The Sun.
London, England, 1842-03-16 00:00:00

GUILDHALL.

THREATENING LETTERS.-Richard Bates was pkced at
the bar, under the following circumstances :—A gentleman, re-
siding in Newgate-street, deposed that he received a letter of a
most disgusting nature, stating that a report was is circulation
in the Borough, respecting the character of the witness, and im-
puting to him an unnatural offence. The letter (which is unfit
for publication) went on to state, that if the witness would com-
municate with the writer, he would devise means for the sup-
pression of the report. In consequence of this letter, the
witness sent for an Inspector of Police, and showed him
the letter ; and he advised witness to answer it,
which he did, and addressed it, as directed in the
letter to be called for at the Post-office, High-street, Borough.
The letter was left at the Post-office, and directions were
given to the Postmaster to give the person who called for it
into custody. Monday evening, about a quarter past seven
o'clock, the witness was sent for by the Postmaster, aed on his
proceeding to High-street, Borough, he found the prisoner in
custody. The man• was then taken to the Station-house.
John Green, an assistant at the Post-office, High-street,
Borough, deposed that the prisoner came last night and in-
quired for the letter in question, and witness said if he would
wait a few minutes he should have it. Witness then sent the
boy for a policeman, but he could not fini one. The prisoner
said he would call again, and left the shop, but witness tollowed
him and gave him into custody.
The prisoner, in his defence, said that he knew nothing
about too letter addressed to the prosecutor, and he had been
requested by a person to call at the Post-office and ask for a
letter that wss lying there.
The policeman who took the prisoner into custody stated
that the prisoner had been searched, and several letters of the
same nature as those received by the prosecutor were found
upon him.—The prisoner was remanded till to-morrow.
John Cook was placed at the bar, charged with picking the
pockets of John Anderson, under the following circumstances.
The prosecutor stated that he lived in Hemlock-court, Cary-
street, Lincoln's Inn-fid.ds, and the prisoner was a resident in
the same house. On the previous night he was in a public-
house in Drury-lane, and he saw the prisoner there, and
recognising each other they entered into conversation.
Shortly afterwards a friend of the prisoner came in, and they
all left the house together. When they got into Lincoln's Inn-
fields the strange gentleman proposed that they should take a
cab and ride as far as the Strand, which proposition was
acceded to. On their arrival in the Strand the stranger
got out of the cab and disappeared, and on the
cabman requesting the amount of his fare, the pri-
soner said he had no money about hiin, and
the prosecutor was obliged to pay the cab hire. The suspicions
of the prosecutor were by this time aroused, and they prompted
him to feel in his pockets, and he then discovered that his
money had been extracted, together with his pocket handker-
chief and pocket-book, containing memoranda and duplicates.
On further examination he found that a large brooch he usu-
ally wore in his cravat had also disappeared. The witness said
he was perfectly sober. He immediately gave the prisoner
into custody.
The prisoner, in his defence, said that he was invited by the
prosecutor• to take a ride in the cab, and he had no idea that he
was to pay for it. The robbery he knew nothing about.
He was remanded till Saturday; to obtain further evidence.