The Sun.
London, England, 1828-09-12 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION- HOUSE.—Yesterday the Captain of the
Hero steam-vessel, which carries passengers from London
to Gravesend and back again, was charged with having vio-
lated an Act of Parliament in attempting to outdo or cir-
cumvent hie competitcr for passengers, the Captain of the
Sophia Jane, which sets off from the same wharf close to
the Custorn-house. The party injured directly by the con-
duct of the defendant was Mr. Hall, an extensive whar-
finger in that immediate neighbourhood. The case brought
together a great many from the water-side. The Captain
of the Sophia Jane bad, it appeared, obtained permission
from Mr. Hail to chalk upon the wall of his premises,
which were full in the eye of the public, some words, in-
timating that the Sophia Jane steamer sailed from that
place daily for Gravesend. This notice did not fail to at-
tract customers, particularly as Mr. Ilull was known to he
a gentleman who would not be instrumental to puffing off a
had article. Hundreds crowded to the Sophia Jane,
whereupon the Captain of the Hero, determined to blow
up his brother steamer, at least so far as to enable himself
to he more upon a par in business with that formidable rival.
He did not resort to the ordinary ways of " blowing up,
viz —by the use of exploding machinery, or Billingsgate,
hut quietly employed a pack of little boys to obliterate the
obnoxious words on the wall,—a species of blowing up
which gave great offence to Mr. Hall, inasmuch as the
means employed were most annoying to the sight and smell.
A pot of filthy and adhesive materials was provided by the
Captain of the Hero, and the boys Covered the wall with

the delicate stuff. Every word was covered, except
" Gravesend," which was a term as serviceable to one
Captain as to the other, and just pointed out where steam
accommodation could be given to the public.
Evidence was produced from which it appeared, that the
defendant was present while the boys were daubing the
wall, and urged them to do the work effectually, by crying
out, •' Go it, my boys ; give it him well." This very re-
spectable way of settling the competition was adopted at
about 10 o'clock at night, and next morning same customers
thought there was " a screw loose," as one of the boatmen
said, in the Sophia Jane, upon finding the name at fault.
It was stated that all the water in the Thames would
not wash out the stuff with which the wall was daubed,
although a nap and a tub of water would have cleared
away the -hulking. The wall, it also appeared, could not
he chipped for less than 151. The clothes of every man
who ventured through the passage were, besides, in danger
of being much soiled, and, taking it for all in all, there never
wasa wall against which greater indignity was directed.

The proprietors of the Sophia Jane were in attendance,
and most anxious that it should be understood that they
never sanctioned such mean proceedings.
The Loa;, ILt von convicted the defendant in the penalty
of 51., which he immediately paid, arid which was handed
over to a charity (the Seamen's Fund).
A lady, named Cowen, appeared with black eyes, broken
nose, swelled be rd, bruised arms, and other symptoms of
somebody's resentment, to complain agairot her huskand.

She stated that she had been married to the defendant 27
years, and he had only commenced beating her five or six
years ago, when, one would imagine, his affections had
grown into a steady habit. lie had, however, followed up
the fhlgellating system with such spirit, that she could no
longer endure his violence. lie bad " served her out" in
the dreadful matmer she appeared in on the previous day,
and she knew that some time or other he would give her an
unlucky blow that would finkh her.

The LORI) MA VOlt said, that care should be taken to
prevent an extremity- of that sort.
Mrs. Cowen said, that her husband had endeavoured to
harass her in a great variety of ways. It was only a few
days ago that lie brought in as much laudanum as would kill
a dozen persons, and told her that lee was going to put him-
self to bleep in earnest.
The Lund Ma von—Oh, then, it was'nt for you he
brought it in ? Mrs. Cowen—No, my Lord ;at least, he
said it was for himself.

The Loan MAYOR-And why 13id'nt be take it hiruF,elf?
Mrs. Cowen—l am sure I don't know, my Lord ; nobody
hindered him.

The LORD MAroit—What, you did'ut hinder him,
then ? Mrs. Cowen—Not I, indeed, my Lord. When he
swore so strong that he would take it off, I told him thai
he might do so. (Loud Idugliter.) . _

The LOKI) he wouldn't have it? Airs.
Cowen—No, he wouldn't touch it, so it was all wasted.—
(Continued laughter.)
The defendant said that he had received a wound in his
head, and that made him savage sometimes, but at other
times he was as mild as a babe.

