The Sun.
London, England, 1829-08-13 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSIO:ST-HOUSE.
Yesterday the case of John Ball, who was falsely
imprisoned in Whitecross-street gaol, came on again
before the Loan MAYOR, whose surprise at the con-
duct adopted in the office of the Clerk of the
Peace was not at all abated by the explanation which
was given there. His Lordship had requested that
Mr. Richardson, the under-sheriff, would make in-

quiry into all the circumstances of the demand of
the Clerk of the Peace, and of that of the discounter,
who received the fee of 2s. from Hall.

Mr. Richardson stated to the Lord Mayor, that
he had applied to the Clerk of the Peace for the
restitution of Hall's guinea, which bad been paid
previously to his discharge from the prison, and
which there could be no pretence for detaining, in-
asmuch as the poor man had performed all that was
required of him at the Old Bailey, and his recogni-
zances bad been illegally estreated in the Exchequer.
He (Mr. Richardson) represented at the office, that
the Lord Mayor expected some recoil:pence would
be made to him.

The LORD MAYOR—WeII, I suppose there was
very little hesitation on the subject? Mr. Richard-
son said there was no hesitation at all, for a plump
refusal was given to return a farthing of the money.
lie had stated in the office that his Lordship con-
sidered the case one of great hardship and injustice;
but the reply was, that the Clerk of the Peace had
made no mistake; and for the purpose of proving
that, a copy of some Old Bailey document was
exhibited.

The LORD MAYOR—Why, the Clerk of the Peace
proceeded against the man instead of another person,
and how can he say that he made no mistake ? Mr.
Richardson said, the Clerk of the Peace declared
that the whole mischief arose from an authographi-
cal error, with respect to the name of the woman
whom Hall prosecuted. This woman's name was
" Knowles," but it appeared in the indictment as
" Nowles ;" and the Clerk of the Peace upon look-
ing over the list found that no person named
" Nowles" had been prosecuted, and therefore, as
he was bound to do, he estreated the recognizance.
He had nothing to do with the mistake, and was en-
titled to his fee, which be had received, and cer-
tainly would not on any account return.
The LORD MAYOR—But if the Clerk of the Peace
had paid common attention to his business, he would
have detected the error. Mr. Richardson said that

the refusal to make the man amends was plump and
peremptory. But the unfortunate watchman
(Woodin), who attended to give evidence in the
case, was also arrested and thrown into prison,where
he remained nine days,
The LORD MAYOR—What for the same crime
of punctuality in attending and giving evidence ?
Mr. Richardson said the offence was precisely the
same. The poor watchman was obliged to apply to
the parish officers to take his whole family, consist-
ing of a wife and six children, into their care, until
his liberation, not having one halfpenny to buy bread
for them.

The LORD MAYOR—AII this misery anal injustice

would have been spared, if the Clerk of the Peace
had ordered one of his clerks to cast his eye over the
proclamation list. I must repeat, th►►t I never heard
of a more monstrous case of injustice.
Mr. Richardson told his Lordship that Mr.
Smith, the vestry clerk of the parish in which the
poor watchman claimed, had applied to Mr. Allen,
at the office of the Clerk of the Peace, for 355.,

the expence incurred by the family of the watchman
during his imprisonment, but the application was
useless.

as they pleased, and the public were as much ex-
posed to the poison of unwholesome food as ever.
The LORD MAYOR said that the mirkets were
under the controul of the Corporation. If any cases
were brought before him, he should most assured))
convict, if it was proved that unwholesome meat
was exhibited for sale, under whatever pretence.
He did not like to interfere with the duties of the
Corporation; but he should, in a case of this serious
nature, affecting as it did the health of the public,
write to the Committee of City Lands, to appoint
a meeting, at which he should consult them on the
most advisable course of proceeding for the correc-
tion of this filthy evil.

The LORD MAYOR-It is impossible to believe
that the law would not redress these two injured
men. The false imprisonment appears, from the
circumstances which have followed it, of a very
aggravated nature, and the case must not rest here.
The facts are of such a nature, that it becomes ne-
cessary to apply to the fountain head for a change,
in mercy to the public.
Mr. Richardson said that he had also, as his Lord-
ship had directed him, inquired into the cause of the
charge of the 2s. discount, which Hall had to pay
to a person upon receiving an order for the payment
of the expences of prosecuting. He learned that a
person named Hoare had received this discount
money—a thing not sanctioned at all by the regula-
tions of the Court, and that the Sheriffs' yeomen
were the introducers of prosecutors and witnesses to
the discounters, with whom they (the yeomen)
shared in the profits. Those yeomen, instead of
attending to their business at trials, were usually
acting as touters to the discounters, and as on some
days as many as 50 trials took place, the poundage
became considerable.
The LORD MAYOR said he had never heard of
any of those secrets before, but lie trusted that a
very important reform would take place in his
Mayoralty. His exertions certainly should not be
wanting.
Mr. Richardson said that the Sheriffs were
anxious to render his Lordship every assistance of
which they were capable. He had every reason to
suppose that the yeomen would be in future very
cautious in their manner of proceeding.
His LORDSHIP then inquired whether the Clerk
of the Peace was riot appointed by the Lord-Lieute-
nant of the county, and being answered in the affir-
mative, stated that the Secretary of State for the
Home Department, whose efforts were so power-
fully and successfully directed to the correction of
other abuses, should be memorialized on this subject
by Hall, and a correction would doubtless be with
•ill possible celerity applied. The circumstances
were such as would be warmly taken up in Par-

