The Sun.
London, England, 1827-05-15 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HOUSE.—Yesterday Charles Chambers,
who is called a garret master gunsmith, was examined before
the LORD MAYOR 04 suspicion of having robbed Messrs.
Lacey and Co.t.the extensive, gunsmiths, residing in Fen-
church-street.
Mr. Hobler, jun. conducted the prosecution. Messrs.
Lacey had lost goods from their manufactory to the value
of from 7001. to 1,000/ in one year, pilfered at various
times. All their efforts to find out any one to whom sus-
picion could attach were unavailing until some days ago,
when a person in payment of a bad debt offered them
some muskets, which, notwithstanding the marks were
obliterated, they were satisfied had been stolen from their
premises. The person offering them stated that he had
purchased them of the prisoner, who was a master gun-
smith, employed by the prosecutors, with others, en oc-
casions of extraordinary demand. An investigation took
place, the result of which was the following amongst other
evidence :

William Moorcock, a scrower together of guns, stated,

that be had worked for the prisoner.

In November last,

the prisoner asked him if he had any friend with whom he
could deposit some goods for a time. The witness replied
in the affirmative, and took six muskets, now produced
(with the prosecutor's mark L. and W. upon them) to the
house of a female acquaintance, who consented to receive
them and deliver them up to the prisoner when he wanted
them. In consequence of something which witness heard,
he gave information to the prosecutors, and' caused the
goods to be delivered up to them. Witness had before, at
the request of the prisoner, taken some guns to Mr. BOus-

ted's, in little Alie-street.
Mrs. Wood, a widow, at whose house the guns were de-
posited, corroborated the last witness's statement. A boy
in the employment of the prisoner proved that a particular
gun barrel had been found in his possession.
Mr. Lacey, one of the prosecutors, identified the gun
barrel last mentioned, and the muskets found at Mrs.
Wood's, as the property of the firm. They had not been
sold. The prisoner had returned all the goods which he
had been employed to make up.
Mr. Hobler said, he thought it right to state that he had
other charges to prefer against the prisoner, but he should
not offer evidence in any other before his Lordship. He
should perhaps submit the other eases to the grand jury.
Mr. J. Isaacs, the prisoner's solicitor, declined entering
into any defence here against the charge now preferred.
The LORD MAYOR said, he thought the prisoner ought
in candour to be made acquainted with all the charges to
be preferred against him, and should have an opportunity
of hearing the evidence, which he would not have under the
course which the able solicitor intimated it was his inten-
tion to take.

Mr. Hobler said the prisoner had legal advice. He
should be informed of the charges to be preferred against
him, and he knew well by what evidence they would be sup-
ported. Under the circumstances, he (Mr. Hobler) must
decline acceding to his Lordship's suggestion.
The LORD MAYOR—WeII, sir, you may exercise your
own discretion, which I know is a sound one, and I dare
say that in this instance it is just; but upon general prin-
ciple, I consider that every prisoner has a right to hear
the evidence upon which he is prosecuted.
His Lordship then expressed his deep regret at seeing a man
of the prisoner's station in such a situation, charged with
an offence, which when proved, the Court always pro-
perly punished with great severity. His Lordship then
committed the prisoner to take his trial at the next Old
Bailey Sessions. .
GUILDHALL. —No CASH, No SLEEP..—Mr. John
Stark, a person of rather respectable exterior, was brought
before Mr. Alderman Scriomtvi yesterday, charged with
having beaten one Matthew Flannigan, night porter-at the
Swan with Two Necks, Lad-lane.

" And please your Worship," said Mr. Mat Flannigan,
"tkis morning, at two o'clock, this gentleman comes to
the door at the ' Swan in Two Necks,' and axes could he
have a bed, and I told him civilly, yew, he might. So I
helped him to pull his boots off, and handed him over to
the chambermaid; but when they got up stairs, he had
no money to pay for the bed, by reason of which Jenny
Chambermaid wouldn't let him get into bed. Then he
comes down stairs mighty sulky, and axes for his boots
again; and I, thinking to comfort him a bit, told him I
wonder'd a gentleman, like him, should come into a house
like that, without any money to pay for his bed. But I
suppose he was terribly disappointed about the bed, for
instead of giving me a civil answer, he hit me right in the
nose, and knocked me down—nose, and face and all, and
got an immensity of blood out of me; and then he wanted
to bolt, but I hunged to him, and card the watchman ;
and now we've brought him here to see what your Worship
will do to him."

