Star.
London, England, 1818-09-21 00:00:00

POLICE.

BOW-STRERT—IMPOSITION, FRAUD, AND FORORRY.
—Fridav private information was received at Bow-
street, by R. BIRNIR, Esq. that a great number of fe-
males of the lowest class of Irish, were going about
the country with forged passes, purporting that they
were the wives of soldiers in his Majesty s service,
' and thereby obtairing sums of money from Overseers,
Churchwardens, and Magistrates, to an amount al-
most incredible ; indeed, there is every reason to be-
lieve, that within the last two months, a sum not less
than five hundred pounds has been paid to different
persons with forged passes, by parish officers, within
thirty miles of London.—Lavender and Bishop being
put in possession of some particulars, made inquiries
by which they obtained such information as led them
to request the Magistrate to issue a warrant to search
a house in St. Giles's, from which they suspected the
misthief had emanated. A warrant was granted,
and Lavender, Bishop, Salmon, and a number of pa-
trole, hastened to execute it. The house is situate in
Church-street, St. Gaes's ; and the officers knowing,
by experience, the determined resistance they were
likely to meet with, took with them sufficient force
to render all resistance unavailing. They surroun-
ded the house, while Bishop, Lavender, and Salmon
went into the premises ; the officers heard some
voices on the first floor, and without giving any pre-
iions alarm, they broke open the door and entered
the apartment, and discovered five persons, two men
and three women, manufacturing forged passes.—
Their names are Barney itTDou,gall, Thomas Williams,
Mary Fisher, Kelly Quin, and Ann Duggan. The
officers also found blank passes ready for filling up ;
ethers signed with the names of different parish offi-
cers, Magistrates, and Mayors of different borough-
towns. Others sealed and filled up with fictitious
names of females, purporting to be the wives of sol-
diers in his Majesty's service, sealed and signed by
Magistrates. The room in which the business was
carried on, was rented by Kelly Quin, for which he
paid four shillings and sixpence per week. Each
individual had a separate task. Barney Mllougall
was employed in filling up blank passes. Williams,
who is clerk to this concern, was employed in forg-
ing Magistrates names to the passes which Nl'llourgall
bad filled up. Mary Fisher was employed in cutting
pieces of blue paper in the shape of a diamond, for the
purpose of affixing on the seal, in imitation of the
passes issued by the Police Magistrates ; and Ann
Duggan was employed in sealing them. The officers
seized about 200 forged passes, a number of which
had been used, and the signatures of the parish offi-
cers, with the amount of the money paid, was written
upon them. The officers secured the party, and
conveyed them before the Magistrate. They denied
all knowledge of the papers which the officers pro-
duced. The officers gave evidence of the manner
they discovered the prisoners employed when they
entered the room, and they were committed for ex-
atnination on a future day. A Solicitor belonging
to one of the Government Offices attended for the
purpose of assisting in the prosecution of the priso-
ners, it being the determination of the Home Depart-
ment, to put a stop to these frauds, by making an
example of those in custody, if it is possible for ex-
ample to have that desirable effect.
A very interesting young female, apparently not
more than 17 years of age, was brought to this Office,
charged by her own mother, a woman of most re-
spectable connections, residing in the Strand, with
• having, at different times, plundered her of property
to a large amount. The mother, as well as her ex-
treme agitation would permit, stated the following
circumstances :—Her husband, the father of the pri-
soner, died when the latter was about nine years of
age, and left her, with three other children, to be
supported by the mother. Every attention was paid
to the education of the children, and especially to
that of the prisoner, who was somewhat of a favou•
rite. She always seemed sensible of the kindness
that was shewn her, and her behaviour was most du-
tiful and proper, until about a year ago, when she
unfortunately became acquainted with a man named
Rotherton, who represented himself to be a Captain
in the Army, upon half-pay. Upon his being intro-
duced by the prisoner to her mother, the latter invi-
ted him to become a visitor at her house. Taking
advantage of this invitation he came, and remained
several hours at the house every day, and sought
every opportunity of taking the young girl from her
home to places of public amusement of an evening.
This intimacy at length proved fatal to the virtue of
the daughter, and the behaviour of the latter from
that moment was the total reverse of what it had al-
ways been before. She was haughty in her manner;
and, upon being slightly rebuked, she would conduct
herself in the most violent manner, abusing her mo-
ther, and bestowing upon her the most disgraceful
epithets. Within the last three months she (the mo-
ther) missed many articles of considerable value;
principally jewellery and wearing apparel, from her
house, and at length, upon inquiry, she discovered
that they had been stolen and pledged by her daugh-
ter, the prisoner, and she had every reason to believe
that the produce of these articles went to support the
vile seducer, who she had lately learned was no more
than an adventurer, he never having been in the
Army at all. She put up with these losses in the
hope that her daughter would listen to her remon-
tzrances and amend her conduct; but it was of no use,
and on Thursday evening, having detected her in the
act of • carrying away her (the mother's) own watch
and seals, she gave her in charge of an officer.—The
Magistrate observed, that this was one of the most la-
mentable cases he ever recollected, and asked the
prisoner what she could have to say in answer to the
weighty charges which had been rreferred against
her f—The girl, with a sn:i'e, said, she would do
the same again, and ten times mere, "to assist her
dear Mr. 11.'—At this answer the unfortunate mo-
ther dropped senseless into the arms of an officer, and
was conveyed out of the Office.—The Magistrate,
after giving the prisoner a most severe admonition,
which however seemed to have no effect upon her,
ordered her to be remanded till a futurb day, and to
be kept in close confinement, without a single person
being allowed to see her.

