The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-09-20 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD..

in his sea chest, as he could not trust it in her hands any longer.
Three or four days after, he went and signed artids/s to go to
London, of which lie gave her notice the day before. \V hen,
however, lie got his things ready to take on board and wanted
her to settle with him, she said she could not then settle with
him about the dollars, but since he was prevented on that
account from going to sea, sae would not charge him for his
board if he would stop till she could pay him. After having
been kept about three weeks with promises, he found one night
on examining his chest that fifty dollars had been removed from
it. lit two or three days after, his landlady returned him 3)
dollars, saying she should soon be able to pay hint the re-
mainder. He waited two days longer, but, seeing that she did
not pay him, he determined to leave the house with what money
he hart left, which was 123 dollars. On the 2d of September he
brought his things to the door to take away but she would not
let him, saying he had to pay her £4 15s. first, fur his board for
the time he had been with her since she promised him it should
cost him nothing. Ile refused to do this, and she seized his
chest and hammock and locked them up in another room, and
would not allow him to have access to them. The same after-
noon, he applied to the magistrat.ss for a summons for her to
answer this on the following Tuesday. On that day they
both appeared, but the case was put off until the following
day by the magistrate, when only one appeared. He was
then told to be there on the third day at three o'clock,
but the case was called on in costa at two o'clock, and
in consequence he was absent. Seeing that every thing went
contrary he thought he could not get justice here, and that
he had better pay the £4 15s. than lase all his property. With
that intention he went and got an inspector of police and a po-
liceman to go with him and demand his chest, and on getting
it, in their presence he had it opened when he found that the
whole of the money had been taken out. He then applied for a
warrant to apprehend the landlady. The warrant was granted,
the case to come on on the following day. On Saturday the
husband of the woman Hughes was placed at the bar, but denied ,
all knowledge of the transaction. It appeared that on the after.
noon before as soon as the magistrates had granted the warrant
information had been conveyed of it to the woman Hughes, and
she had decamped, taking the chest along with her, and the
officers had only been able to apprehend her husband, and
bring a few old clothes belonging to the complainant, the whole
of which were not worth ss. A servant of the Hughes' was
examined, but swore that she knew nothing of where the chest
was removed to. The case was remanded till Monday to afford
time for further enquiries. The unfUrtunate sailor is a fine-
looking man, and appeared quite stupitied with his loss.
On Monday the hearing of the case was resumed. Mrs.
Hayes appeared, bringing with he ia the. sailor's chest. Mr.
Hail desired the complainant to look If all his clothes were in
it. The complainant replied that, wkh the exception of a hat
amid a new pair of shoes, all his clothes were there. Mr. Hall
inquired what right the defendant had to detain the complain-
ant's clothes, and why she had absconded with his chest on his
'iSsieiriihis warrant? Mr. Henry; who appeared for the defend-
. ant, said the complainant owed her £4. 15s. Mr. Hall said,
accOrditig'lci the mai:ea-Statement, which he was induced to be-
lieve; he had satisfactorily made out that he had overpaid the
woman. He had first lent her £l. 155., and afterwards she had
taken 53 of his dellars, and had left 17 unreturned, which would
leave the woman in his debts7s.. or Bs.; besides which, through.
the woman's chicanery, the poor fellow had lost 176 dollars.
'Mr. Henry contended that a feMale who cohabited with the
Sailor had got all the dollars, and that his client had not re-
ceived any. Mr. Hallsaid he must bring evidence to prove
that. The complainant had' made out his statement, and it was
partly corroborated by the defendant's own servant. The com-
plainant said that he had at first given all his dollars into the
defendant's' care, and when he wanted them, there were 53
['short, which she acknowledged, and said she would repay him.
