The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-11-02 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

SWINDLING.—On Monday, at the Police-office, a young
man, of seedy appearance, named Thomas Farrar, was brought
up, charged with having swindled a shopkeeper out of a quan-
tity of shawls. Michael Mitchell, foreman in the service of
Mr. Edvvard Cooper, linen draper, in London-road, deposed
that at a little after seven O'clock on Friday evening last, the
prisoner came into his master's shop, and asked him if he
would be kind enough to send a few shawls to his lodgings.
No. 13, Greek-street, for his wife to look at till the following
morning, when he would pay for the one which his wife those,
and the other shawls should be returned. He (witness) took
8 shawls to the prisoner's lodging, and the prisoner took 6 of
them into a room, and after a little time returned, and de-
sired him to fold them up, and to leave three shawls till the
following morning, when he would pay for the one, and return
the other two. lie (witness) returned to his employer and
informed him, and he said it should be at witness's risk. Next
morning early he went to the prisoner's lodgings and saw him
come out and proceed towards the railway, and followed him
into the station yard. tie asked for paymcriV.,-f0r41..1e sliatv-1,
and he (prisoner) told him to go to his wife and she would
pay him, and give him the other two. He told the prisoner
that he could not leave him, and called a constable, who took
him into custody. The prisoner hada trunk with him, which
on being searched, was found to contain two of the shawls.
lie was then taken to bridewell. The other shawl was not at
the prisoner's lodgings. He had since seen the third shawl.

The three shawls were worth 4 guineas. The third shawl was
found at Mt. Berwick's, pawnbroker, in Manchester-street.
Mr. Berwick, pawnbroker, deposed that the prisoner came
into his shop on Friday night, at half-past 8 o'clock, and
pledged ttie shawl in the name of Thomas Bland, for 6s. The
prisoner had nothing to say in defence. He was committed
to take his trial.

CANIBALISM —On Monday, at the Police-office, two Irish-
men, named M'Convill and O'Donnell, were placed before
the magistrates, charged with having violently assaulted po-
liceman M'DOnald, and M'Convill with having bitten off his
thumb. M'Douald stated that on Saturday night be was
taking a drunken woman home in the park, when she fell,
and the two prisoners immediately rushed upon hint, and beat
him severely. He seized hold of M'Con via by the collar,
when he got hold of him by the toumb with his teeth, and al-
most bit it off, whilst the other man kept beating him. In-
spector Okill coming up at the time he called out to him to
come and .assist him, or the man would bite his thumb off,
and Mr. Okill did so, but the prisoner would not loose his
hold till Inspector Okill had thrust his stick into his mouth

- - - -
and prized open his teeth. The bridewell-keeper said, that
when INl'Donald came to bridewell his thumb was in a dread-

ful state; it was cut with the man's teeth all over, and ap-
peared as if it had been ground in a mill. Another bride-
well-keeper said that the two prisoners had kept the bridewell
in an uproar the whole of the blessed night, and that nobody
about the biidewell could get "a blessed wink of sleep for
them." The prisoners, in defence said, that the police swore
"they would pull the Irish souls of their bodies," and that
was the reason they hadso behaved. Mr. Hall fined liKon-
vill 40s. and costs, or, in defa-ilt of payment, to be committed
one month to the Borough Jail, and .O'Donnell ss. for being
drunk.

BRUTAL ASSAULT.—'That compound of brass and blarney,
Dan O'Connell, in a late controversy with the Editor of
the Mercury, published the extraordinary fact, that the large
proportion of Irish who inhabit this town, were the cause of
its " prosperity and liberality." We will say nothing of the
hearty gu firms the assertion has created; but this is certain,
and the records of the Police-office will prove it, that though
the Irish who inhabit this town do not form one-seventh of

the population, somewhere about two-thirds of all the felonies,
rows, brutal assaults, and charges of drunkenness and
vagrancy, which are brought before the Police-office, are
charges against the Irish, who, as before stated,: form but
one-seventh section of the whole population. There are ex-
ceptions of course to every rule, but the overwhelming ma-
jority of Irish whom we have seen, have been the most idle,
dissolute, filthy, drunken, deceitful, thieving, lying vagabonds
that the blessed sun of heaven ever shone upon, or that ever
cursed a town. Were it not for these fellows, Mr. Hall, the
police magistrate, one half of the police force, and police re-
porters, might cry " Othello's occupation's gone." Mr.
Hall would be able to lead comparatively a gentleman's life,
(as the saying goes) and not be, as he is, just one degree
better than a counter skipper. his hours beginning at nine in
the morning, and ending at five in the afternoon; the hours
of the worshipful society of draper's assistants, (if their re-
cent petition be granted,) being only from nine in the
morning till seven in the afternoon. 'Policemen would no
longer get their thumbs bit off, nor their heads broken, with
" sprigs of shillelah" in the shape of fire pokers and
hammers, by the " finest pisantry" in the world, on their
way home, jist a little elevated wid a dhrap at a wake,"
which in common parlance means mad drunk, and reporters
would have no more dishes of the horrible or the depraved to
serve up to their readers. Robert Owen might cease his
mission, for the inhabitants of the "good old town" of Li-
verpool, would learn to live together in peace and harmony,
without becoming Owenits or converts to " the social