Mr. Stark, in his defence, said, though he had no mo-
ney in his pocket when he went.to see for the bed, yet he
offered the chambermaid his hat in pawn for the payment,
and'told her he was so well known in the neighbourhood,
that she had only to send it into Mr. So and So's, four
doors off, and he would send plenty of money instantly.—
But she refused to have any thing to do with the hat,
and as positively refused to let him get into bed, unless he
paid the money first. This he thought very hard; but
when he come down stairs again, the porter began to abuse
him for having given him unnecessary trouble ; and, upon
requesting him to keep his temper, he seized him by the
collar, and shook him so violently, that he was compelled
to defend himself ; but he denied hiving knocked him down
—be only pushed him down ; and he himself.wae very
roughly handled, not only by the porter, but by some other ,
man who came out of the house.

The chambermaid corroborated the porter's account of
the matter; and the Alderman recommended Mr. Stark to
retire with the porter, and try to come to some amicable
arrangement with him.—Aml he did so.
.MARYLEBONE-OFFICE.--The driver of Gay-
wood's Paddington stage, whose name was unknown, but
who is ycleped " The Baker," was charged with having
endangered the lives of Mr. Edward Prior, of 37, Queen
Ann-street, Cavendish-square, and two gentlemen named
Bishop, of Finsbury-place, by wanton and furious driving.
The ahove gentlemen stated, that on the 24th of April,
as they were walking their horses abreast, close to the
footway, on the proper-side of the New-road, the defendant
wantonly drove upon them as they were compelled to leap
upon the pavement to avoid injury, and that at the time he
was galloping and whipping his horses most furiously,
which placed them in such danger as to render it a miracle
that they escaped unhurt.
The coachman having no defence to offer—
Mr. RAWL/NSOW said—" It is absolutely necessary, for
the safety of the public, to make a strong eiramplaof you."
" I hope, Sir," said the coachman, interrupting him,
" you will have mercy ; I am not the regular driver,- for
Mr. Geri-mil generally drives himself:"

Mr. IlawLnisow.--It is a shameful thing that coach-
masters should ever intrust their coaches to such drivers.
As a warning to others I fine you 101., which is the highest
penalty ; and if it is not paid, I shall send you to the House
of Correction for six months, as sure as that you are alive.
If this conduct is not checked, some of you will stand here
charged with murder or manslaughter. Immediately after
he had committed the offence, the baker (otherwise David
Faulkener, which he now gives as his proper name) ab-
• sconded, and on the. 2d of May, Garwood, his employer,
was called upon to produce him. Gaywood then told Mr.
Rawlinson he neither knew his name nor where to find
him, and that the real names and residences of half the dri-
vers on the Paddington-road were unknown to their masters.
Mr. RawLnitiow, in reply, said, he thought it would be
a great improvethent if drivers were On their appointment
compelled to produce testimonials of character, and ex-
pose their names on the sides of the coaches, similar to
the names of the collectors at turnpike gates. The de-
fendant was observed on Saturday night by Gibbs, the
officer, again driving Gaywood's choach, and he attempted
to stop his horses, but he flogged them forward, which
threw the officer down and very much injured his face and
clothes ; he W 11.9 not apprehended until Sunday,
,fora as soon
as he had thrown the officer down, he gave up the reins
to his cad, jumped off the coach, and ran away. .

THAMES.—Captain William Fowler, of the Heizer
brig, of Weymouth, appeared . before Mr. Bnoozare,
to answer an information lodged against. him by the
Corporation of the Trinity-house, fir a violation of the
Ballast LaWs, and he was called upon to show cause why,.
that he upon a certain day (to wit) the Ist of May last,
did receive on board his vessel a certain quantity of ballast
or gravel, and that the aforesaid gravel or ballast being
more than two tons,- he was called upon to show cause
why he 'should not pay the penalty of 101. per ton for each
and every ton so received on board the aforesaid vessel, of
which be was master.

