The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-01-07 00:00:00

THE STATESMAN.

.. ~,

MURDERSI!!

POLICE. •
MANSION-110US1:.
Tne Cat us e a.—Yesterday Harriet Magnet,
whom we formerly mentioned as having been disco-
vered at Gosport with the stolen child (for which a
Mrs. Russell had been tried last Sessions at the Old
Bailey). was put to ,the Bar. When first brought .
up by William Barber, the Kuper of Gosport Bride-
well, he handed over 'to his Lordship ter confession
and examination before the Islagistrate, which she
did not deny. yesterday Mrs. Dellow .and her little
hos, attended; when the LORD MAYOR addressed the
Prisoner. lie told her he had taken great pains to
investigate this business, and she might be indicted
for stealing the clothes a the child ; but if she was,
he thought, under all the circumstances, she would
he acquitted, as she did not steal the clothes with a
felonious intent, to makea property of them, but
had directly purchased 13 changes of clothes for the
boy, which had been all given to the parents, with
the child. lie should, therefore, not send her to
trial for the felony, but commit her for the assault
upon the child, in carrying him away, and conceal-
ing him from his parents, for which they might indict
her, and for that offence he would hold her to bail.
His Lordship said he was sorry for the poor woman
whn had been tried for this supposed offence, of
which every person must he now convinced she was
innocent, and on which account she certainly was
j entitled to some compensation, and he should feel
I happy to give her every assistance in his power not
_.. . .

The Freeman's Journal, of the 3d instant, after
giving the particulars of the horrid murders in Ire-
iand, which appeared in our_Paper yesterday, states,
that " to the preceding chocking narrative., we have ,
to add, the blood-freezing murder of Mr. Alexander
Wheatley, of Capel-street ; and likewise that of tr
young woman at Santry, which have lately occurred
—and both of which, can be att ,sted by Mr. Pasley,
the County Coroner. It is really a matter of al-
most unaccountable astonishment, how such a mur-
der as that of Me. Wheatley, should not excite the
attention of our POLICE ESTABIASIIMENT.
The Magistrates heloneiffg to it, whose DUTY it is
to seek after MURDERERS, with Unceasing exer-
tions—have little, that we can see, to plead in ex-
cuse for their seeming indifference on this important 1
occasion ;—a Citizen, a Shopkeeper in Dellliii,Weied
to pieces, apparently with SA BRE. cuts, lend-trtrodriad
into the Canal ! They cannot say, limit it Cgc.ap4'
their recollection—for The Freeman's Journal, more
than once called their attention to the subject. Vet
nothing effectual was done; no reward olfered, nor
any active measure .set on foot for bringing to light
the perpetrators of the horrid deed. When the Pub-
lic talk of this transaction, they are lost in amaze-
ment that it should pass, as it were, unnoticed, by
that BODY to whom the protection of the City and
Suburbs is confided. Many and various are the
opinions and conjectures on the subject ; and we
take this opportunity of mentioning it, in orderthat
the PO LI CE MAG ST RAT F.S may see the necessity

