The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-07-31 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

AN OLD STORY.—Sarah Sefton and another young woman
(two rather well-dressed girls of the town) were, on Friday,
charged with having robbed a gentleman on the preceding.
night. The complainant, as almost invariably happens in
these cases, was a stranger; but whether this circumstance
is to be explained by the supposition that Dicky Sams are
too knowing to be so taken in, or too shame-faced to complain
when they happen to be caught, is somewhat doubtful. Cer-
tain it is, that robberies of this description (for the prevention
of which, a police force is, of course, almost inefficacious)
take place to au extent that is little calculated upon, and the
great majority of the victims are undoubtedly persons from
the country. In this instance the complaining party was a
merchant from Newcastle-upon-Tyne. He stated that he
came to Liverpool on Thursday morning, and was lodging at
the Adelphi. In the evening he bad been to the theatre, and
he was on his way to the hotel, about twelve o'clock; when he
was met by Sefton, who engaged him in conversation. After
a few minutes, she called upon another woman,,who came np,
and he saw Sefton transfer something to her. This excited
his suspicion ; he felt in his pocket, and found that his purse,
containing 12 or 13 sovereigns and some silver, had been
stolen. He then gave Sefton into the custody of a police-
officer. The other prisoner, who was afterwards apprehend-
ed, he could not swear to. She was dismissed by the magis-
trate, and Sefton was put back to take her trial at the sessions.
Another case of a similar nature was also heard, in which a
man named Samuel Thorpe. living at Mr. Parry's, Seacombe
hotel, was robbed of his watch and ss. in a house in Harrison-
street. The culprit, whose name was Margaret Hannery,
was remanded for trial.

SKINNING A YANKEE.—Yesterday, at the police-office, a
thorough-bred Yankee, named George Fitzgerald, such a one,
as in his own conceit, " warn't to be done no how," appeared
at the police-office, to prefer a complaint against a well-
dressed memberof the thimble-rig club, named Edward Oaks
(Hoax) for having." reglarly skinned" him of EN/ in paper
money, and 191 sovs. in gold. The complainant guessed he'd
lost his money; but he calculated he must be all sorts of a
chap as had gone round him. He was sitting in a public-
house, after having bin at the Zoological Gardens on Sunday,
and feeling tarnation hungry he called for a beef stake and a
pint of wine to keep it company, when the prisoner at the bar
came in, and soon after another young man, who began to
show his money as if racoon skins had bin uncommon plenty
lately; so he in quite a friendly way told the prisoner that
that are was a very foolish young man to show his money slick
in such a fashion. The prisoner said he was, but hinted that
it was queer; they'd better take care of their money, as the
other was rayther too flush of tin to have come by-it honestly.
He then carefully stowed away his pocket book in his fob
pocket, and advised him to do the same. He (complainant)
thought there could be no harm in that, so be pulled out his
pocket book, but it wouldn't go into his fob, so he (prisoner)
'offered to help him, and thrust it slantiudickler down, and told
him to be very careful of it. The prisoner then went away; and
when he'd to pay—for his sherry—and beef stake—and pulled
out his pocket book—and found nothing in it—he said—" I'm
done."—(Laughter.) The prisoner was afterwards taken into
custody, and 13 sovs. found upon him. The complainant said
he was a freeholder of the United States; that he was a me-
chanic, a farmer, a merchant, and all sorts of a man. The
informations were ordered to be taken against the prisoner,
and it was arranged that he should take his trial at the ensu-
ing Liverpool Assizes.

