Star.
London, England, 1808-08-26 00:00:00

POLICE.

Gcantrar.t.-.--On Wednesday a genteel-looking
man, of the name of Bass, was charged by a Mr.
Blackader, a clothier, in Newgate-street, with calling
at his shop, .oJ oraeriog to be sent to the Three
Pigeons public-house, Butcher-hall lane, two blaze
cloth coats and two pair f Nankin trowsers ; he ac-
cordingly sent his shopman with them. About an
hour atter, he receivL d a message from the shopman
to come to him he went, when he found Mr. Bass
with one of the coats and a pair of the tmwsers on.
He asked him to return the clothes, or pay ror theme
He said he would give him a check f r the money,
and if he did not accept of that, he might get the
money the best way he could; and as to the clothes,
be should not have them; and observed; pointing to
the other coat, which was lying on a chair, if be
touched it, he would indict him for a robbery. The
prosecutor asked him, was he jesting ? The p:isoner
replied, he was not jesting, for •he was determined
he should not have them or the money ; if he thought
proper, he might have a check. This he refused, it
being past bank hours. At this time a boy came into
the room, and said that the check he had received
from the prisoner would not be paid until the person
whom it was drawn on saw the prisoner. The pro-
secutor looked at the check ; it was drawn on Messrs.
Hankey and Co. bank'crs. He told the prisoner, that
check being returned, was but a poor encouragement
for him to accept of another The prisoner said, it
was no matter ; and took a pen and cancelled it in
the usual way that men of business do. There were
several persons in the room, apparently the compa-
nions of the prisoner. A boy came in, and said the
coach was ready, and they all got up, seemingly to
go off together. The prosecutor stopped the', and
said he would send for a constable, and have the
prisoner taken into custody; when one of his compa-
nions, an attorney, said, if he did, he would bring
an action of damages against him for false imprison-
ment ; however, the prosecutor gave him into cus-
tody of a constable, and used every kind of persua-
sion to induce him to deliver up the clothes, but in
vain. The attorney advised the prisoner to gn to the
Compter, and he would support an action of damages
against the prosecutor. The prisoner had one of the
coats on when brought up for examination.
John Blackly,. the shopmart of the prosecutor, cor-
roborated this testimony.
Several gentlemen asserted, that the prisoner was
a man of respectable connections, and of property;
that he was unfortunate whenever he drank, and al-
ways got into some scrape. It was but a short time
back that he had to pay 901. damages far scandalous
expressions, that he had made use of in a drunken
frolic ; and they were confident he did not mean to
defraud the prosecutor, however appearances were
against him. One of them said, he was cost6dent he
had money in the hands of Messrs. Hankey and Co.
for he not three weeks age, received 4001. from them
for checks of the prisoner, and they hoped the prose-
cutor would not push the business any further, as the
prisoner would pay the amount of the clothes.
Mr. Blackader declared, he had never seen the
prisoner before, and if any of the gentlemen who
had been present last evening, had made the same
statement that they had then, he would not have per-
sisted in the prisoner's being taken into custody, but
instead of which they encouraged him in the fraud.
The Magistrate inquired which of them it was that
threatened the prosecutor with an action of damages,
for they might have been all taken into custody ; and,
if the prosecutor wished, it would be his duty to
commit the whole, as they were all accessary to the
fraud.

The Attorney acknowledged he was the person
that had made use of the expression ; but the fact was,
they had been all taking too much wine.
Mr. Blackader agreed to give up the prosecution,
on being paid the amount of the bill, which was ac-
cordingly done, and Mr. Bass was discharged, after
receiving a severe reprimand from the Alderman.

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Bow-STREET.—Yesterday, a pickpocket, named
Charles Davy, was brought before Mr. READ, the
Sitting Magistrate, charged with having picked the
pocket of a Mr. John Taylor, a gentleman in the
East India Company's service, about twenty minutes
before, in the Strand, of his pocket-book, containing
a Bill of Exchange for 311.
Mr. Taylor stated, t' 't he had recently returned
from rndia, and had arrived in London from Ports-
mouth two days agN whither he was again about to
return in a few days Yesterday morning he was
walking through the Strand towards Charmgcross,
when he felt his poCket twitched by some person front
behind• He instantly turned, and saw the prisoner
endeavouring to conceal his pocket-book in his bosom.
He seised the prisoner and the pocket-book at the
same time, and fortunately recovered his property;
bat the prisoner, by an active effort, got loose front
his grasp, and ran off. Mr. Taylor directly raised
'the cry of step thief, and the prisoner had not run
fifty yards when he was secured and brought to the
Office. The prosecutor swore positively to the pri-
soner's person.
A man named Mortimer proved, that he saw the
prisoner run, and hearing the cry of stop thief, he
seized him until the prosecutor came up.
The prisoner in his defence said, he found the
pocket-book on the pavement, and the moment he
was desired to step he did so. He offered to make
oath he did not steal it.

The Magistrate, however, committed him for
trial, and bound the parties over to prosecute.
UNION HALL.---On the 25th of July last, the dwe%
ling-house of Mr. Browne, in Brook-street, Lambeth,
was broke open during a temporary absence of the
family, and robbed of a large sum of money, and
many valuable articles. As it was evident that the
business was done by some person well acquainted
with the premises, a suspicion fell on a Mr. James
Cobb, which was confirmed by his absconding. Col-
lingbourn, after some difficulty, traced him through
various places to Ringwood in Hampshire, where he
apprehended him on Tuesday, and on Wednesday •
evening be tras committed to the County Gaol of
Surrey, for a further hearing.
Yesterday being the general day for hearing com-
plaints against Licensed Victuallers, in a very exten-
sive division of 826 publicans, it was much to their
credit that not more than five or six were complained
of. As many as 20 Licences, however, were applied
for 'by bu.i..ti,ig s_peculators, to be determiagd on the
19th of S.pteinlia.