The Sun.
London, England, 1829-09-29 00:00:00

MA RLBOROU GMSTREET.

Yesterday a well-dressed man, about forty years
of age, who gave his name Thomas Browne, was
brought before Sir G. FARRANT, charged with the
following atrocity :
A youth in the service of Mr. Nicholas, a con-
fectioner in Piccadilly, stated that upon several oc-
casions the prisoner waylaid him when he was going
on errands for his employer, and urged him to quit
Mr. Nicholas,and go into his (the prisoner's) service,
describing himself as a gentleman of fortune, and the
situation of any young man in his service would be
most comfortable; and at last, at the earnest solicitation
of the prisoner, witness accompanied him to what
he called his house, but what in fact was a public
tavern, where it appeared the prisoner lodged. The
prisoner took the witness up stairs with him, under
the pretence of engaging him as a servant, and then
introduced wine, fruit, &c. of which he made the
witness partake, and next proceeded to conduct
himself toward the witness in so atrocious a manner
that left no doubt of his intention to commit an
abominable assault. The witness here described the
conduct of the prisoner, which fully bore out the state-
ment lie had already made. When the witness got
back to Mr. Nicholas's he told his master the mea-
ner in which the prisoner had behaved to him, and
Mr. Nicholas had the prisoner taken into custody.
Mr. Nicholas confirmed the boy's statement, as far
as related to him,and said that it was at his instance
the prisoner was apprehended at the tavern where
he lodges.
The prisoner, who described himself as a gentle-
man of independent fortune, did not at all deny the
boy's statement, but said that he really did want to
hire him as a servant, and the liberties described by
the boy to have been taken with him, was merely to
ascertain if he was a virtuous lad.

Sir G. FAItRANT asked the prisoner if he had not
been at the Office before On some occasion ?
The prisoner replied that he was once, when be
called to see a young man who was in custody for
❑n assault, whom he named, and referring to the
books of the office, this young man was found to
have been charged with precisely the same offence
now alleged against the prisoner himself.
The landlord of the tavern where the prisoner
lodges, and who is a respectable man, attended, and
said that the prisoner had been but a very short
time at his house, and he did not at all like him as
a lodger; the prisoner came there as a gentleman
of private fortune, arid had a youth there with him
as a servant, but the landlord was greatly surprised to
find that the " gentleman of private fortune" would
occupy only one small bed-room on the second floor,
where he and his servant slept in the same bed
together every night; and he was therefore deter-
mined to get rid of him, if this occurrence had not
taken place at all.
The Magistrate asked the landlord if Browne
was the name the prisoner gave at his house ? The
landlord said that Browne was the only name he
knew him by; but whether it was a false one or
not he could not say.
The prisoner, who seemed to treat the whole
matter with the utmost indifference, was ordered to
find very sufficient bail, himself in 100/., and two
sureties in 50/. each, to answer the charge ut the
Sessions, arid to give 48 bouts' notice of the bail
he intended to propose.
Thomas Kirkman, who has been in custody for
some days, charged with pledging for his own use
several watch-cases belonging to his employer, Mr.
Pawl, u watchmaker, in Cleveland-street, Fitzroy-
square, arid which had been given to him to (Iffy
to a watchcase-maker in Clerkenwell, for alteration,
was brought up for re-examination, and remanded.