The LORD Marort complimented the pair upon the
warm affection which they had exhibited towards each
other. He certainly did not wonder at the regret shown
fur the waste of the laudanum when the woman was sub-
ject to such brutal treatment ; but it Was the nature of
woman to bear a great deal before she would wish to see
her husband the victim of his own hand. His Lordship
then ordered the defendant to find bail.

CHARGE OF MURDER•--Iminediatvly after the Lord
Mayor had entered the Justice-room yesterday, Thomas
Kitby, the street-keeper of Bridge Ward, appeared be-
fore his Lordship, to give information relative to the sup-
posed murder of an infant child of an Irishwoman, whose
name he was not acquainted with, living in George-alley,
Thames-street. Rilby stated that the child, which had
been dead about four days, had several marks of injury on
its skull ; it was a female infant, about fifteen months 01(1.
The mother had been carrying the child in her arms about
the streets, declaring to every one that her brother had
killed it.
The LORD MAYOR asked Kilby if he had interrogated
the woman himself ?--Kilby replied in the affirmative.
She declared to him that her brother had kicked the child
on the head with his large brogues, and that this had occa-
sioned its death. The child was now in the house of its
grandmother, in George-alley, and he had examined its
on which there were several wounds.
Ti
Loan MAYOR inquired why a Coroner's Inquest
hhae:dn;'e
not been held on the Child?---Koilublyd,bien,surieni:nli,nesdta,tetod
that he had gone to Peacock, the ward beadle of Dowgate,
in(
ouri(rieeriltiltita) tthae ceir(cguoilniesrta'sncjesuroyf should
infant's death ; but he
il.lhmil refused to do so, stating that the matter was of no
consequence, and not worth inquiring
The Loon Miaron expressed his indignation at such
improper conduct,
Kilby desired to know from his Lordship bow he
mother,
to
should act, All the persons in the house were
nwete ;
have no inquiry with the exception of the.ronecs
Inquest.
xviio
persisted in her story, and demanded a
The undertaker came yesterday morning andpult tledieie;
ceased into a coffin, and he was fearful they wo
ud buryi i
before any inquiry could be made.
The LOUD MAYOR would Wiite to Mr. Shelton, t
Coroner, to cause due inquiry, and to the faradic, not to
tuffer the child to be buried until then.

GUILDHALL—The driver of a hackney-coach, No.
517, attended before Mr. Alderman ANSLEY yesterday,
upon a summons tor wantonly and cruelly treating his horses.
The complainant was John Throeby, one of the officers
of the Society for Preventing Cruelty to Animals, who
stated that between twelve and onc o'clock on the 4tb

as he Wa3 Mending by Newgate, he saw the defendant whip i
his horses into a gallop. He held up his stick at him,
but the defendant paid no attention to it, and notwithstand-
ing the rapid pace the horses were going, continued to flog
them along Newgate-street to St. Martin's-le-grand. Wit- ;
ness desisted from following them any further.
The coachm in said he had net the least recollection of
the circumstance. Ile could say on his oath he did not
remember passing through Newgate_street that day, and
his horses were such free-goers he could have had no oc-
casion for the whip. He was sure the complainant had
mistaken the number.
The coachman's master was also quite sure his man was
innocent. Whenever he discovered that his horses had
been ill-used, he invariably dismissed the driver imme-
diately ; but the defendant had driven for him a consider-
able time without having at any time incurred censure.
He was a remarkable steady careful man.
Mr. Alderman ANSLEY was very glad to hear him say
no, for there were very few who deserved that character.
He asked the complainant if he remonstrated with the man.
Throsby said, only loy shaking his stick, but he could
swear to the man as well as the number.
The coachmaster questioned him as to the colour of the
horses and of the coach, but he declined swearing positively
to these particulars.
Mr. Alderman ANSLEY said he was bound to speak to
the p..rsons in fault at the time, and not merely watch them ;
and then, when summoned, they would not ha ignorant of
the cause of it. As the defendant had received so high a
character, he should discharge him this time on payment
of the expenses ; which were immediately paid.
Another officer had taken out a summons against the
driver of a straw cart, from Kensal-green, but his com-
plaint was dismissed, because he did sot appear at the hour
,peified in the summons.