The defendant pleaded " not guilty."
Mr. Teesdale, solicitor to the Trinity-house, should re-
luctantly trouble the Bench with a few observations upon
this case. He observed that the Corporation of the
Trinity-house held a charter, so far back as the
36th Elizabeth, and their rights were confirmed
not only by many subsequent • charters, but also by
numerous Acts of Parliament passed in the nip of his
present Majesty, and by which' the Corporation were bet-
ter enabled to protect them. The object Of the Corpora-
tion was to keep the navigation of .the river clear, which
they did by raising ballast, nor was there any innovation
upon •those rights until the excavation of the projected St.
Katharine Dock commenced; the contractor for which
hoped to get rid of the immense quantity of stuff by dirs.,

posing of it as ballast, and had applied to the Corporatll
for liberty to do so : however, they could not, consiste!,
with the ditty which they owed the public, consent W
and therefore refused him. Mr. Burge, the contract:
not being satisfied at the refusal, was resolved to take.,l,
chance, and began to supply the shipping, which he doi.
the amount of 2,500 tons. The Corporation, in defen
of their rights, were compelled to apply to the Core j
Chancery, from which they obtained an injunction I;
week to restrain Mr. Burge from disposing of any I
ballast. The Corporation, anxious to protect their righ
in the least hostile manner possible, instead of making to
defendant a party to the bill in Chancery, or bringing so:
tion against hint in any of the superior Courts, adopted:
present proceeding. He then called the following xvitnese,,/
John Scarborough is in the employ of the Ballast On
and on the first of May saw the Heizer brig lying neselr
Coffer-dam of the St. Katherine Dock, and several4.l°
bourere employed in the excavation of that work, u'llrti,
barrows of gravel, and throwing them into the hold
vessel. He was there about an hour, and he is sure the
were nearly 40 tons put on. The mate was on board;,
Captain (the defendant) was on shore. The mate 'let,
boy to look for hint, but he could not be found. Hi'
sequently saw the defendant at the office, and told Pi:
that Mr. Burge had undertaken to save hint harmleeei
some such words.
Win. Paul, a waterman belonging to the Ballast DAres
confirmed the last witness's testimony, alien co.
Mr. BRODERIP called upon the defendant for his defers ;
The defendant could not deny he had received the bs
last. He was sorry fur what he bad done, anti earnes'n'f
hoped he should meet with the mercifel consideration
his worship.
Mr. BRODERIP said, that if the Corporation were geijtdi,
of a monopoly, it might be some plea for leniency, but
was not the case; they were a public body who had et;
the greatest public good, by keeping the navigation of t,
river clear. However, the Act of Parliament left 11101
alternative, he therefore should convict him in the Pool
of 201., and to remain in custody until the same was poi
All parties then left the office.
UNION-HALL.—It will be in the recollection of .t'
readers of the police matter contained in this papers tin
about seven weeks ago three men, named Johimon, .I°l
and Williams, were brought before the magistratts_j
Union-hall, charged in conjunction with having coinruitt';
a most violent assault on a Mr. Robert Cork, a resident
Peckham. On that occasion the three prisoners, heiZ
well known to the officers of this as well as most of tr,
other establishments in town as " bail characters," vier;
committed for the space of three months each to Bri%t°
House of Correction as reputed thieves ; anti the CO;
plainant was strongly advised to proseeute them, on
expiration of their imprisonment, at the Sessions, of Whichg
suggestion he intended fully to avail himself. Subset:lo,l/
to the committal of the men, two females called on leet(:,f; •
the constable who apprehended the former, requeet"4
that he would intercede with the prosecutor for ti"
purpose of compromising the assault. The consobl;
however, informed the applicants that the assault 11,,
of that desperate nature it would be useless to We'
any attempt at compromise, and intimated t'eat the gc°,6l:4
man who had been so grossly treated was deter'
on prosecuting the party. The disappointed mealtoo
e,,
then went away, but renewed their application again
Wednesday evening with as little success as heretofore..;
The following night, the family of the prosecutor, who el,
several houses undergoing repairs contiguous to his 4
ling, was aroused by cries of " fire," when on looking Dud
one of the buildings was discovered to be in Ramos, the
before assistance arrived, it was completely burnt W !be
ground ; and but for the most strenuous exertions a. 4
firemen, the whole range of new buildings adjoining
inevitably have shared the Sante fate. Adjacent to the Pli'd
mises which were destroyed, . a Pluispluirui box, tubtoie-
with a quantity of combustible materials, were found, ll.'
which circumstance it is strongly suspected that some !:
cendiariea were instigated to set Mr: Cork's houses on
in. consequence of the unsuccessful attempts mude in refi,nr-t
ing the men above alluded to from prosecution. iVir• tivti
has sustained a loss of between 700/. and 8001. by
catastrophe. Information of the circumstances atterW"
the conflagration has been given at this office, and hopes Iree
entertained that the person or persons concerned in
diabolical act will be brought to justice.