At the conclusion of the Middlesex Sessions on
Thursday, 1% persons were discharged by procla-
mation, against whom no human being appeared to
prosecute. Several had been eight months in custody.

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OLD 4,tarr-szsszoss.
On Saturday the CO)1110/1 S2IIL TEA poolieiled
to pass sentence upon the following prisoners, wito,
with the.. single efieption of William Sadler, (vilto
was convicted by the verdict of a Jury), pleaded
Guilty to the minor offence of, having forged Bank
of England notes in their possession, knowing them
to be forged. The Bank abandoned the capitaTprose-
cutions, on their pleading guilty to the minor charge:
Maria Wilkes, aged 21'; William aMrters, 9a ; William
Wilkes, 21 ; James Yeowell, 19 ; John Dunn, 18 ; James Da.
las, 23 ; Jane Williams, 25; Sarah Ireland, 20 ; Charles Bans
come, 25; John Anderson, 20 ; Henry Way, 27 ; Jnhn Wat-
son, 19; Benjamin Tatham Willis, 21 ; Thomas Owen, 17;
Wiliam Quln, 16 ; Thomas Seeney, 17 ; James Wolfe, 16;
Joseph Turner, 21 ; William Sadler, 20 ; Edward New, 18 ;
and Joseph Longwood, 20.
The COMMON SERJEAXT, in passing sentence of
,transportation for fourteen years upon the prisoners,
observed that they had all, except Milian? Sadler,
who had suffered his case to go to trial, confessed
themselves guilty of the crime of having forged
Bank of England notes in their possession, knowing
them to be forged, and availed themselves of the,
humanity of the Bank, the Directors of which were
willing not to proceed capitally against them on a
confession of guilt to the minor charge. They ought
to feel the force of the mercy thus extended to them
by the prosecutors ; for had the capital charges been
persevered in against them, and convictions ensued,
their lives would have been the inevitable forfeit which
the law would have enforced for their crimes.

The greater past of the prisoners seemed perfectly
indifferent while sentence was passing upon them.—
About seven more gill remain to be sentenced for
the same offence.

Thomas Winks, a coachman, was indicted for steal-
ing eleven 1/. notes, the property of Matthew Brady,
on the 28th of August. It appeared that the prose-
cutor, who is servant to a Mr. Spencer, at Ealing,
had hired the coach which the defendant drove, and
which belongs to the famous Caleb Baldwin, the
boxer. He was accompanied by another person,
whom he described as his brother; when they ar-
rived at the place of destination, the prosecutor
found that he had lost his notes, which he recollected
taking out of his pocket at Notting-hill, to look for
the turnpike ticket. The prisoner produced three of
the notes at the public-house at Ealing.
In his defence, he put in a paper, which stated
that he found four notes at the bottom of the coach,
which he conceived he was obliged to keep to deliver
up to the Commissioners of Hackney Coaches, or
subject himself to a penalty of 501. and therefore Ile
did not produce them until the prosecutor demanded
them. Several most respectable witnesses gave him
an excellent character for honesty. His master, Ca-
leb Baldwin, concurred in their testimony.
Mr. VAILLANT, who presided as Judge, read over
the evidence against the prisoner.
The Jury, after consulting some time, found the
prisoner Guilty, but recommended him to mercy, on
account of " his extraordinary good character."
Thomas Dover, a boy of 12 years old, was found
Guilty of breaking the window of a Mr. Fox, in the
Haymarket, and stealing a parse, value 7s.
John Thomas Littleton Burton Williams, aged 24,
was indicted capitally for breaking and entering the
dwelling-house of James Deboux, and stealing therein
a quantity of wearing apparel and several articles of
plate, in the parish of Edmonton, on the night of
the 9th of Jude last.

