The Sun.
London, England, 1842-11-28 00:00:00

STAINES PETTY SESSIONS.

Mr. John Yeldharn, a highly respectable grocer, who
is also a wholesale wine and spirit merchant, residing
in this town, appeared on Saturday before Sir John
Gibbon, Bart. (Chairman), Colonel Wood, M.P., and
C. Devon and G. Patterson, Esqs4the sitting Magis-
trates, to answer informations at the instance of the
Excise, charging that he, not being duly licensed to
do so, did sell wines and spirits by retail, whereby he
had incurred two penalties of 501. each. The case
excited great interest amongst the inhabitants of
Staines, and the Magistrates'-room was much crowded.
Thomas Hughes deposed that he lived in the Hack-
ney-road, London, and was a Supervisor of Excise.
On the 24th of September last, he went with two fe-
males, who, he believed were personally known to the
defendant, to Mr. Yeldham's shop, and asked if he
could have a bottle of gin. The defendant said he had
not a license to sell a quantity under two gallons, but
eventually said if he did let him have it, it must be
considered in the light of a sample bottle. Witness
told him he might call it what he liked, but he wanted
a bottle of gin, upon which the defendant took an
empty bottle, which one of the women had brought
with her, and went to another room and filled it. Wit•
ness then asked if he would let him have a bottle of
wine. The defendant said he had not yet got his wine
license, although he had applied for it, and if he did so
that must also be considered as a sample bottle. Wit-
ness then paid the defendant 2s. for the gin, 3s. for a
bottle of Sherry, and 3s. 6d. for a bottle of Port.

Mr. Yeldhamw; in answer to the charge, declared
that he had been entrapped into the commission of the
offence by the very supervisor who had given evi-
dence against him. He then proceeded at some length
to detail the circumstances under which the sale took
place, alleging that one of the females who accompa-
nied the witness Hughes was a woman named Payne,
the wife of the conductor of the Staines omnibus, who
was a frequent purchaser of groceries at his shop; that
on the night in question, which was a Saturday night,
she came, accompanied by Hughes and a woman, and
having purchased grocery as usual, she stated that
they
,had formed a fishing party for the next
day, and, as they would not be able to get anything
the next morning, owing fo all the publ;c-houses
being closed, she would esteem it a favour if he
would be so kind as to let them have a bottle of gin.
He told them that he had no retail license, as the
witness Hughes had stated; but they begged and
prayed of him to oblige them, saying his gin was
better than any other they could get elsewhere,
and he was induced to let them have a bottle.
They then recollected that as some of them would
be ladies, they should require some wine; and
he was induced to let them have two bottles, at the
same price at which it had been charged to him. Mr.
Hughes then seeing that he, defendant, also dealt in ale
and stout, became very thirsty, and begged him to sell
him a pint of ale. Defendant, however, gave them a
glass each, foi which Hughes- pressed him to take
the money, but he fortunately refused to do so, or he
supposed he should have a third information against
him. These, he declared, were the real facts of the
case ; and he submitted that if he had erred, it was
an error of judgment, and not with an intention to
defraud the revenue.
The witness Hughes having admitted that the de-
fendant's statement as to the ale was correct,
The CIIAIRMAN, in strong terms, deprecated the
conduct of the supervisor, and expressed his utter
detestation
The BaNcn having conferred together, expressed
of such a system of entrapping; and
their regret that an offence having been legally com-
mitted against the Excise-laws, they were bound to
convict Air. Yeldhatn. They would, however, miti-
gate the penalty to the lowest moiety, viz. 25/., and
would, one and all, support any memorial the defen-
dant might address to the Commissioners of Excise,
for a total remission of the penalty ; and would take
care that a
should be laid before the Excise Board.
circumstantial account of the transaction

• QUEEN'S PRISON.—On Saturday the workmen
were in full operation making the alterations in this
prison, under the sanction of the Secretary of State.
['here are to be three divisions for the classification of
the prisoners, and the part where the females are to be
separately kept is being prepared. The place allotted
for thorn is at the end of the prison, where the public-
house called «The Brace" stood, adjoining the kitchen
in the marketplace. A high wall at the end of the
racket-ground is being built, and a gate is to be fixed
at the entrance. The next portion to be converted
will be for the confinement of persons remanded by
the Insolvent Debtors' Court, and for those who re-
fuse, after a vesting order, to file their schedules.
Phis will be a place of punishment, surrounded by
iron bars. The coffee-house is to be pulled down,
and other alterations effected. The middle of the
prison will be set apart for the other inmates, and it
is.said to be in contemplation to build wards on the
racket-ground similar to those in Whitecross-Street
prison. The woiks now in progress were comtneneed
on Monday last, and were expected to be completed
in three weeks, so that the classification may he
shortly' expected. The alterations are commenced
under a .reeent Act of Parliament. There are at the
present period about 300 prisoners, including the re-
movals from the Fleet and Marshalsea .prisons„

