The Sun.
London, England, 1828-07-09 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HOUSE.—TIGHT STAYS.--1 he Loan
Ma oa received the. following strange communication on
the subject of the dangerous and ridiculous faebion of wear-
ing tight stays. It was directed to Mr. Hobler, whose as-
sistance was privately requested, and was read aloud in the
Justice-room, there being a person present on the part of
the complainant who waited the reply of his Lordship :
sir—l have rather an extraordinary sort of complaint
to make to the Chief Magistrate—but although there exists
no legal mode of counteracting the evil to which, through
you, I beg to call his Lordship's attention, the interference
of a man of influence from his statism in life and his expe-
rience, may produce some alleviation of the mischief I am
about to describe. I have three daughtere, over whom
their mother, I regret to say, exercises a controul quite in-
dependent of me. This controul, so far as it regards moral
and religious restraints, is most unexceptionable.--They go
to chapel regularly, and are as rigid in their conversation
as any females in the world. What I have to object to
simply refers to their dress, and to but a very narrow por-
tion of that. It is with a deep sense of self-abasement I
state to you, Sir, that my wife encourages my children, by
her example, to persist in following the hideous and perilous
fashion of which I entreat your most serious condemnation
mean the fashion of squeezing in the waist until the
body resembles that of a pismire or ant.—(A laugh. )_Of
all the dandy abominations that ever received the sanction
of our aristocracy, this is the worst. The least injurious
effect of it is, that it fixes a deformity upon the human
shape ; and yet this effect, instead of working in the way
that might be expected upon the vanity of the sex, seems
to be the great charm and recimamenelation. The whole
of the region upon which the stays press, becomes, if we
believe Mr. Lawrence, and other great authorities, diseased
as well as distorted. The lungs and liver, and other party
of the viscera, are all screwed up together, and the stomach
is totally divested of its power in regulating the system.
My daughters are as yet living instances (God knows how
long they may continue so) of the baneful consequences of
this dreadful fashion.. Would you believe it ? Their stays
are hound with steel in the holes through which the laces
are drawn, so as to be able to bear the tremendous tugging
which is intended to reduce so important a part of the
human frame to one-third of its natural proportions. They
are unable to sit, walk, or stand, as women used to do. To
expect one of them to stoop would be absurd, and to witness
the attempt alarming. My daughter Margaret made the
attempt the other day, to satisfy me that she was quite loose
—the effort was tore much for the strength of the steel and
whalebone vice with which she was enveloped ; her stays
gave way with a tremendous explosion, and down she fell
upon the ground, and I almost thought she had snapped in
two.—(Laughter.)—But this, ridiculous as it was, was not
the least advance towards remedy, or abatement of the evil.
My girls are always complaining of pains in the stomach
and lassitude, and if something he not dime to stop tkis
wasp-waist mania, rapid decay must follow. Hoping that
the Lord Mayor, and you, Sir, may excuse this liberty, in
consideration of the fatal nature of the grievance, and that
some advice and admonition may be given to both mother
and daughters, I have the honour to remain your obedient
humble servant.
" To F. Hobler, Eq."

The Loan MAvoa said he wondered that the gentlemen
did not get share of this censure. He was sure that there
was a fierce competition between the sexes, in the article
of tight waists, and if ladies and gentlemen were to cut
themselves in two in the conflict, it would be no fault of
his.—(A laugh.)—ffe did not see how it would be a breach
of the peace.

Mr. Holler observed, that if the waiting-maids of the
contending parties did not take care they might get into a
very serious scrape, for if a lady or gentleman were to ex-
pire under the operation, the lawyers might give it the
name of murder, and those who aided and assisted might
come in for a shame of the penalty.—(Laughter.)
It was here represented to his LORDSHIP, that the writer
of the letter felt serious alarm for his children, who, when-
ever he complained, pointed to some other ladies whose
figures were equally plundered of their fair proportions.

Mr. Hobler said it was impossible not to see that there
was very strong ground of complaint. He had heard of
ladies who used the bedpost as a sort of purchase in screw-
ing themselves up, and he believed that the poor creatures
must suffer horribly when they attempted to satisfy the
cravings of nature.—(A laugh.)—A person might see
when a steel-bound girl was taking a cup of tea, that she
would slip her hand round and endeavour to ease off a
little, anti sometimes when the experiment was not made
with great caution the whole apparatus would give way.—
( Loud laue ter. )
It was mentioned that by a new invention, bursting
would be completely avoided. Ought not the inventors of
such engines of destruction to be punished?

The Loan MAYOR said, he was afraid that if he object-
ed to the fashion, the ladies would more pertinaciously ad-
here to it.

Mr. Hobler observed, that the steel bound tribes mis-
calculated very much, if they thought that they improved
their figures by squeezing them till they looked like hour-
glasses.—(Loud laughter.) If they looked at the Venus
de Medicis, they would see no resemblance. Mr. Malthus
bad no further occasion to alarm himself about the growing
population ; here Was a remedy. .