'lament.
Mr. Dunsby, the foreman of the inquest who in-
spect Newgate-market, applied to the LORD MAYOR
on the subject of the frequent and extensive exhi-
bition of bad meat in Newgate-market. The fact
was, he said, diseased meat was constantly appear-
ing in the market, but those who sold it labelled it
with papers on which were written the words,
"Dog's Meat," and thus eluded justice. Mr.
Dunsby declared that the clerk of the market and
the officers under him had refused to seize the meat.
His object in addressing his Lordship now was, to
induce him to authorize the city police-officers to
seize the bad meat, until inspectors should be ap•
pointed for the market, A$ it was, the butchers did

LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, AUGUST 13, 1829.

bed, he was aroused by a violent blow on the head,
which induced him to believe that robbers were in
the house. The blow vt as repeated, and starting up,
he beheld the defendant, more like a fury than a
woman. Fearing that she meant to take away his
life, he fled, calling for help. The defendant then
seized hold of a pewter pot, which she flung at his
head.
Mrs. Neale explained that the reason she struck
the defendant in bed was, that lie had come home
so drunk he was unable to pull his boots off.
Mr. Neale was driven from home in consequence
of the defendant's jealousy. He could not look at
a woman that she did not fly into a furious passion.
Mr. MINSIIULL suggested that the parties ought,
if possible, to settle the matter, and go home in
peace together.
Mrs. Neale—No, no, there can be no settling
now. He has brought me here, and he shall take

t tie consequences.
Two witnesses came forward, who gave it as
their opinion, that if Mrs. Neale were suffered to
go at large, the life of her husband would be en-
dangered.
Mr. MiNsituLL regretted to be under the neces-
sity of sending a respectable woman to prison, but
with such evidence of her violence before him, he
had no other course to pursue.
Mrs. Neale was then removed, and subsequently
conveyed<to Tothill-fields prison for want of bail.

M ARYLEBON . . •
A lamentable instance of depravity and misfortune
occurred at this place yesterday.
Hannah Allen, a young woman of respectable
appearance, stood charged with breaking open the
bureau of her mother, a baker's widow in the Edg-
ware-road, and stealing thirty half crowns and a
quantity of wearing apparel. Her first examination
was on Thursday, and Wall, the officer, who appre-
hended her at her lodgings in Windmill-street, Tot-
tenham-court-road, produced some of the lost pro-
perty, which he found there.
It appeared by the evidence of the mother, that
although she had not broken into the house, she had
in two or three instances secreted herself there, and
bra en out of it ; and one of the neighbours saw
her escape over a back wall. She had given herself
up to wrong courses, and every means to reclaim her
had been tried in vain.

At her first examination the prisoner stood mo-
tionless and speechless, as if bereft of sense, and
she was committed for re-examination on the fol-
lowing day.
In the course of his duty, the gaoler brought her
from the New Prison, Clerkenwell; yesterday morn-
ing, again to the office, and a message from the Go-
vernor of it, to inform Mr. Griffith, the Magistrate,
that her appearance and conduct had occasioned an
examination into the state of her health there, and
she was found to be afflicted to a great degree with
typhus fever.
She was fully committed for trial, but instead of
being sent to Newgate, she was conveyed in a coach
back to the New Prison, that she might have the
benefit of the infirmary.
Mr. Philip Whitelock, a little man, who lives in
Little Albany-street, Regent's-park, came before Mr.
RAWLINSON on Monday, with a profound bow, and
requested him, as " a terror to evil-doers, and a praise
to them that do *ell," to hear his case, and stretch
out the arm of justice in his behalf, and in behalf of
a congregation committed to his care.
Mr. RAWLINSON asked him if he was a minister ?

—He said he had been called to preach the gospel,
and for that purpose, under a regular licence, his
house was made use of as a chapel, and the God of
this world had so blinded the eyes of many, that
even some of his neighbours, who in all other points
were highly respectable, became persecutors ; he
went about in danger of his life, or some bodily
harm ; the devotion of his congregation was inter-
rupted ; it had been threatened to pull down, his
house, or burn it over his head ; and if a warrant
was not granted against Mr. Thomas (a respectable
manufacturer of rustic furniture), his next door neigh-
bour but one, the place would soon be in flames.
Yesterday the case came on for hearing, and Mr.
Thomas was required to answer it.
Mr. Thomas said, he considered religion a per-
sonal thing, and kept his to himself, but his neigh-
bour, the complainant, drew congregations of people
to his house every night, who called themselves
Bellyzonians, and they disturbed the whole neigh-
bourhood by hallooings, hootings, and other horrid
noises ; and strangers passing by were as much
astonished as if murder was called.
" We do not call ourselves Bellyzonians," replied
the parson.
" You have got plenty of names," said Mr.
Thomas : " that is one of them ; and you told the
Magistrate, the other day, at Marlborough-street, you
was a Muggletonian."
" No," said a person in the crowd, " a Babylo-

nian."

" It's false," replied the parson.
Mr. RAwuNsoN (to the complainant)—Pray
what do you call yourselves ? These are all mon-
strous hard names.

The complainant answered, Bethelonians; but his
case failed, for the Magistrate thought his fears were
groundless, and he told him he considered him one
of those unfortunate enthusiasts who, instead of pro.
moting peace and good-will by their religion, dis
turbed them.