The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-06-16 00:00:00

POLICE 11\-I'ELLIGENCE.-MONDAY.

REFUSING A BILLET.--CAUTION TO PUBLICANS.
Thomas Painter, the keeper of a beer-house in Newington,
appeared to a summons, calling upon him to show cause why
he should not be convicted in the penalty of 405., for having
refused a billet presented to him by four soldiers of the 12th
Lancers, on the 11th instant. _ _

Mr. Featberston, of the billet-office, stated that be issued
a billet on the defendant to four soldiers of the 12tk Lancers
on the 11th instant. Shortly afterwards the soldiers came
back, and said the billet had been refused.

Mr. Rushton inquired by whom ?
Mr. Featherston.—By the son of the defendant.
Mr. Rushton asked where the soldiers were?

Mr. Huyton said they had left the town with the regiment.
The defendant stated that he was not at home when the
case occurred. The soldiers presented the billet to his son,
who brought it to him, and he offered to find them another
place, or pay them ; but they refused. After that he found
them accommodation.

Mr. Huyton explained that this was upon another billet,
issued on the 14th instant.

Mr. Featherston added, that when the soldiers presented
the billet, the defendant said be could not accommodate
them, but he offered them fourpence each. The soldiers re-
fused that, and said they wanted dinner ; but he refused to
supply them with any.
Mr. Rushton asked the defendant what he had to say ?
The charge against him was, that he had refused to find the
soldiers accommodation ;—that they first wanted a dinner,
then a bed, and he refused them both.
The defendant replied that there was nobody in the house
but a little girl, and she could not prepare them a dinner.
Mr. Rushton said that was the very case. The act of par-
liament made it imperative upon all publicans to obey the
regulations therein laid down ; one of which was, that they
should furnish the soldiers billeted upon them with meals at
requisite times. These men required a meal, and the defen-
dant said he could not accommodate them. That was no
answer to the case.

The defendant said be had a witness. He then called his
son, who said he had offered to " pay the men out ;" but
they refused. The defendant added, that they were officers'
soldiers, and were very saucy.
Mr. Rushton.—You did not find them accommodation.
It is a mistake to suppose that if a soldier refuses to take
money offered him in lieu of a bed, you are not bound to ac-
commodate him. It is a matter of mutual agreement be-
tween the publican and the soldier. If the soldier refuses to
take the money, you must find him accommodation. In this
case there is no possible excuse for not finding the dinner.
I cannot mitigate the penalty below 40s.
The defendant said it was a very great shame and a robbery.
Mr. Rushton.—lt ought to be generally known that no
publican can force an arrangement with a soldier. He must
have such accommodation as is decent and proper, and as
the soldier will take.

The defendant repeated that he had offered to find very
respectable lodgings for the soldiers, but they would not take
them.

Mr. Rushton said it was in the option of the soldiers to
take them ; besides, he had not provided the dinner.
The Defendant.—A beer-house cannot find accommodation
for four men.

Mr. Rushton.—Then you should not keep one.
The defendant then paid the fine and left the court.
ROBBING A CHILD.
Sarah Watson, a married woman, was charged with having
stolen a sum of money and a quantity of wearing apparel
from a girl, 12 years of age, named Ellen Jenkins, under the
following circumstances.
Ellen Jenkins stated that she was twelve years of age, and
was now living with her sister, Mary Huson, in Peach-street.
Her father and mother were dead. On Friday last she re-
ceived from Mrs. Johnson, a person with whom she had been
living in Chester, a bundle containing her wearing apparel,
and she started about seven in the morning to conic to Liver-
pool. When she had got some distance past the Blue
School, in Chester, she met the prisoner and another woman.
Witness was then riding a cart. The prisoner asked her if
she was going to Liverpool, and where to ; and witness told
her she was going to her sister, Mary Jenkins, who lived at
Mr. Dixon's, in Myrtle-street. The prisoner thereupon
said, I know your sister very well, and I will see you sate
there ;" and having taken from her the bundle of clothes,
asked her if she had any money. Witness told her she had,
and the prisoner replied, " Give it to me and I will carry it
safe for you." Witness then gave her a green silk purse,
containing eleven shillings and one halfcrown. The prisoner
put the purse into her breast. Afterwards she said, " your
pocket is coming coven," and she pretended to pin it up, but
in doing so she untied and took it away. It contained one
sovereign, a silver thimble, and a pair of scissors, and at that
time they had walked about a mile past the Blue School.
The pocket was safe a few minutes before, but witness missed
it a few minutes after the prisoner pretended to pin it up.
Witness wished to go back and look for it, but the prisoner
said, " oh, never mind, you will not find it," The other
woman then carried the bundle. They took the boat at
Eastham, and landed on George's pier. The prisoner (who
was then earring the bundle) and her companion asked wit-
ness to go forward, but she would not. They walked for-
ward, and witness heard the prisoner say, " let us try to bag
her." The prisoner gave her a halfpenny, and asked her to
go'tand buy some " paradise." She went to a shop door,
and looking back, saw the two women running away. She
ran after them, but they escaped. She inquired from a little
girl whether she had seen a woman running with a bundle;
she said she had, and took witness to a house, where she
found the prisoner, with her bundle of clothes. The articles
produced were her property. _