Mary Freshwater, servant to the prosecutor, proved I
the burglary having taken place on the night in
question.
The prosecutor detailed the articles of property
he had lost, amounting in the whole to above 7C/.1
and swore 'to a pair of boots which the prisoner had
on when he was apprehended as being his property.
William Taylor, a boy in the employment of the'
prosecutor, stated, that on the 9th of June, in the
evening, he saw the pri3oner and two other men get
off the Edmonton stage. He observed one of thew
point to Mr. Deboues house, and heard him say,'
" This is the house." The prisoner took hold of him
by the arm, and said, " Come along, you fool."
The prisoner, in his defence, said, he purchased
the boots, and had repaired them. He called two
witnesses to prove that he had been in the habit of
wearing top-boots long before the robbery was com-
mitted.

The COMMON SERJEANT summed up; and the Jury
instantly found the prisoner—Guilty—Death.
He was again indicted capitally, for breaking and
entering the dwelling-house of John Catchpool, on
the night of the 25th of June, and stealing therein
twelve silver spoons, nine table-cloths, seven shirts,
a watch, and a variety of other articles, amounting
in the whole to above 44)1. his property.
Mr. PLATT stated die circumstances of the case to
the Jury. The prosecutor is a Member of the So-
ciety of Friends, and lived in the parish of Edmon-
ton. On the morning in question, about three o'clock,
William Main, a labourer, living opposite Mr. Catch-
pool's, saw two men walking backwards and for-
wards and looking towards Mr. C:s house. On
coming down stairs he saw the prisoner going to
hide a bundle in the shrubbery ; he tied the bundle,
and was returning towards the house, when Main
asked him what o'clock it was? and he said just gone
three. Witness went into his house, and coming out
met him again towards prosecutor's house, and as he
passed prosecutor's house he heard a noise, as if doors
and locks were being broken open. He went a little
farther, and met Matthew Butterton, and they went
to the shrubbery and took one bundle from thence;
and on their return they saw a man come out of Mr.
Catchpeol's house, and go towards the village;
they pursued him, and in the course of that pursuit
they saw three men, who ran as fast as they could, ,
and one of them threw a bundle away. They pursued
them for nearly a mile, and then caught the prisoner
in the middle of a field ; he made a stout resistance,
and struck Main a violent blow with a stick ; but
finding resistance ineffectual, be called to the other,
two for assistance, but they ran away, regardless of
his solicitation. The bundles were produced, and
their contents were proved to be the property of Mr.
Catchpool.
The prisoner in his defence, said he was going to
look for work, and he met two men, who gave him
2s. 6d. to carry the bundle to town; but as they were
coming along, they told him to put it in the shrub-
bery, which he did.
The COMb/ON SERJEANT in summing up the evi-

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*nee to tlte'Sury, said they were bound to dismiss
the burglary from their consideration, as it was
proved by the evidence of Main that it was day-light
when he, first saw them before the pmsecutor's house.
Independent of this there was no witness, except the
prosecutor, to prove the security of the house the
night before, and as the prosecutor was a Quaker,he
WAS not put into the box to speak to that fact. •
The Jury immediately found the prisoner guilty of
stealing to the amount of 10s. in the dwelling house.
The COMMON SELMA NT observed to the prisoner,
that both both these cases must necessarily be repre-
sented to the Prince Regent therefore, as a friend,'
he would advise him to prepare for that ignominious
end which in all probability awaited him. The pri-
soner, on hearing this, began to cry very much.
Mr. A R A BI SI stated to the Court that above tweet:
burglaries had been committed in that neighbour-
hood before the prisoner was taken up, and it was a
little extraordinary that not one had been committed
since his apprehension.
John Christopher Pytvell, a person of some noto-
' riety as a hose-dealer, was indicted for feloniously
stealing a warrant for the payment of 03/. the pro-
, perty of Captain Clarke, It. N. A second count
charged the prisoner wish stealing from the prose-
cutor two Bank-notes for the payment of 501. each,
and three 11. notes.

