The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-02-22 00:00:00

to obtain a woman for hi wife without her unseat. Miss
B. declared that she had never given, and never would give
Mr. C. the slightest encouragement as a suitor. She then
placed herself under the protection of Mrs. Lawson, the wife
of the proprietor of the hotel, and quitted Paris for London
the next day, attended by her servants. In one of the early
statements of this affair, it was represented that C. had en-
tered the bed of Miss 8., but this is not true, the lady and ber
maid having both quitted the bed on being alarmed with his
presence. It wns also stated that the English ambassador
had recommended that the affair should be hushed up by a
marriage ; but Lord Cowley, who had paid every attention to
Miss B.'s representations, did not offer any advice of the
kind stated. She is at present in town, daily receiving the
visits of numerous friends, sympathising with her in the
mental suffering which the outrageous and distressing occur-
rence has produced. Mrs. Lawson. of the Bedtord, has
written to Miss 8., stating that C. never paid them one far-
thing, although he received 1:178 as that lady's share of the
total expenses incurred.

CURIOUS FRACAS IN THE BANK OF ENGLAND.

On Tuesday the Ist battalion of Fusileer Guards, quartered
in the Tower, were assembled on the Parade to hear the pro- '
ceedings of a district court-martial read over on Private Stod-
dart, who had been tried for unbecoming and unsoldierlike
conduct while on duty in the Bank of England on the night
of Saturday, the 29th ult. The circumstances which led to
the trial were of a very singular character. The guard which
attends the Bank every night is accompanied by one of the
officers of the regiment, who is allowed a guinea, and a din-
ner prepared for him at a neighbouring hotel. On the night
in question the officer in command of the detachment had a
fine saddle of mutton cooked for his dinner, and waited for
some time in expectation of receiving a visit from a friend
who had promised to take mutton with him. The officer,
however, was doomed to eat his mutton alone, and, after
making a hearty meal, and sipping a glass or two of wine,
left the remains of the feast on the table, and went round the
Bank to look after his men. On his return to the apart-
ment in which he had dined he found the mutton and wine
had vanished, and immediately gave information to one of
the Bank porters, who came to the conclusion that the rob-
bery had been committed by three of the clerks, who were
detained until a late hour on the same night, making up
some accounts of an important nature. The clerks had
been eatipg their mutton in another apartment, and were
just leaving it, when the porter and his assistant charged
them with stealing the remains of the officer's dinner, and
attempted to take them into custody. The clerks, who are
highly respectable men, indignantly repelled the charge, and
the porter and his assistant, in the scuffle which ensued, were
knocked down. Two of the clerks got away, but the third
was not so fortunate : he was forced into a room, and the
key turned upon him. The affair soon reached the ears of
the resident cashier, who left his apartment,. and ordered the
instant liberation of the clerk who was under arrest, and in-
timated to the officer that it was very probable some of his
own men had made free with his mutton. The detachment
were immediately mustered, and a rigid search was deter-
mined on. No sooner were the guard assembled than one
man, a private, was observed to remove something from his
cap, and throw it behind him. It proved to be some of the
mutton, and he was interrogated on the subject, when he
accused another soldier, and a general crimination and re-
crimination took place, which ended in Stoddart and another
soldier named Smith being deprived of their arms, and placed
under detention. It appeared that Stoddart was the sentinel
on duty opposite the building appropriated to the accommo-
dation of the officer ; and it was suggested to him by Smith,
after the officer had finished his dipper, there was a good
chance of obtaining a " tuck-out of Mutton," and he took
the other's post, put on his cap, and shouldered his musket,
while Stoddart committed the robbery. The mutton was

divided among several men, but ere they had finished their
share the plunder was discovered. Stoddart, in defence, we
understand, pleaded that Smith first smelt the mutton, and
instigated him to commit the robbery. Smith, who had
been in the service for eight years, and had obtained one
stripe for good conduct, was acquitted ; but Stoddart was
found guilty, and sentenced to 40 days' imprisonment in the
Penitentiary, where he is now expatiating his offence. The
porter, who so injudiciously interfered in the matter, has
been suspended by the directors of the Bank. Smith and
Stoddart were marched out of the Bank without their arms
on the morning of the 30th, and being handcuffed, a report
was raised that they had been robbing the Bank of England,
which caused no small curiosity in the city on that day.