The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-12-19 00:00:00

POLICE.

MaststoN-House.—Yesterday a lad named John
Roberts, apparently not more than sixteen years of
age, was brought before the Lord Mayor, on a charge
of having robbed Mr. Reed of a silver watch, chain,
seals, &c. icc. on the highway.
The prosecutor stated himself to be sbopman to Mr.
John Danvers, of No. 81, Aldersgate-street : he was
standing within the threshold of the shop doer at
about six o'clock on Monday evening, when an over-
driven ox went by, followed by a great rabble of the
vilest characters. As he was watching them passing
the prisoner rushed in upon him, and at that moment
the prosecutor felt his watch escape, which he endea-
voured to prevent, by seizing it. The prisoner, how-
ever, got it away by a desperate jerk, and wade oir
after his companions with the bullock. Tbe prose-
cutor pursued him, and was on the point of seizing
him, when be received two blows from behind, one of
which felled hint to the ground, and he was glad to
make his escape.
The prisoner was fully committed to take his trial.
BlABLnomouou-STazar.---Yesterday, Maw Strut-
ford, the person against whom the Coroner's Inquest
on the body Mr. Slade, returned on Monday night a
verdict of Manslaughter, was brought before the
Sitting Magistrates, Blesses. DvEa and MAIN% ARINO,
by Morgan, the officer attending on the Jury.
Mr. IllarxwAntsto said, the conduct of SOON of the
Padaington .tage drivers was most scandalous ; a
spirit of oppoei:ion prevailed on the road between the
various coach proprietors, and was it because they
chose to run races, that the lives of his Majesty's sub-
jects were daily to be trifled with ?—He had himself
witnessed the most furious conduct, and hoped some
example might be made, or some stoppage put to the
dangerous driving of these persons.
LAxes•re•STaxer.—Yesterday, Richard Christopli
C to, alias Black Bob, a man of colour, was re-ex-
amined on a charge of robbing the firm of Messrs.
Oisfield and Willits, surgeons, of Ratcliffe Highway,
of 10 sovereigns, a 51. note, and 261. iu silver. He

A
West thaw a prOterttleit menate, asid took an op'
portudlty of steallskthe cash box. 4.
It was *fated, tVlWthe prisoner fild,pracdsed a si-
milar =ode of robbery on no lees than Ap individuals.
He was committed for trial.
Unt os-HaLL. A woman respectably dressed,
named Elizakth Ales, was brought before L. B.
ALLITKE, charged with having obtained money
from several shopkeepers, by pleading the cause of a
fictitious person. •
The constable who accompanied the woman to the
office stated, that he had seen her go to the houses of
several shopkeepers, where she had asked charity for
another female, who, she said, was in the deepest dis-
tress, and in a state of pregnancy.
The defendant, in a flood of tears, said that she
bad, from motives of humanity, walked to town from
Deptford, where the unfortunate woman lived whose
distresses bad so much afflicted her, for the purpose
of begging for her; that to paint those distresses
would be impossible, but that inquiry in the neigh-
bourhood would completely justify her in the plan she
had adopted to obtain the means of supporting her
unfortunate fellow creature.
The Magistrate (Mr. ALLxvisa) took the address of
the sick woman of Deptford, and sent off the consta-
ble and one of the police officers to make all necessary
inquiries.
In two boars the messengers returned, and said that
no such person was to be found as the woman de-
scribed by the defendant.
Mr. ALLETNi, in astonishment, tamed round to
the defendant, who had nothing to say, but that she
had been telling a story.—The worthy Magistrate,
who declared that in the course of his experience he
had never seen so vile an impostor, committed her im-
mediately to Brixton House of Correction to hard la-
bour fur three months.

Tua AMERICAN Paornwr.—The following singulir
document, as a warranty fur the prosecution of the
religious labours of five of the fanatics of this infa
tuated impostor, was found in his lodgings.on Sunday
evening, when he was taken iota custody:—" I ap•
point John IV—, John S—, and —, elders
and teachers of the churches •f Christ over which I
preside; and brothers- Vaughan and Taylor the
deacons. Given under my hand and seal this 7th day
of December, I 8•21.
Witness (Signed) J ofIEP U DECKRrt.