HATTON-GARDEN.—A young man, of the name of
John Barkley, a compositor, was yesterday brought be-
fore the sitting magistrates, Mr. Setjeant SELLON and Mr.
LAING, by the overseers of the p Irish of St. Saviour,
Sbuthwark, en a charge of bigamy.
Mr. Sergeant Srmi.oN having inquired why it was that
the ease should come to be heard before him, one of the
overseers replied, that the prisoner's second wife having
become a pauper in the parish of St. Sepulchre, the au-
thorities there passed her upon an order to them, St.
Saviour's being her maiden settlement. They relieved
her, but at the same time appealed against the order, and
the question of appeal was this morning tried at the
s ssions for the county of Middlesex. The order, however,
was confirmed, but the Chairman advised them to appre-
hend the prisoner, who happened at the moment to be
in the Corn t, and have him examined on the above charge,
and therefore it was that they brought him up now to the
office.

Elizabeth Brand sworn-1 was present on the 16th
of Decem!•er, 1824, at the celebration of the marriage
between the prisoner and Elizabeth Cornelius, his first
wife, •at Newington Church, Surrey, and subscribed the
registry.
The registry book was here produced by the palish-
clerk and handed to the witness.
Witness—The registry refers to the marriage; that is
my hand writ'ng, and my husband is the other subscribing
witness.

Mary Phillips, the second wife, now came forward, and
deposed that she was married to the prisoner at St.
Dunstan's, Stepney, in June, 1827, by banns.
Mr. Sergeant SELLON—IIOW old are you now? Pro-
secutrix—l am about 20 years of age I was not 19 when
I married.
Mr. Sergeant SELLols.—Were your parents or either of
them present at your marriage ? Pcosecutrix—No, they
knew nothing of it at the time. I was then living as a
hired servant in Holland-street, Blackfriars-road, and
when nay father subsequently heard of it, he expressed his
disapprobation, and could never be reconciled to it.
Mr. Sergeant SELLON—Did not the Clergyman who
married you ask the question, " How old are you ?"—Pro-
secutrix—No, that question was never put.
Here it was urged that a clergyman, where even the
parties are minors, cannot refuse, to perform the celebration
of marriage, upon the publishing of banns.
Mr. Sergeant SELLON-As far as regard; the fact of the
prosecutrix being a minor at the time of her marriage, I
should like to have proof of that. The impression upon
my mind is, that a marriage, to render it valid, must be al

bona fide one, agreeable in all its circumstances to law ;
and 1 know the attempts have been made, even at the Old
Bailey, and before the Judges of the land, to invalidate
marriages by pressing forward t'Ae alleged minority of the
parties.

Here a question arose as to whetLer the marriage was
no, void, and Mr. SerjeantLou, aided by Mr. Mallett,
the chief clerk, referred to the new Act of Parliament, to
Russell's Reports, and other legal authorities, upon the
subject, but could find nothing directly bearing upom ur
illustrative of the question,
The prisoner said that he, too, was a minor at his first

marriage, having been then only 20 years of age.
Mr. Sergeant SELLON—I have reason to think that the
objection I raised in your favour extends only to marriages
that are solemnised by licence; and Russell, to which 1
have referred, reports only upon these. I am afraid,
however, that you have imposed upon the clergyman who
married you ; and if persons married by banns will impose
upon fire officiating Minister, they are still subject to be
indicted for bigamy, and I shall therefore send the case to
the Sessions,

The prisoner was then fully committed.
Two celebrated French tight-rope dancers, Madame
Saqui and her husband, came to this office, accompanied
hy an interpreter, to prefer a charge of assault against
John Monkhouse, keeper of White Conduit-house, Pen-
tont•ille.

