The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-04-01 00:00:00

II

r 0

POLICE.

GU[L HIALI.

Testerilay William Trwtor, alias Smith, alias
Comtetry a well-known character, and a wo-
man of the name of IITO:::11, were brought before
Alderman DoSIVILLE, the Sitting Magistrate, on
strong suspicion of having given their attendance at
the Mansion House Ball on Monday evening, for the
express purpose of picking pockets.
John Nicholls, a Constable, of Golden-lane, said
he was ordered to attend at the Mansion-house on
Monday evening, to prevent the crowd from inter-,
mingling with the Gentlemen and Ladies alighting
from their carriages to go into the Ball-room. About
half-past eleven o'clock, he observed the Prisoners
make their appearance, when they immediately pro-
needed to follow every party Which happened to
arrive at the Mansion-house, with the most evident ,
anxiety to mnke free with their property. Several
times he observed Country Billy gingle with his
knuckles on Gentlemen's pockets, and his companion
always covered the attempt .by displaying herself in
her broadest attitude between the crowd and those
persons they seemed desirous to pillage. Ile did not
perceive the Prisoner take any property from their'
pockets, but he saw him perform what the pick-
pockets call, in their slang, 44 stalling," that is,
walking beside the passengers so close, that they
were obliged to put themselves into convenient atti-
tudes for losing their cash to disengage themselves.
On the whole, he declared that he had witnessed
many pickpockets of considerable celebrity, walking
their nefarious rounds ; that he never beheld suck
barefaced attempts to empty pockets before as what
he had described. Ile immediately took the Prison-
ers into custody, and found upon Taylor's person
nothing except a watch with a gold chain and seals,
on the insole of which was inscribed the Prisoner's
name, and nothing on the woman.
One of the Police Officers recognized Taylor as
an old suspicious character, who had been frequently•
seen in the company of reputed pickpockets in pub-
lic-houses; and had al=o been several times in custo-
dy on suspicion of felonious practices. Ile was
known by the familiar epithet of Country Billy.
The Prisoner,- Taylor, said, that be was a horse-
dealer, and sometimes a boot-closer, and lodged in a
pnblic-house, at New-cross, but he could not recol-
lect the sign. Ile was acquainted with respectable
per Sons who would secure his character from these
imputations, of which he declared himself wholly
innrcr:t. lie part;cnlarly re:; rested Ws true name,
William Taylor, might he matte public; ne seemed to
have a particular avers:on either to au alias, or the
name of Cautitry
'lle, woman de, Heti Itaself to be an acccmmo-
e.r;:g creature in a nartit nee, and that she had
ampted the over whieh Tay !or trade her to partake
of scene which oc:7..siorwd the Constable to
sly hi bid.ce?tl th(,rn 1., en .vetsalZon together.
They were remanded until t 4k day, and ordered to
bri.,z, persons who could spe.rk to their good cha-
racter.

A poor old deranged man, half covered with mi-
serttAe clothes, was hrnugitt up for having a silver
watch in his possession of which he cock:: give no
account, and also for having been guilty of constant
presarication concerning the plat-,, of his alonde. lie
was remanded until orrlw, when empairy would
be made concerning his habitation, and the property
which he had about him.
E 'trio N -GNP

Yesterday Thomas Joseph Elliot was brought up
before the Sitting Magistrate (Mr. TurcroN), cha,ged
by William Griffith deaufort, with robbing hint of
his silver watch, on the preceding night. The Pro-
secutor had been making holiday with some friends
at the Buucb of Grapes, Crown-court, Chand-s-
-street ; and among others of the compauy, had par-
taken of a glass of punch with the Prisoner, who
was at that time a perfect stranger to him. On Inv.
Ing the Bunch of.Grepes a little merry, about 11
o'clock, the Prosecutor was met in the street by the
Prisoner, who immediately snatched his watch from
Ms pocket, and he perceived the outside case fly off;
be seized the Prisoner, and gave him in charge to a
watchman. When it the watch-house, a man of the
nape of Morgan, a friend of the Prosecutor, pro..
dured the watch without the ease, it had been delivered
to him, during the confusion, by some unknown
hand. A girl of the town proffered her evidence, to
prove that the Prisoner bad attempted to slip the
watch into her hand ; but it being intimated to the
Magistrate that she had been lately convicted of lar-
ceny at the Old Bailey, be rejected her testimony al-
together.
The Prisoner, in his defence, solicited a private
audience of the Magistrate, and hinted at something
mysterious in the transaction ; but this was declined
on the part of the Worthy Magistrate, and the Pre.
lecutor and Morgan swearing positively to his per.
son, he was fully committed for trial.
Maria Antionette, wife of .1. Palmer, landlord of the

Black NH public-house,,Clerkervwell, better known
by the title of the Bang-up house, was charged by ,
Mary Fleming, with violently assaulting her on the
precutting night. It appeariog, howev,r, that the''
Ce•nplaitiant was rather top heavy with gin at the
time, and had used most abusive language to the
French landlady, who merely endeavoured to put.'
her out of the house, and prevent riot; the com-
plaint was discharged, with a wholesome reprimand
from the MagiA rate to the Complaiaant, for her dis-
graceful and violent conduct.
, .
Yesterday a shoe-maker, of the name of lllllittgr-
head, apprehended by William Read, junior, was
brought up and und,rwent examination, charged with
stealing out of the dwelling-house, of Mr. Weller, at
lie-Midi-town,' a silver watch, and sundry articles of
wearing "apparel, the property of said Mr. Waller ;
far the want of material evidence attending, the Pri-
stmt.- was committed for nt-eiutrainatios.

I
- SuresDa.—A your woman, of the Dermot &Abell,
servant in Si trldesmanYa family in
street, way found in bed yesterday rnornir.,•,,with
her throat cut from car to ear. She had ht 4 low-
. spirited tb. preceding e ty, and not aniiwerine to her
Dunning-bell as usual, clue •of ,the family went ion
her chamber, and found her tying on her side, with a
knife ini her right hand. An unfortunate attachment
aoribed as the cause of suicide.

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