The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-12-28 00:00:00

LOCAL NEWS

PROVIDING FOR CIIRISTMAS DAY.—A boy, named James
Fenton, was on Friday placed at the bar of the Police-court,
charged with stealing a goose. It appeared that on the pre-
vious night the prisoner and another lad were observed loi-
tering about a poulterer's shop in St. John's Market. The
latter was seen to hand a goose to the prisoner, who was
given in charge. It was spoken to by the owner, and also
by a man who had previously been pricing it, and had gone
back to buy it. The prisoner, who had before been four
times committed, was sent to gaol for three months.
ROBBERY OF A BOY.—Two disreputable-looking charac-
ters were placed before Mr. Rushton, on Friday, charged by
a boy with having rifled his pockets and taken therefrom
3s. 6d. From the statement of the boy, it appeared that be
had come from Manchester to this town for the purpose of
going to sea. Whilst rambling through the streets he met
with one of the prisoners and another who bad not been taken
into custody. They took him into several public-houses for
the purpose. as they said, of seeing some captains and mates.
They afterwards took him into a brickfield, and there in-
sisted upon him giving up his money. This he refused, when
one of the party seized him and forcibly took all his money,
which amounted to 3s. 6d. He gave information to the po-
lice, who took both the prisoners. One of them only, how-
ever, was engaged in the robbery of the boy, but as they were
both bad characters, the officer took them into custody. The
prisoner directly implicated in the robbery denied all know-
ledge of the affair, and the other said he was at home in bed
when it occurred. Mr. Rushton said he had no doubt what-
ever that they were accomplices, but as he who said that he
was at home in bed when the robbery was committed was
not known to Mr. Parkinson, and the other was an old visitor
of the court, the one was discharged with a caution, and the
other was committed for three months.

LECTURES.—We understand that a course four lectures
are about to be delivered by assistants, in various districts of
the town, upon the important subject of early closing of
shops.

The Hibernia, Captain Wilson, which sailed from New
York on the Ist instant, arrived here on Thursday evening.
She has brought papers of her day of sailing, but their con-
tents, which are unimportant, have been anticipated by the
papers of the 30th ult., conveyed by express for the Caledo-
nia, by the Boston steamer of the Ist instant.
WELSH PRONESSORSHIPS.—We understand that the peti-
tion to her Majesty, unanimously adopted at a recent meet-
ing of the Welsh inhabitants of this town, for the formation
of two Welsh Professorships in our English universities, will
Im forwarded this morning to Sir Robert Peel for prcsenta-
tio,, to her Majesty.

Tne CORN LAWS.—Many of our contemporaries have
spoken in high terms of the suggestions of Mr. Jackson, of
this town, for a modification of the corn duties. The an-
cheater Courier says—" This appears to us to be one of the
best plans yet proposed. The writer has given us the choice
of three scales of prices and duties ; of course we prefer the
first of these, but we cannot help concurring in some sensible
remarks on the plan which appear in the columns of the
Liverpool Standard.]
On Friday last, John Hicks, Esq., of &afield House,
Crosby, distributed to the aged and infirm poor, and to those
who receive parochial relief, severally, Gibs. of beef and a
peck of potatoes, for their enjoyment on Christmas-day.
This munificent example is deserving imitation by all those
who have it in their power to contribute to the comfort of
the poor at this season of the year. " The poor ye have
always. with you."
- -

ELECTION OF A LIBERAL ALMONER.—Our printers' devil
desires us to announce to the readers of the Liverpool Mer-
cury, that, at the request of a numerous body of friends, he
has been induced to allow himself to be put in nomination
for the responsible office of collector of penny tributes and
almoner of the liberal party in this town. Being in some
degree a stranger in Liverpool, and his transcendant merits
therefore unknown,—and being, moreover, troubled with a
little more modesty than some other candidates for official
rank,—he is unwilling to catalogue the various honours
which have been accorded to him for his past services to the
human race, and the zeal which he has ever displayed in the
cause of humanity. We may state, however, in his favour,
that be has been purveyor of cat's-meat in our establishment
for a period of several mouths, discharging the duties with
great fidelity, and to the perfect satisfaction of the amiable
object of his disinterested care ; and that, for his services in
another establishment, he was presented with a handsome
tobacco-box, bearing the following flattering inscription
" Presented to ROGER THOMAS, JUN., ESQ.,
by the Chairman and Members
of the late
REFORM ASSOCIATION,
as a parting tribute of their respect
for his talents and character,
and as a slight reward
for his zeal and assiduity in the distribution
of the beer and pipes, during the last
melancholy sittings which pre-
ceded their fina extinction
as an important poli-
tical body "