It appeared that the complainants had engaged the gar-
dens of White. Conduit-house at 10 guineas, to per form
there during the last week, and did so every night since
Monday. On Saturday night, however, having come to
perform as usual, they were disappointed and surprised at
finding all the ropes down, and at Mr. Monkhouse telling
them he wanted neither them nor their dancing any longer,
they remonstrated with him, and out of their remonstrance
arose the assault now complained of. He struck Monsieur
first, and next transferred his blows upon Madame, xvhom
he struck in the eye, mouth, and breast.
The defendant denied. the assault, and said that the com-
plainants had deceived the public in their bills, for it was
announced that they were to send a rope over the house,
upon which they were to dance, but they had not done so,
and such deception practised upon the public and himself
he could endure no longer. They were extremely violent
in their behaviour and language towards him when he at-
tempted to put them out of the gardens, and the female
made strong efforts at his face and person to tear him.
A witness was produced who corroborated this state-
ment, and the defendant was discharged.

Oldhams, who seconded a man of the name of Cocker
in a late fight at Kentish-town, in which Cooker was
killed, was !nought up to this office last night, upon
Coroner's warrant, charged with manslaughter.
The prisoner, it appeared, had been imprisoned in the
gdol of Hertford, whether he had fled after the unfortunate
event of the fight, for non-performance of a contract for
labour ; and Brown, a con table of Kentish•town, who
held the warrant, having come to the knowledge of this
circumstance, went down yesterday to Hertford, and took
him out of gaol into his custody.
He had been previously indicted at the sessions, and a
bill found against him. He was now fully identified, and
ordered to be locked up, to be sent to Newgate for trial to-
morrow (this day).

MARLBOROUGH - STREET.--Yesterday James
Henry Prince, the schoolmaster belonging to the charity-
school for the united parishes of Bloomsbury, and St.
Giles's in-the-fiehas, was brought to this office before Mr.
COSA NT, the Magistrate, in:custody of Valentine the officer,
charged with violating- two of the female orphan children
in the school to which he was attached.

The parish solicitor, together with the trustees and go-
vernors of the school, attended to support the charge ; and
Mr. Harmer appeared on tie part of the prisoner.
The first witness examined was Frances Hutchinson, one
of the children in question, who stated herself to be 14,
years of age, although she had not the appearance of being
more than 12 at the utmost. She deposed, that one even-
ing, about a month ago, the prisoner, under some pretence
got her into a private passage leading to the boys' school-
room, and after taking very indecent liberties with her per-
son, and making her take equally indecent liberties with
his person, he proceeded to commit the forcible violation
with which he was now charged. (Here the child described
particularly the entire of the prisoner's conduct towards her,
which, if truly stated, could leave no doubt of the com-
pletion of the offence charged against him.)—She struggled,
she said, as much as site possibly could to get away from
him, but he held her so fast round the neck with one of
his arms, that she could not extricate herself, and it was
entirely, she said, without her consent that the prisoner
acted as he had done.
On her cross-examination by Mr. Harmer, she said that
this occurred about nine o'clock in the evening, and after
the treatment she described herself as having received
from the prisoner, she went to supper the same evening
with the schoolmistress and the other children, without
mentioning to any one whet had happened to her; nor
did she afterwards mention it at all to any one, except to
one little girl named Sheffield, who happened accidentally
to see herself and the prisoner together on a second occa-