system." But to return from this general digression
to the particular case in question. Inspector Crouch
deposed, that on Sunday night he heard that a man
had been murdered in Johnson-street, by some Irish.
.:He
went there, to the house of a man named M'Ardle, and on
going up stairs, be found M'Ardle lying on his back 611' the
bed. with his head and face cut in a most dreadful manner,
and almost speechless. Ile immediately sent for a surgeon,
and Dr. Whittle, and another gentlemen very shortly arrived,
and Dr. Whittle said the man was in a most hopeless state.
He put his finger into a cut on the side of his head,'and a
portion of the man's brain protruded, and followed his finger.
When asked who had done it, the man muttered Catherine

Dunn. He, however, succeeded in finding a girl who had
seen the whole of the row, who would describe it, atid.ot) her
evidence, had taken into custody Christopher Dunn, William
Dunn, and Catherine Dunn, all Irish. The girl saik that
there was a row in the street, and the Dunns were beating
and ill using M'Ardle's wife, when John 111‘Ardle, his-bro-
ther, came out of a public-house near, to protect his sister-in-
law; upon which one of the Dunn's struck him .twice with a
hammer, and knocked him senseless. 11I'Arole, the man who
lies ill, then came out of the public-house, and the' Dunns
struck bin' three times on the head with the hammer,.ind he
was carried into his house nearly senseless, when Catherine

Dunn ran up stairs after hiw, and whilst he. was-lying on the
bed, helpless, struck him on the head with something like a
poker. Inspector Crouch produced a tinners soldering_ iron,
which he had found thrown under a table in the room, and
which was the instrument which had fractured the man's

scull, John M'Ardie deposed, that he saw them ill; using
his sister-in-law, and went out of the public-house to 'protect
her, when he was set upon by the Duuns, and knocked
down by a blow with a hammer, and remenibered. nothing
more of it. Inspector Crouch said, that the man who was
lying hurt could not be moved, and Dr. Whittle expected
inflammation of the brain coming on. Mr. Hall said he
must detain the prisoners till the result %,as known. Inspec-
tor Crouch said, that attempts had been made to decoy the
girl away, to prevent her giving evidence, and that he had

been obli,,redto keep her In custody in consequence. The
girl said, that the wife of one of the prisoners had offered her
2s, to keep out of the way. 1..+1*. Hall asked ber if she would
have anyobjeetions to go into the workhouse, and be taken

