Star.
London, England, 1830-10-12 00:00:00

POLICE REPORTS.

Malisrow-kOnar.—Mary Deesmon, a large-countenanced woman,
with a very preposterous voice, which, in the opinion of the Lord
Mayor, was caught in " ginnegan," was brought up charged with bay.
ing kidnapped a dumb child belonging to respectable and industrious
parents.
An officer, as he walked along the streets, saw Mrs. Donovan with the
child in her arms, but rather in an uncommon position, for the heels of
the poor infant were where the head ought to be ; and be also observed that
Mrs. Donovan was rather advanced beyond the cares of the world, by•that
which makes us all not rare a d—n for k. He told her the baby
was breaking its heart a-crying. "That's a d—d lie," said she; "it's
as quiet a child as ever lived—tent you, my jewel ? " and she cuddled
the little feet to her breast. "Why, what a beast of a woman you
must be," said the officer, " to hold the poor child that way, it will cry
itself to death, or be smothered." " It's you that's the beast," cried
Mrs. Donovan, " for you see the child doesn't say a word ; it's a nasty
bastard that's following us that's making such a d—d noise," and she
turned round to where the baby's head was, and said,"Whist, you young
vagabond, or I'll kick you to the d—L" The officer, who happened to be
a scholar, declared that he could't listen to no such " mismanagement,"
no longer, and believing that the mother of the child was no mother at
all, he took both into custody, and he was right too he said—and no
mistake, for she was no mother of the child, but a robber of the child.

The LORD MAYOR.—What ! is she a kidnapper ?
Officer.—Why, my Loid, I think she meant to depredate human
ereeturs.—(A laugh.)
Here the real mother stepped forward, in great apparent distress, and
said that she had left the child playing at the door at six o'clock, and
missed it in five minutes. She ran round the neighbourhood in a state
of distraction, but at about nine o'clock she was relieved by the sight
of her little one in the amts of the officer.
The Loan MAYOR said it was rather incautious in her to leave the
child at such an hour, and he hoped this would be a lesson to bee.
The mother said she had never before allowed the child to be exposed
singe the visit of the King and Queen of the Sandwich blends, who,
she understood, had a way of disposing of babies without putting them
underground. (Loud laughter.)
The prisoner said, as she was walking aloe". she saw the child cry-
ing, and finding it was dumb, and could not tell her where it lived, she
took it in her arms, and went about the neighbourhood, asking every
man whether it was his, but she could get no father for it.
The LORD MAYOR—Pray, whom did you ask ?
Prisoner—Please your Lordship, I first went to a butcher and then
I went to an undertaker, and they both said they didn't belong to the
child, and then this gentleman tuck a howld o'me, and tuck me to
the watchhouse.

The LORD Matoit—And how did you get so drunk ?
Prisoner—Why, your Lordship, I went into a gin-shop to get a drop
to enable me to carry the child. (Laughter.)
It was stated that Mrs. Donovan had actually called at three or four
places and asked who owned the child, and that she did not at all act
as if she had any intention but a good one, and Providence must have
interposed wonderfully to preserve both, for the unhappy nurse was
scarcely able to stand, and actually lost all power over her limbs as soon
as the child was taken from her.

The LORD Slavoa argued very favourably for the woman's cha-
racter from this latter circumstance, inasmuch as he considered her
strong anxiety to keep the babe from harm, endued her with a power
which deserted her the moment it was taken from her.

His Lordship dismissed her with some advice as to her future
conduct. _

Bow-STREET.—T. Wilson, a stage-coach driver out of place, was
charged with having stolen a parcel, containing 301.
John Warmington, a porter at the Golden-cross, Charing-cross, stated,
that on Thursday he received a parcel from Thomas Bryant, d:iver of
the Lewes coach, directed to Mr. Warden, 85, (heat Mary-la.bonne-
street. He handed this parcel to the prisoner, to deliver, and on the
following Saturday morning ascertained that it had not been left at Mr.
Warden's house. Witness then went to look for the prisoner,
and found him in the Coach and Horses public.house, St. Mar-
tin's-lane, in a state of intoxication. Witness said, " What have
you done with the parcel, Tetn ?" To which he answered, "Oh !
it's all right."
A young woman who was present proved that she saw the parcel de-
livered by the last witness into the prisoner's hands.
Mr. Warden proved that the parcel, in which was a remittance of 301.
from his brother in Kent, never came to hand.
The prisoner denied that the parcel had ever been delivered to him,
and he was ordered to be remanded, to give time, if possible, to trace the
stolen notes. _

