Star.
London, England, 1822-07-11 00:00:00

ASSAULT AND BATTERY!

Bow.srater:LMr.J. T. C. appeared in custody before the
Bench, on a warrant, charging him with having assaulted and
beaten one Mr. Richard Arnold Alexander, against the peace of
oar Sovereign Lord the King, his Crown and dignity. Mr. C. is
a very personable young man, gentlemanly in his manners, of
highly respectable connections, and very sanguine temperiment—
at times, indeed, approaching to the choleric. Mr. R. A. Alex-
ander, on the contrary, is a mAn of vulgar exterior, well stricken
in years, hie short, round, shining countenance of a bright
scarlet, inclining to orange, topped with a trifle of lank grisly
hair, an I his sinister arm shrivelled up to less than half its na-
tura! site; and yet the cause of their quarrel was a very pretty
you:sg woman—one Miss Hannah Juliana Fidkins, who, in the
tree c xercise of her taste and judgmery, has deserted the young
nsai. for the old one.
it th parties stated their grievances at once, and with excessive
volubbity, so that for some time it was difficult to ascertain the
merits of their case. The old man accused the young one ; the
young one accused the old one, and Miss Juliana Fidkims—like
the " fair her sr" in Thompson's Seasous—" balmy breathing
near, stood kindling up their rage."
It appeared by the old Gentleman's statement, however, that
as he was walking along Hatton-garden, on Sunday afternoon,
with Miss Juliana Fidkins hanging on his arm, he was aware of
the young Gentleman coming towards him ; and, well aware
that he was coming with no peaceful interst, he cautioned him
to keep his distance. But the young Gentleman, totally disre-
garding the caution, came boldly up in front, and, having called
him an old scoundrel, instantly knocked him down with a blow
on the face, that made his very eyes strike fire. The old Gen-
tleman, finding himself on the ground, gathered himself up as
soon as he could; and having regained his perpendicular, he
found the young Gentleman in an attitude for flooring bins a se-
cond time, but he having no relish for such fiaoring, endeavoured
to defend himself with a little bit of a stick he had in his hand.
The young Gentleman, however, was too quick for him, and,
in spite of his utmost endeavours, and those of Ali-.s Juliana Fid-
kins to boot, he was again knocked down, and soundly beaten
with his own stick.

Tisis was the case for the prosecution, and it was fully substan-
tiated by Miss Juliana Fidkins, who, thumping her little white
fist on the table, inveighed bitterly against the persecutions she
had endured from the young Gentleman, because she had thought
proper to place herself " under the protection" of the old one.
The young Gentleman, on the other band, retorted, with
equal bitterness, the falsehood and the ingratitude of Miss Ju-
liana Mains, and he seemed to feel what ha uttered. With re-
spect to the assault, he denied that he was the aggressor, though
* he had savage cause;" and he insisted that it was Miss Juliana
Fidkins herself who began the affray, by running after him, and
demanding a parasol of hers which he had in his possession. He
was, at the time, going quietly to the evenintaervice at St. An-
drew's Church, and was much vexed at having his passions dis-
turbed by meeting with the " old villain and his parantoor;" he,
consequently, put her gently by with his arm, and requested her
to let him pass in peace; but -he had hardly opened his mouth
when the old Gentleman came up, " like a strutting old turkey
cock," and seized him by the collar. He instantly shook off the
contaminating grasp of the " hoary dotard," and he tumbled on
the ground. Miss Fidkins picked him up again, and it was then
that the " bit of a stick" the " old fool" had viten of came
into playa but that bit of a aid, he declared, was as thick as a
man's arm, and had a knob at the end of it three tunes as large
as his fist! The " old man" was no sooner placed on his feet than
he began laying on hint with this stick with all his might; and he
therefore wrested it from him and threw it into the middle of
the street, and in the scuffle the old man again tumbled down.
This he declared was a true statement of the business, and he
called a witness who corroborated it in almost every particular;
and deposed, not only to the immense size of the stick, but also
to his having seen the old gentleman give the young one three
distinct blows with it on the " seat of honour," before he turned
about to resent it.

The Magistrate having listened to these contradictory state-
ments with most exemplary patience, seemed disposed to con-
sider the matter favourable for the younger of the lovers—in-
deed, he had already expressed his intention of permitting the
warrant to be suspended for a few days; and letting him go at
large on condition of bis promising not to interfere with the old
gentleman again. But only see the impetuosity of youth ! Ijia
Worship had scarcely given utterance to these intentions, than
the young gentleman began to talk largely of his having intended
to get warrants against the "old man" and Miss Juliana Ild-
klns, for their attack upon him.—" Against me?" asked the in-
dignant Miss Ficikins.—" Yes, against you! you Mossy I" replied
the luckless lover; and he had-no mioneraaid so, than his Worship
ordered that he should find bail for his appearance at the Quarter
Sessions, as it was very evident he was a violent young man. If
he is wise, he will never again " hoot before be is out of the wood."
Matters being thus settled, the forlorn swain retired in custody
to send for bail; and the venerable and favoured lover, with
Miss Hannah Juliana Fidkins on his arm, withdrew as com-
fortably as possible.