It appeared that the prisoner, who was very smartly
dressed for the occasion, was one of those advertising
horse-dealers commonly called Chaanters," whose
advertisements in the newspapers present a very at-
tractive description of the cattle for sale. In answer
to an advertisement of this description, the prosecu-
tor sent his groom to the Angel-inn, Fleet-mat ket,
where the latter was shewn a bay mare, by a groom
named Giblen; with whom it was agreed to purchase
the animal at the price of 60 guineas, with a war-
ranty of perfect soundness, and two days' trial, or
the money to be returned. On the sth instant, the
prosecutor's servant attended at the Angel-inn, with
an injunction to pay the money into the hands of the
innkeeper. He was introduced to the prisoner, who
said he was the master of the Inn, and a check for
the money was paid into his hands, Giblen, the
groom, giving a receipt for the money. The mare
was then driven out of the Inn-yard ; but she had not
gone many paces before she was found to be dead
lame, and utterly useless: subsequent inquiry was
made for the prisoner, but he was not to be found,
and it was discovered that he was not the master or
The Angel Inn. He was afterwards apprehended.
The COMMON SERJRANT was of opinion, under
the circumstances of the case, that an indictment
for felony could not be sustained, and therefore di-
rected an acquittal.

Saturday evening, Crisp, the pedestrian, completed
his task, at Newbury, of walking 75 miles a day for
six days successively. His next attempt, it seems, is,
to walk from London to York in forty-eight hours.

Sunday, Mary Bagshaw, a young woman, about
twenty years of age, residing in Richard-street, Chat-
ham, fell under the fire-place in a fit, when her bosom
was SO dreadfully burnt before she was discovered,
that little hopes are entertained of her recovery.
Wednesday night, a young man, most fashionably
dressed, went to the Coach and Horses inn at Plais-
tow, in Essex, and, after ordering and disposing of
an excellent supper, retired to rest in one of tie best
beds of the house. In the middle of the night he
arose, packed up several articles of silver plate, and
'other property to the amount of nearly £3O, belonging
to the randlady, with which he got clear off, and has
not since been heard of.

SHAKESPEARE..—The admirers of Shakespeare--,
and what Englishman does not admire and revere his
transcendant genius ? will rejoice to hear, that an
original Portrait of the Poet has just been brought to
light. It is painted in miniature, in the stile of Hil-
liard, a celebrated artist of that age, whose works are
well known to Connoisseurs, and from its spirit and
truth it displays the hand of a master. It has been
shewn to the President of the Royal Academy, to Sir
T. Lawrence, Mr. Owen, Mr. Shee, Mr. Th om son, and
other eminent judges, who all concur in pronouncing
it to be an original Portrait of the immortal Bard.—
This little treasure is now the property of Sir J. Bland
Burgess, to whom it has descended though his mo-1
ther s family, and by mere accident it was lately dis-
covered in an old cabinet formerly belonging to that
lady. It bears a general resemblance to the best busts
of Shakespeare, but it differs from the Chandos oil pic-
ture, which has hitherto been considered as authentic,
the miniature being painted with light coloured hair.
It is set in gold, and enamelled in good taste.
MR. COCKRELL.—The following declaration has
been made to the Police of Brussels, by .Ir. CCCK-
HELL, the attack on whom we lately mentioned :
" The assassin, on entering my chamber, said, that
he came to pay the rent of the house occupied by Ma-
dame Montaud. I observed to him, that besides this
rent lie had also to pay that of a cellar, and 14. francs,
which I had paid for water. On this he became in-
solent, and denied that I should make such a claim.
I told him that it was my wish to postpone the ques-
tion until the following day, that I might be enabled
to send some one who could speak French to explain
the affair to Madame Montaud. He then left my
house, and I went out at the same time. Some mi-
nutes after Madame Montaud herself came, and in-
quired of a boy in my service if I were at home. On
my return I found her at my door ; she said she had
come to pay her rent. I repeated to her what I had
already said to her domestic; that I had spoken.to
friend, with whom 1 should go on the following day
to her house to explain the affair to herself. But
Madame Montaud persisted in wishing to pay me the
rent, otherwise she would deposit it in the hands of al
Notary. At the moment I had signed the receipt
the assassin again entered, saying, ‘.'ou have treated
me with contempt.' It is you, I replied, who are be-
ginning again to insult me. No, Sir,' said he, I
have been 12 years in the service of France, and you
would now thrust me from your house.' Saying this,
he drew from his left pocket two small pistols, with
one of which he fired at me. I fortunately had time
to turn his arm; he teen fired the other pistol, which
I also had the good fortune to escape. He then
struck me several times with a bayonet. The little
boy who was with me fled. crying out, d l'Assassin
On which the assassin left me, and escaped through
tee street-door."—The Editor of The Cosntopditeadas,
that the assassin was in the service of 31a1Montand.
Hopes are entertained of Mr. CociirtzLes recovery.