Star.
London, England, 1826-03-31 00:00:00

BOW-STREET.

Wednesday evening, Mr. Arnold, the proprietor .f the Englisir
Opera House, and a Magistrate for Middlesex, preferred the fol-
lowing charge against a man, named Metcalfe, a street.keeper for
the Piazzas, and constable tiCovent-garden Theatre:—

Mr. Arnold stated, that as he was walking through the Piazzas
that evening, he beard the sound of a heavy blow, and, turning
round, saw a girl of about eleven years of age, and a cripple, pros.
trate on the ground, and the defendant standing over her with a
thick stick raised In his hand. The girl was screaming as if with pain,
and the witness thought the set so brutal and so unwarrantable in
an slicer, that he went up to Metcalfe and remonstrated, observ-
ing, that whatever might have been the conduct of the girl be could
have no right to treat her as be bad done. Metcalfe, in a rough
tome, replied that the girl was a young strumpet, and a pest to the
neighbourhood, and he should do his duty as be liked, without
being dictated to by any body. The witness told him that, if the
girl had committed any offence, if she was the character he de-
scribed, it was his duty to take her before the Magistrates—nothing
could justify the exercise of such brutality to sualren object. Met-
calfe became very insolent, and said, 14 Who are you, I should like
to know ?" Witness told him he was a Magistrate,and desired
that he would accompany him to Bow-street, and here account
for his conduct. On the way a crowd gathered about them, and
the defendant endeavoured by his language to excite a strong feel-
ing amongst the people against him (Mr. Arnold). The girl, who
seemed terribly afraid of the defendant, slipped away as they were
coming tolls. office.
In defence, Metcalfe said that the girl spoken of was one of a
gang of .young prostitutes, whose conduct and language were such
that the inhabitants of the neighbourhood were must shockingly
annoyed. He denied striking the girl.
Mr. Arnold declared that the defendant admitted having struck
the girt.
Sir lt. BIRNIZ and Mr. Mnosnort. both said that if the girl was
what the defendant described, it was his duty to have brought her
before them.

Metcalfe said, that if he were to bring every girl who behaved ill
all day long before their Worships, he shooks have nothing else to
do, and the Magistrates would be pestered to death.
After some conversadon, Sir IK. BUMS raid he was of opinion
that Metcalfe had been guilty of a violation of Ms duty of a gross
description, and the Magistrates, be thought, would not be doing
their duty if they were-not to mark the case in such a manner as to
hold out a warning to other oMcers. If they acted otherwise they
might fairly be accused of delegating power to men who hid beep
&mud to be capable of abusing it. He was of opinion that the de-
I Pendant ought to be suspended from his oifice.
Mr. Minstut.t. was of the lane opinion, and he was suspended
accordingly.
MARY-LA-BONNE.

Howard, a Constable of Mary-la-bonne parish, was ordered
to find bail for Making a forcible entry, in company with one Smith,
a broker, In order to distrain the goods of Mr. Gaskin, of Porunan-
greet', Edgeware-road. The defendant said, he supposed his own
recognizance was sufficient, but Mr. Griffiths refused, saying he
would convince Peace-officers that they were not with impunity to
break open people's houses ; and be wished it to be publicly known
that such conduct is unjustifiable.

3IARLBOROUGILStRCET. •
Yesterday being the day appointed for the re-examination of
John Owen' a young man of fashionable appearance, who has been
in custody for several days on a charge of stealing two gown pieces
of muslin from the shop of Mr. Woodhouse, Unto-draper in Oxford.
street, the Once was crowded, in consequence of the notice taken
in the public papers of the case. with tradespeople of various
descriptions, who had lost, or imagined they had t, property,
that might with the pawnbrokers' duplicates found its
the possession:arinisoner when apprehended and searched; a

arge assemblage of pawnbroben were also In atteliaanets. wii%
different articles pledged by the prisoner at their respective shop,.
Upon an inspection, bowever. of the several articles by the tra%les.
people, not one could identify any parte/ the property as belangiog
to him, and consequently no fresh charge was mark out agaiost time
prisoner, but he was sent off to prison under acoasodianout so We
his trial for the robbery in Mr. Wiodhouss's Mop