The LORD MkYOR Wag certainly of opinion, that if the
fashion were persevered in, posterity would be reduced to
a very low state. In another century our descendants
might upon finding our bones call them the bones of an
elephant, and not of man. His Lordship concluded by
stating, that if he bail it in his power he would interdict
the use of stays, except in peculiar cases, convinced as he
was that neither health nor beauty was improved by the
screwing system.

GUILDHALL----A HoT Discussiox.--Yesterday
Messieurs Daniel Jones, David Price, and John Jenkins,
Three squires of Wales, with blood much higher

Than that of any other squire,
were placed at the bar all a-row before the sitting Alder-
man, and charged by George Godfrey, sen., inspector of
St. Sepulchre's watch, and divers other credible witnesses,
with having disturbed the peaceable inhabitants of that
parish in the dead of the night—
The time when Toss-pots roar,
And hosts turn out their drunk.

_ .
It appeared by the evidence of George Godfrey, sen.,
the venerable and very vigilant inspector aforesaid, that,
at the time aforesaid, he heard a great cry of "watch !
watch !" among the calf-pens in Smithfield ; and that upon
his proceeding thither, he found the three defendants, and
one or two other persons, making a great clamour, anti
bawling within the said calf-pens; but what the clamour
was about, or how they came within the calf-pens afore-
said, this deponent could by no means make out. The
defendant, Mr. Daniel Jones, had taken off his coat, as if
with the intention of fighting somebody or other ; and
when the deponent &aired him to put on his coat and de-
part in peace, he swore, with a very hot and valiant oath,
that he had lost his hat, and that he would not depart
without it, whilst he had a leg to stand upon, or a throat
to demand its restoration. Nay, he even insisted that de-
uonent should find his hat, or he would blow hint to the
moons and thereupon deponent, with a view to prevent
further mischief, and to preserve the peace of the parish,
ordered the watch to lay hold of the said Mr. Daniel Jones,
and have him away to the Compter ; which order was
furiously resisted, not only by the said Daniel Jones, but
by th,e other two defendants, Messrs. David Price and
John t1ei)4414 ; hut after much tugging and pushing, and
many hard thump given and received, they were all three
safely lodged, and left to coal, in the strong hold aforesaid.
Other
ttlesdi
rir,,etsapnetci:tai
tbe(lie tnfoerssegeso,i
foregoing, the INlagistrate (Mr.offi ci and non-official,
ha,
Alderman KEY) demanded of Mr. Daniel Jones who and
What lie was ?
What am repealed Mr. Jones--." Why, I'm a
Welshman !" and then be tiPddled his head and looked
fiercely round, as much as to 84y, Let me see the may,
woman, or child, that dare say any thing to the contrary
thereof !" but nobody seemed to have any idea of disputing
flat question.
!, And wh are ypu, Mr. pavid price ?" said the Alder-
at

I c T,l:esrce)
iicoelritay„itnhiaYt y 0 u
man.
~I am from Wales, too," replied Mr. Price ; ,i but I
am last from Oxford. I am a College-man there; and the
fact is .that we werweaisnsaulstieadtiebeyt twhieisiechfelllvoewivs'o'
took off your coat to it?" said the
I atlier body. r(et hdei s
cw
Lai tscs
ihn)g.
Alderman.
No matter for the coat, Sir," replied hot Igr• price—
,, No matter for the coat; but we had scarcely began our
discussion when these fellows began to take us up ; and 1
rbink",-
~ No matter what you think, Sir," said the Alderman,
“ we want facts. —Pray what are you, Mr. John Jenlsins ?"
Mr. John Jenkins replied that he also was a Welshman ;
and that he got his living by teaching.
Upon which the Alderman observed that, however Mr.

John Jenkins might teach others, he was afraid he had been
badly taught himself.
Another very Welsh gentleman, who had been in their
company, now volunteered his testimony in their behalf ;
by which testimony it appeared that they had none of
them been in town more than a week ; that they had
been dining out together; that their hot discussion had
reference to a volume of sermons, which one of them wished
to borrow of the Oxonian; and that Mr. Daniel Jones
having lost his hat in the discussion, in his rages, and his
furies, and his wraths, and his moods, and his displeasures,
and his indignations, and also being a little intoxicates in
his prains, did, in his ales and his angers, look ye, make all
that disturbance which prought the watch about their ears.
Finally, it appearing to the Alderman that they had all
been more or less " intoxicates in their prains," they were
fined five shillings each for that offence and discharged,
with an admonition to be more temperate in future.
" But, Sir !" cried Mr. Daniel Jones, " what ant I to do
about my hat ? See here what a queer thing they lent
me to come here in !"—and a very queer thing it was cer-
tainly—a sort of a superannuated black straw, with a
muffin-fashioned crown, and a slouched nine-inch brim ;
but the Alderman could not mend it, and the officers led
Mr. Daniel Jones away, still demanding—" What the
plague am I to do about soy hat?"
MARLBOROUGH-STREET.—Yesterday James 11.
Rolwrtson, a footman belonging to the Spanish Ambassa-
dor, was charged with assaulting the officers of Marlbo-
rough-street. It appeared that on Monday night, when
the Duke of Wellington gave an entertainment at Ap3ley
House, he directed the officers not to allow any footman
to remain on the steps of the house after the company were
assembled. The defendant, however, disobeyed that or-
der, and assaulted the officers, when they attempted to re-
move him. The defendant said that he relied on the law
of nations, by which Ambassadors' servants were privi-
leged from arrest. Ile also wished to remain on the steps
as his Excellency could not speak English, and could net
order the carriage to be called. He was fined 41.
UNION-HALL.—Yesterday the three men, TVillia-na
Pitt, Goodman Levy, and Samuel Crawford, charged
on suspicion with having robbed Mrs. Dunkin of 3001. at
the last Hampton races, were brought up for final exami-
nation. The prisoner Pitt, it will be recollected, was the
man whom the complainant charged with having snatched
the roll of notes from her bosom while in the booth engag-
ed at the game of the " thimble-rig ;" Goodman Levy,
as the man who impeded her progress at the entrance of
r
ieo pursuit
flare
ea
si who fhe was ro;
b divertedai
wndd therobbed.
aot
tt
ehne
atop
n sonabt eotroi,itehCewraa:
l‘isti•elfeo
duringrdia,

