Star.
London, England, 1823-08-23 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

Mansimr-House.—Several vagrants were brought before his
Lordship, and amongst. them were a man and a boy, from a re-
mote part of the country. They had been discharged from the
quarries, with a number of others, and travelled up to the Metro-
polis with the view of getting something to do, but as they knew
no other trade than that of breaking stones, and had not from
their infancy been out of the neighbourhood of their stone quarry
to learn anything, neither of them could get any employment.
The man was soon in a condition sufficiently wretched to excite
compassion by his appearance, and he set up the trade of a men-
dicant, and having found one profitable street, the officers could
not keep hint from it, and were obliged to take him in custody.
The boy, however, who is a rough lad of about seventeen, went
a different way to work to obtain a livelihood. The officers said
they always found hint surrounded by a crowd, whom he amused
by tumbling and imitations, and moat extraordinary antics,
which they could not describe.
The Loan Maros said the tread-kill would surely be his pu-
nishment if he were again found creating crowds in the streets,
but in consideration of his talents his Lordship discharged him,
with the advice to exercise them in a less exceptionable way.—
The elder prisoner, who had been exceedingly insolent, and
shewn a determination to stick to his new trade, was sent, as a
forewarning, to take a turn at the tread-mill.
After his Lordship bad quitted the Justice-Room, the young
lad returned, and offered to shew what he could do, and per-
mission having been given. him by the officers to exhibit a spe-
cimen of his talents, he took a little flute front his pocket, and
played several airs in the first style, with a peculiarity of tone
and brilliant execution, with cadences which astonished aU those
in the Justice-Room. He increased their astonishment by taking,
a ruler from the desk and making the same tones appear to pro-
.ceed from it as from the flute. He then performed and gave
the tones of the German flute simply from his month, and :hewed
that he did it by turning the end of his tongue into the shape of
a small tube, through which he blew and produced the sound.
He imitated the nightingale in admirable style, and said be could
give similar imitations of other birds. Lastly, as he stood up-
-1 right, he lifted up his right leg and put the foot round his neck,
so that the sole of his bob-nailed boot came by the side of his
left cheek. In that extraordinary position he danced about on
his left leg, playing a lively air, and finished by executing three
pirouettes with as much ease and activity, though not with as much
elegance, as Vestris himself could have performed them in the
ordinary wanner. Some Gentlemen present rewarded the ex-
hibition, and he left the Justice-Room with the intention of
turning histalents to account in another part of the country.
GUILDHALLTHII Law AS TO TMK AUTHORITY or CONSTABLIN
AND Wsrorsass.—A person of-respectable appearance, named
Daniel Elmer, was brought up yesterday before the Sitting Al-
derman, Sir JAMBS SHAW, charged as disorderly, whose case, or
rather the discussions that arose out of it, occupied the attention
or the Magistrate for upwards dm hour, with a view to defizse
the just limits of. the authority of constables and watchmen. The
facts of the case were simple enough. Gamage, watchman in
St. Andrew's parish, was calledto the Bell Inn, Elolborn, to take
charge of a man of the name of Green, who, according to the
statement made to Gamage, by Sampson, the pugilist, bad pelted
hint while riding by on horseback, with mud, and then made his
escape into the hut-yard, and locked himself In one of the rooms.
By the persuasion of the landlord, Green unlocked the door;
Sampson gave charge of him, and Gamage immediately collared
him. Green resisted going to the watch-house, and in that re-
sistance he was assisted by the prisoner Elmo, who protested'
he should not go; and, to prevent it, collared. Gamage in his
turn. The spring of the rattle brought more assistance; and, in ,
the end, Green was taken to the watch-hOuse, whither lames
having followed,was charged by the watchmen with endeavouring
to rescue him from them.—The Constable of the Night, Mr. C.
Taylor, a respectable inhibitant, serving in his own right, after,
heating the case, Sampson v. Green, and learning that they ha.
sufficiently retaliated on each other, recommended them to be
satisfied with what bad passed, to which they consenting, the
charge-was withdrawn, and the parties went peaceably home.
Obstructing the officers in their duty appeared to Mr. Taylor a
more serious offence, more especially as the evidence of the fact
dill not rest merely on their testimony, but was corroborated by
two or three disinterested spectators, and Mines was sent to the
Compeer for the night. If Eimeshad been charged, as he ought
to have been, with an assault upon the watchman, there would
have been no difficulty in the case; but being charged with an
attempt to rescue a prisoner Who never was rescued; and who,
in the Constable's opinion ought not to have been in custody at aU
or ho would _not have discharged him; a question arose ill the
mind of the Magistrate as to the propriety of the conduct of the
constable and his watchman, not only with regard to the prisoner
Elmes, but the whole transaction. .

LONDON; Printed and publlahnd by „Lae* Kam., Pickett-
Place, Temple-Bar.
_ •