The Sun.
London, England, 1827-10-20 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

BOW-STREET.—Two cases, illustrative of the man-
ner in which night-houses of a certain description, in the
immediate vicinity of this office, are conducted,, were yes-
terday heard before Sir R. BIRNIE, the sitting Magistrate,
. A young man,' named William Rowe, was charged by
Nott, a beadle, with improperly interfering with the duty
of the watchmen of St. Paul's, Covent-garden.
It appeared, that the defendant was passing through
Brydges-street, Covent-garden, at a late hour on Thursday
night. According to his statement, several loose women
and disorderly fellows were collected in the street, creating
riot and disorder, and not perceiving a single guardian of
the night on his post, the complainant went in search of
them, and meeting Michael Ryan, a watchman, whose beat
is at Brydges-street, and who, it appeared, was on his re-
turn from quelling a riot in Bow-street, he accused him,
in no very gentle terms, of neglecting his duty. He also
loudly complained of the manner in which the parish ge-
nerally was annoyed at night by prostitutes and other dan-
gerous characters, who, lie asserted, might at once be
cleared from the streets, if the watchmen would but do
their duty. While the defendant was thus engaged in cen,
suing Michael Ryan and his associates for their want of
vigilance. Nott, the beadle, came up, anti gave him in
charge for his interference.
Sir RICHARD BIRNIE, after hearing the statement of
both parties, observed, that he saw no great harm in calling
upon the watchinen to do their duty. The state of this
parish was really disgraceful, and he wished that some
active inspector of the watch could be found to undertake
the office which the defendant seemed so willing to perform.
The defendant repeated his assertion that the watchmen
were not sufficiently active, and he complained of being
dragged through the streets to the watch-house, and con-
fined au night in a dark cell, for merely doing that which
he conceived was his duty under the circumstances he had
stated. _ _

Sir Rieminn BIRNIE agaiii commented on the disorderly
state of the streets at night in the neighbourhood of Covent-
garden, and he said he should feel it his duty to apply to
Mr. Roach, the vestry-clerk, upon the subject. I find (he
added) that a fellow named Grubb has re-opened his in-
famous house immediately under the very nose of this
office. We have been' censured for allowing these night
houses to continue open after certain hours; but, unfor-
tanately, the magistrates of this office have no power to
close them. It lies entirely with the parish. The watch-
men could clear the houses if they pleased ; but they won't
interfere. Wet have either too much or too little power.
For my part, I wish we had less power, for then we should
be removed from the odium of not interfering in cases
where in fact we have no authority to do so. They have
taken from us the privy search, and the consequence is,
that we cannot now search public-houses and clear them of
suspicious characters.
Ford, the gaoler, observed, that Grubb's house, which
is situate nearly opposite the office, was open nearly the
Whole of the preceding night, and all sorts of bad company
resorted to it.

The defendant was discharged without further comment.
It may be well in this place to observe, that the powei
of privy search to which the Magistrates alluded, was given
to Magistrates by the 17th of Geo. 11. c. 5, and continued
in force until the passing of the late Vagrant Act, which
repealed the former law, and substituted no clause em-
powering Magistrates to clear the public-houses of suspi-
cious characters. By the old law, Maeistrates were not
only empowered to enter public-houses 'for that purpose,
on sworn informations, but they were specially enjoined so
to do, at least four times in each year.
The next was then gone into.
Two young men; named Chilcock and Haller, the for-.
mer a tailor's apprentice in Cecil-street, Strand, and the
latter a salesman in Covent-garden market, were charged
by a young man named 'Davis, a Jew, with assaulting him
in the house of the notorious Mother 11., immediately fac-
ing the box-entrance to Drury-lane Theatre.
The complainant stated, that on Thursday night he went,
accompanied by a friend named Jones, to mother H.'s, for
the purpose of. playing a game at billiards. The two de-
fendants were in the room at the time, and one of them,
Chilcods, drew a dice-box from his pocket, and challenged
I him (Davis) to play at hazard for half-a-crown. The
complainant at first declined to do so, hut being taunted by
the defendant with the fear of spending his master's money,
he at last consented, and lostin succession three half-crowns.
He, however, shortly after retrieved his loss, and wen two
half-crowns from the defendant. He then, he said, sus-
pecting, from the manner in which Chilcock held the dice-
box, thathe played false, declined to continue the game,
and demanded his winnings. This was refused, and it ap-
peared that a general row was the consequence, to quell
which, a person named Smart, who, it appears, is the
active partner of this reputable concern, came up stairs and
insisted on turning the parties out. Davis and his friend
Jones were accordingly dragged down stairs, followed by
the others ; and the former (Davis) asserted that he was
shoved by Smart into a dark room and beaten by him,
whilst his wife pulled his hair: He was then, with his
friend Jones, turned into the street at three o'clock in the
morning, where, finding the two defendants, who, it ap-
peared, had already been ejected, he gave them into custody.
The Magistrates, on hearing this statement, immediately
sent an officer with a warrant to bring Smart and his wife
before them, and in a short time they were brought ac-
cordingly.
Smart was asked if he had a lieence to sell liquors, and
he said that a Mr. Richmond, who was also a partner
in the concern, was a licensed vintner, and he had a
wine-licence in his name. In answer to other questions,

