Star.
London, England, 1830-08-25 00:00:00

POLICE REPORTS.

GUILDHALL.—George Easement, a lad, was committed for M.
balding various sums he had received from the customers of his master,
Mr. King, a baker, in Little St. Thomas Apostle. In one instance, he
had kept all the money he bad received from a customer since Christmas.
Bow'•sTßEET.—Yesterday a man named Grainger was charged by
Mr. Pahner, one of the assistant clerks to the overseers of St. Martin in
the Fields, with the non-payment of upwards of 151. due to the parish,
for the maintenance of two illegitimate children.

The defendant was ordercd.jo pay the amount claimed by the parish,
and in default of payment he was sentenced to an imprisonment of six
months in the House of Correction, being three months for each child.

A man named Williams was fined 51. for knocking down a police
constable of the F. division, and throwing himself with all his force upon
the man's body, whereby he received considerable injury. In default
of payment, the defendant was sentenced to an imprisonment of two
months and hard labour in the House of Correction.

QUEEN-SQUARE.—Monday, a man about thirty years of age was
brought before Mr. GREGORIE, charged with sleeping under ►he por-
tico of St. Margaret's Church, Westminster, about two o'clock that
morning.

The poor fellow exhibited the most wretched appearance, his frame
almost reduced to a skeleton, and his garments of that wretched des.
eription that no respectable person durst approach him. He gave his
name James Fletcher, and said that he had been in Westminster about
ten days, having come from Exeter in search of employment as a la.
bourer, but had not been successful. The whole of his means hay.
ing been exhausted previous to his arrival in London, he bad made
away with one article after another to procure food, and he contrived to
find shelter in unfinished houses, sheds, &c. since. He was now
without a farthing in the world, or the means of procuring a morsel of
bread.

Mr. Ortzoonts ordered the clerk to give the poor fellow a shilling
from the poor-box, and Mr. Wilson, the overseer, gave him another,
and he departed with the intention of setting himself up in the world by
selling fruit in the streets.
MAILBOROUOII.IITBLET.—.-Monday ► carman, named gri/Mtn
Shack(ll, was brought before the sitting Magistrate, F. A. Roe, Esq.
charged by one of the worthy tribe of informers with driving a cart that
was without either name or number on it, in Regent-street, about 11
o'clock of the same day.
John Murray, the informer's witness, who desccribed himself as a
labourer, living in West-street, Smithfield, swore' positively that the
cart had neither name or number on it when he saw it in Regent-street,
at 11 o'clock on that morning ; he accordingly stopped the carman and
brought him to the office.

Shackell having been called on for his defence, stated that he brought
the cart at the tail of a waggon from Croydon that morning, and had put
the horse to it without being aware that it had no name or number on
the cart, as he could neither read nor write.

Mr. ROE.-But you could see whether there was any characters on
the cart, if you could not read them. Suppose any person had been killed
by the cart, how was the owner to be discovered?—Mr. Plank, the
chief officer, who had left the office while the informer was giving his
evidence, here stated that the cart had both a name and a number on it.
How is this? asked the worthy Magistrate; the informer swore post.
tively that there was neither on the cart.

Mr. Fitzpatrick, the clerk, now left the office, for the purpose of
ascertaining the fact, and, on his return, he =firmed the statement
of slr. Plank, as to the fact of the cart having both a name and a
number on it.

Mr. Roe asked whether it was legible ?
Mr. Plank.—. The name and number is written in the usual place, in
front of the cart, and the letters arc at least two inches long.
The worthy informer now endeavoured to shelter himself under the
plea that the carman told him that the cart had been given to his
master in payment of a debt due to him ; and that the name on it was
that of the former proprietor, and, consequently, was a wrong one.
Mr. ROE.—How can you tell that? You swore positively that there
was no name on the cart at all, and it turns out that there is both name
and number on the most conspicuous part of the cart. The complaint
must be dismissed.

The informer retired, very much chagrined at being defeated in his
hunt after a penalty.
LAND crw.rrazEr.—Yesterday, Wm. Hutchinson was placed at
the bar before Mr. Wyatt, charged with robbery.

Mr. Elisabeth Stepney, of the Crown and Dolphin, opposite Stepney
old church, stated that the prisoner and another man engaged a lodging
for the night. One of them gut into her bed-room, and threw from the
window into the yard some sheets and a quantity of wearing-apparel.
At eleven o'clock the prisoner went into the yard, and on his return Mr.
Beck, one of her customers, perceiving something bulky about his per-
son, asked him what he had got On which he darted out of the
house, and ran away. A cry of " Stop thief !" was however raised,
'aftalte was secured with a portion of the property on him.
He was committed for trial.

Tow w.HALL.—James Robi'mon, a porter in the employ of Messrs.
Newton, tobacconists, Tooley-street, was committed for embezzling
the sum of 2L 4s. 10(1. and also a quantity of tobacco and snuff.