A LIQUORISH TOOTH.—Yesterday, a child about six years
old was brought up at the Police-office, charged by Mr. Tay-
for, chemist and druggist, near Hanover-street, with having
most perseveringly paid his addresses to his liquorice. Mr.
Taylor's young man stated that about two o'clock on Satur-
day, on going into the cellar under the shop, he found the
prisoner eating away at a bundle of liquorice. He turned
him out of the cellar, and sent him away. On going down
about an hour after, he found the same child gnawing away
at the bundle of liquorice, and this time, in addition to send-
ing him away, he liquorisbed his back and gave him a sound
thrashing. About four o'clock he went again into the cellar,
and there found the little urchin again tugging away at the
bundle of liquorice. At this juncture, Mr. Taylor happening.
to come in, ordered the child to be given in charge of a po-
liceman. Mr. Hall thought Mr. Taylor had acted very
foolishly. He was afraid the mother was snore to blame than
the child. On the mother promising to take care of the child,
and keep him out of mischief, he was discharged.
WAISTCOAT STEALlNG.—Yesterday, at the Police-office,
a young man, well dressed, but a noted thief, was placed at
the bar, charged by a respectable shopkeeper of Scotland-
road, with having stolen a waistcoat. The complainant sta-
ted, that on Friday afternoOn last; a boy and a girl came into
his shop on a pretence of looking at some handkerchiefs, and
on their going out he missed a blue silk waistcoat. On Sa-
turday h was walking down Scotland-road, when he met
the prisoner with the waistcoat on, and gave him into custo-
dy. The waistcoat was of a peculiar pattern, and also pecu-
liarly made, and was worth about 16s. The prisoner said he
had bought it of a woman for 45., and that she wanted ss. for
it. The prisoner called a young manand a female, his mother,
who both swore they saw him in a public-house on Satur-
day, when a woman cause in with braces and waistcoats to
sell, and amongst the waistcoats was the one in question,
which she wanted Bs. Gd. for, and for which, after some bar-
gaining, he gave her 3s. 6d. Mr. Hall remarked on the dis-
crepancy of this story will, the prisoner's own account of it;
but there being no proof that he had stolen it, and he con-
senting to give the waistcoat up, he was distharged.