_ -
that he found any fault with the evidence which ap-
art corres ponain ,
g
peered against her, as they could have no metleiees ; of exertions, nn their p, with the
intent against her. The Prisoner retired from the awfulness of tee occasion. We have said enough
bar without speaking a word, seemingly over- to shoe, that tae supineness manifested, is a great re-
whelmed with grief, and never held up her head. fiection on our Constituted Authorities,our Civil Laws,
The curiosity of the public was so great to see her, our virtue, our humanity, eur City—nn our country.
that to avoid the immense crowds, the Officers were While the exertions of the Loudon Police on the re-
obliged to shut the gates, and convey her privately . cent murders
oine p that
the cicoluty amns re the ta
e me
eme o
paper in
f •every
through the House. tongue ; and cy of y
Four men, of the names of Priestley, Robinson, ;the empire, our Pelee EITABI.I3IIMENT anpears
Golly, and Price, were charged before the Loan silent, amidst THREE, occurrences of a similar na-
Ma volt, by Mr. Lucas, with breaking open the tore—that at Belly more Eustace, Mr. Wheatle),
vaults of Mr. .Mann, in Vine-court, bottom of and the woman at rangy; all perpetrated in the
queen-street, Cheepside, and stealing a quantity of space of a few monlisi !it is with seine reluctance
wine. Mr. Lucas gave his Lordship a long account-, that we tires furnish the sister -kingdom with this
of him and several. Gentlemen of the Corporation of melancholy contrast of Irish and Easlish exertion, on
the Tower and Thames-street, with others, who such a serious oceke;ion as MURDER. But, how-
were sworn in before his Lordship, having gone ut ,ever unpleasant, it is rendered imperative upon us.
tin duty during that night, secretly settled 'a
rendez. If others still net do their duty, that is only an 4d-
vous near London-bridge, separated themselves in diti 'eta, call upon as to do ours—and, in conformity
le
two parties, and watched such houses as they sus- to this, our onitien duty, we pledge ourselves,
petted harboured bad characters, one of which Was never to quit this subject, until a suitable investiga-
No. 15, liles's-lane, Thames-street ; when, about tion takes piece ; and the necessary exertions are
six o'clock, they heard the voices of several men, made, to trace the authors of these aggravated mur-
whom they saw, and by a soft knock at slid house, det s. We ere determined that it shall not be record-
the door was opened directly. The morning being .ed in our history, that eveav newspaper in Ireland,
very dark, they could not discern faces, but each car-, was silent and inactive, when, within a few months,
ried something ; three of them entered the door, but , and in, or near the metropolis, a family was cut off; a
the fourth seeing them, put in something, and turn- Citizen liewei to pieces, and thrown into the water;
ed round to get away. He was taken into custody, • and a woman abused, robbed, murdered, and cast
and admittance demanded at the door, which was re.. into a ditch."
fused for nearly a quarter of an hour ; in the mean
time, they heard great bustle in the inside, and ,
breaking of bottles ; at length, having gained admit-
tance, some went in, and others gained the door and
cellar windows; that they found in the honse a horse .
pistol, two small iron crows a dark lantern, &c. •
That in going up stairs, they discovered the Prisoner,'
Priestley, in a bed where there was a man and his
wife ; upon finding oho they were, gave him up.—
In the garret they found Golly and Price in bed,
but finding their shoes and hats wet, convinced them
they were the, men. Several of the other gentlemen
confirmed this statement, and produced bludgeons
they found upon the Prisoners. Mr. and Mrs. Hill,
who lodged in the house, proved that none of the
Prisoners lodged in the house, that the Prisoner,
Priestley, came into the room, and begged for God's
sake to let him lay down in their bet!, or it would
cost him his life ,• that hs was a friend of Thomson's,
the lamllord. Mr. Mann proved that his vaalts had
been broke open that morning, and that the wine
found was sealed with his seal. The Prisuaers were
committed for further examination.
M AALB(}ROUGH-ST It LET.
Mr. Thomas, a student-at-law, was held to bail,
for an assault on Colonel Wemyss. It app nred in
evidence, that the Defendant had, by mistake, in an
amorous mood, knocked at the door of a house in
Russell-square, after twelve o'clock, on Sunday night,
and, on its being opened, he walked into a parlour
where the Colonel was spending the evening with a
party. An altercation ensued, and the Defendant
was conveyed to the watch-house, at which place he
struck the Colonel in the mouth.
Messrs. Hunt and Sons, card-makers, in Mortimer-
street, charged several workmen in their employ with
conspiring together, to prevent their work being
done. The ringleaders were committed, and this re-
stored order.