THAMES POLlCE.—Yesterday, Michael Weir, a seaman of the
Seoleby C'asile East Indianian, was brought before Mr. Bionzarr,
charged with assaulting Joseph Lancaster, the gunner of that vessel, on
the high seas, on the 12th of August, 1829.
The complainant deposed, that on the day named the prisoner had
been guilty of some act of disobedience, and the Captain ordered him to
take Weir to the poop and place him in irons. He approached him on
the starboard side of the quarter-deck for that purpose, when the pri-
soner made use of dreadful language, and struck him several times in
the face. A struggle took place, when the prisoner seised his shirt, the
front of which he tore to pieces, and hit him a violent blow on the eye,
Iwhich cut it open. He suffered from the effects of the ill-treatment for
some days afterwards.
Mr. Wooler cross-examined the complainant on behalf of Weir, and
elicited from Lancaster that he had been in England six weeks, and
should not have come forward but for some words which took place be-
tween them in the street.
Mr. Wooler.—Had not Weir been on the poop in the morning, re.
leased, and formally forgiven by the Captain ?
The complainant answered in the affirmative; but it was for some
fresh offence he was ordered to place him there again. He swore that
he did not strike Weir, but only laid his hand gently upon hint.
Mr. Wooler.—Wu not the grating rigged, and Weir tied up to be
flogged the next day ?
Lancaster.--He was, Sir ' • but the ship's company prevented the
punishment from taking place, and Weir was released.
Samuel Bacon, the boatswain, said, he was standing by the capstern,
and witnessed the assault. He subsequently heard Weir threaten to
jump overboard with the complainant, and drown both.
Mr. Wooler cross-examined the boatswain, who expressed great re-
luctance in answering questions.
The prisoner, in defence, said that lAncaster seized him by the neck-
kerchief, twisted it round, and nearly strangled him. He resisted this
ill.usage, but not in the violent manner mentioned, and was struck first
by the complainant.
Mr. Wooler said, the present charge would not have been preferred
but for the feeling which existed on the subject of naval discipline, and
which Lancaster had taken advantage of. He had good evidence to
show that his client had been much ill-used, but would advise him to
reserve his defence for another place, as he was prepared with bail.
Mr. BRODERIP observed, that it was evident the quarrel which had
taken place since the parties had come ashore had influenced Lancaster
in coming forward, and he ought not to have slept so long over the affair
before he preferred the complaint. He had nothing to do with any dis-
putes between the officers and the seamen, and sat there to administer
impartial justice between both parties, and would not be influenced by
any feeling which existed elsewhere on the subject. The complainant
was doing no more than his duty, and obeying the orders of his Cap-
tain, when he endeavoured to place Weir on the poop, and put him in
irons ; and as the assault had been distinctly sworn to, and not dis-
proved, it was his duty to hold the defendant to bail, himself in 201.
and two sureties in 101. each, to answer the charge at the next Admiralty
Sessions. . _

UNIOII.IIALL.—On Sunday morning, between nine and ten o'clock,
a riot of a very serious nature took place in Kent-street, between a mob
and several of the new police. In the course of the above morning se-
veral men had been drinking in a public-house, and, *disturbance hav-
ing commenced amongst them, three men belonging to the new police
went into the house with a view of suppressing it. They, however, had
scarcely entered the place when the fury of the rioters was turned on
them, and they were driven into the street and attacked by the party.
The riot still continuing in the house, the policemen, determined endo-
ing their duty, again attempted to take the principal tioters into cue-
tody, and in their endeavours were again repulsed by the mob, until a

strong reinforcement from the station-house came to the spot, and, after
tadisaral
a most determined resistance on the part of the the suc-
ceeded, at length, in securing twenty-two of the
In escorting the party of offenders to the s the beta
the utmost difficulty, 4 they were hooted, and pied with stones and
mud by the enraged multitude, whose feelings assessd to be excited to
the highest degree against the constables. The pass, however, suc-
ceeded in lodging the whole of the above number in de station-house,
and they were brought before Mr. HON! and Mr. ELYAILD, yes.
terday morning, and those who were prominent in the affair were
held to bail.
In the course of the investigation, a papa signed by 23 of the folio-
Wants of Hent.otreet was banded to the Biesta, stating that the
police themselves were the chief cause of the riot and diMthana that
had occurred on the preceding morning, and that those individuals
whose signatures were attached to the paper wee ready to come forward
to prove the truth of their statement. The paper alluded to contained
a charge of very great violence on the part of policeman No. 158, letter
M, towards a man named Harvey, who it was alleged had been cruelly
and unjustifiably beaten about the head and body with a truncheon by
Weaselled. This charge was spedally inquired intostab4 the Magi&
hates, as the man who was thus treed media le cu
The policeman stated, that the deliedeet Haney was map& in the
riot that took place on Sunday mseakag in Bent.strest, but *dabs then
escaped. In the afternoon of the seise de% however, ha was olds ob-
served in the same street by the wise went up to Ns ter the
purpose of taking him into woody, but had no mast laid hands
upon him for this purpose, dam be was edlined mg Meek by that
man. A scuffle then ensued between than, dodo( whits the police.
man was kicked and beaten. By this time a mob had col kiwi, and an
attempt was made to rescue the defendant, in do midst of which the
policeman had the utmost difficulty in still keeping bold of him.—
Other policemen then came to his assistance, and en the way to the
station-house the mob conducted themselves with the pealed violence
towards the police, whom they pelted with missiles d every description,
and wrenched the staff out of the hands of policeman 158, and the in-
strument was destroyed, accompanied by the loud hums of the rioters.
After encountering difficulties and resistance of no slight description,
the defendant was also placed in the station-house by the policemen.
The above in substance was the account given of the affair by the
different policemen examined. In contradiction to their statement,
however, some of the inhabitants were examined, and they described
that the police behaved with violence, and asserted that one of them
was drunk on the occasion. This assertion was, however, denied by
the superintendent and inspectors, who declared that the charge of
drunkenness was without foundation. None of the inhabitants were
enabled to state that Harvey, the defendant, was not engaged in the
riot.