It was absurd to deny that she had not got the money; the
man's statement so far was quite borne out. In nine times out
of ten he believed that sailors were plundered by these lodging-
house keepers. He was satisfied that the only way to put a
stop to it was for government to allow magistrates to licence
houses for the reception of sailors. Another precisely similar
case had occurred the last week against this same woman. She
had got a poor French boy into her clutches, and was endea-
vourins,s to get his clothes and money. The defendant, in the
most brazen manner, said it was very hard she should not be
paid. Mr. Hall told her to bring her witnesses to prove her
statement. He had not the least doubt ow the construction of
the act of parliament relating to their cases, and he was borne
out high authorities. Ile had authority to take the chest, under
his warrant, if he was of opinion that there was no debt due by
the sailor, from the party detaining it, and deliver it °vet to the
sailor. He should order the chest and clothes to be delivered
up to the seaman. He was decidedly of opinion that there was
no debt due, and that it was a mere pretence set up to enable
the defendant to detain the man's clothes. With respect to the
• dollars, he had a very strong suspicion with regard to the mode
in which the seaman. had been defrauded of them, but the evi-
dence was not sufficient to act against her. At, first he had had
considerable doubt whether he should commit her for trial or'
not ; but there was seine difficult) in the case, and he should
not do so. Mr. Henry again contended that the female who
was with the man had- got all the dollars, and he had evidence
to prove that she had been offering to sell this money. Mr.
Hall said his opinion was, that the woman who seemed to be
taunting him everywhere where he went was in league with the
lodging-house keeper, and that this was a common plot to de-
fraud these poor men. As soon as a sailor arrived in Liverpool,
these lodging-house keepers sent out women to decoy them to
their houses; they then get the sailors to deposit their money
for safety with the landlady, and then they won't let them leave
the house even when they want to sail, or, if they should not
like their lodgings, till every shilling is spent. They say, "We
have got your money, and you shan't go." He was sorry he
could not assist the complainant about his dollars ; all he could
do was to give him his chest and clothes. He was very sorry
for him that he had lost his money. The defendant behaved
throughout with the most impudent assurance.
ASSAULT ON BOARD SHIP.—On Saturday, at the police-office,
John Augustus, a black, who had served as steward on board
the ship Cestrian, appeared to complain against Thos. Walker,
the mate of the same vessel, for having assaulted him violently
near St. Helena. The complainant, addressing the magistrates,
said, Please massa hib hab often beat Sambo, Sambo neber
know why. When off St. Helena one morning, breeze blow-
ing a grunter, and ship rolling like drunk; I go down in my
berth, and find wedder than open. My Got, say I, who open dis
wedder door ? if anyting happen to de ship, all blame wilt belay
on me. De mate come down, " what you say, sah," says he.
" You open wedder door say I, and de ship drink more water
nor good for it.".. " You dam saucy, blackmoor," say he, "and
he take a tree inch rope, and flog me till he could do no more,
and he took me up and trowed me down. For Got sake," say
I, " what do you mean to do wit me." Says he, "you black-
looking son of a —, I mean to kill you," and he bruised me
bigly, but 1 did not laid up, 'cos I- would not hab it said I
laid up board ship." "%tr. Hall, " Had you done nothing
to induce him to behave thus ?" Complainant, " Noting at all,
bud say when I huh got back I'd take de law hob him for cable-
ending me; when de captain tell de mate, in de name of Got if
him say so pay hib as dey pay lawyers gib him hold hob it if
hib deserve it." Mr. Hall enquired of the mate, who appeared,
what he had to say to this. The mate applied to have the case
postponed for a week, as he was totally unprepared for his de-
fence with witnesses, having only received the summons the
night before. It was then arranged that the case should be re-
manded till Tuesday (this day.)
ROBBET.—Yesterdav, at the police office, three men, named
John Bates, Joseph Bates' and William Biston, were placed
before the magistrates, charged with having stolen a quantity
of pears and some hens and ducks on Saturday night from the
neighbourhood of West Derby. A police inspector stated
that on Sunday morning, between five and six o'clock, he met
the prisoners walking down Rose-place, having in their poses-
sion a quaniity of pears and apples and two hens and a duck.
On asking them where they had got them they made no reply,
and he took them into custody on suspicion. lie hail since
found owners for the pears and hens. Ralph Oaks deposed to
living at West Derby, and that the pears were the property of
the late Mr. Heywood. They had missed pears of that descrip-
tioh on Saturday night; but he could not swear to them. Mrs.
Jane Huson deposed to living in West Derby, where she had a
farm, next to Mr. Heywood's property. On Sunday morning,
she missed two hens and two ducks, which she saw safe on
Saturday night. The hen-house had been broken open. The
hens and duck produced were her property. The prisoners ac-
bnowleiged they had stolen the pears, but the .hens and duck
they said they found in the lane. The magistrates ordered the
informations for their commitment to be taken.