care of lilt it was known whether the ma❑ got better or died,

and she consented to go there. Mr. Hall then .said, he should
wait a further report, and meantime commit the prisoners.
On hearing, this, Catherine Dunn shouted out—" Och, what
will Ido wid my four small childhurS" The three prisoners
were then put down.
SHAMEFUL BEHAVIOUR OF A SAILOR.—On Monday, at the
Police-office, John Mat k, a sailor on board the "Lilly," of
Lit:et pool, was placed before the magistrates charged with
having nearly caused the death, by drowning, of the mate of
the "Briton's Pride," lying at the nartb end of the King's
Dock. A policeman stated that the vessels were moored
alongside each other, and the mate was •making a 'gangway
between theta with a plank, when the prisoner went up and
said he should not do it, and, after using much badlanguage,
knocked the plank away on which the 'mate was standing,
and plunged him into the water. He ran immediately and
got a boat, and arrived just in time to save the man from
drowning. The Captain of the Briton's Pride said that he
had been laid four days alongsidethe Lilly, and on arriving
in dock had two idle, lazy hands, who would not work, and,
whom he told to go about their business. The crew of the'
Lilly gut to know this, and eery time he crossed-"the Lilly
to his own vessel were in the habit of abusing hirm On Sun-
day afternoon he was taking his wife on board his vessel, and
crossing the Lilly, and his mate was making a gangway for
the ladies, when the prisoner, as had been described, after
the foulest abuse and threatening to take his life, turned the
plank and precipitated his mate into the water, and had it
not beers for the policeman he would have been drowned.
While he was cutting a rope to throw to him the prisoner
abused him in a shameful way for cutting the rope. The
mate, a fine young man, gave similar evidence, and said
the prisoner deliberately turned the plank, and said he would
be the death of him and his b---v captain. He was sinking
the 'third time, when the policeman saved him. Mr. Hall
said it was most fortunate thing the policeman was there.
The prisoner's conduct had. been most disgraceful. He must
pay 20s and costs, and in default of payment be, committed
for 16 days; and must further find bail: to keep the peace
towards the captain and the mate. •
BURGLARY.—'Thomas .tones and Thomas Doyle, two lads
of bad character, were on Wednesday placed before Mr. Hall,
charged with baying entered the house of Mr. Thomas Elliot,
Burlington-street, with intent to commit arobbery. Police-
officer Jas. Pantry, stated that about two o'clock on Tuesday
morning he was on duty in Burlington-street He tried the
front door of Mr. Elliot's house and found it secure. lie saw
a light through the key-hole, through which be looked and
saw tAvo boys quit one of the rooms and enter another. They
had a light with them. After observing for a short time he
knocked for assistance, and upon police-officer Davies coming
up he sent him to the hack.of • the house. Witness then
knocked at the front door. Mr. Elliot opened the -window,
when the officer asked' him if any of his family were up. He
replied no, and the officer told hint that there were some per-
sons with a light in the lower looms. At that monient con-
stable Davies called to him from the back of the house. Wit-
ness went to him and found that the yard door was fastened.
They forced it open, and found the prisoner Thomas Jones,
attempting to get over theyard wall. The other prisoner was
taken in the yard. By this time Mr. Elliot had arrived in
the yard. When witness first looked through the key hole
he saw that each of the prisoners had a cloth cap on his head.
Davies, when they found the prisoners in the yard, saw one
of the prisoners drop an umbrella. From Doyle four silver
teaspoons were taken. In the yard a quantity of apparel, be-
longing to Mr. Elliot, was found. Mr. Elliot.clanned the
whole of the property, which he said was worth upwards of £4.
He proved that the door was fastened on the preceding night.
The prisoner Jones denied that he had ever been in the house
at all. Doyle said be had had some drink, and he went acci-
dentally into the yard, the door of which he found open. The
prisoners were committed for trial.
DEFRAUDING SAILOR Dove.— Yesterday,• at the Police-
office, a man named Lerinard, well known at the Police-
office, as a crimp to emigration agents, was brought before
.Mr. Hall, charged with having defrauded some sailor lads of
various small sums of money, uudrr the pretence of, being an
agent for vessels, anti keeping a • registration office for
sailors. Several lads deposed that :they had paid him small
sums, with the understanding that he wai•to procure them
,situations on board ships, and which he' had never done.
One lad said that he had paid him -2s. on his promising to
get him a situation on board the Hindoo,• the captain of
which vessel had told hint that he wanted a Mr. Hall
ordered the prisoner to be remanded till to-Slay, that the cap-
tain of the Hindoo might give his evidence, whether or not
he had so told the prisoner.
CAUTION TO FLOUR DEA LERS.—Yesfeidav, at the Police-
office, Mr. Hall granted a senanons against a *flour dealer, for
having retailed slbs. c.f unsound flour to a poor woman for a
shilling. The complainant produced the 'loaf made from
the flour, and which appeared perfectly unsound. We be-
lieve that a penalty of 40s. is incurred for every such offence.

Sttinn's LEcTunr.s.—lt will be perceived by our
advertising columns, that Mr. Sleigh will resume his lectures
on Monday evening next, in the L►vER TI:EATRE.

VESTRY NIEETING.—A special general vestry meeting was
held on Wednesday at one o'clock, in St. Nicholas Church,
the Hev. Hector Campbell in• the chair, for the purpose of
passing the accounts of the last half year.. Mr. Eckersley,
the secretary to the select vestry, 'having, read over the re-
ports and the Vestry's accounts, from which it appeared that
there had been a decrease of 81 in the, average number of
paupers in the workhouse, and -a decrease of £742 in the ex-
penses of the workhouse; the report and accounts were
passed. The attendance was very thin.
NEWPORT, OCT. 29.7-This morning, between one and two,
it came on to, blow a strong hurricane from the WNW.,
whith continued several hours. Si*• or seven vessels at
Pwllhely drifted' from their mtioringS,:on the mud on the
opposite side of the river, ano received, much damage. The
destruction of property in Newport from the violence of the
gale very serious.

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