The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-01-02 00:00:00

ORGANIZED SOCIETY OF THIEVES.

—..m.--.
An Association has been formed at Kingswood,
near Bristol, for the Suppression of a Society of
Thieves, which is asserted to he regularly organized
in that neiglibourlibod; and from the statement in
an advertisement in The Bristol Mercury, must have
1 elltelled a most shaming extent.
llMole families are represented " as being dependant on this
sang
esiabination for their maintenance—and many hundreds of the
er branches, are knows to be in actual training for the
e purposes. It is also ascertained, that they are in the habit
decoying labourers from their accustomed employments, and
formally admitting them into their society. Great numbers of
hucksters, in the surrounding neighbourhood, are in alliance
with them, and the venders of the goods are seen passing with
cart-loads of goods, to and from different places by night—none
presuming to interrupt them. And although 0 seldom nccnrs,
that say of these plunderers succeed in securing their booty,
without being recognised by the colliers passing to and from the
mines, yet they consider themselves as inviolably secure ; furanv
one daring to impeach them, would endanger both property mid
life."
The terror generally prevalent, from an apprehen-
sion of inourriog the vengeance of this formidable
combination, is stated to restrain many from uniting
with 'the Association—and some, even by their rela-
tionship to persons known to belong to the Society.
Of the existence of such a Society, and that the
foregoing statement is not exaggerated, the Commit-
tee have pledged themselves to give positive proof.—
gut for this assertion, it might have well been doubt-
ed that such an organization of roguery could have
existed in a populous part of this country, and
even in the very neighbourhood of the great commer-
cial city of Bristol.

On Sunday evening last, a man of the name of
Junes Feaste was taken into custody at Canterbury,
on a charge of being concerned in assisting French
prisoners and others to escape from this country. In-
timation was given to Mr. Mantell, the Agent of the
Transport Board at Dover, and the Prisoner was
committed by the Mayor for farther examination on
Monday, when it was determined to forward him to
London, and he was accordingly sent off under a pro-
per guard to Bow-street. It is said he is a native of
Guernsey, and had, within the last six months, oc-
casionally lived at Whitstable : he was the owner of
; a small vessel of about 35 tons burthen, employed in
the smuggling trade,and sailed from Hearne bay about
a fortnight since with a crew of five mariners belong-
ing to Hearne, previous to which time he had been
concealed some weeks at Whitstable. On Friday
last (according to his own statement) he left Dun-
kirk, with a cargo of silk and contraband spirits :
and in the afternoon of that day was taken at the
back of the Goodwin Sands, by a King's cutter, and
his vessel carried into Dover, where he was permitted
to come on shore in consequence of his skewing let-
, tens addressed to several Ministers of State, and
stating that he was employed by the Admiralty, to
obtain information of the enemy's preparations. On
the evening of Saturday he arrived in Canterbury by
the mail ; and while at the coach-otlice on Sunday
evening, taking his place to proceed that night to
London, was recognised by one of the county Ma-
gistrates, who, in consequence of an express just re-
ceived by him from Dover, was making inquiries
respecting a person of his description ; and lie was
shortly after apprehended at the King's Arms public
house, where l had directed the coach to call for
him.
Tuesday night, abouttldi o'clock, as Serjeant
Whiting, of the Royal York Bangers, was passing
by the end of St. John-street, in Smithfield, escort-
ing his trunks and other articles of furniture contain-
ed in a cart, the carter was knocked down under the
cart, in the street, by one of a gang of robbers, se-
ven or eight in number, while the Serjeant, in mili-
tary dress, being on the recruiting service, was only
a few paces forward before the cart. • The carter
most actively rose from the ground, and instantly
seized his assailant by the collar, but was forced to
let him go, by the robber's having drawn the knife,
with which he had before cut the three ropes that
secured the trunks in the cart, across his fingers on
the back of the hand. The fellows effected their
escape.
Six French prisoners, who lately escaped from the
Castle of Edinburgh, have been re-taken to their old
place of confinement. On Friday last, information
I was given to theCommantlant of the Linlithgow Local
Militia, that a number of Foreigners had been seen
skulking among Lord Hopetoun's plantations : a
party was immediately sent out, which descried them
at some distance iu the fields. On seeing the party,
they all separated, taking different directions ; six of
them, however, were taken, after considerable
fatigue, four of them hid among the whins, and two
of them in the hollow of a stack iu a barn-yard.—
On their escape, they had made for the sea, near Cris.
mond, where, finding a boat, they sailed up the Firth,
till opposite Hopetoun-house, where they landed,
intending to pursue their journey to Port Glasgow
by land. They had subsisted for three days on raw
turnips. On being taken, they were carried to Lin=
lithgow jail, fed, and clothed, and conducted to
Edinburgh on Saturday last.

—.or—
SCOTCH SMACKS.
Mrt.t.rif's Wharf. Arrived.
Dowprz s Wharf.
Hope (Hatton), Leith 117 I
Eliza (Mars), ditto 144
Perthshire (Henderson), Dun-
dee
a 26
Fifeshire (Miller), Leith 30
Defiance (Watson), Dundee 3O
Leith (Marshall), Leith , SO
HIGH WATER AT LON
Monti*, 15 minutes after 4.

Sails.

6 Jan. S, tl. M.
5, —lO, A. M.

Jan. 5 A. M.
11, —.ll, A. M.
7, —7, P. M.
5, —4, A. M.
[IiDE THIS DAY.
L, 32 minutes after 4.

ON BRI'
liveniqg

few day since an i MARRIED
Mr. Osborne's house, i Faydtlast, end, capt. Li'hemp, Royal Navy.
tit was prevented by ito pi,: A , aughter of Giles liVellsford, L.q. of
As the servant was i On Setturday.last, at St. Demean's, Steppes, It. J. Hart, Sm.
Rise, he discovered a :
of IligAneni, to Elisabeth Ana, sccoad daughter of Mr. Much,
Upon dragging the 1 Yesterday, at St. George's. Bloomsbury:, John Brenchley,
trongly, he confessed 1 Esq. .F Lincoln's lan-fields, distiller, to Louisa Charlotte, eldest
daughter of S. Medina, Esq. of Upper Guildford-street, Ras sell-
or the purpose of ult.
ly bad retired to rest, i YaZ sq
ersay,at St. Peter-lo. Poor, G. E. F. Schwleger, Esq. of
o were to give him a ' Bury-cart, St. Mary-Axe, to Augusta, daughter of John lieury
Freese, Esq. of Warnford-court, Throgreorton-street. e
auckirs. After keep -
delivered him to the VIED.
when they let him go 1 Oa Monday last, at Brompton, Mr. Henry Weston, Deputy
~ _ ' Atalsiant Camsalmary-Geaeral.
t rePriallutd I —Were, 1 Yessrahrissesiegi in Gleacesterbeildlngs, Walworth, Mrs.
examined duly before 1 Elizabeth *Wu 'how
y lasta in Kensington-square,Dr. Patrick
t have dad_furnishe de °1 1111
Wilms, formerly I'rofcnor of Adroamuy in the University of
)ull consequence ? . Obsgew,