Star.
London, England, 1820-01-07 00:00:00

a'i;;;
•

LAW OTELLICENTR.

BOARD OF EXCISE, JANUARY 5. •
OBSTRUCTION OF OFFICER.-THE KING V. VOISET.
This was an information exhibited against the de-
fendant, who is a grocer, for obstructing J. Burton,
an Excise officer, in the execution of his duty. The
information, which is founded upon the 10th Geo. I.
cap. 10. subjects the accused party, on conviction, to
a penalty of f.:100, or not less than one fourth in mi-
tigation.
Mr. MAYO having stated the short facts of the case
ion the part of the Crown, produced the following
I evidence :
Burton, the officer, said, that on the day stated in
the information, he went, in pursuance of his duty, to
examine the stock of the -defendant. The latter is a.
retail grocer, living ia Ratcliff-highway. He arrived
at his house about two o'clock in the afternoon. It
was on a Saturday, and there were one or two cus-
tomers in the shop. As soon as he could speak to
Ithe defendant, ltelold him he was come to take his
stock. The defendant expressed great surprise, re:
fused to assist him, and tuvied his attention to the
customers. He again requested• him to proceed in
taking the stock, but be was only replied to with
abuse. The defendant manifested every degree of
opposition, and in the course of their conversation
called him " a liar, scoundrel, thief, and high-
, wayman," and told him he svould " physic him
tbi coming on a Saturday." After considerable
delay and opposition he succeeded in getting some
of the teas into the scale, but the defendant spewed
no dispchition to assist in getting thorn out. The
witness desired that the samples which were in
the windows might be taken out, but the de-
fendant would not suffer it. He proceeded, in eon-
sequence, to take them out himself, but was also re-
sisted in this by the defendant, who declared that no
man should take them out. After some further al-
tercation and delay, witness was at length compelled
to seek the aid of an officer, in order to enable him
to perform his duty. He was detained there more
than two hours, but had the proper facilities been
given him, he would have been enabled to take the
stock in about twenty minutes.
The witness underwent a long cross-examination
by the defendant, in the course of which he admit-
ted, that there were at times a number of "customers
in the shop, to whom, of course, Mr. Voisey could
not pay attention, if he applied himself solely to the
taking of the stock.
The defendant complained of the very inconvenient
time at which the officer visited his shop, and said,
that had he attended solely to him, he must have
turned all his customers adrift, and become subject
to a very severe loss. It was quite unusual, he said,
to-take stock on a Saturday. -
The Cower said, that they were far from desiring
that the officers should act arbitrarily, or put indivi-
duals to inconvenience; but they bad a duty to per,
form, and the Ad of Parliament was as imperative
upon them to take the stock, -keit was upon the de-
fendant and others to assist them in so doing.
Burton, the officer, being recalled, stated, that on
the day in question he marked the time by the *lock,
in Wellclose-square, not 200 yards from the defen-
dant's house.. It was two when he arrived there, and
past four when he left.
The Cover having deliberated for some time, said,
that the case appeared to be established, and, under
all the circumstances, they felt themselves bound to
inflict upon the defendant the mitigated penalty of a
fourth of the full sum, with arrimmation that he
might petition the Board, if he pleased, for a still
further remission.—Penalty, £2j.
IMITATIVE PEPPER.-Mr. Beard, a grocer, was
charged with having in his possession a quantity of
imitative pepper. His defence was, that the article
produced in evidence was not hii, and must have
been conveyed into his place by some evil-disptr.ed
person, if not the officer.—He was fined in the
penalty. of £lO.
Mr. Dowling, a grocer, was charged with a simi•
lar offence, namely, having a quantity of spurious
pepper in his possession. The defendant pleaded that'
he had before been convicted by the Court, and'
trusted that would be a sufficient punishment.
The Collar thought this rather an aggravation,
and again convicted him in the sum of £lO.
JANUARY 6.----THE KINO r. PURCELL.
This was an information against the defendant,
Mr. N. J. Purcell, for having' in his possession, in an
unlicensed and unentered place, sine candle-frames,
or moulds, containing 190 pipes, and three manu-
factured candles. The penalty, upon conviction, is
a forfeiture of the ,eroods, for the use of his Majesty.
J. Stitch, an Officer, said, that on the 14th of Sep-
tember last he surveyed the manufactory of the defen-
dant, who is a respectable wholesale and retail chand-
ler at Lambeth. Every thing was correct upon the
immediate premises; but he found in a shed, about
150 yards from the house, nine frames, as before de-
scrihed, for the manufacture of candles, three of
which were newly made in the pipes. The whole
were in a cart, covered over with sacking, and ap-
peared to be recently placed there.
Charles Chambers, one of the Surveyors of the Ex-
cise, proved that the place in which the frames and
candles were found was not•duly entered or licensed
for such purpose.
The defendant declared his perfect innocence as to
any unfair intention towards the Excise. The goods
found in the shed, he admitted, were his; tart he had
merely purchased them the day before, and should
have had the regular entry made, but being pressed
by business at e time, and being himself fatigued
and old, it was unfortunately neglected that even-
ing. He had maintained a fair character in business
for many years, and was well known to the Officers
of Excise. His integrity had never before been ques-
tioned; and he was ready to prove that the frames
found upon his premises were, as he before stated,
bought on the previous day, and were never used by
him, or intended for illicit purposes.
William Dowie, a broker, deposed, that on the
27th August last he was employed to levy a distress
for £7 10s. at a house in Saville-place, for a Mr. Ste-
srens. The party on whom he levied gave him,
among ether articles, nine moulds, or frames, to re-
cleeni the distress. On the 11th. September, he sold
these to Mr. Purcell for £l2 Ss. and the latter had
Ithem removed away in his cart.
Thomas Stevens was the person who employed the
*t witness 'to levy the distress upon a person named
Coombs. That individual, he knew, bad n. iiieTrames-

