The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-02 00:00:00

WORSHIP-STREET

Wet. Fraser, a middle-aged man of respectable ap-
pearance, was charged before Mr. Broughton with hay
in g obtained, by false pretences, a large quantity of
spirits, from various licensed victuallers in the neigh.
bourhood of Spitalfields.
It appeared from the evidence of Mrs. Elizabeth Con-
nor, of the Elder Tree, in Norton Folgate, that the pri-
soner called at her house on the 23d ult., and ordered a
gallon of the best gin to be sent forthwith to the residence
of Mr. Matthews. in Spital-squsre—it was wanted for
immediate use. She accordingly dispatched the liquor
by her servant, who, on reaching the house, found the
prisoner on the door-steps. After severely chiding him
for his delay, the prisoner told him to leave the spirits
and hasten back for two bottles of th:e best sherry. The
man did so, but the prisoner not being there when he
returned with the wine, he knocked at the door, which
was answered by the servant, who told him no spirits
had been left there, and that the parties in the house
were entire strangers to the transaction.

The second charge was preferred by Mr. George
Smith, landlord of the Salmon and Ball, Lamb-street,
whom the prisoner visited on the 26th ult., and ordered
a gallon of gin and half a gallon of ruin to be sent to
the house of Mr. Poole, a manufacturer, in Spital-square.
The goods were accordingly sent, and received by the
prisoner under precisely similar circumstances to those
in the last case ; and a subsequent application for the
money exposed the imposition that had been practised
Mr. Gill, a publican, in Gun-street, Spitalfields, stated
that between seven and eight o'clock on the preceding
evening the prisoner called at his house and gave direc-
tions for the same quantity of spirits as in the second
case to be instantly sent to the residence of one of his
customers, named Good, in Church-street, Bethnal-
green. Having, however, been previously informed that
numerous robberies had been practised on publicans in
the neighbourhood by means of fictitious orders, witness
determined to accompany his messenger, and, on reach-
ing Mr. Good's house, left the spirits with the servant,
who was not aware of any such order, but received the
spirits, her master being absent. Witness then returned
home, but, soon after his arrival, the prisoner (who had
evidently missed them on the road) called again and de-
manded to know why the order had not been executed.
The character of the transaction being uow quite mani-
fest, a policeman was sent for and the prisoner was given
into custody.
Police-constable, H 46, produced a hamper containing
half a dozen of wine and two stone bottles, which he
found at the prisoner's lodging; and two of the prosecu-
tors identified the bottles as having held the spirits ob-
tained from them by the prisoner.
The prisoner was recognised by. the officers in Court
as having formerly carried on business in the district as
eed had,
himself from in-vaerteesrpaetcetahbalbeitlsiceonf siendtetcptuearlalneer,e, ed
whoburtu
gra-
dually to disgrace and ruin.
The prisoner, who appeared overpowered with shame
and grief, and buried his face in his hands in the front
of the dock, on being called upon for his defence, de-
clined saying anything. Two of his daughters were
present in a state of pitiable affliction ; and it being evi-
dent that they had been suffering from extreme want
and privation, the magistrate ordered them some tempo-
raty :,,lief from the poor-box, which they gratefully
accepted.
Sergc,ant Coleman requested that the prisoner might
be remanded, as he was satisfied he should be able to
establish many more charges of a similar description
against him.
Mr. Broughton at once acceded to the application, and
the prisoner was accordingly remanded.
LAMBETH.

George Jefferson, a highly respectable looking elderly
man, was brought before Mr. Henry, the sitting magis-
trate, charged with being drunk and disorderly.
Mr. HENRY, the magistrate, asked the defendant what
he had to say to the charge ?-117by, said the veteran, it
is all owing to the lumbago, and seeing the old year out
and the new one in.

The MAGISTRATE—Yes; but that is no excuse.
The prisoner pleaded hard for forgiveness, for he would
shortly have the honour of making a declaration before
his worship for half-pay. He had served his king and
country faithfully for these last forty years. Ile had
honourable scars, besides a severe wound in his head.
He had fought bravely his country's battles, and had
even rescued his commanding officer from great peril,
"when bullets around him flew ;" but the "lumbago,"
and the parting glass with the old year had overcome
his reason.

Upon the understanding that the prisoner would turn
over a new leaf with the new year, the magistrate said,
in consideration of his services, he was disposed to let
him off.

The prisoner promised amendment, and thanking the
magistrate for his kindness, was discharged.
GROSS CRUELTY OF A FATHER TOWARDS HIS CHILD.
—Robert Pratt was placed at the bar before Mr. Henry,
on a charge of grossly ill-treating his son, Richard Pratt,
a child of five years and a half old.
The first witness called was Eliza Kingate, who de-
posed that she resided next door to the prisoner, in
Hooper-street, Westminster-road, and that the first time
she had observed the child was about eight weeks ago,
when he was crying bitterly at his father's door. The
house was occupied by the prisoner, his wife, and
brother, and the child was frequently left alone, and
shut up from morning until a late hour of the night,
which was the time its parents were in the habit of re-
turning home, and frequently complained to her of
being cold and hungry. About four weeks ago she
(witness) took the poor little fellow into her house, and
gave him some food, and while at her house the pri-
soner came home, and called out for him. So great was
the horror of the child at hearing the voice of his father,
that the poor fellow rolled down the whole of the stairs.
On that occasion she heard the prisoner ill-use the
child, and make use of horrible expressions, and say he
would do for him, while the child cried out for mercy,
and said he would not go out again ; so that from this
she inferred that the cause of his ill-usage was that of
his child's coming to her house. On Tuesday morning,
about half-past two o'clock, she was awoke by the
violent screams of the child. and distinctly heard him cry
out to his father for mercy, while the latter was evi-
dently severely ill-using him. She knocked at the
wainscot, and also threw up her window, and upon her
doing so the prisoner ceased. So frequent and severe
were the injuries inflicted upon the poor child, that the
witness went on the same morning to the police station-
house to request the interference of the police, and was
told that this must be done by the parish officers. Be-
tween ten and eleven o'clock she saw the child with its
head through a broken pane of glass in the bed room
window, and he then complained of being fastened in
and very cold and hungry. Some of the neighbours had
resolved upon taking him out of the room. A young
man, named Cronin, succeeded in doing so, but lie was
found to be in so shocking a state that they put him into
the room again until the police or parish officers arrived.
In a few moments after the prisoner came home and
went up stairs, leaving the street-door ajar after him.
Witness went to the door to listen to what took place,
and distinctly heard the prisoner say, " Up with you, up
with you," and immediately after the violent screams of
the child. She knocked at the door, and upon the pri-

