The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1849-12-04 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE,

On Thursday, a prostitute named Ann Smith, was fined
£5, for stabbing a sailor.
On Friday, Captain Alexander Scott, of the Chieftain,
from Quebec, appeared before Mr. Rushton, at the
Police-court, and was fined in the mitigated penalty of
£5O, for having offered a bribe of a sovereign to William
Fenton, a tide-waiter at the Brunswick Dock. The case
was proved by Fenton, and the money was instantly paid.
On Tuesday, a man was fined 20s. and costs, for having
a larger quantity of gunpowder than allowed by law. It
was found concealed in Everton Valley, and was intended
for blasting purposes.
On Wednesday, three men, named Quinn, Kenny, and
Longwood, were committed for trial, charged with stealing
a large quantity of earthenware from Messrs. Davenport
end Co. of Canning-place, The police officer found one
of the prisoners cutting open a large crate in a coal yard,
at the back of Hanover Chapel, Mill-street, kept by a
female who was apprehended, but afterwards discharged.
The officer, afterwards, found eigt.t dozen of basins under
a shed, and it was found that the prisoners had sold to a
dealer near thirty-four dozen basins, and were carrying
on an extensive trade in earthenware, at a low price.
Messrs. Davenport's name was stamped on the ware.
ROBBERY OF INDIAN CORN, &C.—On Saturday seven
girls and two boys were brought up on a charge of being
concerned in a robbery of Indian corn, pease, &c. All
the prisoners, except one of the boys named Rimmer,
were seen going into Abchurch's mill, at the top of
Clayton-street, with two bags of Indian corn. Rimmer
was in the employ of Abchurch, and being about to pur-
chase the corn, said that he had authority from his master
to do so. Mr. Abchurch denied any knowledge of the
transaction, and that he occasionally bought damaged
corn from old women out of charity. Mr. Rushton, in
consideration that Rimmer had been the dupe of Abchurch,
discharged him. He, however, administered a severe
reprimand to Abchurch, and vised him to be more
careful in making his purchases.
SMUGGLING.—A SERIOUS CHARGE AGAINST TIDE-
WAITERS.—On Wednesday, a young man, dressed in the
garb of a sailor, named Thomas Jones, was brought up on
a charge of smuggling. An officer of customs saw him
engage a car, proceed to Lydia Ann-street, bring a bag
from a house, followed by another person, also with a bag,
who got inside the car, which was ordered to Tithebarn-
street. At the top of Vernon-street he stopped the car,
and seized the person inside, but he escaped. The bagis
were secured, however, and found to contain 148 lbs. df
leaf tobacco. The prisoner, who admitted that he rode
on the car, said that it was a hard thing that he should
suffer. Two tide-waiters had given him the tobacco, and
he had nothing more to do with it. Mr. Rushton : Who
are the tide-waiters ? Prisoner : They are on duty. Mr.
Brook : Where ? Prisoner : I know the ship they are
on. Mr. Rushton : What are their names ? Prisoner :
I don't like to tell their names ; I'll tell Mr. Potbury.
It is very hard to blame me for what I was sent for. I
can prove that a tide-waiter came to my house for me,
and called me out. Was this man convicted before ?
Prisoner : No sir. There is a man in court who knows
that a tide-waiter came to my house for me and called me
out. Mr. Rushton : This is a very serious charge, and
should be inquired into. Mr. Potbury then applied for
leave to see the prisoner, which was at once granted.
The case was remanded.
STOWING AWAY ON SHIPBOARD.—On Thursday,
Patrick M'Cafferay was charged with being found secreted
on board an emigrant ship, under suspicious circum-
stances. Mr. George Bennett, a gentleman employed in
the establishment of Chapman, Bowman, and Co., stated
that, on Wednesday, he went on board the ship Albert
Gallatin, then in the river, she being about to sail for
New York, and, on rummaging, he found three women
secreted in flour barrels. On a further search the
prisoner was discovered stowed away in a small box, not
more than three feet long by about eighteen inches broad.
