The Sun.
London, England, 1829-09-15 00:00:00

LAMBETH-STREET.

ayoung female,
followed by a
Ythei
ssteorffidacye,
in CaUgnrieoautsbCusotuleß,TestintiePr.e—d
grinning youth, and with wonderful volubility stated
that about three weeks ago she met the young man
promiscuously, who insisted upon seeing her home,
and promising to meet her on a future evening.
She consented, and the result of this meeting was

a proposal of marriage, With prudent forecast she
requested him to enter into an explanation of his
means, which she found to be little enough, but
thought that love might supply the deficiency. She
agreed therefore to marry him, and he gave her
thirty shillings, which she employed in the purchase
of sundry requisites for the bridal day. Out of her
own pocket she paid for chairs and other articles of
household furniture; and the wedding was finally
fixed to take place on Saturday. On the night
previous, she asked hint what further preparation he
had made, when to her great surprise she found that
he had no more money, and expected she would pro-
vide any deficiency. Convinced that his ohjoct was
only to obtain a home, and not a wife, she broke off
the match. She was partly determined to do so
from ha‘iag met a young man a day or two pre-
vious with whom she thought she would be more
comfortable. •
The young man now stepped forward, and said
that he was Thomas 13roun, a journeyman glazier,
and that it was true that he offered to marry
Miss Mary Ann Reeves, the complainant; but he
bad declined in consequence of making a mal-
apropos discovery. On Friday he had bought the
ring, and a shoulder of mutton for the wedding din-
ner, with which he proceeded to the lodgings of his
intended, when, to his great surprise, upon gaining
admission, he "cotch'd" ).er in bed with another
man. " So," said he, with a knowing grin, "I
thought it time to cut my stick."
• The Magistrate asked the complainant if the
latter pat of the story was true, which she with
some hesitation admitted ; but said that she was se-
duced by the gentleman, who had promised to marry
her. All she wanted was the articles of furniture,
which she purchased with her own money.
The young man said that they were his property,
and, the Magistrate declining to interfere, the damsel
left the office much dissatisfied.
UNION-HALL.

Yesterday George Winter, the individual alleged
to have fraudulently obtained piano-fortes, carpets,
and other articles from several tradesmen, was
brought up for final examination.
Mr. Evans, a carpet-manufacturer, stated that on
the 25th of July, the prisoner ordered a carpet at his
shop, the price of which was .4/. is. Gd., saying, that
he should pay cash on delivery of the article. It was
sent to his house in Upper Stamford-street, and, al-
though the porter had strict injunctions not to leave
it without the money, yet a female, who described
herself as the prisoner's wife, by saying the money
should be sent, persuaded him to give up the article.
Mr. Evans added that he called several times for the
money or his carpet, but could get neither, and on
the last occasion he called the prisoner's wife slapped
the door in Ins face, and with the greatest effrontery
said that he should never have either money or carpet.
Mr. HONE—You have proved no case against the
prisoner to ju,tify me in punishing him. It is evident
you have been defrauded of your carpet, but still no
jury would convict in such a case, on the ground that
due caution was not used on the occasion. Your ser-
vant having left the carpet in the prisoner's possession,
saves the latter from the punishment he deserves.

Mr. Evans said, that the prisoner was a regular
customer in the trade. He had fleeced others in a
similar manner, and it was hard on the respectable
tradesman that he should lose his property in such a
man►►er, and have no redress. There was no pro-
tection for tradesmen if that was the case.
The Magistrate told him that he could not alter

the law. As he had before remarked, due caution
had not been used on the part of the tradesman, and
the p i oner was therefore entitled to the benefit of it.
Mr. Evans said, that he used all the caution that
he thought was necessary. The prisoner, he recol-
lected, came to his shop dressed like a gentleman, and
mentioned the names of several respectable tradesmen
with whom he said he had dealings. In fact, his
manners and address were unlike those of the gene.
rality of swindlers about town, and the house he lived
in was another circumstance which added consider-
ably to the success of his schemes on the tradesman
to defraud him of his property.
Mr. HONE again repeated, that he had no power
to punish him.

Upon which, Mr. Evans, who was evidently un-
acquainted with the law on the subject, exclaimed,
" i hen he is allowed to go about the town again
swindling. other tradesmen."
Mr. HONE—To be sure : such simpletons as you,
if they do not use the caution necessary, deserve to
suffer.

Mr. Evans again said, that no tradesman, however
sharp, could guard himself against the designs of a
man who came to him under such circumstances as
the prisoner did.
The prisoner was then charged with unlawfully
pledging a pianoforte, value 1.5/., the property of Mr.
Dean.

Evidence having been adduced of the prisoner
ordering the pianoforte of Mr. Dean on the 2d of
June, on hire, and afterwards pawning it at the shop
of Mr. Walmsley, in the London-road, on the 16th
of the same month, for 51., he was convicted, and
sentenced to pay the value of the instrument, and a
fine of 51., making altogether 201.; and, in default of
payment, was committed for three months to hard
labour at Guildford Houle of Correction.
The Magistrate, in passing the above sentence,
read a clause in the Act which empowered Justices
of the Peace to award the punishment of whipping
in addition to the penalties for such offences. The
case against the accused was of that aggravated na-
ture, that had another Magistrate been present, hel
(Mr. Hone) should have added the whipping to the
sentence of imprisonment.

HISTORICAL PARTICULARS OF CO-

VENT-GARDEN THEATRE.

The present Covent-garden Theatre esta
blishment owes its foundation and rise to Mr.
John Rich, son and successor to Mr. Christo-
pher Rich, formerly patentee of the Theatre

Royal, Drury-lane ; which Christopher Rich,
having appropriated to himself a greater portion
of the profits of that theatre than was thought
proper by the actors under his management, the
latter, headed by Wm. Collier, Esq., M.P., ob-
tained a lease and license of Drury-lane over his
head, and forcibly ejected him from the pos-
session.

Some time before this, Christopher Rich had
taken a lease of Sir William Davenant's Theatre,
in Portugal-street, Lincoln'slim-fields, and pos-
sessing his patent, which he bought of Charles
DiVenant, began rebuilding that theatre on its
old site ; but dying before it was finished, his
eon, Mr. John Rich, opened it in the year
1714,# and continued his company there until
their final removal to Covent-garden in 1733.
Rich, who found the Portugal-street Theatre
too small for pantomimes, had long contem-
plated building a theatre on a larger scale ; and
judging Covent-garden convenient for the pur-
pose, plans were drawn by Mr. Shepherd, his
surveyor and architect, which, on being submit-
inspection, generally met the approbation
of
fd to
the
public, who subscribed considerable sums
on being admitted renters or shareholders in the
concern. Workmen were immediately employed
to clear some old buildings, and Shepherd com-
pletely finished the building in twenty-two
months, beginning February, 1731, and being
ready for the opening in November, 1732,

4‘ This day the new playhouse in Lincoln's-Inn-
fields is to be opened, and a comedy acted there, called the
.Recruiting Ofj!ce.r, by the company that net under the
though it a said that some of the gentlemen, who
he
It the house in Drury-lane for that purpose, are
orderedpatent,
i
nte
to return to their colours, upon pain of not exer-
cising their lungs elsewhere; which may, in time, prove
of ill service to the patentee, that has been at vast expense
to make this theatre as convenient for the reception of an
audience as any one can possibly }ie."— Weekly Packet,
Dec, IS, 1714.