sion; neither did she tell it to arty person now until she
was first questioned upon the subject. She resisted the
prisoner, she said, as much as she was able, but she did
not call out for assistance, or make any noise further than
by struggling to disengage herself. On the second occa-
sion, about a week after the first, sire said that what
occurred between the prisoner and herself happened in
the eirls' school-room, and there it was that the girl
(Sheffield) saw them, after which she told Sheffield all that
had taken place. On this second occasion the prisoner,
site said, treated her precisely in the battle manner that he
did on the first time, and by using equal force and against
her consent.
On being asked why it was that she did not call out for
assistance as well as struggle to resist the prisoner, she first
said that she did not know why, but afterwards said that
she was afraid.
Mr. Harmer now contended, that from the evidence of
this girl herself, allowing it all even to be true, it was clear
that she was a consenting party to what she had described
as having taken place, although he nnderstood that the pri-
saner denied her story altogether ; but, at all events, it was
evident that the girl had consented, and in the eye of the
law she was of a sufficient age to give her consent,—the
age for that purpose being, as the law now stands, no more
than 12 years, and this girl is by her own account 14. He
(Mr. Harmer) therefore submitted, that any felonious view
of the case was quite out of the question. The girl had
never mentioned what had happened, nor did she call
out, or make any noise, during the occurrence ; but while
he urged thus as a lawyer, on the part of the prisoner, his
client, he, Mr. Harmer, freely admitted that if what the
girl swore was true, the conduct of the prisoner, in a
moral point of view, was most scandalous, and he deserved
for it the severest punishment that could be awarded him ;
but if, on the other hand, this was, as he asserted, a ease
got up against him, without any foundation, he was very
much to be pitied.
The solicitor for the prosecution said, that he Aid not
think the circumstance of the child not calling out was suf-
fieent to %variant the inference that she consented to the
treatment she had received, because the relative situation of
the two parties should be considered. The prisoner, it
should be recollected, was a master in the school, and to•
wards whom this child would naturally feel under a degree
of awe and dread, which might prevent her from calling
out, ared her not mentioning it afterwards to the mistress or
any one else might arise from a sense of the same fear or of
shame.
Mr. Cosner said, that had the complainant in this case
been a grown or a matured female, such evidence as she
had given would at once do away with the ides of enter-
taining it as a felonious charge ; but he did think that the
age of this girl, and the situation in which she stood,
as regarded the prisoner, in the school, made some dif-
ference. On the whole, however, he thought that the
safest way would be to proceed against the prisoner for the
misdemeanour.
The little girl Sheffield was then questioned, and she

3tated that she saw the prisoner and the girl Hutchinson in
an indecent position in the girls' school-room, and that
after that Hutchinson told her all that the prisoner had
done to her.

The next witness was Elizabeth Bryan, who also stated
her age to be 14 years. She deposed, that one day about
four months ago she was sent by the school-mistress to the
prisoner's house, which adjoins the school in the church-
yard, for some writing pens and ink ; that the prisoner
took her into his parlour, and that there he committed the
offence with which he is charged. He first, she said, kiss-
ed her, and told her she seas a very pretty girl : he then
began to speak indecent words to her, and he made her
spell those words, having first spelled them over for her
himself. After this he proceeded to take indecent liberties
with her, and ended with forcibly violating her person,
which (according to the description she gave of the treat-
ment she received) he completely effected, and all this she
positively swore took place without her convent. The pri-
mer, she said, told her that if ever she wanted any money
she was to ask him for it, but he never gave her any, nor
did he ever give her any thing in lieu of money, except
sonic gin to drink, and of this he gave her a tumbler full
one (lay : he also gave gi❑ to sonic of the other girls
in the school. She did not, she said, resist the prisoner
very much when he was ill-treating her, nor did she call
out for any assistance, because there was no one within
hearing.

Mr. CONANT said that it was clear this last case t►o
could only be taken as a misdemeanour, although on the
whole, if these children spoke truth, nothing could be
more atrocious than the conduct of the prisoner.
Mr. Harmer advised the prisoner not to say any thing
in the present stage of the proceedings, and he was
ordered to enter into his own recognizance of 1001., and
to procure two sureties of 50/. each, for his appearance at
the sessions, to meet an indictment which the guardians of
the school expressed their determination to prefer against
' him, and in default of the Puteti es he seas locked up.
The prisoner is a slight, dark-complexioned genteel-
looking man, about 35 years of age, and has a wife and
three children who resided with him at the school, where
he has been master for about 12 months. lie was very
much like,' by- the guardians of the school, su muck so,
that at the last quarter they voted hint a present of 51.
in addition to his salary, for his excellent good conduct.

LAMBETH-STREET.—In accordance with Mr.
ilAsuwicK's directions, the chief officer, Mr. Miller, pro-
c. (sled to St. Bartholomew's Hospital to learn from Mary
Larkins, whose case was on 'Wednesday last reported in
the Sun, whether the representations made by her mo •
they of the abominations carried on in the house of a
Jewish brothel-keeper in Albion-street were or were not
correct. Mr. Miller visited the unfnrtunate girl, who is
not more than 15 years of age. Ile questioned her is the
presence of a third person, and her replies to all his inter-
rogatories completely established the truth of her mother's
statement ; indeed they went mach further, and disclosed
a series of transactions Which, even taking human nature
in its worst stage of depravity, could scarce be imagined,
The details are too disgusting to submit to the public eye.
Mr. HAnnwlcK asked the chief officer if he thought.the
girl was desirous to lead a different life, and abandon the
pursuits which had brought her into her present situation.
Mr. Miller said that in his opinion she was sincerely
penitent, and expressed great horror at again returning to
the streets.