and -he believed that thoie found 'at Mr. PaneWs!
were identically the same.
-The Commissioners,-having consulted together for
a short time, exonerated the defendant, auckordered
his property to be restored.
THE KING V. STEPHEN WILLIAM BILL.
Stephen William Bill was charged with conveying
two gallons of brandy, two gallons of Hollands, and
two gallons of British spirits, from his warehouse to
certain places, without a permit.
An Officer, named Skipper, seized the goods, on
the 22d September last, at the corned of Queen-street,
Rotherhithe.
Henry Mitchell, the servant of the defendant,
stated, that the case originated solely from neglect
and mistake. The pernut was on his master's table
on the morning he was 'sent away with the spirits,
and he unfortunately left home, in a hurry, without
it.— The permit, as taken out for the purpose in ques-
tion, was now put in and sworn to.
The defendant was acquitted, and the -spirits or-
dered to be restored.
THE KING V. MORGAN.
A spirit-dealer, named Morgan, was charged with
having a quantity of his stock under proof _The
property was condemned.
WESTMINSTIIR SESSIONS:
Yesterday morning the business of these Sessions
commenced before ROBERT BAKER, Esq. and a full
Bench of Magistrates. The Proclamation against
Vice and Immorality being read, and the customary
forms gone through, the Grand Jury were sworn,
and addressed by the CHAIRMAN as follows:
" Gesirtzses-v—l am happy to inform you that the Calendar
is much smaller than usual; you will, therefore, not be detained
long in the investigation of the business that may coin, before
you. lam also OA to congratulate you on the good order and
tranquillity of the City of Westminster, and the Metropolis in
general. The measures adopted lry Parliament have had the ef-
fect of enabling the quint and :veil-disposed to follow their avo-
cations, and perform their duties in society, in safety and quiet.
It will not be requisite for me to advert to particular Acts of
the Lnisrature, of which I have no doubt but you have full
knowledge. It will not, therefore, be necessary for me to de-
tain you longer, being fully convinced that your experience will
emble you to decide, on all matters brought before you, with
judgment and Impartiality."
The Court was afterwards occupied for several
hours in hearing an indictment against Mrs. Warren
and Benjamin Wnrren, of the Strand, for a nuisance,
created by their making blacking; and also for their
obstructing the foot-path by their waggons and black-
ing barrels. After hearing a host of witnesses, the
case was given up, as it did not appear that the de-
' fendants were managers of the concern, the name of
Robert Warren being over the shop-door.
MOH COURT OF JUSTICIART, JANUARY 3.
This morning the Coutt proceeded to try John
Reynolds and Robert APGie, accused of robbery,
theft, and breaking into lt:ck-fast places, on the '23d
day of October, by going into a cow-house, in the
parish of Stow, 'and breaking open a chest, and steal-
mg a variety of articles of wearing apparel ; and fur-
ther, with assaulting David Allan, on the King's high-
way, and robbing him of three half-crown pieces,
and some silver.
The prisoners pleaded Guilty to the indictment,
which his Majesty's Advocate restricted to an arbi-
trary punishment, and, after a suitable admonition
from the Loan JUSTICE CLERK, they were sentenced
to fourteen years' transportation.