We may add that our protepe'e has already received promises
of support from several of the most influential leaders of the
liberal party.

COMMITMENT TO TILE SESSIONS.—At the Police-court,
yesterday, a girl, named Mary Downes, was placed at the
bar under the following charge. Police-officer John Wil-
liams (395) said, that about eight o'clock on Sunday night,
while he was on duty at the north bridge of George's Dock,
he saw the prisoner pass with a basket and two parasols.
A boy, who carried a box, was walking by the prisoner's side.
He watched her, and saw the boy place the box near her.
He questioned her, and she said that she was going to Ches-
ter, and that she was come from Manchester, where she had
been three months in service. He searched her parcel, and
found a table cloth, three German silver spoons, and a green
baize cloth. He suspected her, and sent her to the Police-
office. He then examined the box and basket, and found
them to contain two dresses, six caps, two collars, two aprons,
a purse, two handkerchiefs, a bonnet, a tea-caddy, &c.
Margaret Hunter, and her sister Anne Hunter, of No. 7,
Shannon-street, afterwards came to give information at the
office of being robbed, and identified nearly all the articles
as their property. The prisoner, they said, had been a month
in their service. About Vim- o'clock on Sunday afternoon
they went out, leaving the prisoner, and their father, who
was very deaf, in the house. The parlour door they left
locked. They returned about eight o'clock, found a pane of
glass taken out of the parlour window, and missed the para-
sols, tea-caddy, &c. They identified the articles. The pri-
soner said a young man had come into the house, and handed
them out to her. She was committed for trial.

EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE AGAINST A WINE AND
SPIRIT BROKER.—Yesterday, a respectable-looking indi-
vidual, named Richard Murphy, who stated he was a wine
and spirit broker, and who had been liberated on bail, ap-
peared at the police-court, to answer certain charges preferred
against him by a publican and his wife. Mr. Davenport
appeared for the complainants, and Mr. Wardle for the ac-
cused. A police-officer said that the defendant was given
into his custody about nine o'clock on Saturday night, at Mr.
Henry Newton's, " Dick's Coffee-house," corner of Upper
Dawson-street. Mr. Newton said he kept the tavern, and
that on Christmas night when he went up out of the tap-
room, which is in the cellar, into the house, he found the
defendant struggling with his wife and another person in the
lobby. Having learned that he had been up stairs, where he
had no business, he gave him in charge as a suspicious
character. He admitted that lie knew him before ; that he
knew his name to be Murphy, and that he had once had a
wager with him, and had drunk a glass with him, which he
(defendant) paid for. A servant girl, named Jane Large,
said that on the night in question, while she was dressing
in a room up stairs, a man, whom she took from his voice to
be Mr. Newton, came up stairs to the door, which is at the
end of a lobby of about twenty feet long, and asked for a
light. Not being quite dressed she handed him the candle
out, but seeing the defendant, who pushed at the door of the
room to gain admittance, she held it with her foot and suc-
ceeded in keeping him out. He told her to be quiet, and she
said he was an impudent fellow, upon which he laughed and
pretended to be drunk. There was no drinking room up
stairs. She had seen him once on a previous occasion when
he had a glass in the back room. She denied that he had
followed her up stairs. This was all the evidence as regarded
the suspicion of felonious intent ; and Mr. Rushton said that
it was quite clear he did not go up stairs to commit any
robbery. Mr. Davenport then said that he should proceed
against the defendant for an assault subsequently on Mr.
and Mrs. Newton, and when the witnesses were all brought
up that charge was proceeded with. Mrs. Newton said that
on the same night, while she was with some friends, she
heard the girl Large cry out from up stairs, and on going up
found the defendant at the door of the room where the girl
was. She asked him what took him there, and told him to
go out of the house, when he struck her, and afterwerds her
husband. He struck her first on the belly and afterwards on
the forehead. She denied, on cross-examination, that there
was a kissing-bush in the house. Jane Large being called,
went over her former evidence, adding, that she afterwards
heard the scuffle. A person named Barnett said he had been
dining with Mr. and Mrs. Newton, and hearing the noise
went out of the bar and found Mrs. Newton up stairs. He
added some irrelevant matter as to a brace of pistols which
the defendant carried on a former occasion. He was afraid
to interfere, but distinctly saw the defendant strike Mrs.
Newton. Mr. Newton repeated that on returning from the
vaults he saw his wife struggling with the defendant in the
passage, and on his interfering to get him out he struck him
three times. The defendant when at bridewell said " I'll
ruin your house : I will say I was lured up stairs by the
women.,' The bridewell-keeper said he heard the defendant
say " I'll ruin your house," and also, that he was taken up
stairs by the wife, or the wife's sister. The defendant's coat,
it appeared, was torn to pieces in the scuffle. He strongly
denied the assault. Mr. Rushton animadverted in strong
language on the conduct of the defendant, who, he said, had
no doubt, gone up stairs for a disgraceful purpose after the
girl, and had afterwards threatened to ruin the house by giv-
ing out that he had been enticed. He required him to pay
the £5, or be imprisoned for two months. The fine was
immediately paid.