THEATRICAL UPS 11.--A ludicrous accident, which
however might have been attended with serious copse-
'
quences, occurred on the Tyne a few nights ago. A
part of the corps drautatigue, attached to the company
of Mr. Anderson, were crossing the river about six
o'clock, previous to their performing at South Shields,
when, by some unforeseen occurrence, the boat was
nearly upset, by which the greater proportion of the
party were precipitated into the water; fortunately
each individual preserved his bold, and was rescued
from his perilous situation after having been for some
time immersed to the neck. In the confusion thus oc-
casioned, a valuable violoncello made the best of its
way to the German Ocean, and bas been irrecoverably
lost.—(Derhem Chronicle.)
DOUGLAS, ISLE Or MAN, Nov. 22.---On Saturday after-
noon, a person calling himself James Baines, who had
been lodging at the Plough Inn, in this town, kept by
Mr. Blake, for nearly six months last past, precipitated
himself from a rock into the sea, at a place called Port
Soderick, about two miles of the south side of this town.
Baines was indebted 301. to the innkeeper, for board
and lodging, and being pressed to settle-his account, he
made various excuses, and at length meditated to leave
the island, without settling his bill ; for which purpose
be obtained a pass, on Saturday the 10th, and occasion-
ally from thence to Friday last, left the inn under the
pretence of dining from home. On the morning follow-
ing a pursuit took place, and Mr. Cleator, the chief con-
stable of Douglas, accompanied by some of Mr. Blake's
family, and other assistance, discovered him amongst the
cliffs at Port Soderick, about twelve o'clock at noon;
from thence to three, he kept moving from one fright.
ful cliff to another, when he at length, getting on a rock
round which the flood tide was rising, he sat down with
much apparent composure. The chief constable, on ob-
serving his situation, sent for a boat, on the.. appearance
of which Baines descended from the summit of the rock,
and walked into the sea until it reached about his
breast; at this crisis, Mr. Cleator, who was on the cliff
above, called to him to return, and not to risk his life;
Baines returned to his farmer station, but on finding
that the boat was fast approaching, he rose up, waved
his hat three times to the persons on the cliff, and imme-
diately plunged into the sea. The boat was heavy, hail
but two oars, and those manned by ploughmen, it was
therefore nearly twenty minutes before they got up with
the unfortuwe man, from whom the vital spark had
tied. The swell being great, the men inexperienced,
and Baines a very weighty man, the persons in the boat
were unable to get him on board, but towed him from
the place where he was to land, a distance of about 200
yards. What is remarkable, Baines never sunk, nor was
lie noticed to make any other exertion, after be got into
the water, but that of putting his hat down over his eyes.
SUICIDE.—An Inquest was held at the Fortune of
War, on Thursday last, before Mr.F. Howard, Coroner,
on a view of the body of John Tucker, a seaman, who
was discovered hanging to a bed post, at the Neptune
and Mars, where lie had taken lodgings for the night.
It appeared in evidence, that he went into that public
house on Tuesday evening, being a stranger. and sit-
ing himself down in the tap-room, lie called for i plot
of beer, with which he was supplied ; that lie placed
himself in the darkest part of the room, and although
several persons were drinking and conversing in the
same room, he did not appear to take any notice of
them, but sat in a melancholy mood, with his elbow
upon the table, and his bead resting upon his hand,
for more than an hour, when lie went to bed, previ-
ously to whieb, however, he bad booked his name, and
paid ten shillings and sixpence to Mr. Parnell, the
landlord, (who is a partner in the packet) for his pass-
age to Plymouth. On the following afternoon, the
servant, on going into the bed-room to make the bed,
found the deceased suspended by a black silk hand-
kerchief to the bed-post ; she called assistance, and
the body was cut down, but it was quite cold ; he ap-
peared as if he I ad been dead some hours; on search-
ing the deceased's pocks '9, :here were found between
six and seven pounds in money, two silver watches, a
red morocco pocket-book, aid several papers, one of
which was the certificate of the discharge of John
Tucker, from his Majesty's ship Spencer, on the Ist
inst. when that ship was paid off, to which it appears
lie bad belonged upwards of three years, as an able
seaman. A smart-ticket was also found in his pos-
ses.ion, by which it appeared he was a native of Ilfra-
combe, in the county of Devon. and was 30 years of
age. Verdict, '• Insanity.'--(lionipshire Telegraph )