Star.
London, England, 1830-04-22 00:00:00

CHELMSFORD PETTY SESSIONS.

Mr. Thomas Paul, of NortMeald, appeared for the purpose of
settling a rather curious claim to a mare, which he alleged was
stolen from him ten years ago.
Mr. Paul stated, that shout the 29th of November, 1820, a black
mare belonging to him left his farm yard, and he saw her go on to
the Forest, as she had been accustomed to do. She was then two
years old off, and had been bred by himself. When he went to
'search for her she could not be found ; and, although handbills
were circulated, offering a reward for her recovery, no tidings could
be obtained. About three months ago be was at Epping market,
where he saw James Lucking riding a mare, which he immediately
recognised as the one he had lost. He could positively swear to it,
notwithstanding the length of time it had been lost.
James Locking said he bought the mare of Mr. Oooch, of San-
don, upward of five years ago, and gave him 281. for it. He had
had her ever since.
Mr. Gooch said be had the mare from Colonel Bramston a abort
time before be sold it to Lucking.
Colonel Bramston said he exchanged the mare with Mr. Gooch,
for a coach bone, in 18211, having purchased her of Mr. Bowan; a
hone dealer, on July 4, 1823.
Mr. Dowsett said he bought the bone of a person named Stock-
bridge, at Stortford fair, in 1821 ; be afterwards sold her to Mr.
Heald, maltster, of Chelmsford, who kept her a year and then re-
turned her. Whims immediately sold her to Mr. Brlmston. The
person of whom he boaght her at Stonford was a highly respectable
man; he had been applied to concerning the mare, but, being very
old, he could not recolleet any thing about it.
Mr. Heald said be boaght the mare of Dowsett ; she was then
about four esrs old. He was certain that it was the same mare
which Mr. Branostan purchased.
The present value of the mare was about 264
The Baum' jocularly observed that they never saw a more re-
spectable party of bone-stealers." They had now traced the pos.
session of the mare as far as it could be done, and there did not
appear to be the least imputation attempted to be cast upon Stock-
bridge. The applicant admitted that the mare ran out of his yard ;
there was no proof, therefore, that the mare was stolen ; and unless
it could be clearly proved to have bees stolen, the applicant could
not obtain possession of it, except by legal process; they would,
therefore, advise him to consult his own lawyer as to the course
he should pursue.
Mr. Paul said he thought it was extremely hard that he could
not obtain possession of his own property, after having identified it ;
but be should certainly bring an action for itlierecovery.
Friday morning the chimney of a Government building
near the naval-yard at Dual took fire, and burnt with
fury upwards of an hour, when, by covering the top with
mats, &c. it was subdued, if not extinguished. The sweep
was on the spot, and sent a boy down the chimney. He
dropped himself through it almost at once, and cried when
he came out, having, it is said, hurt his foot. He was
again sent down, crying, from the top of the chimney, a
hammock having fallen or been thrown before him. Soon
after cries of distress were heard, and a rope was let down
' which he grasped two or three times, but could not hold
, fast by. A loop was then made at the end of the rope,
, and he was told to put it over his head, but he replied
that be could not. His voice Was heard no more. The
chimney was broken into in several places before the right
flue was discovered ; and at length he was found, head

downwards, completely roasted from the waist upwards,
the skull being bared. The hammock under him had
taken fire. Ho was an interesting boy about ten years
of ago. Whether coercion was used or not will appear oa
the inquest. The master appeared on ordinary occasions
kind to his boys; but the horrors of a system from which
such a catastrophe can result must be great. The boy
was an illegitimate child, fondly loved by his mother, and,
but for this, would not have been a parish apprentice and
a sweep.
The neighbourhood of Whitechapel has for some time
been infested by two common informers, named George
and Joseph Wise, who have been laying informations by
dozens against respectable inhabitants, dragging them
to the Whitechapel police-ofiice, for suffering the small-
est article to be laid upon the foot or carriage-way pave-
ment. These informations have in general been dis-
missed, with costa, but in some cases the lowest penalty
(405.) has been inflicted. Within the last few days,
however, a circumstance occurred at the above office,
which will probably cause the above gentlemen to choose
some other field for the exercise of their talent. On
Friday last, a woman was summoned by them for placing
a fender on the foot pavement. In the course of the
case the woman said, that several of her neighbours
would have come forward, but that they had bribed the
informers not to lay any information, against them, and
were consequently afraid to come forward. Mr. Hard-
wick told the woman if she could substantiate this the
next day, those informers should lay no inure informa-
tions at the office. The next day the woman came with
her witnesses, but no informer appeared, and the sum-
mons was dismissed.; Mr. Miller, the chief officer, has
since been making inquiries, and has discovered a com-
plete system of imposition carried on by the two infor-
mers. No less than twenty or thirty persons have
proved to giving different sums of money to them, for the
purpose of compounding informations.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.