The box had to be broken open before the prisoner could
be got out, and he was then much exhausted by his con-
finement ; had he remained there much longer, the con-
sequences must have been fatal. The prisoner's wife was
on board, and she had endeavoured to secrete herself.
Mr. Bennett wished to know if there was any remedy.
Mr. Rushton : I am not aware of any. Mr. Bennett :
This prisoner and his wife were without provisions, and
these would cost 28s. ; besides which, we have to pay two
dollars for each on landing, and are under a bond to keep
them for three years if they become paupers. Mr. Rush-
ton : It is a very serious matter, but I cannot do anything.
The prisoner was discharged. In a short time afterwards
he appeared in court, and created much amusement by
asking if he might have his box. Mr. Rushton refused
his application, adding, "Go along with you ; it is
well you were not smothered in your box."

ALLEGED EXTENSIVE ROBBERY OF COTTON.—On
Saturday, Benjamin Mayman and John Carruthers, who
had been remanded on a charge of stealing cotton from
Messrs. Moon's warehouses, in Chapel-street, were
brought up for further examination. The evidence went
to show that a large quantity of cotton pickings, the pro-
perty of Messrs. Moon, had been collected from ware-
houses in Carlton-street, Formby-street, Denison-street,
and other places, and sent by the prisoners to a warehouse
in Chapel-street. A great portion of it was subsequently
delivered from the latter warehouse and sent to a marine
store, in Highfield-street, kept by Patrick Magee. The
paisoners and Magee were present at the delivery, and the
cotton was taken to Highfield-street by Magee's orders.
Some other cotton was also taken from a warehouse in
Regent-street and sent to Magee's, but it did not appear
that this was a fraudulent transaction. The evidence,
though somewhat contradictory in some of the minor
points, was sufficient to show that an extensive system of
fraud in regard to the disposal of cotton had been carried
on. John Ryan, a carter, in the employ of Mr. Kelly,
proved that he had gone round to the different warehouses
abovenamed, and carted cotton to thewarehousein Chapel-
street, and thence to Magee's store in Highfield-street.
He received his orders from the prisoners and Magee.
This witness was cross-examined by Mr. Owen, soliciDr,
who appeared for the prisoners, when he admitted that
Kelly had given him two sovereigns for going out of the
way for a feiv days, and he was to receive £5 more to go
to Ireland. Wm. Beattie, a warehouseman, in Messrs.
Moon's employ, said be gave no authority for the removal
of the cotton from Chapel-street. Magee was in the
practice of buying cotton pickings from Messrs. Moon.
He (Beattie) bad no record of many of these deliveries
which were under inquiry. It appeared that Magee had
been negotiating for the cotton in Chapel-street, but it
was not agreed that he should have it at the price he
offered, neither had he any authority to take it away, or
the prisoners to deliver it. Mr. Edward Moon and Mr.
William Moon were examined, and their evidence was
confirmatory of that previously given, that neither Magee
nor the prisoners had any right to remove the cotton.
The total amount of cotton missing from the warehouse
was forty-seven bags. Mr. Owen, on behalf of the pri-
soners, contended that it had been the custom for the
under-warehouseman, which capacity the prisoners held,
to deliver cotton on their own responsibility. Mr. Rush-
ton intimated his intention of committing the prisoners
for trial. It was well known (at least to himself) that
thousands of pounds of cotton were stolen in Liverpool
every year. He would like to know where Magee was,
as it seemed to him that his presence was essential to the
purposes of justice. He hoped that he would be looked
after. Mr. Owen said there was no doubt his clients had
been the victims of Magee and Beattie. Mr. Rushton
observed that what had taken place must place Messrs.
Moon in a very painful position, as it would do every
merchant in the town.