. _
it appeared that a Mr. Ellis, and a person named Hodg-
kin, are also partners in the establishment—the former
being son-in-law to mother H., whose name the house still
bears, although she has long since retired from the con-
cern, where, at one time, she was the presiding deity.

Sir RICHARD BIRNIE and Mr. HALLS, after consult-
ing together for some. time, directed the two defendants
and Smart and his wife to find hail for assaulting the
complainant, which they did accordingly in the course of
the day.
This concern of Grubb's, and also Mother H.'s, are two
of the greatest nuisances in the pdrish. The former is the
resort of all descriptions of thieves, from the daring house-
breaker to the simple pickpocket, and there is no doubt but
that many robberies are planned there. The concern for
some time was closed, the proprietor having become an. in-
mate of the King's Bench prison, but the house is now re-
fitted, and the business has begun again with renewed
vigour. In direct defiance of the law, it is open at all
hours of the night. Mother H.'s is somewhat of a higher,
though not a less infamous plan. Under the appearance
of an oyster-shop, scenes of the vilest debauchery are nightly
practised in this diabolical " finish." The premises are
most extensive, running from the front entrance in Biydges-
street to Charles-street, where there is also a door, at which
the company generally make their exit. The visiters are
usually supplied from the neighbouring theatres, and every
.sort of accommodation is afforded them.
William Morris, William Patiford, and Edward
James, were finally examined on the charge of stealing
two great coats, and other articles, from the passage of Mr.
Fox, in Church-street, Lisson-green, on Friday morning,
the 12th instant, and were committed to Newgate for trial.
MARYLEBONE.OFFICE Melcleizedeeh Jbnes, a
journeyman butcher, was charged by his master, Mr.
Thomas King, of Paddington-street, with applying to his
own use the amount of four bills for meat delivered, which
he had received on his master's account.. The prisoner ad-
mitted the charge to be true, anti he was remanded until
Tuesday.
HATTON-GARDEN.---Joseph.. Ford and Edward
irasterman, jewellers), residing at No. 16, Prince's-street,fled Lion-square, yesterday brought -, before Sergeant
SELLON, the sitting Magistrate, John Easterbrook, upon
a charge of embezzlement of articles of jewellery to the
value of ISI.
Easterbrook was employed by the prosecutors as an iti-
nerant salesman, to carry out jewellery to the. shops and
about the streets of the metropolis. His box usually con-
tained a large variety of articles, amounting sometimes to
the value of 501. The mode in which the parties carried
on their relative transactions with each other seemed
strangely negligent, incorrect, and confused. The com-
plainantsvitiiout takingt
usually,
in any
ly delivered their
whatheiis mtockightto
btehtee
rpmredisonaenr
invoice, and without ever requiring a receipt 'or acknow-
ledgment for the number and value of the goods So de-
livered. All they did was to fix by a private mark a cer-
tain price upon each article, under which price they
Would grant no discretionary 'power to sell them. They
kept no other book of account than that of cash, wherein
Was entered every evening the receipts of the day. The
salesman knew nothing of the exact number and precise
value of what he received, for they were seldom put into
Isis box under his immediate inspection. He kept a book
wherein was specifically set down each article that happen-
ed to be sold, and the sum it was sold for. Such extra-
ordinary inattention to business, and 'gross negligence on
the part of Ford and Co., necessarily gave rise to mistakes,
andime groundsprodueedoefrrtbis:
presentofaseriocuhsanrgateu.re,Ewashteernbereoookr,igiitnatd
t
ap-
peared, acted with strict integrity, and without in any
manner affording the slightest grounds for suspicion, from
the time he was first employed till within the last five
weeks,. when his employers began to hold his honesty in
deubt, and accordingly proceeded to examine his steel, and
.

BIRTHS.
On the 18th inst., in Arlington-street, Lady Mary Ste-
phenson, of a son.
On the 18th inst., Mrs. Frederick Temple, of Guildhall,
of a daughter.
On the 12th iust., at Woodford, Mrs. M. J. Turner, of
a son.