As the evidence of Mrs. Dunkin on the present occasion
differs in some points materially from that previouly given
by her, we subjoin her depositions against each of the pri-
soners, together with her cross-examination by Mr. Harmer,
during which some curious facts were elicited relative to her
journey to the races, and her subsequent misfortunes. She
stated, that on Wednesday, the 26th of June, she set out
for Hampton raves in quest of her husband, whom she had
good reason to suppose was gone there. On her arrival on
the course, she met Goodman Levy, and having a slight
knowledge of him as a tradesman, she spoke to him anti
told-him for what purpose she had come there. Levy, in
reply, claimed an acquaintance with her husband, saying,
that he should look about for him, and that no doubt, be-
fore long, they should discover what part of the rare-course
he was at. After this conversation she and Levy walked
some little distance together, when he invited her into a
booth to take some refreshment, which she accepted, and
they had some sandwiches, and a glass of brandy and water.
While partaking of the refreshment, Levy offered her some
iodecent familiarities, and not wishing any longer to re-
main in his company, she got up, and he having paid fur
what they had taken, they both left the booth. On get-
ting on the course, Levy, who walked by her side, spoke
to Pitt; the former then left her, saying that she should
go on the common and look after Mr. Dunkin. Cons-
plainant was then addressed by Pitt, and he offered his ser-
vices iu looking after her husband also. She walked a
short distance with Pitt, and, on the course, they met Levy,
who again recognized Pitt with a nod of the head, and
then walked on. Feeling tired, the complainant was anxi-
ous to rest herself; and expressed a wish to Pitt to go to
the Coach and Horses. He however, objected, and urged
her to accompany him into a booth opposite to which they
had now arrived. She consented, and they entered toge-
ther, and at the upper end they sat down close to a table,
at which several persons were playing with three thitn-
bks and a pea. Pitt, who pretended to be acquainted
with the parties, urged her to play, saying that she would
certainly have luck. She foolishly took his advice, and
having occasion to change a note, Pitt saw that she had a
good deal of money in her possession, and when she re-
turned back the roll of notes into her bosom, he snatched
at them and ran out. On rising from her seat, Crawford
stopped her for some time, saying it was a joke. She,
however, extricated herself, and on running to the door of
the booth her progress was also impeded there by Good-
man Levy, who, on her exclaiming she was robbed, said,
" Nonsense, you are Let robbed." Pitt had by this time
got out of sight, and when the complainant went on the
course, she saw two Bow-street patrol, to whom she men-
tioned that site had been robbed. Those men, front whom
she expected to have received assistance, instead of render-
ing her any, turned her complaints into a joke, and, she
said made a complete laughing-stack of her. Subsequently
she met Samuel Levy, the brother of the prisoner,
and having stated to him the manner in which she had
been plundered of her money, he advised her to pro-
ceed to town, and lose no time in stopping the notes at the
Bank. She was anxious that he should see her home,
but he apologized, observing, that he had attended the
races with a party whom he weld not leave. The wit-
ness then came to town, and the rest of her statement was
occupied iu detailing the circumstances under which Pitt
was apprehended the next morning at the Bank ofEng-
land. She added, that when she saw Pitt at the Bank, there
was a tall roan with him, whom she recollected having
seen in the booth at the time she was robbed.
After the examination of one or two witnesses for the
defence, the Magistrates consulted together, and' after-
wards observed, that they should hold Goodman Levy and
S. Crawford to bail, the former in two sureties of 2001.
each and himself in 5001., and the latter in two sureties
of 501. each, and himself 1001., to answer the charge at
the assizes. The prisoner Pitt was fully committed.
This was the first occasion at this office upon which the
clause in Mr. Peel's Act, relative to bail being taken in
cases of felony, was brought into operation by the Ma-
gistrates.