The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-05 00:00:00

UNION-HALL.

William Edward Brown, a young man of very
fashionable appearance, and whose connexions were
stated to be highly respeetable, a shopman in the ser-
vice of Mr. Dobson, linendraper and haberdasher,
High-street, Southwark, was brought before Mr.
Traill, charged with embezzling, and stealing from
the till, various sums of money belonging to his mas-
ter and employer.
Mr; Woolf attended on behalf of the prisoner.
From* the statement made to the Magistrate, it
appeared that the prisoner had only been in the ser-
vice of Mr. Dobson for about six weeks, and was
place in Mr. Dobson's establishment by his friends for
the purpose of learning his business ; and, as he was
entirely useless in the trade, no salary was allowed.
The habits in which the prisoner indulged were far
above his station in society ; he entered into all the
gaieties and amusements of the metropolis, and seemed
to have plenty of money at his command, as he indulged
in all kinds of extravagance. The prosecutor had
every reason to imagine that he was robbed by the
prisoner, in order Co support, his extravagance, and,
as the prosecutor was continually missing money
from the ti 1, he was determined to set a trap for the
prisoner. Accordingly, on Friday last, Mr. Dobson
marked several half-crowns and shillings, to the
amount of 265. in silver, and gave them to a lady of
his acquaintance, the wife of a respectable tradesman,
requesting her to lay out the whole of the money in
his shop, and to get served by the prisoner. Airs.
Bell, the lady in question, accordingly went to the
shop of Mr. Dobson, and made purchases to the
amountof 255., for which she got a bill from the pri-
soner, vvhich she afterwards handed to Mr. Dobson.
After the lady was gone, Mr. Dobson went to the till,
and finding a deficiency of silver, the prisoner was
taxed with dishonesty, which he stoutly denied. Po-
lice-constable, M 60, was called in, and on searching
the prisoner he found one of the marked shillings in
his trousers pocket, besides two half-crowns. The
prisoner, in a state of great excitement, begged Mr.
Dobson would not prosecute.
Mr. Woolf put a variety of questions to the prose-
cutor, but his testimony was not shaken.
Mr. TRAIL( said he should commit the prisoner
for trial, but he would be brought up again on Tues-
day, when probably further evidence would be ad-
duced against him.
Mr. Woolf pressed the Magistrate to take bail, and
said the amount was very trifling.
Mr. TRAILL said he could make no exception to
the general rule, and the prisoner's case must be
dealt with like that of any other pBrson. He con-
sidered the case was fully established, and could not
take bail.
Mr. 'Woolf replied that the connexions of the pri-
soner were highly respectable, and they would give
bail to any amount.
Mr. TRAILL said he must refuse the application.

The night charges were more than unusually numerous
this morning, and occupied the attention of the magistrate,
Mr. Traill, a considerable period. The charges consisted of
drunkenness, rioting, and abusive language. Mr. Traill, in
most cases, inflicted tines, varying in amount from 40s. to 55.,
or, in default of payment, from seven to fourteen days' impri-
sonment.
Robert Spinner, a most expert thief, and a character well
known to the police as a professor of teaching juvenile
thieves in the art and mystery of diving into gentlemen's
pockets, was brought up in the custody of police constable
M 101, for exercising his calling in the High-street, Bort,ugh,
and " sounding" the pockets of several gentlemen. The po-
liceman informed the magistrate that, knowing what a skil-
ful and experienced character be had to deal with, he watched
his motions for a length of time, and at length caught him
in the act of lifting up the tails of a gentleman's coat.
Mr. TRALL informed the prisoner that he was in a fair way
as a candidate either for the gallows or the penal settlements,
and sentenced the prisoner to fourteen days' imprisonment in
the House of Correction. . _ _

Ann Harris, a prostitute, residing in a common brothel of
the lowest description, in Vine-court, Toolev-street,
Borough, was committed for twenty-one days to the House
of Correction, for robbing a sailor of his jacket. "Jack"
informed the magistrate that now he had not got a shot in
the locker, and he must go to sea again.
James Sadler, a news-boy, in the employ of Mr. James
Norris, bookseller and newsvender, of High-street, Camber-
well, was charged with embezzling various sums of money,
received from different customers. Mr. Norris, in answer to
a question from the magistrate, said he did not wish to carry
the case to the sessions.

The prisoner was dismissed with an admonition from the
magistrate.

STEAM NAVY of GREAT BRITAIN.

