The Sun.
London, England, 1829-08-14 00:00:00

NOW-STREET.

George Britton Hobart, formerly an officer in the
army, and lately employed as turnkey in the Peni-
tentiary, Milbank, was yesterday placed at the bar
before Sir R. BIRNIE, charged by Mr. Lane, pro-
prietor of a coffee-house in St. Martin's-lane, with
stealing a newspaper.
It appeared that the prisoner was in the habit of
visiting Mr. Lane's coffee-room, and on each occa-
sion it was observed that a newspaper disappeared
as soon as he took his departure. Suspecting that
the prisoner was the thief, Mr. Lane determined to
watch, and, if possible, detect him. Accordingly,
on Wednesday evening the prisoner again made his
appearance at the coffee-room; and the prosecutor,
having watched him closely, observed that a news-
paper was missing from the table as the prisoner
was in the act of taking his departure. He was im-
mediately charged with the theft, but denied it,
upon which Mr. Lane took off his hat, concealed in
which he found the missing newspaper. The
prisoner begged hard to be let off, but the prosecutor
would not consent, and gave him into custody.
Sir R. BIRNIE said it was a clear felony, and
asked the prisoner if he had any thing to say.
The prisoner declined saying any thing in expla-
nation to the charge.
Mr. Lane said he did not wish to press a charge
of felony against the prisoner, and submitted that he
should be fined in lieu.
Sir R. BIRNIE said he had no other alternative
than to commit the prisoner for theft.
The prisoner requested that, instead of being sent
at once to prison, he might be allowed to remain at
the watch-house fora day or two.

The Magistrate however, would not consent to
the indulgence which the prisoner sought, and he
was fully committed to Tuthill-fields Prison, to take
his trial at the Westminster Sessions.

Two young females, one of them habited in male
attire, were charged with committing a disturbance,
and ringing the bell, at the street-door of the house
inhabited by Mr. Agar Ellis, Spring-gardens, at a
late hour on the previous night.
It appeared that the two defendants were fellow-
servants in the same house, and feeling a strong de-
sire to witness the humours of Vauxhall, and being'
in want of a beau to afford them protection, they hit
upon the following expedient—namely, that one of
them should dress as a man and escort the other.
Having provided themselves with a suit of clothes
belonging to " young master," they cast lots to see
which of them should wear the breeches. The lot,
as it happened, fell upon the smaller of the two, who
made, however, a very tidy little man. Having stolen
up the kitchen staircase on tiptoe, away they went
arm in arm to share in the festivities of Vauxhall.
The adventurer which they met with there did
not however appear in evidence before the magis-
trate ; but from the circumstance which occurred on
their return home, it may be inferred that the ex-
citement of the scenes which they had witnessed
had its due effect. It appeared that to keep up the
lark they kept pulling the bells of the several houses
which they passed, until they came to the door of
Mr. Ellis, where unluckily the amusement was
checked, by the presence of one of the nightly
guardians, who pounced upon the man-woman in the
act of pulling the house-bell with all her• might,
while her companion stood laughing at the joke.