Star.
London, England, 1811-09-18 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS, SEPTEMBER 17.

Peer Robert:on was indicted for forcibly obstruct-
ing Charles Rowe, an officer of the Customs, in the
execution of Ws duty. Mr. KNAPP stated that the
present prosecution was commenced by order of the
Board of Customs, who conceived it necessary to
grant every protection to the officers employed by
them, when engaged in the performance of their offi-
cial duties. On the arrival of ships in the river
Th imes, it was necessary that they should be visited
by a proper officer, to examine whether any contra.
band goods were- contained on board. The defen-,
dant was Captain of a vessel called the Pomona,
which, on its arrival in the London Docks, was vi.
sited by Mr. Rowe, the prosecutor, whe held a situa-
tion in the Customs. As the defendant doubted h:s
authority to search the vessel in the usual manner,
the prosecutor displayed the warrant under which he
acted. This, however, did not satisfy Mr. Robert-
sen, who, to pi4vent the prosecutor from searching,
as he was entitled to do, locked his cabin door, and
refused to grant him admittance. The Board of
Customs, had, therefore, determined to bring him be.
fore a Jury of his country, that he might be taught
not to interrupt their officers in future. Mr. ALLEY,
for the defendant, stated, that _he could not deny the
fact alledged ; it had originated, however, entirely
through mistake, and was not attributable to any cri-
minal intention. The defendant, who was the last
man in the world that would attempt to obstruct a
Custom-house Officer, felt extremely sorry for what
had occurred, and, as no violence had been resorted
to, he hoped his Learned Friend would be sat sfied
with a verdict of guilty, and not press upon the Court
the necessity for a severe punishment.
To this -Mr. KNAPP agreed. The Jury returned
a verdict of Guilty, and the Court sentenced the de-
fendant to pay a tine of One Shilling.

r.Atuns IMV•
John Smith was indicted for extorting the sum of
Bd. from William Curtis, Esq. on the 31st of March
last, at the Bell Turnpike-gate, Pentonville. Mr.
Curtis, it appeared, had set out in his laadati,- on the
morning of the 31st of March, to visit his father SirW.
Curtis, at Southgate. He resided in Portland-place,
and at the top of Portland mu!, he paid the West-'
minster SunclAy Toll, amounting to Bd. for which he
received two tickets, the one for his horses, marked
Westminster Toll, 1152 ;" the other for the lan-
dau, marked Paddington to Islington, letter H."
These tickets, according to the regulation of the Acts
•hi bii