The Magistrates said that the neighbourhood of Rent.street was no.
torious for riots and other offences. It appeared that the policemen had
not in this instance by any means exceeded their duty, which was at-
tended with mach peril, particularly in the place spoken of, and they
should uniformly meet with that assistance they required when they con.
ducted themselves with firmness and propriety in the execution of it.
An immense crowd assembled ,during the day in the street before the
office, in consequence of the proceedings of the rioters.
LAXIIETH•STREIT.—Yesterday John Ma/hen, a journeyman
butcher, was charged with assaulting Mr. Gule, the churchwarden of
St. George's in the Rest.
Mr. Gole stated that on Saturday last, while he was-standing in his
own house, he heard a noise as if horses were galloping furiously, and
at the same moment a cry of distressfrom some individual. He ran
out, and observed an old man lying in the road groaning dread-
fully, who stated that he had been ridden over by the defend.
ant and another man. Some persons having witnessed the transac.
I don, stopped the men, and witness insisted that they should mom.
pany him to his house and give their addresses. One of them readily
complied, but the other, on being asked, said, Oh, yes, here's my ad-
dress, you at the same time striking him (Mr. G.) a blow which '
knocked him down. The defendant, on being seized by some hymen&
els, made a desperate resistance, and it required the united strength of
four men to force him into witness's parlour, for the purrpoase of obtain.
ing his direction. The magistrate, as one mode of teaching him int. I
inanity, inflicted the highest penalty of the law, M. for the offence, or
to send him to prison for two months, leaving him also open to the man
I whom he had injured to seek his remedy.
A serious charge of assault and riot was made by four policemen of
division H. against a journeyman baker, named Andrew Larkin.
One of the policemen stated that, about one o'clock on Sunday morn.
ing, he and another constable were coming down Cable-street with two
girls In custody, and when they came close to the Hoop and Grapes
public house, one of the girls, who was intoxicated, called out for some
man, when instantly upwards of thirty persons, among whom was the
prisoner,i sallied out of the public house and attacked them, and rescued
the girls. The mob then commenced throwing stones at them, and one
of them was knocked down. At this time three other policemen came
to their assistance, and such was the violence of the mob, which had in.
creased to nearly one hundred persons, that their lives were in the most
imminent danger.
In corroboration of this, one of thepolicemen exhibited a large stone,
which he said had been thrown at his head, and by which he was 'mocked
down. On rising, the prisoner struck him on his nose, and blackened
both his eyes. He was subsequently knocked down, kicked in the
most brutal manner while on the ground, and nearly strangled with
his belt.

Mr. Walker said he should fine him bl. or send him to prison for two
months.

Quanw-anuana.....Yeaterday, Daniel Hay, a labouring man, was
charged with violently assaulting and kicking Margaret Bryant; and
Mary Roland, a sister of the defendant, was charged with assaulting her.
Between eleven and twelve o'clock on the previous evening, a police
constable saw Mary Roland quarrelling with the complainant, and the
defendant Hay rushed past them, knocked the complainant down, and
then kicked her violently.
Hay. in his defence, said that his sister was carrying some beer, when
Mrs. Bryant and hes husband insisted upon drinking some of it, which
was resisted, when Dlr. Bryant used very bad language towards his
sister.

Mr. Wurrie—But if he had used such language, that was no reason
you should knock the poor woman down, and kick her in such a brutal
manner. _ _

The Magistrates, after consulting, ordered Daniel Ray to find sureties
for his appearance at the Sessions to answer the charge, and to give 48
hours' notice of bail. The female was discharged, on the payment of fts.
for the assault.