Star.
London, England, 1831-09-26 00:00:00

EXTENSIVE SMUGGLING.

On Saturday morning. Mr. Daune, Inspecting Surrtul,
of Customs, while on board a Custom-liouse cu.ttr..e
Gravesend, bserved a pleasure yacht sailing up the rstzr
and, making towards her, the crew of the yacht aprif,d
desirous to avoid acquaintance, and male all sail jih..
Daune gave chase, and came up with the yacht at K!,,ck.
wall, after a run of upwards of twtnty miles. 0:1
ing the yacht, the crew all jumped overboard into a L
and escaped, with the exception of one man, a Gratnend
pilot, w o said that he was merely engaged to piles
the yacht np the river. Mr. Daune, satisfied that he had
made a prize, brought the yacht up to the Custom-bout.,
where he commenced a search, and under the tirolir,
over the ballast, discovered 66 tin cases, made to fit
tlx
shape of the vessel, all filled with silks of different descrip,
tions, ribande and gauze, the whole of which of course eel,
landed in the King's warehouse, and are said to be of
value of upwards of 2,0001. The name of toe yacht k
Sylph—slte is an elegant vessel, about 35 tons butt! r. 1.
is thought that she came from Boulogne, and that t; is wg.
not her first voyage. She is said to be the property of
banister, Another important seizure was made in the raw.,
of the day, by several custom-house officers ,off Greenwich. .1
boat containing several men wan sees. at an early hour dudg.
ing up something from the bottom of the river, and on tile
Revenue Officese proceeding towards the spot, the man in the
other boatPquickiv rowed away, leaving a dredge behind
them. 'the officers, suspecting something wrong, coil.
menced dragging the river, and brought up no less than Gi
kegs or Cognac brandy and Geneva, which had been sunk in
a convenient spot to elude detection. The value of
prize is about 5001. but the parties concerned in smuggling
the liquor, which was conveyed to the King's warehouse,
have not been taken. On Friday, 11 casks of mind!, which
had not paid duty, were seized in a country waggon, at the
White Hart Inn, Southwark, and taken to the Cultea..
house.

POLICE REPORTS.
MARLBORO6I-11STREET.
SWINDL IWO. —Saturday, John ThOIDASPIVSCOU, a yout.:
man fashionably attired, and who is very highly connected.
was brought before Mr. CONANT, 00 a warrant, and char g„1
with obtaining 251. 12s. under fraudulent pretences,Froc:
the evidence of Mr. Robert Barratt, it appeared that the
prisonts, a short time since, entered the shop of Messrs.
&neon, 31anandane, and Co. in Prince.-street, Hanover-
square, and observed, that he believed his mother, Mrs.
Prescott, had AD account unsettled with the firm. On being
answered in the affirmative, the prisoner said, that if the"
would give him the difference of a 501. check, he would
charge the bill. Not the slightest suspicion beiag enter-
tained, 251. 12s. was handed over to him, the bill bens,..
241. Bs. and he left the house, after leaving the check, et
which the following is a copy :
" London. August 30. 183:.
" Messrs. Grote, Prescott, and Grote, please to pay el:.
or bearer, the sum of 501. and place the same to my account.
e' 15,k, 't J. PRESCOTT."
The tiros of Gascon and Co. paid the same to their ban-
kers, who, on presenting it to Messrs. Grote and Co. they
declared the writer to be one of the greatest scoundrels it
existence. A note, enclosing the check, was then forwarded
to 3lessrs. Gascon and Co. and hence the present proceed-
ings. The prisoner appeared to treat the affair very indiffc-
rently, and observed, that the whole of the money would It:
made up if the 11aFistrate would allow him to accompany
the parties out. '1 he worthy Magistrate, however, them, it
it prudent to remand him for re-examthationon Friday to
as other casts might be brought against him.
QUEEN SQUARE.
JOHNSON AGAIN DEFEAT ED. —Johnson, the informer,
charged two retail beer-sellers, named Henry Robinson, of
North-street, and Joseph Wiltshire, of Symond's.strett,
Chelsea, with selling beer after the hour of ten o'clock a:
night. In one case Johnson's witnesses, Murray and others,
were contradicted by four real:eatable witnesses called by the
defendant; and in the other case, Mr. WHITE, the 31agis-
trate, refused to believe the witness, who had gone to entrap
the defendant ; both cases were therefore dismissed, and
Johnson had to pay the coats. He left the office with a re-
markably long face, and minus at least 21. •