The Sun.
London, England, 1842-12-28 00:00:00

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

Jchn Jones was charged with having been found in
the area of the Senior United Service Clubhouse un-
der suspicious circumstances.
James Murray, one of the pages of the establish-
ment, stated that between five and six o'clock yester-
day evening he found the prisoner in the area front-
ing Pall-mall, supporting himself against the wall,
and holding his leg as if he was much hurt. He was
questioned as to how he came there, but was unab:e
to speak from excessive intoxication.
Inspector Beresford of the C division said, that after
the prisoner had recovered himself a little at the sta-
tion •house, he stated that he had no recollection
whatever of how he got into the area. He had been
drinking very freely during the afternoon.
The house-porter of the Club said that the prisoner
must have climbed over the area railings, which were
at least five feet high, and then have dropped from a
height of about 12 feet into the area.
The prisoner repeated that he had no recollection
of how he got there.
-Mr. Munn' said that he was perfectly satisfied
that he was not there for any improper purpose, and
lie should therefore discharge him, hoping it would be
a-caution to him in future.
The prisoner said it no doubt would be, as he had
seriously hurt his leg.
.MARYLEBONE.

James Cannon, a decently dressed man, was placed
at the bar on the following novel charge.
James Cross, 5, Stafford-street, Lisson-grove, said
that while walking up Wimpole-street the preceding
evening, between five and six o'clock, the prisoner
came up to him and demanded what money he (wit-
ness) had upon him. He replied that he had none,
when the prisoner again said, "D— you, I know you
have, and I'll have what you've got." Witness seeing
the man had been drinking, walked on quickly, but
the prisoner still kept close behind him, threatening
and swearing. He (witness) walked a considerable
way, but could see no policeman ; at last, however,
one came up, and the prisoner was given into custody.
Police-constable 178 D said that when he came up
he heard the prisoner say " D-- your eyes give me
what you've got."
Mr. RAWLINSON said that it was a serious eharge
to advance against any man, and asked the prisoner
what he had to say why he should not be sent to
Newgate to stand his trial for an attempt at highway
robbery ?
The prisoner said that he had been keeping Christ-
mas very heartily, and had, he believed, got drunk.
He had no recollection of asking money from any
one ; but as it appeared that he had done so, he could
only express his sorrow for it.
Mr. 11Awi1mox said he could only suppose it a
drunken frolic, and would fine him 10s., with a re-
commendation to be more careful in future.
David Jones was placed at the bar charged with
attempted pocket picking.
It appeared that last evening, as a female named
Morei was making
.her purchases in a shop in Craw-
ford-street, the prisoner, who was standing beside her,
put his hand into her pocket. He afterwards went
away, but the husband of the female, who had watched
his movements, followed, and seeing him make a
similar attempt upon the pockets of another woman
in a shop in the same street, he gave the prisoner into
custody.
As neither of the women had lost anything, and
the last refused to appear as a witness, the case was
remanded that further inquiries might be made.
CLERKENWELL.
A young man named John Shamrock, was charged
with having been riotous on the previous night in
Bagnigge-wells-road.
Police constable Archer, 8 G, stated that, between
nine and ten o'clock, the prisoner was crying and
shouting, and otherwise disorderly ; his conduct caused
a great crowd of persons to assemble, and he took him
to the station-house.
Inspector Penny, of the G division, said, when he
visited the prisoner's cell, about twenty minutes after
he was locked up, he found him lying on the ground,
apparently dead ; he was foaming from the mouth.
On examination, he found that the prisoner had at-
tempted to strangle himself by a cord, which was
noosed round his neck at one end, and fastened to his
right leg at the other. Witness immediately cut the
cord, but for many minutes the prisoner was insensible ;
at length, by the aid of restoratives, he revived. A
person was left to watch him, but he slumbering, the
prisoner again attempted to destroy himself by fasten-
ing his neck and pocket-handkerchief in the same
manner as before. His struggles to effect his purpose
aroused the watchman in time to save his life.
The prisoner, a lad of nineteen, of very melancholy
aspect, acknowledged the attempts. His widowed
mother wept bitterly, and she promising to keep close
watch on him, Mr. COMBE ordered his discharge.
UNION-HALL.
Thomas Harding was charged with robbing a
woman named Macdonnel of 21. 10s. on the preceding
night. Complainant went into the Craven public-hous,
with a townswoman (Glasgow) to have a " wee drap,"
and while standing at the bar the prisoner thrust his
hand into the complainant's pocket and took the above
sum out of it. She caught the man's hand in the
pocket, but he contrived to get away from her grasp, and
was seen to pass something (supposed t o be the money)
to a female accomplice, who hastily ran out of the house,
and made her escape. The complainant said that the
loss of the money was a serious affair to her, as it was
intended to fit out a son of her's, who was going to sea.
The prisoner denied the charge, and said that there
was a crowd at the bar, and that she had mistaken him
for the thief in the confusion that ensued.
She however adhered to the accuracy of her state-
ment, and the prisoner was remanded.
WORSHIP-STREET.
Monday Michael Meagan, an hi;,laman, a shop-
keeper, and dealer in second-hand sl.oes, in White-
cross-street, Ellen Regan, alias l lea; his wife,
Catherine Singleton, a sister of the lat ter, and Hannah
Cotter, an elderly woman, living at 'Meagan's in the
capacity of servant, were placed at the bar before Mr.
Broughton, the sitting Magistrate, on suspicion of
having been concerned in the rnv,rder of Thomas
Leary, a single man, a journeyman in Meagan's
employ.
The prisoners wer• brought to the Court by a
party of the G division of police, mid the Court, and
all the avenues to it, were thronged by the residents
of Whitecross-street and neighbou rhood, amongst
whom the occurrence had occasioned . intense excite-
ment.