Three young men were drowned in the neighbourhood of
Maidstone, on Sunday last, while bathing. The first two, named
Sears and Edmeads, the former 14 years of age, the latter 19,
were bathing in the Upper Mill Pend, at Lame, when Sears
getting out of his depth, the Liter lbw to his soccosr, sad they
all palshell.

i .r~~~
• .~ ,

VairtiMiT trifilONS. •• • •
MriWalllkkaiii. Ma, a Woman of respectable
appearmtetllll yesmiciftge, was• indicted for steal-
ing piece of printed cotton, some bobbin-diet, 'and
o articles, the property of Thomas Qrardener,
linen-draper, of Norton Falgate.
The articles were produced in Court ; they had no
mark, and appeared to be of different sorts, and not
to accord in colour and quality with a pattern shewh
by Mrs. Gardener of her furniture, to which she sup-
posed them
,to have belonged.
Several very respectable persons spoke to the cha-
racter of the prisoner, whom. they had known for
many years as an honest, steady, an 4 hard-working
woman—NM Guilty.
Charks Meredith, a very -respectable young man,
was tried- on a charge of stealing a quantity of rib-
bons and other articles, the property of Messrs. Todd,
MorrisOn, and Cope, haberdashers, his employer!.
An anonymous letter was dropped iu the area
couched in the following terms:
" Mr. C. Meredith, you are strongly suspected of robbing
your employers, Messrs. Todd and Co. I overheard Mr. T. in
conversation with one of the officers; and one of the housemaid'
.•

implicated.
This letter was addressed, " To the Cook ;" who,
upon seeing its contents, gave it to the prisoner, by
whom it was shewn to Mr. Cope. The prisoner's box
was then searched, and a small parcel containing se-
iseral whole pieces of ribbon, the subject of the pre-
sent charge, was found therein.
Mr. Cope admitted that it was a general practice
in their house, for the young men to supply their
friends with goods from their warehouse, without re-
gularly entering them in the book; and he knew the
prisoner had a sister who kept a shop at Walton,' for
whom he said, he had made up that parcel, a 5 well
as four parasols, which were also found in the box,and
had been regularly entered in the book.
The prisoner, in his defence, said he had sent the
ribbons in question to his sister at Walton, by whom
they had been returned as not suiting leer, and it was
his intention to hive replaced them in the warehouse
when he had time to look out others. •

Several witnesses gave the prisoner a most excellent
character for honesty.
The Jury retired for abbot 15 minutes, and then
returned a verdict of—Not Guilty.
James Jones, alias M‘Laughlan, was put to the
bar on an indictment, charging him with stealing
from the person of Ann, the wife of Roger Robinson,
two Bank of England notes for £5 each. •
The Jury returned a verdict of Guilty.
The RECORDER immediately ordered him to be
transported for life.
Samuel Marsden, a boy only fourteen years of age,
but a well known bad character, was indicted for
stealing a quantity of wearing appatel, the property
of John Richards

The Jury found him Guilty, and the Court sen-
tenced him to be transported for seven years.
Tuesday, John Payne was indicted for stealing
three, hats, the property of Thomas Moles.
Mrs. Moles staled, that she had left her house for
a short period, and on her return met the prisoner
coming out of it with the property. The street door
had been left open.
James Riddle, an officer, saw the prisoner in the
act of running away, and took him into custody.
Two witnesses spoke to his character, one of whom
admitted that the prisoner had been in custody befoi e.
The father of the boy said he had done all he could
to make a good boy of him, but without effect. He
had employed him to go of messages.
The RECORDER.—You know he was before in cus-
tody : did you then correct him ?—Tather.—l did,
my Lord, give him a sound trimming.
The RECORDER.—WeII, I am sorry that it has not
had the effect of deterring him from following his
wicked courses. Gentlemen, the father has done his
duty, and is to be pitied. You will consider your ver-
dict.—The Jury immediately found him Guilty.
The RECORDER said the prisoner was a very bad
boy ; and the Court were of opinion that he must be
sent out of the country, but it would take time to
consider of it.

The father, who appeared very much affected, im-
plored his Lordship to extend mercy to him.
The RECORDER said, if mercy were shewn, it would
be in pity to him (the father); but perhaps the exten-
sion of mercy in the present instance, would have the
effect of bringing him again to that Bar, on a charge
affecting his life.
Francis nverner was indicted for stealing a pocket-
book, a coat, and some working tools, the property.
of John Morgan. The prosecutor, who is a journey-
man carpenter, bad left a house in which he was at
work to procure some refreshment, and during his
absence the robbery was committed:
S. Dickens, a Bow-street patrol,, saw the prisoner
enter a pawnbroker's shop, in Gray's Inn•lane, and
offer the things in question for pledge. Suspecting he
had stolen them, he took him into custody. He said,
at first, he had been employed to pawn them by the
owner, but afterwards confessed he had stolen them,
and said he had been driven to it by extreme distress.
Witness went to his lodgings, and found his. wife and
children in a most deplorable state of poverty.
The Jury found the prisoner-9411 y.
The RECORDER intimated a wish that inquiry
should be made whether some person could be found
who had known the prisoner, and who would give
him a character.