A HUNGRY THIEF.—At the Warrington petty-sessions,
on Wednesday, James Nelson, a splendid "lump of lazi-
ness," was brought before the magistrates, charged with
stealing nine Eccles cakes from the shop of Miss Higginson,
confectioner, Sankey-street. At an early hour on Tuesday
morning, the prisoner went into the shop of the prosecutrix,
and, under the pretence of buying a pennyworth of lozenges,
contrived to put into his pocket the cakes in question. He
was observed by Mary Bruce, the servant, who gave infor-
mation to the police and had him apprehended. The ma-
gistrates committed him fur trial.
MARSHAL SOULT.—The Sun of Wednesday states, that
Marshal Soult and suite left Birmingham on Tuesday morn-
ing, at five o'clock. The party proceeded to Kenilworth
and Warwick. The illustrious stranger then visited Beecham
Chapel, and Kenilworth and Warwick Castles, and .all the .
objects of interest in the neighbourhood. The marshal was
exceedingly pleased, and much struck with the fine old baro-
nial residences, it being the first of the kind he had seen
since his arrival in England. The beauty of the surround-
ing scenery was also much admired by his excellency and
suite. At Stony Stratford the party was met by Mr. Bagster
and Mr. Home, to whose excellent arrangements along the
line, much credit was given. At this place, one of the
wheels of the marshal's carriage broke, which, considering.
the tremendous pace at which the party went, was, by no
means surprising. A short delay, till matters were .set
gallanthaii.pa hall-past
style
five
L
straight, was the only inconvenience occasioned by the acci-
dent, and the carriages reached the railwayondoa in
about four o'clock, and thence toat
o'clock in the afternoon. It is singular, that, when the route
of the distinguished strangers was marked out. in London,
Mr. Manby undertook to have the whole ground gone over,'
every object of interest examined, and the party back to
London at four o'clock onSuesday afternoon, a task which
he would have literally accomplished to the minute had it
not been for the accident at Stony Stratford. We 'believe
the excursion is unparalleled for speed in the annals of tra-
velling in any country, and the astonishment of the distin-
guished strangers was frequently expressed to those about
them. Along the line at Warwick, Daventry, Stony Stratford,
Denbigh Hall, and the various railway stations, the crowds
collected were immense. At every town and district visited
by the marshal in his route, all parties who had the honour
of being presented, were unanimous in their praise of the
marked condescension and kindness with which they were
received by the Marshal, the Marquis Dalmatia, the Marquis
de Mornev, and the other members of the party. The ele-
gance and politeness of the reille enter, were combined with
so much of the warmth and cordiality of the English nation,
in his greetings, that it was said by one gentleman at Liver-
pool, "The marshal had achieved a greater triumph over the
prejudices of the English people by his personal intercourse
with them, than lie could have effected at the bead of 100,000
men." We cannot close this account without. adding, that
the marshal expressed himself deeply indebted for the atten-
tion he had received from the Directors of the London and
Birmingham Railway Company, who had acted with a libe-
rality which might be in vain looked for from
any other pri-
vate Company in the world. We are happy to add, that,
beyond a little temporary fatigue, his
excellency has not sus-
tained the slightest inconvenience or injury. to his health
from his trip to the manufacturing districts.
ESCAPE OF THREE PRISONERS FROM THE TowEtt.—On
Friday morning there was much excitement iu the Tower of
London, in consequence of a report that three of the Rifle
Brigade, a serjeant, a corporal, and a private, had made their
escape from;confinement. Two prisoners, the pay-serjeant
and the corporal, deserted from the regiment a few weeks
ago, taking with them £l5O, with which they had been en-
trusted to pay the men. A strict search was made after them,
and, on Saturday week, they were apprehended on board an
outward bound American packet-ship, at Liverpool, and con-
veyed to London. They were confined in the usual place,
the guard-house or prison, commonly known as the Spur-
guard, near the outer barrier, on the city side of the Tower.
There were in all five persons in confinement on Thursday
evening, two of them for slight breaches of military discipline.
There is a small aperture in the back of the apartment, where
the men were imprisoned, for the admission of light and air,
which was secured by strong iron bars. 'About fourteen feet
below this hole is the Tower moat or ditch, and escape from
this place was deemed impossible. At. eleven o'clock on
Thursday night, the prisoners were visited by the serjeant on
duty, and locked up. At day-light on Friday morning, when
the guard went to look after them, to see if all was safe, it
was discovered that three of them were missing; the others
were on their straw pallets, apparently fast asleep, and; on
being aroused, they expressed their ignorance of the flight of
their companions, declaring they were not privy to their escape
On inspecting the place, it was discovered, that the iron
gratings bad been removed from the aperture, which is only
just large enough for the. body of a man to pass through.
There was sufficient evidence, by the marks on the wall, that
the three riflemen had escaped this way; but how they had
kept from falling into the moat beneath appears most ex-
traordinary. There is a ledge, not more than seven inches
in width, running the whole length of the wall, about six
feet from the water's edge, but exceedingly difficult for any
person to retain footing upon it, and, it is supposed, the
three men continued their course along it until they reached
the wall enclosing the ditch, which they could ascend with-
out much difficulty, and reach the glacis or ornamented
sloping bank enclosed by iron railing. By climbing over
these railings they were enabled to reach 'Power-hill and get
clear off. The prisoners were to haNe been tried on Friday,
at noon, by a general court-martial, which would, no doubt,
have terminated in all of them being found guilty, and two
(the serjeant and corporal) being transported for life, as
their offences were of a most serious description. Parties of
the Rifle corps were sent off in all directions after the fugi-
tives when their flight was discovered. An investigation is
to take place into the conduct of the serjeant of the guard in
charge of the prisoners, whose duty it was to visit the cell
where they were confined every two hours.

