The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-05-02 00:00:00

TfIE STATESMAN

POLICE.

nuti.OhaLt..—The family of Mr. Turner, silk.mereer,
160, Fleet-street have been much annoyed, and indeed
alarmed, frequently, within the lass 10 to 12 months,
by the receipt of letters through the twopenny post,
sometimes addressed to Miss Elizabeth Turner, at others
to Mr. William Turner, Mrs, Turner, &c., couched in
terms wholly incomprehenslble to the family. During
the same period a little girl, and occasioeally a bey, have
called at the house to inquire for Miss Elizabeth 'turners
and when interrogated, their answers have been elnally
sisgelar and mysterious. The general purport of the
letters implied souse love-affair, between the writer and
Miss E. Turner; but as Mr. Turner's sister of that mope
was a mere child, scarcely more than 13, and resident en-
tirely tin the country, and as the letters alluded to inter-
views, and money sent to her, the family mild form no
probable conjecture upon the subject. On Monday
afternoon, the girl (a child of nine years old) culled
again. and asked to see Elizabeth Turner. Ott being
questioned, she said her father had sent her. While
lilts. Turner was detaining her in conversation, Smith,
the street-keeper of Fleet-street, was sent for, brit before
his arrival, the girl had been let go. He, however, got
sight of, and followed her into one of the adjoining
courts, where be observed her join a middle-aged men,
and learning on speaking' to her, that he was her father,
be took them both into custody and brought them back
to Mr. Turner's. Here the man's account of himself vas
so incoherent, talking about Elizabeth's going to Ed-
monton on Wednesday, and the money he had sent to
her by his son Allan, tt.c. all of which was totally unim
telligible to Mr. Turner, that they at first thought him
deranged, anti under all the circumstances it was thought
right to take him and his daughter to the Compter.
Whea brought bt:fore the Altigistrate, Mr. Alderman
Bums, on Tuesday, the prisoner gave his wire Allan
Altalillan, and stated biniselt to be a naval °facer .on
balf.pay. residing at No. 2til Skinner-street, Bishops-
gate. The girl's name, he said, was Jane, and she was
his daughter,
Mr. Turner narrated the circumstances we have no•
diced above, and produced two or three of the letters a'-
holed to. but said he could throw no light at all upon
the subject. It was wholly unintelligible to him, or
any of -his family.
fbe prisoner listened very attentively to Mr. Turner's
statement, and an evident blush of shame roe in his
countenance during the narration; and it was not till ;
very closely pressed by the Alderman, that he could be;
brought to enter into any explanation of his conluat.—
He owned that the letters were his writing, and sent by
Ihits to Miss Elizabeth Turner. This did hut darken the
mystery. At length, finding that his charucter was
likely to be impeached by the suspicion of a frail litlent
attempt to obtain money, he confessed he now foitad
that he had been imposed upon by his son Allan, and a
party not known. Some months ago, lie said, Allan
brought him a letter pure acting to be from Miss Eliza-
beth Turner, residing with her 'nether, at No. MI,
Fleet-street, professing t;re affectionate regard site hail
formed for hint. He returned an limner by his boy, and
had, in consequence, an interview with a young lady,
calling herself Miss Turner, in the Bethnal:green-road.
Since that time, he had received many letters, purport-
ing to be from her, and the letters Miss Turner produced
were his answers to. or inquiries about. her. boring
this correspondence, he had at her request sent her mo-
ney at various times by this boy Allan, to the amount of
upwards of 221. and what Mr. Turner had eons:rnekl in
the letters as a demand for money, was his request for
the re payment of a part of what he had lent Miss Eliza-
beth. He now saw that the whole was a deception prat-
tised upon him, through the means of his son, who had
'absconded front him ever since Thursday last.
' Being asked bow old his son Allan was, he st tted him