PETTY EMBEZZLEMENT.—A poor boy, named Robert
Jones, was charged yesterday at the Police-office, with
receiving sundry small sums due to a cart-owner, who had
employed him to collect his accounts, and which he had not
accounted for. The complainant said that the lad had
nothing to depend upon, and that he gave him the accounts
to collect, and as he had nowhere to lodge at, allowed him to
sleep in the stable. Two cases were proved against him.
The prisoner said that he was nearly starved to death. Mr.
Rushton remarked that it was a great temptation to throw
in the way of one so destitute; little else could be expected.
The prisoner was put down, and will probably be merci-
fully dealt with, and strongly admonished him as to his
future conduct.

CHARGE OF DISORDERLY CONDUCT.—Yesterday., at the
Police-court, a repectable-looking man, named Richard
Kitchen, and his wife Margaret. appeared to answer a charge
of disorderly conduct on the previous night, at the Elephant
public-honse, in London-road. They had been given in
charge by a police-officer, who saw them in an affray, but
did not, it appeared, witness the commencement of it. The
male prisoner (who had been admitted to bail) was seen to
strike another man. The former said that he was in an
apartment with his wife when the man alluded to came up
and took his wife round the neck and kissed her twice. She
not liking such liberties from a stranger, though it was
Christmas time, slapped his face, and he struck her on the
side of the head. The defendant returned him the compli-
ment. The prisoners were discharged. The man was em-
ployed at the gas-works, and had been consequently admitted
to bail.

CONCERT FOR PRAYER.-It will be seen from an adver-
tisement, that the Rev. J. H. Stewart purposes having a
service at St. Bride's, ou Saturday morning next, being new
year's day. The rev. gentleman will doubtless suitably im-
prove the occasion, especially as he has been the originator of
the design for the meetings which have been held on the first
day of the new year in various parts of the country for spe-
cial prayer for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
EXTORTING A CONFESSION OF GUILT.—A boy, named
James Stewart, was yesterday charged by a Mrs. Walton with
stealing a box containing two pocket handkerchiefs, and a
few other articles, which she said he had confessed to have
taken. It appeared that he had been occasionally employed
in the house, and had gone there on Christmas-day. She
went out leasing him there, and she afterwards missed the
box and its contents. She asked him about it, and he denied
having taken it ; but on her pressing him to confess, saying
it would be better for him, he admitted that be had taken it.
Mr. Rushton said that the complainant had interfered with
the due course of justice, and the prisoner must be dis-
charged. In such cases parties should always send for a
police-officer, and not extort a confession by promises, which
defeated any prosecution. The prisoner was discharged.