ELOP.EMENT,—An unusual bustle was created, in Ealing,
on Wednesday afternoon. A post-chaise and four drove into
the town at a rapid rate, and stoppral at the White Hart Inn
to change horses. A gentleman and lady alighted, who
evinced much anxiety to proceed immediately ; but, before
fresh horses could be procured, the sound -of wheels was
heard, and the lady, appearently much terrified, darted into
the Oxford- Arms Public-house, about thirty yards from the
White Hart, and directly ran tip stairs. The gentlman fol-
lowed her into the house. The lady, having ascertained that
the noise she had heard proceeded from the Oxford coach, be-
came more composed, and they left the house together. They
had, however, proceeded only a few paces, when another gen-
tleman, who had alighted from the Oxford coach, collared the
lady's companion, and knocked him down without ceremony.
A scene of altercation and confusion ensued, and the parties
seemed so hostile and violent that a peace officer interfered,
each of the gentlemen giving charge of the other, and they
all went into a roorn.in the White Hart. Inn. In about half
an hour another post-chaise and four arrived, containing the
lady's mother and uncle, who immediately asserted the autho-
rity arising from their relationship to the care of the young
lady's person, and dismissed the constable with a hand-
some present. It appeared, that the young lady, who is ap-
parently about nineteen years of age, and said to be an
heiress entitled to £45,000, on coming of age, had eloped
with her companion, an of in the army, from Cheltenham,
on the preceding night, and was on her way to the Temple of
Hymen, at Gretna Green, when this untoward interruption
took place. We understand the gentleman who exercised
his prowess by knocking the gallant down was a friend of the
lady's mother, who, having tired his horse•in pursuit of the
fair fugitive. had mounted the Oxford coach only a few miles
from Ealing, and was thus' enabled to arrive in time to arrest
her further flight. The young lady left the town, to return
home with her mother, about seven o'clock the same evening,
and the disappointed son of Alars went to London, early thu
plomitig,by one of tlie coactle6.—worning
•

loetrp.

ILLUSTRATIONS OF POPERY.—No. I.

THE PRIEST AND THE HOSTLER; OR, THE VIRTUES OF
CONFESSION.
There once lived a priest, who was sacred and fat,
He knew what—when good things were going—to be at;
His teeth, a young pullet would put them on edge,
And his Bible—the cudgel—was fresh from the hedge.
Now, it happened one day that this holy anointed,
In an inn held a station, as duly appointed;
Where the larder's perfume, to so practised a smeller,
Was only surpassed by the fumes of the cellar.

-Ela,s;irag-twietadJs,iis-nase wills deli bt atthe-gales
That were wafted from capons, and wine-casks, and ales,
And lick'd his fat lips at the sight of such hams,
He piously set about feeding—his lambs!
And the old and the young of both sexes repair
To lay down their sins at the foot of his " chair ;"
And the soul-pump is plied, and the whisper is given,
And "presto" each sinner's new-modelled for heaven !

Thus to his penitents grace was made sure—
He sifted the maidens to make them more pure;
And he kindly explained to the slow and dull-witted
The number of ways that sin could be committed.
At length came Dick Hostler, as well as the rest,
Resolv'd to go forward and make a clear breast ;
And Dick, by the way, was as arrant a knave
As ever the priest had attempted to save.
" It is a bad case," says the priest in his seat,
" You're the devil's adept at each species of cheat;
Detail now, you rascal, as far as you're able,
The sins that prevail in the hay-loft and stable."

The hostler went on, and recounted such acts
As no honest man could e'er dream of as facts ;
This disclosure, in truth, was no common affair,
And their novelty forced the shrewd father to stare.

" Oh, reprobate vile ! with iniquity cramm'd,
Don't you feel,' said the priest, " that you ought to be
damn'd ?
Is each sin recounted?—is nothing conceal'd ?
Are all your tricks, shifts, and manoeuvres revealed ?"
But they were, and the father examined again •
Into Dick's roguish treatment of horses—in vain—
At last be thus hinted, " Come, out with it, Dick ?
Isn't greasing their teeth, now, your commonest trick?
Nay, never deny it, you damnable cheat,
And then you go sell what the horses can't eat;
For with teeth so well greas'd, Mr. Hostler, you know,
That the horses you bait take their oats rather slow."