Tonacco.—The cultivation of every description of Ame-
rica tobacco has been lately carried on in Russia with succfis.
TIIE Two WooncUTTEßS.—Napoleon, one day hunting
in* forest of Fontainbleau, alighted from his horse, and walked, &e-
-1 edimpanied by Caulaincourt. He met two woodcutters, who, fatigued
with work, were sitting on the trunk of a tree. Both of them had
served in the campaign of Egypt. One of them recognised the Empe-
ror, and rose instantly. Caulaincourt desired the other to rise also.
" por" said Napoleon, " don't you see he is fatigued ?" He then made
the one who was standing resume his seat' and sat down with them him.
self on the same trunk. Here he conversed with them on the Egyptian
expedition, and of their private affairs; and having learnt that one of
them had obtained his pension on quitting the service, he ordered it to
be granted him, with the arrears, and gave six Napoleons to both on
leaving them.
THETAX-GATIIEREIL IN A DILE3IMA.—a Some writera
have stated the number of islands in Strangford Lough to be upwards
of two hundred, but it has been ascertained that there are not more than
fifty.four. Some are inhabited ; on others cattle of various kinds are
kept by the inhabitants of the opposite shore. Upon one of them there
Is a very extensive rabbit warren. The individual who resides on this
island had for many years derived a considerable income from the sale
of the rabbit skins, and although he had erected a very good house, he
never dreamed of paying any thing in the shape of excise or taxes. At
length, however, a tax-gatherer, who had paid a visit to the houses on
the neighbouring shore, beheld with anxious gaze the goodly edifice
which presented itself upon the island, and determined upon visiting it
in the name of his Majesty. The proprietor of the place, having been
in the habit of receiving visits from persons who came to purchase his
skins, and supposing the taxman to be one of them, sent off a boat to
feed: to the island. On reaching the place, the man of taxes be.
gan to make various inquiries as to the time the house had been
erected, the number of windows, hearths, &c. it contained ; and,
having gained the desired information, he immediately demanded, on
behalf of his Majesty, a considerable sum, as the amount of taxes
and arrears due upon the place. In vain the poor man protested
against the proceeding, as an imposition ; in vain he contended that
the demand never having been made before he had no right to pay
it then. The stranger was inexorable, and nothing would satisfy
hint but the payment of the money down, or, in default thereof,
he threatened to return direct, with a party of the army, and lead, drive,
or carry away all that he could find upon the island. At length, fear-
ing such a catastrophe, and finding every effort to soften the hard heart
of the exciseman completely fruitless, the poor man laid down the
amount demanded, and gal a regular acknowledgment for the same, and
the officer put the money in by pocket, haughtily desiring be might be put
ashore. • No, no,' said the old man ; although his majesty may compel
me to pay taxes, he cannot compel *me to keep a boat to row you, and
the likes of you, back and forward.' After many threats and entreaties,
the islander at length consented, as he had brought his visitor over, to
give him 'a bit (I/ a rem' back again ; and both getting into the boat,
along with a young man, son to the proprietor, they pulled for some
ti:ne in the direction of the shore. When about midway, however,
the islander quietly laying down his oar, informed the officer, that al-
though he promised to give him 'a bit u row' he had never any Wen.
tion of taking him the entire way, and that now he must do the best he
could, as he was himself obliged to return to the island, or that they would
land him on Phaddy Lhug, (a large rock, which was visible at low water,
but was many feet beneath the surface at full tide)—from which if he
shouted loud enough, perhaps some of his friends on the shore might
hear him, and send a boat to convey him the remainder of the distance.
On the other protesting against such conduct, and insisting that they
should continue their labour, and take him ashore—the old man pull.
lag his oar into the boat, and desiring his son to do the same, very
drily observed, that if the gentleman did not wish to quit the boat, they
would not insist on his doing so, as they' could swim like twa water
dogs,' and thus easily regain the island ; but if he chose to pay him
for it, they would willingly land him at any place he wish,d. Finding
himself outwitted by the islanders, the officer deemed it the more is:.
viable way to accede to the terms proposed—when to his astonishment
he found that the demand was nothing less than the entire amount he
had received for the taxes, together with a receipt for those of the fol-
lowing year, and a special engagement, that he would never return to
that island to demand taxes or excise ! Hard as the terms were, he
was at length compelled to accede to them, ratherrhan take the &kerns.
rive of being left to drift out to sea in an open boat, on a tide which, at
the time, was running at the rate of 9 miiles an hour, with scarndy a
hope of relief from any quarter. It is ocarcely necessary to observe
that having paid back the money. and given the, required receipt, the
crest-fallen taxman was put safely ashore, and never again visited the
island. or trusted himself in company with so trickery a customer as
the old desler in rabbit-skins."—The Northern Tourist