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
(SAT URD AY.)
MANSION- HOUSE.
Peter Adamson, a person of very respectable ap-
pearance and address, who has undergone several
examinations upon the charge of having obtained
2001. from a young man named John Heron, on the
pretence that he (Adamson) had received an ap-
pointment from Government in Port Philip, as Emi-
gration Agent, of considerable profit, in which the
prosecutor was to participate, was brought up for the
purpose of being committed for trial.
• Mr. Munday, of the Colonial-office, who was in
attepdance, produced all the correspondence which
had passed at that office on the subject of the de-
fendant's application, and stated that the defendant
had received no appointment. The letters produced
were written by several influential persons, soliciting
the appointment of Emigration Agent at Port Philip
for the defendant, and strongly recommending him
as a fit person for the appointment, and other letters,
written at the direction of Lord Stanley, informing
the defendant that his application had been received,
but that no official information had been received of
the vacancy, and there were already several other
candidates for appointments of the same sort on Lord
Stanley's list.
The_LORD MA.you said the case was certainly a
very suspicious one ; the prosecutor swore that he
was induced to part with his money by the represen-
tations of the defendant that he had'an appointment
which never had been made, and, under all the cir-
cumstances, he considered it to be his duty to send
the case for trial.
Ml' POLICE COMMITTEE.
Mr. Farrow, landlord of the Three 'runs Tavern,
in Fetter-lane, Fleet-street, appeared before the sit-
ting Magistrate, Mr. Alderman Gibbs, to answer a
charge rought by Mr. Fosbery, an Inspector of the
City police, for unlawfully and knowingly permitting
persons of notoriously bad character, common prosti-
tutes, and thieves, to meet together in his house on
Tuesday morning between the hours of two and three.
A solicitor attended for the defence.
The complainant, Inspector Fosbery, said, on the
morning mentioned in the summons, upon going his
round, he saw two females enter the defendant's house,
where they were served with gin. •
Mr. Alderman Ginps—How do you know that
they were supplied with gin ? Witness—l followed
them, and saw the barmaid draw the two glasses, for
which they paid 41 They entered a door at the back
of the premises. The defendant was not present.
Police-constable 232, stated he was with Inspector
Fosbery at the time, and accompanied him into the
public-house. There were several other persons drink-
ing, some standing in front of the bar, and others in
the parlour. Any person could have gained admit-
tance by knocking at the door.
The Inspector said he would not have summoned
the defendant but for the women being bad characters,
which fact was well-known by Mr. Farrow's servants
and the barmaid.
Mr. Alderman Gipps—How do you know they are
bad characters ? Inspector—They are the worst of
prostitutes that walk Fleet-street. I have seen them,
and had them repeatedly for robberies.
Mr. Alderman GIBBS—Were they doing no more
than drinking gin when you entered the house ? In-
spector—They were not, Sir.
Mr. Alder man Gipps—Were they creating any
disturbance ? Inspector—None whatever.
Mr. Alderman GlBBS—There's no.law to prevent
people drinking gin, therefore I must; dismiss the case.
I advise, however, Mr. Farrow to be More careful how
he conducts his house for the future. A great many
complaints have been made by the inhabitants
against it.
The greater portion of the Magistrate's.time was oc-
cupied in hearing summonses against omnibus pro-
prietors and cads, for creeping along the Poultry and
Cheapside. There were upwards of fifty cases of con-
viction. 'Xhe fines enforced were from ss. to 10s., or
a week's imprisonment.
BOW-STREET.
A young girl named Eliza Wilton, who is the
terror of every goaler in the metropolis, was brought
up charged with wilfully breaking eleven panes of
glass in the shop window of Mr. White, of Long-acre.
The prisoner's clothes were hanging about her in
rags, having been torn in bringing her to the station-
house. It appeared that she only came out of prison
this morning for the same offence with which she was
now charged. As soon as she appeared in the dock
she took off her boot and aimed it at the Magistrate,
but it missed him. The last time she was brought up
she aimed an inkstand at the Magistrate.
The charge was gone into and fully proved. It
appeared that as soon as she came out of prison this
morning she went direct to Mr. White's house and
committed the offence of which she stood charged.
Mr. White. said he was in bodily fear of her ; she
was the most desperate woman in London. She said
she would do it.
Prisoner—And I kept my promise.
Mr. TWYFORD—I am afraid she is insane.
Prisoner—Oh, stuff! I am as right as you are.
Mr. TWYFORD—WeII, then, the only course will
be again to send you for two months.
Prisoner—Very well, look out when I come out—
I'll keep my promise.
The prisoner was then removed.
Mr. White said she would be sure to return to his