Dick relished the notion, and certainly thought
That it was not a hint to be heard and forgot;
But he stoutly denied the whole charge—for the fact is,
That this was beyond his adroitest of practice.
So Dick by the priest was complacently shriven,
And be thanked all the stars that his sins were forgiven;
For he knew should he honestly chalk it once more
That another confession would wipe out the score.

And thus he went on for a year and a day,
A cribbing of oats and a stealing of hay;
When he next sought the priest, to come in for a twist,
Of the pardon the priest could dispense with his fist.

" Well, Dick," thus the priest as usual begins,
" Come, give us a list of your failings and sins;
And Dick, to the letter, went over, once more
The same knavish list he had told him before.
" Now think," said the priest, " if they all are confest;
You know its your duty to make a clean breast—
Conceal but a thought, and as sure as a gun,
Confession is void, and your soul is undone."

Dick was silent awhile, and he hemm'd and he haw'd,
And the priest caught the scent of some masterly fraud;
And he threatened, and told him distinctly to note,
That he saw there was something that stuck in his throat.

At length replied Dick, "There's a bit of a joke,
Of which, I believe, that 1 have not yet spoke ;
Sir, in talking of horses, you've pinioned me fast,
" I've been greasing their teeth since I went to you last !"

CONTEMPORARY PRESS.

IRISH MEASURES.
(From the Manchester Courier.)
The principal subject of discussion in the House of
Commons during the week, besides that which we have
noticed in a separate article, has been Irish Tithes.
On Thursday week, on the house going into commit-
tee on the bill, authorising the issue of exchequer
bills for the payment of the arrears of tithes, Mr. Hume
opposed the grant, as unjust to the people of England
and Scotland, and divided the house upon it ; the re-
sult, however, was that the ministerial proposal was
carried by a majority of 170 to 61. Sir Robert Peel,
though he approved of the principle of extinguishing
the arrears, objected to the compulsory mode which
ministers proposed; and on Monday night urged the
expediency of giving an option to the tithe owner of
suing for the tithe, or of accepting the compromise to
be offered by government; because this arrangement,
as it would leave to every owner, declining the com-
promise, the same remedy as lie before enjoyed, could
work no injustice to any man. Ministers, however, it
will be seen, resisted this reasonable proposition ; and
on a division, the right honourable baronet's amend-
ment was negatived by a majority 122 to 101. The
most remarkable circumstance in these debates, how-
ever, is the curious position which ministers occupy.
Step by step we see them following the course recom-
mended by Sir Robert Peel three years ago; and the
men who, in 1835, adopted the appropriation principle
for the sake of obtaining office, have now abandoned it
for the sake of retaining office! Pure patriots ! Con-
sistent whigs! Well might Mr. Grote exclaim, that
Sir Robert Peel must feel himself now in a proud po-
sition. Poor Lord John, who evidently smarted un-
der the sarcasm of his " honourable friend," could
only reply that he had " done his best," and that "the
first duty of ministers was to consider the situation of
the country, and, in doing their duty, they must bear
personal imputations!"—bear anything, in short, he
might have added—but the loss of place; for that is
the principle of the Melbourne administration.
It would seem, however, that ministers themselves
are not united in their sentiment's respecting the Irish
church. Lord Howick, in the course of some obser-
vations which he made on Thursday week, intimated
that in his opinion the time was at hand when the
great question would be whether the Irish church
should continue to exist. Sir Robert Peel alluded to
this ex officio prediction on Monday, and commented
upon it in strong and eloquent terms, justly observing,
at the same time, " that if they went the length of es-
tablishing the Catholic religion as the religion of the
state, they would only be engendering fresh causes of
animosity and religious discord." Lord John Russell,
to do him justice, threw his colleague overboard, de-
claring his determination to support the established
; but every man must see, that if Lord Howick's
influence were as great as his love of distinction, such
a declaration from a cabinet minister must have a se-
rious effect in weakening the chance of obtaining that
benefit from the measure which a tithe bill might
otherwise be expected to produce.
On Tuesday the Lords' amendments of the Irish
Poor Law were taken into consideration by the House
of CoMmons, and on the motion of Lord John Russell,
they were for the most part adopted. There is, there-
fore, now no doubt of this important measure soon re-
ceiving the royal assent. We think the tithe bill, not-
withstanding the differences which prevail on the sub-
ject of arrears, will also pass during the present ses-
sion ; but the fate of the municipal corporation bill is
less certain. It seems that the amendments of Lord
Lyndhurst have grievously offended the agitators, and
their organs of the press are loud in their condemna-
tion. They have discovered that the measure is cal-
culated to perpetuate " Protestant monopoly," a cir-
cumstance quite sufficient to make it odious in the eyes
of the "people" of Ireland. It remains to be seenwhat effect these indications will have upon the future
conduct of ministers with respect to this measure.
It will be seen that the tithe bill passed the Com-
mons on Thursday, after a feeble opposition from the
radicals.