of Parliament under which the trust was est: _dished, Prisoner decamped on the 20th of July, since whichought to have secured him a free passege along the ,
i Adkins had been after him to Yarmouth and other
line of the NVestnainster Sunday Toll, from Padding.. , places, and at length discovered him in a :louse in
ton to Islington, and a board, containing an inscrip. (..,
' arden-conrt, St. George's fields, between a bed and
tion to that effect, was placed at every toll-house, bedstead, with an immoderately fat woman sitting
connected with that trust. In his progress towards upon him.
Southgate, when he arrived at Bell gate, where the p Berry was charged with endeavonring to seduce
defendant was toll-collector, he was refused permis. : G. Einghes, a bey et 16, to desert from the 24th re-
sion to pass, unless he paid eightpence. The prose- i giment. He arrived in London on Moseley after-
cuter immediately stated, that he had paid at the noon, with a party of his regiment, and lost them,
top of Portland-toad, which cleared him to Isling- , and meeting g with the prisoner asked him if he had
ten, and directed his servant to exhibit the tickets he
seen them ?. when the. pees met endeavoured to per.
had received. The defendant examined the tickets
suede him to enter into the Marines and get the
and observed, " that they did not do there, as it seas
a separate oust," and persisted in his demand —Mr. bounty, which he refused to agree to ; the prisoner,
Ma-
Cu cautioned him to take care of what he was however, insisted upen going for a Serjeent of MA-
doing, as he would certainly have the business inves- * rifles to enlist him ; but the lad, in the mean time,
tigated, and desired him particularly to examine the procered a constable. and he was taken into custody
on his return. He was committed for trial.
board which was placed on the gate, where it was ,
t Mary King was committed, charged with stealing
specified " that one payment was sufficient to free a
carriage on the whole line from Paddington to Isling- a dollar, and several articles of plate, the property of
ton."—His remonstrance was vain, he was obliged Mr. Turner, of Hart-street, Covent G Aden, with
whom she lived servant, and absconded with the pro-
to pay Bd. William Bank, the servant of the prose-
cutor, fully cot edsorated his master's statement.— , perry a few evenings since.
UN lON-H A LL.—A New MODE nr ROBBING. lamer
Before he shewed the tickets, he stated the number • Dale,
to be 1152, but the mistake was immediately recti. a chimney-sweeper, was charged by Goff, on
tied by producing them. He delivered the letter H. suspicion of having committed divers felonies. It
Correct. After an ingenious defence by Mr. KNAPP, ' appeared that several houses in tbe Borough have re-
the Jury found the defendant Guilty.—Mr. KNAPP cently been entered during the night, by some persons
then took an objection to the record. He argued conniving to get on the roof, and descending down
that the crime of extortion could not apply to any the chimney. A few nights since the house of Mr.
Stewartson, the haberdasher, was entered in this man-
officer, unless he was recognised by the common law,
net: the robber found his way into the kitchen, which
and connected with the administration of Justice.—
The Court over-ruled the objection. The first part of is on the first floor, and though in the dark, it appears
Hawkins's definition of the crime fully covered the the cupboard did not escape his notice, as a lerge
quantity of bread and cheese was discovered to have
present offence. Extortion was there stated to be, in
vanished, by the servant, on her coming down next
an extended sense, the procuring mornin
any thing under the
Stewart-
colour of sight. The Jury, without any hesitation,' son's, in g
which was a gown pattern cut out of fine
. A morocco thread-case of Mrs.
found the defendant guilty, and he was then sentenced ' rover,
the softness of which prebably induced the
to Two Months Imps temment. I thief to think he had got a parcel of bank notes, was
George Davis was indicted for procuring the sum also taken away. nom this house, he went to Ms.
of RI Is. from Frederick Grumbaich, under false Freeman's, where he again descended, end found a
pretences, on the 20th of April last. It appeared . more valuable booty, viz. four silver spoons and a
from the evidence of Frederick Grumbaich, the prose-, vegetable fork ; and here probably discovering his
cum:. a Swedish seaman, that on his arrival in Lou. , error with respect to the thread-case, he-left that and
don, in April last, he applied to one (Allis ship: mates A pocketeknife behind him. He next went to the house
to recommend him to some person who could procure I of Mr. Bishop, where he had removed the chimney-
him a proper Admiralty protection, both for sea and 1 pot preparatory to Isis descendiae ; when it is sup-
land, as he had lost that which had been originally I posed he was interrupted,' as he retreated without ef-
granted to him as a foreign seaman. His companion,l tecting his purpose. On the same eight he went to
in consequence of this application, took him to the I a public-house in the Kent-road, called " The world
office of the defendant, in East Smithfield—to him he turned upside down," where, as usual, he descended
applied for a protection, and he received a paper, for
I; by the chimney, and finding nothing better, content-
which he paid him a guinea.. ed himself with a bag, containing £3 worth of 'tied
The witness having identified the paper he received, : halfpence. On Goff being applied to, his suspicion
Captain Richbell, the Director of the Impress Service i fell on the prisoner, who Ise.-i been seen with a quan.
in the Port of London, who was in the habit of dis- tity of light halfpence in his possession : these suspi-
tributing the Admiralty protections to foroigners, de- cions were increased, when, on examining the knife,
posed, that the paper which had been given to Grstm. the prisoner's initials, and the representation of a •
baich was not an Admiralty protectionee-Mr. Hob- house with a chimney on fire, were discovered upon
ler, Clerk at the Mansion House, deposed that the it. Under these circurnstancei the prisoner was appre-
signature of the Lord Mayor, before whom the lustre- (fended. At Mr. Stewertson's, the impression of a
meat purported to have been sworn, was not his man's naked foot 'was left on the flootecloth, which,
writing. on being compared, agrees in size with the prison. r s
Mr. Aennews, on t'se part of the defendant, con- foot: a woman, also, who lived with him, knew the
tended, that though he had acted wrong, still his case knife to be hie. He was committed for re.exn,••:-- •
melts the stature which - - the

did not come punished
procuring of gnods or money under film pretences.
-That, stAtute was enacted to protect the public uplo-

those who went about with subtite deviCei to
trachoma' and ()Ultra. The defendant had-sot dos.—