Mr. Ilmtnwtex—Then, if such be her feelings, we
must endeavour to assist her, and may perhips be able to
get her into the Magdalen. Has the brothel-keeper given
up the entire of her clothes? Mr. Miller—She and her
mother say not,—that some things are still detained.
Mr. HAanwicK—Then, go to her and demand them,
and inform her, that now it is proved that she keeps so
infamous a house, if she does not shut it up this very day,
and instantly leave this district, she shall be sent to the
House of Correction for three months.

Mr. Miller proceeded on his mission, and received from
her, among other trifling articles, a pair of ear-rings and a
necklace. These, however, were not those taken from the
unfortunate girl ; the one, instead of gold, was pinchbeck,
and the other, instead of being coral, were composed of wax.
Mr. Ilaanwicx, when informed of this additional ini-
quity, IN-as much irritated, and gave orders that the most
rigorous measures shank' be adopted to punish the wretches
concerned in this abominable system.
UNION-BALL.—A little boy, named Henry Perry,
eleven years of age, was charged with stealing 771. 4s.
the property of Mr. Stephens, a tradesman at Deptford.
William Morgan, the driver of an errand cart, was en-
trusted by Mr. Stephens-with a parcel containing the above
sum to convey to town. He pat it into a locker among
his provisions. On the road the prisoner obtained per-
mission to ride a little way -in the cart, but he repaid
Morgan's kindness by opening the locker and stealing the
parcel. He was pursued and overtaken with all the mo-
ney in his possession except a 3/. note, which he said he
had destroyed. He was committed.
A complaint was made by Mr. Gude, of Battersea, of
an attempt by thieves to poison a dog which was kept to
guard his premises. A thief had attempted to enter the
garden, and to prevent the dog making a noise, threw him
a piece of liver, in the centre of which was placed some
arsenic. Mr. Gude added, that several daring robberies
had been recently committed in his neighbourhood, and
attributed them to the defects in the Police. If some
plan were not adopted before the winter for the regula-
tion of the nightly watch at Battersea, he was confident
there would be no security for the property of the inha-
bitants.

TOWN-HALL, SOUTHWARK.—ScarceIy a day
passes of late that some case either of bigamy or adultery
does not occupy the Magistrate's time. A few days since,
a young woman named Ann Wilkinson made an affidavit
that a gentleman employed confidentially by a merchant in
the city Was the father of her illegitimate child, for the pur-
pose of a warrant issuing against him for refusing to sup-
port it (she having applied for assistance to the parish of
St. Olave) productive of his appearance, and the child
being now sworn to hint, he explained his reasons for re-
fusal, by saying that she had passed herself off to him as a
single woman, and bad the hardihood to swear to it in her
affidavit, though he was prepared to prove she had a hus-
band-living, to whom she was married long before tbe birth
of the infant. The affidavit was produced. To this the
mother replied that it was true she was Married six years
since in North Church,Berkhampstead, to a gentleman en-
titled to considerable property now in the Court of Chan-
cery, but separated from him three months after, owing to

his being placed under reetraint by his relatives on the
score of imbecility of mind, and that she subsequently lied
in service as a single woman.
Alderman J. Sstrrit told her she was liable to a prose-
cution for perjury, and asked how long she had left the de-
fendant, as he was informed the child was two years old,
and whether he had ever allowed any thing for its support?
—She said he never had, nor should she have troubled !dm
now, only that she was out of a situation, and unable to
maintain it herself, which she had done hitherto from the
hour of their parting (shortly after its birth), since which
he himself had got married.
The ALDErtmaN observed to the defendant, that however
the mother might have forfeited her claim to his regards,
he ought not to withdraw them from his innocent off-
spring.
The defendant said he had fair grounds for doubting the
infant to be Isis.

The A I.D ER N thought non-access sufficiently proved.
The defendant said he was not sati.fied on that point
and should decline paying a single farthing until compelled,
and the parish not feeling inclined to interfere under such
circumstances, the defendant was discharged.