to be just 12.
That such a system of deception shon1•1 be practised
by a boy of that age, seemed so improbable, and the
story alrogether so strange, that the Nlegistrate doubted
whether the prisoner w..s perfectly sane; and on his
stating that he was "ell known to ()key, a Clerk in the
East India warehouse, Bishopsgate. he was detained that
that gentleman might appear.
On Wednesday the mystery began to be cleared up.
Mr. Okey made his appearance before. the Magistrate,
bringing with him the grand machinator, little Allan
who confessed that a big boy that he had got
acquainted with, of the name.of Charley, who lives at
Deptford, wrote the letters to his father in the name of
Miss Turner, and when lie (Allan) got the money, the •
big boy and he shared it between therm and that he ran
away because he was afraid his father would find him out.
The only circumstance against the truth of this confession
was, that he bad himself brought some of the letters
to Mr. Turner's, which he moist bare known was likely
to lead to a discovery. On these occasions, however, it
appeared his father was with him, and watching to tee
him deliver them.
Mr. Okey spoke of the elder M`Nlillan as a gentleman
incapable of a dishonest or dishonourable action ; and
though his present appearance (his linen an 1 apparel
being very dirty and shabby) was not in his favour, he
assured the Magistrate he was what lie described himself
—an officer in his Majesty's navy, and had performed
his duty very gallantly upon several occasions. Mr.
M`Millan, whose countenance was by no means farmed to
captivate the female heart—for he squinted exceedingly
—was then of course discharged.
Little Allan was, however, detained, to be confronted
with his friend Charley, in search of whom Brand, the
marsbalman, was despatched to Deptford.
From what occurred at Guildhall yesterday, we find
that Brand, the Marshalman, succeeded in his excursion
to Deptford. Charley, a lad about 14, the son of. Mrs.
Grout, who keeps a little school, was easily found, and he
and his mother very willingly accompanied Breed to
town. Ott the Magistrate, Mr. Atrlerman BIRCH, taking
his seat, Charley Omit, and little. MLitt NltAlillan,
Iwho had been kept separate, were confroated with each
other.
Little Allan was then called upon to repeat his for-
mer testimony. He now, however, varied his story,
and allowed that CL ale), was no party in the plot, but
that he (Allan) applied to him first to write the letters.
After a long investigation, it ultimately turned out that
littie Allan was the sule contriver of the whole scheme
that he bad once before practised it with success, was al-
Ilowed by his father himself, an 1 so complete was his in-
Ilatuation, that he had been commit to have a young lady
Ipassing along in the Bethnal-green-road pointed out by
ittle Allan to him as a Miss Elizabeth'Turner, and this
was all he meant when be previously stated be had bad
'interviews with her. The n rare of Turner had been
adopted by accident, young Allan having seen it written
up over a door in Fleet-street ; the Chrtstiai name, Eli-
sabeth. was a fortunate guess.
The elder M'Afillen produced the letters he bad re-
vived front the .opposed Miss Tunica, which, cleated his
chancier from all imputation of knavery, but aliened that
he had bein duped in a most extraortlitrary way.
The Magistrate at length dismissed the whale alfeir.
Bois-writeeit.—Una of the most piconestmely-vimera-
bleold non we ever beheld in real life, was brought be-
fore Sir It: 11'1011s y. 'terries., as a rogue and vagabond.
He stattaltiniself to be one hundred and live sears old,
and we are almost tempted to believe him, note itlistand-
leg all that was said to the contrary. Above the ordi-
nary stature, he hat a fine Socratic countenance ; his eve.
serenely placid as the mountain eagle's. his hair and
hieuriant beard shone like Silver, and were literally white
,as 'bow: He Was remarkably' sitorigiir,—bat still there
sips a • tremulous stitittrepitlisle' in its voice and action
which bespokt. a Multitude of years. His deem, too, was
las singular a. his From. Urtteattlaa urinary thread-