Mary Shaw said. she was the wife of Christopher Shaw,
and lived at No. 18, Ryley's-gardens. Between 5 and 6
o'clock on Friday afternoon, the prisoner went to the next
door of witness's house, and asked to be allowed to go into
the back yard. She had a bundle, tied in a check apron,
with her. The mistress of the house said to her, " You
seem to be put out of the way, what is the matter ?" She
replied, " Will you allow me to sit in your kitchen?" The
mistress of the house said again, " You seem very much
flurried, what ails you ?" She gave no answer, but asked
for a drink of water. Directly afterwards, witness heard a
little girl ask if a woman with a bundle had entered the
house, and somebody replied, " There has." The witness,
Ellen Jenkins, then came to the door, crying. Witness
never left the prisoner till a constable apprehended her, and
was sure she was the woman who had brought the bundle.
Frederick Moore, a clerk, residing No. 13, Ryley's-gar-
dens said, that between 5 and 6 o'clock ou Friday afternoon,
as he was returning home, he saw the witness, Ellen Jenkins,
crying. He asked her the reason, and she told him that a
woman had run away with her bundle. He asked her where
she had seen the woman last, and she gave the same account
as above. Witness found the prisoner in the house of Mrs•
Kennedy, and the girl claimed the bundle and purse. Wit-
ness obtained the assistance of police-officer 284, who took
the prisoner into custody.
James Shenton, police-officer 284, said he apprehended the
prisoner, who said the purse and bundle were her own, and
that she was the mother of Ellen Jenkins. The girl said
she was not her mother. The prisoner was searched in
Bridewell, and a halfcrown, a sixpence, and fourpeuce in
copper found upon her. Witness kept the girl at his own
house until yesterday, when he learned where her sister,
Mary Huson, lived.
Mary Huson, the wife of Christopher Rochdale Huson,
said she lived in Peach-street. She was not aware that her
sister was coming from Chester, but yesterday she found her
at her house, when she stated that she had been robbed.
Witness knew nothing of the prisoner.
Mr. Rushton asked the prisoner what she had to say?
The prisoner said she was entirely innocent of the offence
she was charged with.
She was committed for trial at the sessions.
A serjeant, belonging to the recruiting service, was fined
2s. 6d. for rescuing a prisoner from the custody of a police-
man, in the field opposite St. Jude's Church, during the
forenoon of this day (Monday.) Mr. Rushton, after a
patient investigation, said it was clear the serjeant had acted
under a misconception, and therefore, he thought a nominal
penalty would meet the justice of the case.

James Brown, Esq., of Liverpool, is the purchaser of Lord
Wenlock's estate near Wetherby, which was sold last week
by Mr. George Robins. The price was 60,000 guineas.
THE GRAIN.—In these districts the crops all look very
promising. In some parts we understand the spring sown
has rather failed, but generally speaking, the appearance of
the green fields to the casual observer is most encouraging.
—Lancaster Gazette.

REMARKS ON THE ROAD IN FRANCE.—No hedges, no
divided fields, no cattle grazing ; women doing farm labour ;
horses talked to, and reasoned with, instead of being beaten.
If a peasant wants to get on a little faster, he descends from
his roulage, and runs on before the horse, who immediately
sets off after him. No comfortable-looking houses, to which
you may suppose Mr. Jenkins, Mr. Smith, or Mr. Higgin-
botham to have retired after a life spent in business. No
nice little gardens, with monthly roses, bee-hives, cabbage:‘,
onion-beds, in front of the poor man's cottage ; no wall-
flowers near the door, nor tuft of house-leek over it ;no lit-
tle patches of sweet-william, nasturtium, strawberry plants,
currant and gooseberry bushes. Thinks Ito myself,
may grumble at home, my boys; but you would be sorry to
change with your own class in France"—that is. as far us I
saw of it. Journal of Barnes, the Pantaloon, in Bentley's
Miscellany.