POLIO?.
Mawstow-Hoists.—James Hamilton, a person about
19 years of age, was charged by Stephen Nicholson
Barber, Esq. one of the partners in the Banking-house
of Sir John Perring and Co. with having forged a
check upon the house for £63, In the name of Mr.
Harding, Notary-Public, of Ball-alley, Lombard-
stmt. Mr. Barber stated, that Mr. James Harding
kept cash at the house of Sir John Perring. On
Tuesday, one of the drivers of the light Bath night
coach presented a check at the house for the pay-
ment of £63, drawn in the name of Mr. Harding.—
The Clerks had no idea that it was a forgery, and
brought it to the witness, who was also deceived by
the imitation. Upon referring, however, to Mr.
finding's account, he found that it had been over-
drawn, and, on subsequent inquiry, it was aster-
mined that this check, by which the account was
overdrawn, was a forgery. When it was com-
municated to Mr. Harding that his account was in
this state, the house were alarmed by the assurance
that no check of the date, or. of the amount men-
itioned, bad been signed by him. This led to the
discovery that the check was a forgery. An Officer
was immediately dispatched to Bath with the coach-
man, upon whom no suspicion whatever rested.—
Vaul, the coachman, stated, that he drove the Bath
coach from London to Newbury. At the latter
place he received the check from a fellow servant
named Linnell, who had got it at Bath to obtain
payment for in Lcndon. He accordingly presented
it at the Banking. house. George Linnell stated, that he
gave the check to Vaul to get cashed. He received
it at Bath, from the prisoner at the bar, who asked
whether he was going to London? witness replied in
the negative, but offered to get the check presented
by a fellow-servant. This offer was accepted, and
witness gave the check and the necessary directions
to his fellow-servant. Mr. Harding, Notary-Public,
of Ball-alley, Lombard-street, stated, that the check
was a forgery : he also said, that the prisoner was
his Clerk in the year 1818. Marchant, the Officer,
stated, that he apprehended the prisoner at the White
Hart, Bath, and that the prisoner refused to tell his
address. He was remanded, merely to have an op-
portunity of seeing his friends, before his committal
.fite trial.
Bow-araerr.—Wednesday afternoon, about five
o'clock, as Mr. John Burne, boot-maker, of Charles-
court, in the Strand, was tuning out of the end of
the court into the Strand, he was suddenly attacked
by a man, who knocked him down backwards, and
at the same time robbed him of his watch. The
attack was so sudden, and the fall so violent, that
Mr. Burne was senseless for a short time. He re-
turned to his family, and his daughter set off to call
at all the Pawnbrokers for some distance round
the neighbourhood, to leave a description of her
father's watch. In a short time afterwards, a woman
presented a watch at Mr. Ashman's, in the Strand,
for pledge. The shopman suspected the watch to be
the same of which information had just been received,
but was not certain, and went to call to the young
man, who up stairs, who had received the infor-
mation. The woman, taking the opportunity of the
young Man turning his back to make the inquiry,
left the Atop, and--made her escape, teav lag the