In September, 1841, there were 68 steam-vessels of all
classes in commission. On July 1, 1844, there were 89. In
September, 1841, there were 15 steam-vessels in ordinary;
in July last, there were 12. In 1841, we had Bon the stocks;
now, we have building 26. The amount of horse-power in
1841 and 1844 is as follows : •

Sept. 1841.
In commission ...... 9,329
In ordinary
Building 1,897

July 1844.
13,941
3,167
9,526

The steam-vessels building ai
Horse-power.
Terrible
Avenger
Dragon
Vulcan (iron)
Centaur ...
Sphynx 5OO
Sampson
Conflict . .
Dauntless

3,791
ire these :

26,634

Horse-power.
Niger .
Odin 450
Gladiator 430
Bulldog .. ... .........
Scourge .. 420
Inflexible .
Amphion (auxiliary) 3OO
Trident
Spitfire

Desperate
The largest, the Terrible, is one-third built, and will be
launched before the close of the present financial year; the
Amphion, 36, is in a very forward state, as are the Dragon,
Gladiator (will be launched in six weeks), Sampson, In-
flexible, Scourge, Trident, Vulcan, the six small dispatch-
boats, and the Sp►tfire. The Bulldog has her keel laid down,
and will be launched at the end of the year. The Sphynx is
laid down, the Centaur has her timbers prepared, and the
frame of the Avenger is being cut out. The timbers of the
Conflict, Dauntless, Desperate, Niger, and Odin are partly
prepared and in course of preparation.

NUMBER OF SEAMEN AND MA-
RINES IN THE NAVY.

Some most gross and seemingly wilful misrepresentations
of the number of seamen and marines of the navy having
been made by parties whose positions might entitle them to
some degree of credit, we have extracted from official sources
the following statement of the number of seamen and
marines voted durirg the last seven years :-
1837-38 Seamen
Supplementary 465
Mai ines
1838-39 Seamen

Marines
1839-40 Seamen
Marines
1840-41 Seamen
Marines
1841-42 Seamen ..............
Marines
1842-43 Seamen
Marines
1843-44 Seamen
Marines
1844-45 Seamen
Marines
The following is a statement of the actual number of sea-
men borne on the navy books :-
Ist January, 1838
Ditto 1839
Ditto lB4O
Ditto lB4l
Ditto 1842
Ditto 1843
Ditto 1844

And from undoubted authority we find that the number
borne on the books on the,lst ult. was above 28,000, so that
with our decreased number of ships of the line, and, as some
unhesitatingly assert, our " decreased number of smaller ves-
sels," we have actually a greater force of seamen and marines
than in 1841, with the so-much-vaunted-of 26 sail of the
line.—Morning

The General Steam Navigation Company's favou-
rite steamer Magician, was again employed, on Thursday
last, to bring the Indian mail from Boulogne to Dover. She
landed the mail and about 50 passengers a little over two
hours after her departure from Boulogne.
ALARMING AFFAIR AT GIBRALTAR.—The late ar-
rival of the Gibraltar mail brings information of a most
alarming occurrence happening in the vicinity of that for-
tress, which has created the greatest sensation amongst the
residents. A Mr. Starkey, a merchant, much respected in
the town, was riding on horseback, in company with two
other gentlemen, near San Roque, when two mounted bri-
gands, armed to the teeth, rode up and stopped them. They
they directed Mr. Sarkey to follow them, and told his com-
panions to proceed on to Gibraltar, saying that if within
twenty-four hours the sum of 20,000 dollars was not sent to
them at a certain place, it would go hard with their friend
Mr. Starkey. They then rode off with their prisoner, and
the gentlemen lost no time in making for Gibraltar, and com-
municating the affair to the military authories. Scouring
parties of the Carabiniers were promptly sent out in all di-
rections; but nothing was heard of the robbers or of their
captive until late in the evening, when a shepherd stated
that he had seen three horsemen enter a thicket adjoining
the Pine-wood. A strong body of military was quickly dis-
patched to the spot, and by the troops surrounding this part
of the forest, the escape of the brigands was rendered im-
possible. They were at last discovered, and being called
upon to surrender themselves as prisoners, made a most de-
termined resistance. • One was shot; and the other, having
an excellent horse under him, dashed his way through the
Carabiniers, and eventually escaped. To the surprise of all
Mr. Starkey was not in the least injured. It appears that one
of his sisters had recently been married to a captain of the
Carabiniers, who has much distinguished himself in appre-
hending several of these daring ruffians, which no doubt in-
duced them to attack Mr. Starkey.
A VETERAN.—There is now living in one of the
hospitals in Stoney-street, in this town, a pensioner, named
Robert Bignall, who has reached the advanced age of ninety-
five years. He enlisted in 1771 into the 57th Regiment of
Foot, and served during the whole of the American war,
being wounded at the battle of Brandywine. He also served
in Holland; and after being nearly twenty-four years a
soldier, he received his discharge in 1794, since which time
he has been in the receipt of a pension. Though infirm, the
old fellow still retains his memory unimpaired, and possesses
an almost interminable fund of campaigning anecdotes, which
he often recounts for the amusement of his friends, and he is
never better pleased than when he has this opportunity of
" fighting all his battles o'er again."—.Nottingham Journal.