goner making his appearance she asked him ';,:hat he was
doing to the ebill? th9t. it. IV f.I.S no bur:inf.t4p,
of hers, and begun to abuse her, and soon al;tr left tiw,
house.

In reply to the Magistrate's question, the witness said
she had never heard the child's mother ill use him. On
the contrary, heard her once beg of the prisoner to desist
from ill-using the child. Witness, however, thouAht she
could have very little of the feelings of a mother about
h'r to fillow h,r ont'ortunate offsprip,7 to be tre,ted hi s‘,

Four other witnesses cm roOorated e evidenci of the
last witness in every particular. One of them, a trades
man who lives opposite the prisoner, added that one day
he heard a violent screaming issue from Pratt's house, and
on hurrying across, and looking through the window, he
saw the child hanging from the top bannister by a rope,
with a noose round his neck, and his feet about six
inehes from the gr 'Mid. He instantly forced open the
window sufficiently to pot in a Ltd wt.) was in his elle
rloyinent, and who cu: the down. The wittr. as
added, that he did not inti•nte to the prisoner ur the
others in the house the dreadful crime of attempting to
hang the little fellow, but his impression was that he had
been tied to the top bannister, and by endeavouring to
relieve himself had got into the position in which he had
before described, and had he nut been observed so soon,
his death in a few moments must have been the conse-
quence.
Mr. HENRY observed that the witness had put a very
charitable construction upon the act.
The prisoner in reply to the charge, declared that the
greater part of what the witnesses had stated was false,
and wished to have the child examined. _ _ .

. _
Mr. HENRY observed that the witnesses had given
their evidence in such a way as must convince every
person of their truthfulness. They could have no motive
for coming forward as they did, except one, namely, that
of humanity ; and their conduct reflected so much credit
upon them, that he would order them five shillings each,
for their lots of time in attending.
The prisoner again requested that the child should be
examined, upon which Mr. Henry remarked that he had
examined the poor child, who was really in a shocking
state, and what he said fully confirmed the evidence of
the witnesses.

Mr. HENRY, addressing Dunn, one of the beadles of
Lambeth, said the case was one which should be prose-
cuted by the parish, and he should therefore request
that the vestry-clerk should be informed of the pa. ti-
culars, with a view of prosecuting the prisoner at the
session. To afford the necessary time for this, he should
remand the prisoner until Monday next.
The prisoner was accordingly remanded.
THAMES POLICE.

WORKING AN ILLICIT STILL.—TWO young men,
brothers, named Edward and William Smith, were
charged with working an illicit still, in Feedeeick-
place, Bedford-street, Stepney.
Colley Atkinson Davis, an officer of Excise, stated
that from information which he received, he watched the
house, No. 11, Frederick-place, about nine o'clock last
night, and saw the two prisoners go into it. He waited
awhile, and having stationed a constable and another
Excise officer. named Pearce, to watch in the front, be
succeeded in effecting an entrance at the back door. On
searching the place, he found a copper still in the
kitchen. It had recently been worked, and the end of the
worm tasted of spirits. The prisoners were out then, so
he secreted himself in the front parlour, and shortly after
heard a low knock at the front door. No answer
being returned, the door was opened from the outside
with a key, and the two prisoners entered. He seized
the elder prisoner, Edward, on which a struggle en-
sued, and they both rolled into the street. William, who
ran on, was arrested by the constable and the other
officer. In the pockets of each there were bladders, still
wet, strongly smelling of spirit, and books containing
memoranda of
_materials used in distillation. The head
of a button, which corresponded with those on the elder
prisoner's coat, was found on the still, and such a one
was missing from the hack of the coat. A deposit bank
tke teene of Richard l'hanpsou, we: tetnto
the elder pi ii)l3+.l. ['her,, 6i'verity g, U;re, et'
ash on the promises. which hails subseq,„.,,o,
worked if. and it produc, d six eallens rpm,. 20 de-
grees abovt• pro,.f.
Pearce and the constable confirmed the evidence as far
as they were concerned in the t-a7ts:trtion.
pri-;on,,rs boldly &Med th:sT they had any con-
-oexion with the insisted that they had 11>t. been
in the house at all. The ~Hirer, they 11:,nticcd
on them us they were passing by the door, and they were
taken on a groundless suspicion.
Mr. BRODERIP thought otherwise, and ordered them
to pity a tine of 30/. each, or be eemmitted to hard labour
for three calendar months.

[ADVERTISEMENT.]

ANNUAL REPORT of the BRITISH
COLLEGE OF HEALTH, NEW-ROAD,
LONDON, FOR 1844.