watch. Information was then..stritto Mr. Burnt,
and yesterday the parties attended before the Sittin.
Magistrate, when Mr. Burne stated, that the att:x::
upon him was so sudden and instantaneous, that he
should not know the robber again if he «gas to see
him. The young man from Mr. Ashman's stated,
that the woman who offered the watch-to .pawn, iVal;
not known at their shop. Upon Mr. Burne swearing
to the watch being his property, it was restored to him.
HATTON-GARDEN.—Yesterday, a Man named Ma-
lard, was brought before the Magistrates, charged
by Wainwright and Edwards, Police-Officers, with
being a rogue and vagabond, in the practice of keel-
ing a Little-Go, and taking illegal insurances in lie
Lottery. The Officers stated, that the prisoner was
a well known offender, having been convicted before •
{of the same kind of offence. NVednesday night at
warrant was issued by the Magistrates to search the'
prisoner's house, in Little Northampton street, Clears
enwell, which was executed by the Officers, tod the?.
found a number of papers relating to the. Lottery;
and a complete list of prices of insurance. Mr.Hasszi
Solicitor: to the Stamp-Office, attended on the rte
of the prosecution, and said, the prisoner being an
incorrigible irffender, he hoped he would he treated
with the utmost severity of the law. The Magistrate
Ordered the prisoner to be committed for four nionzfls
to the House of Correction. The prisoner, who is
an old man, dresied very respectably, pleaded very
hard for a remission of the sentence, and in extenu.
tion of his offence, alleged a want of business to
support his family. In consequence of his age, the
Magistrate reduced the sentence to three months im-
prisonment.
The Sessions for Middle- ex commence at the Ses-
sions House, Clerkeuwell-Green, on Monday next.
Yesterday, the prisoner's who stand committed on
charges of felony, were removed from the several
jails in London and Middlesex, to Newgate, prepara-
tory to their taking their trials at the ensuing Ses-
sions at Justice Hall, in the Old Bailey, which corn,
mence on Wednesday next, the 12th instant.
• An Inquisition was held yesterday, at the Quelir s
}lead, Islington, on the body of an infant recently
born. Thomas lull deposed, that he found the de-
ceased quite naked, lying on its back in tae
tion of some intended buildings in Back-road, [sling.
ton. A surgeon examined she deceased, and t)e.
Jury returned the following verdict—" 'nut the
ceased was born alive, and died through the ran;:ect
of its mother?'
Thursday se'nnight eleven poachers were slSor ring
for some time round Morton-hall, Norfolk, and on
Friday night they came to the number of twenty-
five. The keeper and three astistrants disturbing
them, were attacked and much beaten.
Fotzs.—Yesterday morning, at two o'clock, a fire
broke out in the premises of Messrs. Grey and Hull,
chair and bedstead-manufacturers, of No. 2, New-
man-street, Oxford-street, which commenced by
some shaVings catching fire in the workshop.; it was
discovered in its infancy, and, by means of a good
supply of water, the flames wire .prevented from ex,
tending, but a considerable part of the premises and
stock, were destroyed.—A second fire broke out in
the house of Mr. Wright, linen-draper, of Foley-plate,
Mary-la-bonne, about eleven o'clock, on Wednesday
night, in consequence of a spark having caught some
of the light furniture in the shop. The flames had
spread to a considerable extent before the fire was
discoVered. Several engines arrived on the spot
very speedily, speedily, and it was owing to the active exer-
tions of the firemen, that the whole premises were
not destroyed. Considerable damage was done 'to
the lower part of the house and property.
THa SERP&TINE RIVEH.—The thaw,. yesterday,
made no material impression on the ice tilt four
o'clock, and even then it would have had but little
effect, if it had not been for the vast nunsbers c. owded
together around the skaiters of eminence. The lee
then gave a tremendous crack, and the water oozed
'up. fortunately, no accident occurred. Mr. Mon-
TABUS, Mr. Coottratiatv, the Hon.raloattoit
and Mr. CHARLES JUMBLE, were among the beck
perfermcs :• the latter experienced a dreadful fall,
by his skates coming in contact with a stone. He fell
on his faces one eye turned immediately black, and
his nose was much cut. Undismayed, however, he

fearlessly resumed the sport. Figure-daaciug was
never displayed with such adroitness belay', in which
about a dozen joined in one movement. There were
many Russian and Swedish Gentlemen witnessing
these proofs of superior talent, who were excellent
performers themselves.. All the footpaths in Hyde
Park resembled a Sanday's promenade ; those frock
Grosvenor, Cumberland, and Stanhope Gata; were
equally as much thronged as Rotten-low. The line
of carriages was extensive ; and there were many
equestrians of titled distinction.
TWELFTH NIGHT.—The confectioners, yesterday
evening, exhibited their annual display. The sight
of the snow-crowned cakes, their sweetmeats, their
festoons of flowers and foliage, their wreaths of roses
and jessamines, intermixed with sparkling lights in-
numerable, were really quite refreshing--accompa-
nied, as it was, by the contemplation of all those
happy fire-sides of which these exhibitions were but
the token !—BADDELEY'S Cake was, as usual, drawn
for in the Green-Room of Drury-Lane Theatre.
LONG Saavrec.—Ann Squire, late of Wells, in
Sometsetshire, some little time since died at an ad-
vanced age, having been in the service of Mr. Fuller
and family, for more than eighty years ; and, lately
died. William Penny, aged seventy-two, who was in
the same service full fifty years !

BIRTH&
Monday, in George-Street, Hanover-square, the Lady of the
Solicitor-General, of a daughter.
Dec. 31, at Edinburgh, the Lady of Capt. Barchy► R.N. cf
a son.

MARRIED♦
Wednesday, at St. George's, Bloomsbury, Lieutenant-Can--
Del Marsack, of the Grenadier Guards, to Jane, widow ci
Richard Lateward Lateward, Esq. of Ealing Grove, Middlesn-
Dec. 23, at Edinburgh, Witham Piul, Esq. to Elizabeth,
eldest daughter of the late Admiral Deans, of Huntington.

DIED.
Dec. 24, at Edinburgh, Capt. Thomas Boyes, late of the
tath Foot.
September 18, at Kingston, Jamaica, the Lady of Dr. An-
derson, 92d Regiment.
Dec. 27, at }lectoun Manse, Scarab Xlizabetb. second &tusk-
ter of the Rev. James Duncan.

HIGH.WATZR at LORDOI4 BRUME TO-MORROW.
hicrning . . 4t iniautes after
Afternoon • • • a --•••••--
--ur
1-Plokott"

;tt:d and published by Dreg,
. niCtl Titiple•Dacc