WtNnw Stu ASHlNG.—Yesterday, at the police-office, a sturdy-
looking labourer, named George Shaw, was placed before the
magistrates on a charge of having broken the windows of
another labourer's cottage, on Saturday night. The prisoner,
on standing up in front of the dock, folded his arms and
glanced a look of defiance at his accuser, and eyed the officers
with the look of a chained mastiff. James Heywood, the com-
plainant deposed that the wife of the prisoner had been accus-
tomed to wash for him and on Saturday night the prisoner went
home quite drunk and began basting his wife, and she ran out
to him for protection for the night. " And, please your wor-
ship," said the complainant, " I told her as she was welcome to
my arm chair. I had not been in bed half an hour when this
man comes to my house, shouting for his wife to come out, and,
because she wouldn't, he smashes my windows." A policeman
deposed to having seen the prisoner break the complainant's
windows. The prisoner (giving his head a threatening shake)
growled out, " 1 gave my wife 28s. last week, and when I came
home there was no meat for me nor nothing, and I grumbled
in .conrse, when off the cuts to Heywood's house, and she's
always there. Se i went after her, seeing as how she warn't
framing for coming back, when Heywood started blackguard-
ing me, when I ordered my wife out. So 1 told hint if he
wouldn't send my wife out I'd smash his windies, and that's all
about it, yer worship." Mr. Hall.—" You had no right to
break his windows. (To complainant.) fie complains that
you harbour his wife.' Complainant,—" How could 1 help it?
She run to my house for protection." Prisoner.—" Well, I'll
pay the damage. on Saturday night, whatever it is, and hey no
moore to do wi' it, if he'lltrust me till then." The complainant
declined this. Mr. Hall.—" Can his wife pay the damage, she
had 28s. of his the last week ?" The wife here stood up and
said, " Id was only 255. 1 got, yer worships, lasht wake, and
I've two small childher to kape." Prisoner (shaking his head.)
—" Nobbut one is moine. (Addressing his wife.) Will you
stand good for me win him and let me out o' this ?" (Loud
laughter.) Mr. Hall.—" She says you'll ill use her ?"
Prisoner.—" I never do, I only happened to do it just then. If
she'll stend good for me till Saturday I will pay it, I can do no
more." This was a decisive argument with the complainant,
and he left the conrt with the wife in pawn, amidst loud
laughter, Mr. Hall ordering the prisoner to pay the amount of
damages, 4s. fid., on Saturday, at the police-office, and if not
paid he would be sent to gaol. The prisoner, on promising to
do this, was discharged.

Toe UNICORN STEAMER.—Another new and splendid vessel,
bearing the above name, has just been placed on the Liverpool
and Glasgow station by the Glasgow and Liverpool Shipping
Company. When the Eagle made her appearance on this sta-
tion a few months ago, it was thought the ne plus ultra of splen-
dour and power had been attained. She is fairly surpassed by
the Unicorn, in the magnificence and comfort of her accommo-
dations. The Unicorn is rather larger than the Eagle, and her
engines, which were manufactured by Messrs. Caird and Co.,
of Greenock, are of 260-horse power-130 each. The grand
cabin or saloon is fitted up with all the splendour which it is
possible to conceive. Various improvements in the arrangement
of the sleeping berths have also been adopted. They are much
more commodious and roomy, and, of course, better aired than
those of almost any other vessel we have seen. There are up-
wards of sixty beds, and with the sofa berths, more than eighty
passengers can be comfortably lodged. Some idea of the ele-
gance with which these vessels are fitted up may be formed by
distant readers, when we state that the cabins of the Eagle and
Unicorn have each cost about £5,000, and that the total cost of
each vessel is about £27,000. There is no place in the united
kingdom where the improvement of steam navigation has been
more rapid and remarkable than the Liverpool and Glasgow
station, and the boats are not surpassed, for power or speed, by
any in existence. In saving this, we award equal praise to both
the companies by whiim the navigation is conducted. The
packets of both sail regularly in all weathers, and they seem
literally to Set the elements at defiance, for they keep their time
with surprising punctuality,' whatever he the state of the wind
or waves. We are glad to find that the proprietors' reap the
reward of their enterprise and spirit, from the increased inter-
course which they have been the means of creating. The fares
and 'charges are very moderate, and the commanders are men
of experience; Who are -thoroughly acquainted with the channels
and other localities of the voyage. •