
PETER," replied the decayed tradesman, "really it is not
prudent to make agreements without knowing the nature
of them."
" Then it is this—that you will not spend any part of
that half-crown in gin?" said Sir PETER.
Why, Sir PETER," replied the decayed tradesman,
" since I have been waiting in this office, I have observed
that you have a terrible antipathy to gin; perhaps your
Worship would recommend brandy in preference ?"
" No !" rejoined Sir PETER ; " nothing stronger than
porter."
" Porter !" exclaimed the decayed tradesman ; " de
me, Sir PETER !—really—porter is a thing that
" You bad better promise," whispered one of the,
cars; and the deeayed one making a low bow to the bench,
said—" Sir PETER, I promise ;" and so having said he
walked away, looking at his half-crown as he went.
Yesterday being the day fixed for resuming the inquiry
whether a musician or a barrister was the father of an il-
legitimate
.child, Mary Hall, the mother, and the parish
officers of St. Michael-le-Querns, were in attendance on
the one side, and Mr. Dally, the defendant's solicitor, and
some of his witnesses, on the other.
Mr. Dally said, that although his client felt conscious of
innocence, and that an imposition was now practised on
him, he was equally conscious of the difficulty he had to
contend with in opposing it, through the vagueness of the
law on this subject, and therefore he should not now resist
the order. Perhaps, however, he should hereafter appeal
to the Sessions. The pauper bad stated that his client had
made her drunk, in order to take advantage of her ; but
the witness, whom the girl stated to have accompanied
her, denied this positively, and he regretted that when the
accusation was sent forth to the world, the refutation was
not also published. His client most positively denies that
she was ever made intoxicated at his chambers, or that he
ever was intimate with her there. If the witness (bars.
11.1‘...u..10y) had now beta luebent, she would have repeated
her denial of the gill's statement.
Sir PETER LAURIE had read the report alluded to, and
he considered it accurate, as the reports from that quarter
generally were. He asked the girl who gave her the wine
which caused her intoxication ?
She said Mrs. Berkeley and the defendant.
Sir PETER. inquired whether she went to the chambers
mare than once ?
She answered that she visited them several times.
Sir Prnn said that the statement of Mrs. Berkeley was
perhaps, inconsistent with what the girl had sworn. Mrs.
Berkeley bad spoken of what occurred on a different day to
that pointed out by the girl.
Mr. Daily said, however that might be, his client most
positively denied the imputation of having made the girl
drunk at his chambers.
Mr. Alderman C. SMITH observed, that as it had not
been proved that the intimacy had commenced at a later
period, than by means of it the defendant inight be the
father of the child, they must proceed to make the older;
and after some consultation with Sir Peter Laurie, the de-
fendant was adjudged to be the father, and was ordered to
pay above 51. for expenses of lying-in, &c., and ss. a-week
so long as the child shall be chargeable.
BOW-STREET.— William Smith and William Bull,
the two men who were last week apprehended upon suspicion
of being concerned in robbing the Hounslow post-office of
several mail bags, containing general post-office letters, were
yesterday to have nudergone a public examination at this
offim. On the application, however, of Mr. Peacock, the
post-office solicitor, the case was heard in private.
Captain Dillon, a gentleman on half-pay in the army,
came to the office, to state that on Thursday he sent a frock
coat to his tailor, Mr. Keller, of Old Burlington-street, by
a lad, to be altered. The lad was employed as errand-boy
at the house where lie (the captain) lodged, in Villiers-
street, Strand. Ile also sent by the boy a letter for Mr.
Keller, containing his directions as to the alteration which
he required to be made. Instead of taking the coat and
letter as directed, the lad said he was met by a man at the
corner of Burlington-street, who asked him if he were not
going to a tailor? The lad answered that he was, and said
where he came frames. Upon
.which the man said that he
was aware of the circumstance, and was just going for the
coat himself. lie then took it from the boy ; and having
read the letter, said that he would attend to the Captain's
directions. He then walked away, and of course was not
afterwards seen. The Captain, deeming this tale impro-
bable, had the lad taken into custody.
As nothing, however, appeared to criminate the boy in
the eyes of the Magistrate, he was allowed to go at large,
on the understanding, however, that he should appeal: on a
future day, if called upon.
UNION-HALL.—It is lamentable in the extreme, to
witness the number of juvenile offenders brought up to this
office in the course of a month on charges of felony; in-
deed, scarcely a day passes that youthful delinquents are not
apprehended for thefts committed on shopkeepers residing
in this district, several of whom have been robbed by a
gang of these young depredators, who are trained to the
business, and so expert at breaking a shop-window, and
afterwards robbing it, that it is with difficulty they are
discovered. Yesterday, however, two of these young
rogues, named Quin and Rogers, who had that morning
committed a robbery, were brought up in custody, by
Myers. a constable of Newington.—They were com-
mitted.

Three boys, the eldest not eleven years of age, were
placed at the bar, charged with stealing a miniature-
drawing from the shop of a picture dealer im Lambeth.
Two out of the three of these young offenders were in cus-
tody a few days before on a charge of felony, and were well
whipped at the rear of the office, at the request of their
parents, previous to their discharge. The punishment
they received, however, seemed to have had very little
effect on them, for they had scarcely quitted the office
when they were joined by another of their associates, with
whom they proceeded to the complainant's shop-window,
and having broken the glass, stole a miniature picture, with
which they escaped. They subsequently offered the minia-
ture for sale for fourpence, and were taken into custody.
Their parents attended, and stated, that they had tried
every means in their power to correct the evil propensities
of their children, but without effect. The prisoners were
committed.

An Aggregate Meeting of the Catholics took
place on Tuesday, in Clarendon-street, Dublin, Lord Vis-
count Krwitx in the Chair, at which the Chairman pro-
posed a vote of Thanks to Sir FRANCIS BCRIJETT, and the
Friends of Civil and Religious Liberty. The meeting was
very fully attended ; and, among others, an animated speech
was delivered by Mr. O'Cosratt.

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SPORTING INTELLIOENCE.

EPSOM RACES.

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FRIbAY, MAY 23.—The Oaks, although of great im-
portance to the sporting world, does not possess so great
an attraction to the public, as the Derby. The company,
therefore, was not by any mean.; so numerous as on
Thursday, nor was there that brilliant display of fashion
which distinguished the Derby day ; the scene, however,
was still very animated, and there were many of the no-
bility in attendance, including the Duke and Duchess of
Richmond, Duke of Grafton, Duke of Rutland, Marquis
of Exeter, Marquis of Cleveland, Earls Jersey, Verulam,
Sefton, Orford, Mountcharles, Southampton; Lords Nor-
manby, G. Bentinek, Molyneux, Wilton, G. Cavendish,
J. Fitzroy; Sir John Shelley, General Grosvenor, Colo-
nels Lyster, Russell, Udny, Studd ; Honourables W. Dun-
estnbe,:Stanley, and nsost of the other noblemen and gentle-
men mentioned in our last. In our account of Thursday's
races we omitted to mention that the stewards' stand was
oecupied by their Royal Highnesses, the Duke of Clarence,
Prince Leopold, Duke of Cumberland, and Prince George,
Lord Derby, Lord and Lady Wilton, Marquis London-
derry, Lords Nlounteharles, and G. Bentinck, Sirs F.
Burdett and G. Hill, Colonel Moberly, General Gros-
venor, Hon. R. Grosvenor, Ex.
The weather was favourable during the whole of the
day, but the sport was not by any means so good as on
Thursday, the Oaks and the other races being won easy.