Y 4.

bare loose coat, he wore a short robe of Highland-plaid;
is lair Land he held a broad fiat Scottish bonnet—such
as the Mocgr-,ore decorate with the eagle plume ; and
against bis'bteast was hockleil;wi"o a leathern belt. an
ainple bouquet of daffodils, and O,her spring flowers, in
honour of " the May "—their gay vernal colours tormi 0
.a beautiful contrast with the wintry honours of the old
man's countenance. A couple of short strong wallA
ink s'icks completed the exterior of this singular being.
he patrol dated that they found him begging in the
Legreat silversmith's shop at the corner of Sydney's-allow.
Leicesterisquare, and knowing him to be a common beg-
gar, they took him into custody.
Sir RICHARD put a number of questions to him, and
the following is the substance of his replies :
His name is Win. Johnson. and he was born at Camp-I
tai's-town, or Camplvelton, in Argyleshire, in the year I
1717. His mother was a Highland woman, but his ft.
titer 'war a Lowlander, of Dumfries, and was killed at
the battle of Cub ten loor. He had five brothers, who
'were soldiers in one regiment, and they all fell at the bats
tie of Hunker's-hill. For himself, at the age of twenty.
he enlisted in the Scotch Greys, and continued in that
regiment notil the death of George the Second, when b.
joined the 411 Highlanders, or Highland IVatch; as
they were then called. With them he eontinuel twenty
years. and during the early part of the last war he,
served in various regiments, both on the Continent and
in the East Indies. He had now, be said, a pension of
sixpence a day.
In giving this account our himself, however, it so hap-
pened that he could not recollect the name of the Colo-
nel Commandant of scarcely any one regiment in which
he stated himself to have served ; and Ilia memory
seemed equally defective as to the Generals under whom
he had tuned. Sir Richard blirnie's extensive know-
ledge of these matters completely puzzleirthe old soldier
and detected him in many ...Troia. Ile attributed this to
a memory impaired and " blunted," as he expressed him-
self, by age en I troubles, and persisted in the general
rorrectnees of his story. He declared lie had seen
Prince. Charles previous to the battle of Culloden, but he
could not describe his person. Sir Richard asked him
whether he could speak in Erse, end put a question to
him in that language; but he decline! answering it, and
said lie did not know muds of it, " bemuse be was
broncht op in Glasgow."
Sir Itteitaan expressed his surprise that he did not re-
tire tohis native place, in Scotland, and live there upon
leis pension.
The old man repiietl that lie went to Scotland when
the King was there; but, finding only one person alive
of whom he had knowledge, be retu:ned to London.—
He concluded by sawn:, " I am not a common beggar,
as these men have a'leged, neither have I lifted my bon-
net to man or woman this day."
Unfortunately for hint, however, a clerk of the Men-
iliei:y Society, flaying heard of Isis apprehension, attend-
ed, and declared hilts to he a gross impostor. The fact
was, lie said, that he ens put upon the pension list at
Chelsea in the year 1795, at which tune he give his acre
; and of course he could not now be more than 82.
The Society had made every inquiry into his case, and
hail done every Hong for hint that could be done.—
" ll'hat have you done," said he, addressing the pri-
soner.—" What have ton dune with the coat we gave
von " Worn it out," replied the white haired vet .
ran ; "two years is a long time to wear one coat, hard
lodged and butte:ted about as I hive keen."
Eventually the worthy Magistrate expressed his re.
gret et sending a man of his years to prison, bat the fact
of Isis begging had been distinctly proved, anil that,
combined with many discrepancies in his story, m tde it
imperative upon Itott.• lie titer fore ordered that he
should be committed twit the next Sessions, and he re-
commended 1 • to retire to his native place as soon as
he rerovertd his liberty.
TOWN IIALI„ SOUTHWARK.—IIenry Walsh anti John
Pales, alias Mason, were brought np on snspicion of
being concerned in the robbery of country bankoicees to
the amount of 1,238!. hum the Cranhrook waggon on
Wednesday week. 'f he notes were put in a tin box, which
was deposited in an iron chest made fast in the waggon,
and both securely locked.—The prisoners were remanded
unto Tuesday.