ALLEGED FRAUDS BY PASSENGER AGENTS—At the P-
olice-office on Thursday William Rippard, passenger agent,
appeared to answer a complaint preferred against him of
receiving money frcm emigrants, and refusing to find them
a passage. From the statement made in court, it appeared
that William Russell and others paid a man, named James
Kearney, £2l 4s. for their passage to New Orleans.
Kearney was formerly a passenger-agent, but, in conse-
quence of some complaint against him, he was deprived
of his license. Rappard gave Kearney authority to act
upon his (Rippard's) license for a fortnight, and it was on
the 14th instant, the day on which this permission expired,
that the engagement was entered into with the com-
plainants. It was understood that Rippard would give a
passage under the agreement made by Kearney, but on
application he refused to do so. The defendant admitted
that he had given authority to Kearney to act on his
license, but he subsequently remanded such authority ;
besides which, he had never received a farthing of the
money in question, and he was in London at the time
of the arrangement being made. He had no knowledge
of the offence for which Kearney lost his license, or he
would not have employed him. Mr. Rushton finally said
that he must pay the money next day, or he would deprive
him of his license, and send him to prison.—Another
similar case then came on, in which an emigrant, named
Richard Tennessey, complained of John James Duffy, a
passenger broker. In this instance Duffy had authorized
a person named John Kearney to take passengers on his
license, and under this authority Kearney had received
£l5 for Tennessey, for passages for himself and others to
New Orleans. When Duffey was applied to, he refused
to acknowledge the agreement which had been made, and
the complainant could neither obtain the passages which
had been paid for, nor get his money returned. Mr.
Rushton said there had evidently been an attempt to
defraud the poor emigrants, and the defendant must re-
turn the money. DefA,ndant : I hope you will not imagine,
Sir, that I have done anyt:iing —. Mr. Rushton: Yes;
I have a strong suspicion against you beyond any imagi-
nation, and I shall take care your license be not renewed
unless this money be returned. I shall write to the Com-
missioners of Emigration in this and the preceding case,
and state the circumstances, and I will allow you till to-
morrow to pay the money.—On Friday Mr. Rippard again
appeared in court, and Mr. Snowball being retained for
the defendant, the case was gone into de novo. The pay-
ment of the money by Russell (£2l 45.) was proved, also
the refusal of defendant to provide passages for the parties.
Lieutenants Hodder and Prior proved that the defendant
was a passenger broker, and that Kearney had been one,
but that he was deprived of his license on the 29th of
October. The officers at the time were not aware that he
had lost his license. On the 31st he brought an authority
from defendant to act in his name. The fact of Kearney's
office being in the same building, and in conjunction with
Messrs. Rippard's, was also proved. The captain of the
Wilson Kennedy said he was not aware that Mr. Rippard
had any authority to ship passengers in his ship. Her ton-
nage was 1129 tons, though, it appeared, they called her
2500 tons. Kearney had chartered the ship himself.
Mr. Snowball said, for the defendant, that the latter had
been guilty of indiscretion in giving the authority to
Kearney, but had done everything to prevent its being
done again ; and on finding that he had done wrong, he
revoked the written authority he had given to Kearney.
Mr. Rushton said the money should be paid back. Mr. J.
Rippard said he had never received any part of it, or he
would be happy to repay it. Mr. Rushton said to de-
fendant, " You must pay the money." The defendant
said he would not, and was taken into custody. Mr.
Rushton then said he would give him until next day
(Saturday) to pay it, and he would not in the mean time
commit him to gaol. The other defendant in a like case,
Duffy, was then called, but though he had been seen in
court, it was found that he had decamped on finding how
the land lay, A warrant waa issued for his apprehension.
We understand that the gentleman who represented the
_owners of the ship very kindly ordered all the parties who
had been defrauded to have passages by the ship. Mr.
Rushton observed that this was a very kind offer.—Up
to yesterday Mr. Rippard declined to pay the money.