The prisoner said, Mr. Stainer, of Mile End, a
builder, who had known him in better days, would
do so.—Mr. Wontner, the Governor of Newgate,
said this was perfectly true. Mr. Stainer was a most
respectable man:,
The RECORDER, under these circumstances, said,
he hoped the mildness of the sentence about to be
passed upon the prisoner would induce him to pursue
an honest course in future, and sentenced him to
pay a fine of one shilling, and be discharged.—The
prisoner, bowing to the ground, and with tears in his
eyes, said, " GOD ALMIGHTY bless you, my Lord !"
Yesterday, John Swamn was indicted receiving
one chest of tea, the property of Messrs. Kemble and
Smith, from.a person whose name is Unknown, be
knowing the same to have been stolen.
Mr. Waturoaro, for the prosecution, said, that for-
merly a man could not be tried for receiving goods,
except the principal should be first convicted. The
Legislature, however, in order to remedy this defect,
had in the present Session passed an Act which gave
power to a Jury to try persons for the felonious re-
ceiving; even though the 'plineipar shOuld'zior be lir

.

enstodr. This was the Stu .as *hit+ had alien
since the passing of the Let, and it would be for tile
Court to say whether the indictment was propetly
framed or not. _

Daniel Blight, &Surveyor of the ThaMet Polk%
deposest he obtained such information as inducrd.
him to go to the house of the prisoner, who is A slop,
feller near Tower-hill, when he found some pieces of
a broken tea chest, which the prisoner said he had
purchased the day before for fire-wood. On a fut.
ther search he found a considerable quantity of tee
in a sack, underneath the cover of a water-clo,ct,
deposited on the soil. He then immediately took the
prisoner into custody.
Thomas Hodges, carman to the prosecutors, pro,e4
that he lost a chest of tea from a cart, in which Le
was about to take sixteen chests to Colchester, on tte
22d June, about four hours before the tea and pieces
of chest were found in the prisoner's house.
A porter in the employment of the prnsecatern
also identified a private mark on one of the pieces
the chest found on the prisoner's premises.
Mr. Kemble swore that the tea found was re.
cisely of the same quality as that contained in ;.;
chest which was stolen.

This closed the case for the prosecution.
Messrs. ALLEY and ADOLPHUS then raised Crre
objections to the indictment: first, that the prisoorr
should hate been indicted as a principal, and nor.
a receiver; secondly, that the indictment was wrcng
in point of form ; and, lastly, that the case, upon the
evidence, was not such a one as was conterapla!ti
by the Legislature when the Act in question was
Fused. It was impossible that the Legislature cabld
have intended that a man should be tried for :6'3-
nious receiving, where the thief was not only not ja
custody, but not even known by name.
The !hooter:lEß said, lie was of opinion that t'le
first objection was sufficient. There was not the
slightest evidence to prove that the prisoner had :.
ceived the goods in question at all ; but there cert
was strong presumptive proof that he was a p.
If a man was robbed of his watch, and it was fonl
four hours afterwards in the possession of aniitl:T;
the law would treat him (in the absence of pea,; to
the contrary) as a principal, and so it was in the re-
sent instance. His LordAiip then proposed this r41:2-
don to the Jury—if they eie of opinion that,
the evidence they had heard, they should o
victed the prisoner if be had been tried as the isai;
they would acquit him upon the present charge; if
otherwise, the case would proceed.
The Jury, after a few minutes consultation, ;01:1
the prisoner Not Guilty.
Mr. WALEORD said he should prefer another :3-
dictment against the prisoner for the stealin-g.
The Counsel on the other side said, the t.ira
sere now discharged, and the prosecutors havirg
elected one mode of proceeding, were not, upt.a
failure, to turn round and adopt anothei.
The RECORDER said, it was immediately opera to
the prosecutors to proceed still against the prisoner
in another Form.

James Weston, John Bed, and Joseph Walker,
indicted for stealing two watches, a table-tpoon,
other articles, the property of John Wisten.
The prosecutor keeps a chandler's shot. at Snz:l'a
Mimms, and the prisoners, who are labi.u.eis, toe::
lodgings at his house on a Monday, and on the (ci-
lowing Friday morning, early, they lett the house.—
The prosecutor,when he got up, missed the propert7,
and having given information to one of the bone-
patrol, the prisone:s wets overtaken on their way to
London, with tie articles in their possession.
They were tbund Guilty, but recommended t 3
me: cy by the pro,ectitdr.
Daniel Valentine was indicted for stealing an lin.
niens.e quantity of was candles, the property of
E. Paine, was-chandler, at Paddington, and Ja.,:•.cs
Bradshaw ti as indicted for receiving the sane, LIAM.
ing them to be stolen. Several tesvectal)le
appeared as witnesses on' behalf of 13.ad,hay.., v‘•!:o
gave him an excellent character.—Valentine C=44::),
Bradshaw Acquitted.