On Monday night last, about teno'clo. • most de
structive conflagration broke out on the large and excel-
lent farming establishment of Mr. Thomas Reynolds, at
Raddon Court, Thoverton, Devon, which, in a short
time, totally destroyed the barn. outhouses, threshing
machine, ;shout 200 bushels of wheat, and a loge wag-
gon laden with wheat and cider, which was to have been
sent off to Exeter.
EXTRAORDINARY AFFAIR—A great sensation hss been
excited at Brighton during the last week by a circum-
stance unparalleled in the annals of the town. A gen-
tleman who has attained great celebrity by acts of fanci-
ful philanthropy with 'which his name is associated, and
who has been residing at Brighton for about a week
past, was, in consequence of information given at the
Police, broiled before Sir David Si ott on Saturday I sq,
together with Archibald Robinson and his wife, keepers
of a well-known house of ill-fame, and as many as four•
teen or fifteen females of abandoned character. The
above gentleman, it appeared, had with that eccentricity
which at all times distinguishes his conduct, entered Ito
billion's house, where he distri bitted money and clothes
to these poor creatures, the report of which spreading
far and wide, lie had soon a numerous list of appliecnts
for bounty. Among these was one young girl from
Lewes, and another from the virinity of the Devil'! Dyke,
and in this manner he presented as many, we understand,
as twenty-five with a sovereign each, and to the greater
part of them besides an order to a liner;-draper for goods
to the amount of ten shillings. It would have been well
if his intercourse with them had terminwed here ; hut
when it became known that scenes of the grossest indeli-
cacv were taking place, it was judged necessary to in-
terfere and prevent the repetition of these outrages on de.
coney and morality. Of these scenes some idea may be
formed when we state that too young girls, one of them
thirteen, and the other only ten rears of age, were sent
up to Mr. —, by the woman of the house for a purple.
unusual, we would fain hope to Englishmen, but to
which we cannot more particularly advert, the latter—
we shudder while we record so revolting a fact—being
her own daughter : whom, sensible and ashamed of the
infamy of her conduct, the unnatural mother introduced
under a fictitious name. A good deal of difficnlty was
expesienced by the officers in getting admission to the
house, and they were obliged to have recourse to strata-
gem before they could succeed The disgusting facts
have been satisfactorily established. Mr. M. was bound
' over iu heavy recogniaanres to be of good behaviour, as
were also too si f Mrs. Robinson, who had been
privy to what was going forward, and had shared in the
vile profit exacted hrthese unprincipled creatures from
the objects of his misdirected bounty. For not contented
with the usual c mtributions levied On those who resort
to such !mots of vice, they actually claimed and re-1
ceived from each of these poor girls the coin of twelve
shilling and sixpence, before they were suffered to quit
the house. A prosecution was ordered to be instituted
en behalf of the parish ag:-.:nst Itobioson and Isis w:fe,
who gave bail themselves in 1001. and two sureties iu 751
each for their appearance at the Sessions to answer the
charge, so that an establishment which has, we un ler-
stead, existed in Brighton no less than seventeen years,
will' at length he deservedly broken up. We are in pos-
session of many more particulars, such, however, at we
must forbear to detail ; but we cannot refrain from ex-
pressing oar regret that a person, who was formerly a
healboiough of this place, should have given informa-
tion to the keepers of this brothel of the measures which
were being taken agaiusl thew.—(llrieston Gazette)