ATTACK ON THE REV. MARCUS BERESFORD.
( From the Dublin Evening Mail.)
We have ever found the Freeman's Journal an ho-
nest, hearty, and generous opponent—strenuous, in-
deed, for its own cause—but not condescending to the
baser arts of faction for the implements of its warfare—
and we should be sorry indeed that any thing should
give us cause to alter an opinion so candidly formed,
and often so unequivocally expressed. But we put it
to the Freeman himself whether the observations which
appear in his columns of yesterday, respecting the
diabolical attempt upon the life of a Protestant clergy-
man, are consonant with the attributes which we have
assigned to this journal, or in any way becoming the
fair advocate of one' party, and the upright opponent
of another ? We do assure the Freeman, it is with
sincere sorrow we see him resort to the paltry devices
of low guilt, and the indecent ribaldry of desperate
faction ; and we trust that, either on reconsideration
of the terms themselves, or in consequence of the facts
with which we shall conclude, his next publication will
contain a withdrawal, if not a total disavowal, of the
following sentiments:—
"The Mail "says our contemporary," is sometimes im-
Posed on. No doubt he recollects instances where it has
been proved that men, aye, gentlemen ! have fired blank
powder at themselves, and then called themselves victims of
the ferocity of the peasantry. The Bev. Beresford has
been fired-at—this we deeply deplore—but it is as well to state
that the current belief among the rev. gentleman's neigh-
bours is that his assailants were orangemen, and that they
had only made this wicked attempt with blank cartridge, for
the purpose of answering the purposes of their. masters.
4 • s* *

- _ - - -
We would not for the world even insinuate that the Rev.
Marcus Beresford was aware of the shock his nerves were to
be subject by this blank explosion, but we do more than hint
that the attempt was not the result of malice or ill will towards
the gentleman."
Now, the subject of the diabolical attack, which our
contemporary treats with equal levity and ribaldry, is
a gentleman of as high character and noble bearing as
any in the land. Sprung from an illustrious line of
ancestors distinguished in the court and in the field,
he is son of the Bishop of Kilmore and a near con-
nection of the Primate of Ireland. Gifted with ta-
lents, and an enlafged education, which would have
placed him high in the ranks of any profession, he de-
voted his mind to the Christian ministry. There is not
in the church a more working clergyman (as it is
called) than the Rev. Marcus Beresford—one more to-
lerant and charitable to those who differ from him in
faith—one more beloved by those amongst whom it is
his duty to minister. Amiable, accomplished, and
eloquent, he commands the regard of all who have the
happiness of his acquaintance ; anti such is the respect
in which he has been held, that our only wonder is,
where an enemy to his good name or to his life could
have •-- ' IltrAt
cyt , _
.‘r y ilasinnations of the Freeman
4a,
iz„,„,„. . ay be best refuted by the
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