The Statesman.
London, England, 1824-02-03 00:00:00

MYSTERTOUS Di SA PPICARANCR.

MatvatoN-Housa.—Yesterday a young man named Ceo.
Plummer was brought before the Loan MAYOR, charged
by his father, a respectable old man, with having commit-
ted a breach of the peace.—The father, who has been for
many •ears established as a stay-maker, in Princes-street,
Minones, stated that his son came on the previous morn-
ing at two o'clock, and began to raise the whole house by
a violent knocking. He disturbed the family and the
lodgers by loud outcries, and it was found absolutely ne-
cessary to give him in custody. It was his practice to dis-
turb the house at midnight in this manner, but to shat
cause such conduct was attributable neither father nor
mother could conjecture. - The son, when asked by the
Loan MAYOR what be had to say in his defence, was so
much agitated that he burst into tears. He said it wls ex-
tremely painful for him to be placed at a bar tinder a
charge preferred by his father, but it W4ll another imputa-
tion of an awful nature, no less than that of having tnnr-
tiered his brother, which had been cast upon I ' by his
family, that bad fur a long time made his mind unhappy
and worked him up to commit those breaches of the peace
which he now !amented. _

The Loan MAYOR questioned the father upon this extra-
ordinary statement.—The father said, that be had never
made such a charge against the nnhapp.. young man at the
bar, and never would have ineutioned the subject, had it
not been thus pub;iely alluded to. The truth was, that he
had another son named Robert, who some years since was
set up in business at St. Alban's, where he succeeded in
establishing himself as a stay-maker. It was on the 18th
or 19,h of November, seen years ago, that Robert, who
had then been separated front his wife upwards of twelve
months, was said to have observed her walking in a lonely
vat of the town of St. Alban's, with a man, of the nature
of whose acquaintance with her he seemed to bare no
doubt. He disappeared the next day, without common'-
: eating with any of his acquaintances, disposing of, or
making any arrangements from which it could be supposed
that he contemplated an absence of any length. The state
of affliction to wide) his I.mily were reduced upon hearing
of this unaccountable departure and absence, was inde-
scribable. A reward was offered for any information
respecting him, but the only intelligence they could obtain
WAS merely conjectural, and described him as having been
seen at ICdfrrn, in Hertfordshire, on the day after he was
missed from St. Alban's, getting into a post-chaise, accom-
panied by a strange man. The fatuity had written to all
their acquaintances in different parts of the world, but
not one word of consolation had they ever received. Such
was his consideration fur his father and mother, that they
were convinced he would not keep them longer in suspense,
if lie had the power of making thew acquainted with his
destiny.
Airs. Plummer aid, that the prisoner told her about a
month after Robert was miss,d, that lie was either dead
or soon would be dead, and ti at she might he convinced
of the fruit' of it. The thee Ifni fears occasioned by this
coniumnication were not alleviated by an assurance made
soon afterwards by Georze, that Robert was dead —an
assurance accompanied by the words, .• 1 knave where
lie is; I know where he lies." Freq.'• ntly since that
period, George had alluded to the dreadful subject, but
never had he been accused of being a party to the disap-
pearance of his brother. There was a younger brother
now at St. Alban's, who bad mentioned that George had
told him that Robert was dead ; that he (George) knew
of his death, but would not snitch (tell tales). Both
father and mother had until this statement been in doubt
whether their child hid gone abroad or been destroyed.
The prisoner here said he was sorry to be obliged to
contradict his parents, for whom tic had the utmost
respect. lie never had wade any assertions to the effect
stated.

The LORD MAYOR saki, that great advantage would
certainly arise from the publicity given to the case; as, if
Robert Plummer were dead, the inquiry whirls must neces-
sarily take place wherever the facts and suspicions were
mentioned, would most effectually tend to bring to light
any exis,ing evidence: and if he were alive, • would forsiish
the best means of snaking him acquainted with the afflicting
condition of Ir:s family. His Lordship considered it necessa-
ry to remand the prisoner until the younger brother yen
be brought from St. Alban's. The prison: r was tlieu re-
manded.

liow-•racer.—We stated in o.ir paper of yesterday,
that the daughter of Mrs. White having been found at a
house in Villier's-street, Strand, an..! brought before the
Magistrate on Saturday night, gave sue!' information
against it gentleman w hour she owned, as induced Mr
Missitutt, to grtirt a ..arrant for his apprehension. The
gentleman named was Colonel tkorre Augustin Lowe ;
and late on Saturday night, Blackman, the officer, appre-
hended hinr,and lodged him in Covent-garden watchlrouse,
where he remain. d until yesterday morning, when he was
brought up and underwent a very long examination in a
private room before Mr. XIINIIHULL. He is a tall man, ap-
parently about 40 years of age, and served in the English
cavalry during the Peninsular war, and is now a Colonel
in the Colombian service.

The statement of the girl, as far as it can be repeated
here, was, that Colonel Lowe, by various promises, such as
that he would take her abroad with him, prevailed upon her
to quit Mrs. Bliss's house, which she did on Thursday
evening, by appointmeut, and the Colonel took her to the
Fountain, in Catherine-street, Strand. There, according
to her account, after being with him some time, he accom-
plished his purpose by force, holding his hand upon . het
mouth to prevent her from crying-out. ILI left her to sleep
alone that night, and on the following morning he came
end took her to the house in Villierrstreet, where he had
hired lodgings for he,r, and where she remained until
fetched away by the officer and her mother.
The Colonel, in answer to the charge, positively denied
that the slightest force had been used, and said that the
girl, he believed, went out from Mrs. Bliss's house at eight
o'clock on the evening in question, and he did not quit the
house until ten, and then lie found her stsnding.at the top
of the street. She followed him, and spoke to him, and be
certainly took her to the house mentioned, but she went
with perfect willingness.
Mr. Fisher, the surgeon to the office, was sent for, some
doubt having arisen as to the completion of the offence
charged against the Colonel, but Air. Fisher was usable to
say positively that it had been completed.
The examination bad lasted until late in the afternoon,
when Mr. &linguist!. ordered Colonel Lowe to enter into
reeognivinces fur his appearance at the Sessions to answer
for the misdemeanour, himself in 2001., and two sureties
in lOW each. _

RONSBRY IN KW IRARDII4II.-Mr. Afton, the principal
soperintendant of the Botanical Barden, at Kew, has re-
peatedly bad °cession to lament the loss of some of hit
mostivaluable tomtit plants, orbital' were 'stolen from the
green-houses sod g►ounds, without his being able to dis-
cover the thief. At lrrgth, on Thursday last, Mr. Smith,
tone of the under suptrintendants, baring missed a further