;lock,

-moo -._ -

diiMMEI

A fellow of the woe of Amos, was last week snore-
belated at Bath, on a charge of uttering notes of Brick-
mlele's Taunton Bank, which stopped payment llama
'years ag.s.
A Giese PonTexc-earahaa —Yesterday morello', as
ill-looking old woman went into the shop of Mr. Burton,
baker, (levet Portland-street, and bought a penny roll;
which she stayed eating till all the people were gone
out, except Mr. Burton's daughter, who had the rare
of the sloop, when the old wretch fixed her eves on !lie
girl far attune tient, with great attention, and at length
told the girl that by the lines in her face she could per •
reins that she was born to good fortune, and if she would
give her a shilling, she would direct her to a placer
where there was a settee deal of hidden treasure conceal.
ed • accordingly the girl gave her a shilling; the gipty
looked at the p dms of loth her (the girl's) Islands, and
after pretending to examine them, she directed her to i
in.() a certain corner of the cellar, and dig np the ear
and at the depth of a few inches, she would find a stone
jog full of gold and silver coin; anti she booed when
she found it she would give her a piece of gold in al-
dition to the shilling. The pour simple girl went as &-
meted, and after searching some time and finding her
expectations disappointed, returned to the shop. when
she dismtvered that the old woman uas gone, having-
stolen a silver watch o hit two gold seals and key, 4
silk shawl, and other article: out of the inside roust:
fortunately the till whirls contained some money was
locked. in, young woman ran immediately to the
Duke of Sussex publicdsonse, and informed Mr. in:r
rester the landlord, of the robbery, and he, with some
persons who were in the tap-rooin, followed in pertoit ;
hot although she and her dress was very remarkable,
she had effected her escape. Mr. Burton, in the coarse
of the afternoon, gave information of the robbery at
thedifferetst poliecedfices, and a rt.-scrip ion of she of I
gips), fortune-teller; and we expect from the vigilance
of the police officers soon to hear that she is in custody.
She appeared to be between 40 and LO year+ old, mi.tr;:e
size, rather thin, very black hair an I ryes, olive com-
p'exion, long, sharp, piercing visage. She wore an o!,t
dirty threadbare red cloak, and au old ragged hla‘
is
straw bonnet.
On Friday lase, Mr. John Bennett, riling offieee, sta-
tioned at Mullion, near Penzance, was fo,nd lying in-
sensible in the ro id near Porthlearen. He was tinned -
arely taken to that place, and every p a-sms*ati .0
&Worded him ; hut though lie heed tintll tote next tsiurr.-
isig. he manifested no signs of returning cansciamaness.
Ile had been to Penzance on Friday to receive ' is salare,
and was on his return when, as is supposed, he fell
from his horse in a lit.—lle has left a widow and fou -
teen children, seven of whom are un ler eleven per, or'
see, to lament his death. None of the property woleo
he wits known to have about him is ads:in.—(lV.:l
Minos.)
DREADFUL ACTIDENT.--About four o'clock yestrrdi
afternoon, as a timber waggon h:•ay.ly laden eat goin
along Ursa'.-street, it. lilies's, a nntrtwr of elmi:dren n
La
had been playing a'lont the eu I of George-ttru et, rame•
rustling into Broad-street at the ins ant the waggon %tat
passing, and before two of the her, c.,ullt recover throt-
selves, ;hey cline in violent coot•tet with tree waggon, he
which they both fell; one of the boys ra. killed on I •
spot, and the other was so dreadfully nriegled by Cu •
wheel of the waggon passing over Isis leciy, that no hop s
of Isis recovery can be enmeitairmed. Ile wzs carried in a
hopeless state to the hospitel. The two unfortunate
boys were children of hard working itzliismaioas paretes
living in the neighbourhood. No blame is attributable t 4
the driver of the waggon.
ENECCTlON.—Wednesday morning, pm-scant to Lit
sentence at the list Assizes for th • comity, holden in
Taunton, George Steelman, age I 27 years, was executed