house as soon as she came out. She had a spite to him, because he once assisted in having her
taken into custody.
Mr. TWYFORD gave directions for her to be imme-
diately brought before him if she did, and he would
order her to find bail to keep the peace for twelve
months, and she would, therefore, be imprisoned for
that time.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
A young man, who gave the name of William
Emus, dressed in the garb of_a chimney-sweep, with
his face begrimed as black as soot could possibly make
it, and which mode of disguise it appears he had as-
sumed to prevent his being recognised by the police,
was placed at the bar on the following charge :
Police sergeant William Russell, No. 113 of the C
division, stated that about ten o'clock last night he
was on duty in private clothes amongst the crowd at the
fire inOxford-street, and saw the prisoner, whom he
at first did not recognise, attempt to pick six different
persons' pockets ; in the last instance heThad partly
drawn a handkerchief from out of a gentleman's
pocket, and witness was in the act Of seizing him in
the fact when a rush of the crowd separated them ;
but in a short tune he saw the prisoner again at the
corr.er of Rathbone-place, with his hand in another
gentleman's pocket. Witness rushed forward to col-
lar him, but one of the gang with him called "the
dogs are upon you," upon which he stooped dcra n,
and attempted to effect his escape, but was prevented,
and after a desperate resistance secured.
Mr. ILtanwicK asked if the prisoner was known ?
Several police constables identified him as a notori-
ous thief; he was not a chimney sweeper.
Sergeantßussell said, that numerous robberies were
committed amongst the crowd by pick-pockets, some
of them accompanied with personal violence, and to a
considerable amount. Thieves from the , East-end,
over the water, and other parts of London, were there
in great numbers, and the confusion' and rushing of
the crowd enabled them to carry on their. depredations
nearly with impunity.
The prisoner refused to give any account of himself.
He was committed for two months to hard labour,
for being found in the 4ublic streets with intent to
commit felony.
The somewhat novel circumstance of a Scotchwo-
man being charged with begging occurred on Saturday
at this Court. The policeman on duty in Hyde Park
brought in a neatly dressed woman,.with a very hand-
some little girl, her daughter, and stated to Mr. Ihrd-
wick that he had seen them accost passengers in the
Park, and ask them for " tickets." •
The woman made this statement. She had come
all the way from Kilmarnock to gain intelligence of
her husband, Patrick Moran, of the Royal Irish, from
the War-office. When at Kilmarnock she had writ-
ten three times to the War-office, asking to know
whether her husband was alive or dead. No notice
whatever was taken of the poor woman's applications,
and she resolved to make her way to ,London and ap-
ply at the War-office in person. She put this plan
into execution, and after going through the proper
routine, she received a written certificate a short time
ago, that her husband was alive in September, and
with his regiment at Chusan. She then resolved to
send in a petition to the War-office, for a portion of
her husband's pay towards the support of his family,
but this she could not do until Monday next, and as
her means of support had totally failed her, she had
gone to the Park to ask for Charitable Fund tickets,
but she had been interrupted by the police, and taken
into custody.
' Mr. HARDWICK said he could not understand why
the woman should come to London for information
which could have been sent to her at Kilmarnock.
The woman declared she had written three times in
vain to the War-office, and this necessity alone had
brought her up to London.
Mr. HARDWICK said he would give her five shil-
lings to help her until the fate of her:petitioa at the
War-office was known, but if she attempted again to
beg, or was brought to the Court for any act of va-
grancy, he should send her to prison for a month.
POLICE SummoNsEs.,--Mr. Crisp, landlord of the
White Hart, White Lion-street, and Mr. Holt, land-
lord of the Yorkshire Grey, White Lion-street, were
summoned. by the police for opening their houses
during divine service on Sunday.
The police said they saw the defendant's houses
open about ten minutes or a quarter past four
o'clock, at which time divine service was going on at
St. Giles's church. It was given in evidence that the
-service was over abotit a quarter nr twenty minutes
past four.
Mr. Crisp declared that he saw the charity children
come out of church before he attempted to open his
.ho-use.

Mr. 1401 t .said be sent to the obigeh, and on

being assured the service was over he opened his
house. It was the eireum-tance of seeing tEe child: en
in the streets that induced both defendantito balievo
the service was ended.

Mr. HARDWICK said it was very likely such a mis-
tAe had occured. The law, however, must be obeyed,
and hoping this would teach more caution for the
future, he should only request them to pay the expenses.