Star.
London, England, 1821-10-18 00:00:00

POLICE.

Mattatotaiousz.—.Yesterday Philip Nathan was
brought up, when a woman stated, that last Friday
he had seduced her daughter, sixteen years of age,
from her home, on a promise of marrying her, al-
though he has a wife and four children already; and
that be and her daughter had taken away everything
that was moveable. The prisoner positively denied
having a wife, and declared it was his determination
to marry the daughter as soon as possible; he also
denied that the daughter had taken anything but her
own clothes. He positively refused to tell where the
girl was, but said he would go to her with an officer,
so satisfy his Lordship that she remained with him
without any force. An officer was accordingly dis-
patched with the prisoner and brought the girl, who
made no difficulty in declaring that she was living
with the prisoner entirely with her own consent, and
that the would net leave him: she added, that they
were soon to be married, for Philip told her he had
put up their names in church. When informed that
he was already married, she refused to credit it. On
seeing her father, she burst into tears, and declared
she would never return home to her parents, who,
she said, she was sure would murder her. The pa-
rents both assured the LORD MAYOR they had al.
ways treated her with the greatest tenderness, and
that she had behaved in the best manner till she be-
came acquainted with the prisoner. They declared,
if his Lordship would order their child to be restored
to them, that they would never even upbraid her
with her folly. The LORD MAYOR told the prisoner
it was impossible to give him credit when he said he
intended to marry the victim of his seduction; for no
man, whose intentions towards a woman are honour-
'able, will seek to disgrace her. His Lordship or-
dered the girl to be delivered up to her parents.
GUlLDHALL—Yesterday a man decently dressed,
and a boy about thirteen years old, his son, were
charged with stealing two pair of boots. Mr.
Hedges, a boot-maker, in Dorset-street, Salisbury-
square, and his rid, stated that on Tuesday the boy
came in with the following note:—" Step directly to
the Chapter Coffee-house, in Paternoster-row, to mea-
sure a Gentleman for boots. You are recommended."
Mr. Hedges went, and after he had been gone about
ten minutes, the elder prisoner came into the shop,
and said he was sent by Mr. Hedges for a pair of
boots hanging at the door, and the pair with paper
over the tops, which the lad delivered to him. He,
however, soon thought it was not right, and ran out,
to follow him, when he met his matter; they ran dif-
ferent ways, and the boy overtook the prisoners in
Earl-street. He called, out, and they ran till they
were stopped on Bennet's-hill by Canham, the street-
keeper. The father had the boots, worth £4 10s. in
a bag. The prisoner said he was a bookbinder, but
the trade being very bad, he was now selling milk;
he bad an ailing wife and six children, and this was
his first and only offence. Mr. Hedges interceded
for him; but Alderman Scholey said it was shocking
to see a father training up his son in the high road
to the gallows; that it was only on a very strong
case indeed being
i made out that he should be in-
duced to overlook t. Mr. Hedges promised to make
a minute inquiry into the circumstances of the priso-
ners, and they were remanded.
Bow•srn EET.—Eighteen boys, none if them more
than eight years of age, and a little girl, were
brought up on Bench warrants, for the purpose of
putting in bail to answer to an indictment for a riot.
—Sir Mortara/ BIRNIR called the defendants before
him seriatim. The first was " William Grant, la-
bourer," and the call was answered by a little urchin
eight years old. This " labourer" was followed in
succession by the remainder of the boys. Lastly came
"Jane Stevens, spinster," a child of about the same
age as the "labourer." Sir RICHARD litasta. in-
quired what was the meaning of this? Mrs. Euphe-
mia Middleton, a lady apparently on the verge of 70,
then presented herself, and with great rapidity of
articulation related sundry annoyances which she had
suffered from the defendants. Every day, during
the time that the Queen ." was lying dead," these
youngsters, with others to the number of 700 or
more, assembled about her house, called her all sorts
of infamous names, and some threatened to murder
her, while others swore that she was a a itch, and
ought to be burnt. In short, she had no peace of,
her life. Sir RICHARD BIRNIR asked Mrs. Middle-
ton where she lived ? She said in Brompton-row.
Sir RicHARD—" And pray what is the meaning of all
this rioting, that you have so eloquently described ?"
—Mrs. Middleton, "That is the very thing I want
to find out."—Sir RICHARD—" But surely the farce
of bringing up children like these to a Police Office,
to he bound over, might have been avoided ?"—Mrs..
Middleton assured the worthy Magistrate her life
was in danger, and " punish them she would, let the
consequence be as it might." Several respectable
looking persons, who said they resided on the spot,
declared that the prosecutrix had be:aen several of
the children, and that she had brought the annoyance
upon herself by her own violence; and one of the
Gentlemen hinted, that Mrs. Middleton kept rather
an extensive assortment of cats and other animals,
for which she evinced a more than ordinary degree
of fondness, and this served as a sort of standing
joke among the neighbours; and another declared
that Mrs. Middleton was the most violent and med-
dlinf person in all Brompton. Sir RICHARD BIRNIE
—" That I can readily believe."—The father of one
of the boys said, it was but the other day that Mrs.
Middleton gave out to the neighbours, that she had
received orders from Lord Liverpool to send all the
inhabitants of Brompton to the Devil, and Govern-
ment would pay their travelling expenses! (A laugh).
Sir RICHARD BIRNIR said, these children were brought
up on Bench warrants, and he therefore could do
nothing less than order them to give bail; had it
been otherwise, he should have known how to act.—
" Here, officer," added the Magistrate, " take these
labourers and spinster, and let those who have friends
give bail, and those who have not may be discharged
on their own recognizance." Mrs. Middleton ap-
peared about to remonstrate, but the Magistrate told
her she had taken the right method to iiet herself
laughed at, and recommended her to retire, which
she accordingly did.
Henry Thompson was brought up for re-exami-
nation on the charge of uttering several forged checks.l
—Mr. Shackleton, a tallow-chandler, stated that thel
prisoner passed a check at his warehouse, in payment'
for some candles, which he directed to be sent to a
particular place. He received a balance of £6 9'.