on the new droll, at Ilchester. Tusk nefariunate wan
was a native of Soinerse. In early life he bewail* ad-
dicted to the most vile anal sinful prultens.eies, till at
length his crimes brought him under tte cu.enizance of
the law, for previously to time commission of the above
offence, he had received the sentence of death. But even
this awful circumstance did not or rite as a check to his
depraved inclinations. Ile was trued on a charge of rah-
bing and cruelly beating J. Lucas uo the highway. The
evidence adduced was of time most convincing nature, and
left n) doubt on the minds of the jury as to tree prisoner's
guilt. Tire prisoner treated Lucas erectly, robbed hint
of his watch, rifled his pockets of lis. its silver, and bear-
ing a road-waggon approaching, left !dm in the toad
apparently dead. Ever since his con viet.un lie conduct-
ed himself with Christian resignation, ackuo tl Aged
the Ins nets of his sentence, and seeme to feel a great
consolation that be had not committed murder on the
prosecutor.
ExECUTlON.—Yesterday morning William Arttury
convicted at our last Assizes, of coining counterfeit im o-
ney, was, pursuant to his sentence, executed in front el
the Couiry WA He was conducted to time p'atform at
ten o'clo k. on which he was attended by the Rev, IL
lamingliarne, the Chaplain, with whom* he continued a
short time in prayer ; after which he was lanhched loges
eternity ; and his body, after having been suspended the
usual time, was taken down, and given to his friends for
interment. The fate of this unfortunate young man if
an awful lesson to the indiscretion of youth, and of the
consequences of improper conneziotis. Unsuspicious
and unguarde I, he became at a very ea: ly period of life a
prey to the wicked designs of those who have now b;-
come hoary in the couitariesion of that ;rime, for which
ate has fallen a victim in the prime of manhood. The
compunctions of conscience haul operated most power
fully upon him since his condemnation, and he had de-
voted his mind to that spiritual applicatim which is time
only source from which consolation can be anticipated
unties suds trying and awful circumstances. His gene-
ral conduct and deportment since that period was the
very reverse of that delusion under which he was led
astray; and by penitence and resignation he was enabled
to sustain his last conflict with the greatest firmness.—
The unhappy culprit acknowledged his guilt, and de-
clared that be freely forgave the individual by whose.
persuasions and artifices he was brought to an ignocre-
Mous end. Asubury was a native of Birmingham, acd
by trade a gilt ton-maker. He was 32 yea's of age, 37'4
lies left a wife and two children to deplore his unused!
end. May his awful dissolution be to them and whereat
lasting warning !—Our readers are aware that his slit
and mother-in-law, (a woman nearly fourscore years of
age) took their trials with him for the same offence, bit
were arquitted ; and that at the time of Isis apprehere
sion, very extensive apparatus for coining, 500 LI ml 3 for
sixpences, and 4,104 perfect sixpences, ready for close
Latium were found upon his pretuis..s by the police-el&
errs.— (Warfel's* Adr.)

MARRIED.—On the Ist inst., at St. Luke's, Chaise.
Charles Schreiber, Esq.. of Hinchetsen-lodge. Hant. is
Alpelle, eldest daughter of Major-General Sir John Cab•
ron, K.C.S. •
Lately, at Exeter, J.Soalth, a netive of Macs*, in Chios.
to Mary Shelles. from Quebec, in North Americo. From
these extreme parts of the globe. this young coupls Met 91
Raeler, and there formed an attachment Which has ?toe'
ously en•led itrmatrimony.

DIED.—On the lit inst. at Pentonvi.le, aged 110°1'
daughter of the late Joke thanusaing.
Os 'euesitag, the 2Uth ult.. at hia hs.us, in 0 rest Comb'
Ideal.-bleneral Vero Warner Hussey, aged
fd
On the 3fth ult., Mr. Samuel Sanitn, coleit.:naker,
street.

London: Edited, Printed, and Published, ai tke 011 c,, "
•'TU.( EITATi SWAN." No. tn. Strand, by H. woßttio-
to whom all Commulicatlons, Orders, dre, aIS r`"
(petted to be @Adresse&