Monday se'nnight, two men broke into a house in
the neighbourhood of Dunfermline, and stole a watch
and pair of pantaloons. Oae of them was soon
after a pprehendA, and after examination was com-
mitted to Dunfermline jail. The watch was found
in his possession. Next morning, on the jailor !
onening hii room where he was confined, he was'
quite dead, having hanged himself by means of his
• handkerchief.
. Some nights ago, a bcolisel's shop in Dundee,
was entered into, -and about 70 volumes carried off;
and on Monclny night se'nnight, a sunk shop in the
Fish-market was broke open, and about 41. in cop-
per and silver carried, otf. The books have been
since foin.tl in a gentleman's garden, into which the
thieves had thrown them, to prevent detection ; but
no word is yet got of the specie.
On Wednesday morning, about two o'clock, the
hoAse of Dvvid Coming, Esq. at Chrisleton, was
attempted to be broken into by two men and a
woman, hut were providentially prevented by the
courage of a lady (we are told 9.2 years of age !) who
snatched up a sabre, and immediately attacked the
villain who was entering the window, by cutting his
hand, in Inch a determined manner, as to cause him
to let go his hold and fall to the ground, leaving se-
veral marks of blood behind him. It is supposed
the wounds may lead to a discovery of these uffen-

UNION-HALL.
John Fitact was yesterday charged with an as.
sault on Sarah Clark, an infant under ten years of
age, with an intent to ♦iolate her person. What
adds to the enormity of the offence is, that the child
is the daughter of the Prisoner's wife by a former
husband ; the mother, however, has been dead almost
a year. lie was committed for want of bail, to take
his trial at the Sessions, for a misdemeanor.

HATTON7GARDEN.
Yesterday two well-known characters, apprehend-
ed on Saturday evening, by Cook, the ()Aker, werel
brought up and underwent examination.
It appeared, that on their being searched, a great
quantity of Edinburgh Bank-notes were found upon
theft persons, suspected to have been stolen. Further
evidence being necessary, the Prisoners were com-
mitted, to be brought up again on Saturday.

dcrs.
On Tuesday last, a man named 'Wilcock!: who is
considered to be possessed of property to, the amount
of some hundred pounds, was observed taking away
a piece of handkerchiefs which hung at the door of
Mr. Earl James's shop, Truro. Ile was followed
and searched, when the property being found on him,
Ibe was committed to prison hut afterwards liberated
on bail to take his trial at thel ensuing quarter ses-
sions.
DUELLING.—A brace of young Baronets last week,
near Colic, Ireland, exchanged a brace of pistols,
happily without effect :—The cause was, one bad
trod upon the tail of a puppy belonging to the other.
From Baronets it is easy to descend to Butchers.—A
gentleman of the cleaver fought a duel on Tuesday
last near Manchester Barracks, with another, whOse
name and occupation we know not: we hope, how-
ever, he is a gentleman, or he would disgrace the
practice : one shot was discharged ; and, from the
effects, it appeared one or both were wounded, but,
fortunately, the seconds, instead of ball, had charged
the pistols with a species of ammunition less hostile,
namely—curry:W*lly.
Along with the rest of the towns in the neighbour-
hood, Wakefield appears to be at present visited by
an active gang of depredators. Though little da-
mage has yet been done, many attempts have been
made to break open houses. The bank of Messrs.
Townend and Rishworth, we hear, has been twice
attacked; and on Wednesday evening, the Cross
Chambers were broken open, but the villains found
nothing to carry away but a few old books of no vs.
lue to them.
Scan', DEC. 2.B.—The house of Mr. Aunnington,
near the barracks, at Chichester, has been broken
into, and besides plundering it of rum, brandy, &c.
the villains made great havoc in breaking and tearing
various articles. Three women have been stopt and
robbed on their return from market, and a man was
wounded with a bayonet and robbed within the city
malls !

A CARD TABLE COMPARED TO A FIELD OF
Iltrrt.E.—The.contending parties at a card table are
as eager there for victory, and the spoils, as soldiers
in a battle. In the mimic game of war, Kings are
the Commanders in Chief, Queens are Generals in
petticoats, and Knaves the army contractors. Then
follow the undisciplined recruits, armed with spades
and dubs. Stationed round the table, the hostile
armies face each other, and begin the fight, resolved
to conquer or to fall ; the bravest hearts are taken
in the conflict, Kings and Queens lie prostrate, or
are led away captive to the enemy's camp, and such
a ransom is demanded for their freedom, as drains the
' coffers of the vanquished partys