Mr. Win. Richard Bland, the firs t witness, stated
that he was a tobacconist, keeping a shop at N 0.106,
Whitecross-street, immediately opposite the prisoner
Meagan's, and after ten o'clock on Sunday night, was
serving a customer, when a strange outcry and bustle
on the opposite side of the street attracted his notice,
and going to his door he saw the prisoner Michael
Meagan come out of his shop, and t mlO of the females
also in a hurried and agitated manner . Meagan him-
self went off in one direction and the females the op-
posite one, and soon afterwards the witness saw a man
called " Jack," who worked for Me agan and lived in
the house, came out wringing his ha it' and his hands,
and uttering exclamations as if he• had witnessed
something dreadful. The witness th en went into the
shop and saw the woman Cotter, v /hi), in answer to
his question as to what was the matt ex, said she did
not know, but, looking behind the counter, he saw
the deceased Leary lying there, He at first thought
the deceased was asleep or insensibly drunk, but,
looking again at him more particularly, saw that he
was bleeding profusely from a wound in the side, and
just then the man called " Jack" return :ed with Mr.
Wright, a surgeon, who sent for some si rapping, and
dressed the wound. The deceased, however, expired
in about half an hour.
The witness, in reply to the Magistra ti 3's question,
said he knew the parties as neighbours, living oppo-
site. He was not aware that the prisf xier Meagan
was in the habit of getting drunk, but the deceased
(Leary) was.

John Rice, the young man whom the witness
Bland mentioned by the name of Jack, said that he
worked for Meazan and lived in the hou9 e, as did also
the deceased, Thomas Leary, who was is single man.
Two of the females lived in the house ; and one of
them, the prisoner Ellen, was Meagan':s wife. On
Christmas eve the witness was at the hous e of a Mr.
Perry, who is in the same kind of bi isiness, in White
Horse-yard, and he remained with t' nem all night and
till six o'clock on Sunday mornir when he went
home and went to bed until eig/ it o'clock, when he
arose and went again to Perry's, v ;here he continued
throughout the day. At night, It' bout ten o'clock, he
heard the voice of the prisoner Singleton calling to
" Jerry," Mrs. Meagan's brother; who lives in White
Horse-court, and the witness feari .ng from her manner
that something had happened, • went home, and on
entering the shop, found the deo eased lying bleeding
behind the counter, and exclaim wing, "Oh, Tom.'
He took him by the hand, and asked him who had
done that to him ? The deeeast 'd, who appeared to
be fast dying, said,
" Jack, you a. re the last person I
shall ever speak to," and the witne is said, "For God's
sake, Tom, tell me who did it bef( e you die."
Mr. BROUGHTON asked if the: re were any other