The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-11-10 00:00:00

POLICE.

—mem.
Bow-evaere.—Thursday information was received
at the above office, that Sir W. Adams, the celebrated
oculist, bad received a challenge from Mr. George R.
Melia, to fight a duel, and that the challenge had
been verbally eommunieated to Sir William Adams,
by Mr. Kendall. Warrants were issued for the appre•
hension of Mr. Melin and Mr. Kendall, and they hav-
ing appeared at the office yesterday, and undergone a
private examination, they were ordered to find bail to
keep the peace till the nett Session.
Mr. Melin denied that the Message be sent by Mr.
Kendall amounted to !bathe intended it for achallenge.
Information was communicated to Bacon. a con-
stable belonging to the office, residing at Kensington.
about seven o'clock. yesterday morning, of a duel about
to take place between Lieut. Waldrom Ketty and another
Gentleman, supposed to be an officer in the army.
whose name was not known. The officer repaired to
Chalk Farm. the supposed intended spot for combat ;
he arrived there a few minutes after eight, when he
observed two Gentlemen in a field near the spot, and
he learnt from a bystander, that they had been there
about three quarters of an hour, in the act, apparently.
of making arrangements; the officer proceeded to the
spot, when one of the Gentlemen presented a pistol,
which flashed in the pan, but it is supposed be pulled
the trigger by accident, they all, however, ran off
across the fields, and the officer found it in vain to

pursue them.
LAMBETH-CUM.—Yesterday, the adjourned infor-
mations against Mr. Best, a coal-meter, for a derelic-
tion of his duty; and Mr. Smart, for obstructing lain;
therein, contrary to Act of Parliament, came on to be
heard before Messrs. Wyatt and Hardwick, at this of-
fice. The one against Mr. Best was firt entered upon.
Mr. ANDRUS, as Counsel for the prosecution,
opened the case by stating that it was an information
filed against the defendant, a labouring coal-meter, by
Mr. Bradfield, a respectable gentleman and coal-mer-
chant in Westminster, for refusing to do his duty in
re-measuring sonic coals short of measure, which hr
was required to do by Act of Parliament. The Learned
Counsel proceeded to state the case, which was after-
wards detailed in evidence.
Mr. Best, in defence, said he was entirely innocent
of any design in his refusal to re-measure the coals,
and did not know the Act compelled !situ to the instant
performance of his duty $ he thought he had two hours'
time allowed, and his intention was merely to let the
purchaser and venders have an opportunity of seeing
the re-measurement, as he was an entire stranger to
any of the parties.
The Magistrates convicted the defendant in the pen-
alty of 51.
The case against Mt. Smart, the purchaser of the
coals, for obstructing the meter in his duty, was then
entered into; and the defendant was convicted in the
penalty of 10/.
1 MARLIBOROLIIII,STREET.YeSterdAy James Palmer
sad Thomas Wilson were brought up under the fol..
4owing circumstances :
Plank, the officer, stated, th at he was sent to the
beau of Mr. Ker, in Bloomsbury-square. On going
*ere the servant in care of the house informed him
' that her master and family were owe of tow's, and that
Wilson, wise had been formerly a servant in her was
ter's employment, was permitted to sleep in the house
a few evenings ago ; he brought the prisoner Palmer
into the house, and instead of taking him Sate time
kitchen, he introduced him into the butler's pantry,
' where they remained a considerable time. Hearing
them still there when she was going to bed, she opened
the door, and found that the wine-cellar door, which
led out of the pantry, and which her master before he
left town sad screwed up and sealed the lock, had
had the screw drawn and the seal broken, but the
door had no appearance of being opened. The plate-
chest was also kept in the wine-cellar. The men
went away that night, but Plank was in waiting the
next day at the house, and ss ben time prisoner Wilson
returned, he ran from him towards the water-closet,
and flung in there fifteen skeleton keys in a bunch.
Mr. Ker was written to upon the matter. Plank said
that the woman told him, his master had on a former
occasion lost upwards of 40dozens of wine in an un-
known manner, and empty bottles were substituted for
the full ones removed. The men were remanded for
a week, until Mr. Ker's answer arrived.
Utetost-nsu..—About seven weeks ago a poor ser-
vant girl named Barbara Torrent, was robbed of her
clothes and all her property by a woman who prac-
tised on her the stale trick of pretending to find a
ring in her presence, and proposing to divide its
value with her. A jeweller's shop was resorted to
in order to ascertain its value, and while the servant
girl was so engaged, the woman made off with the
property. The thief escaped. Yesterday as the girl
was passing through the Borough, she observed the
woman who bad robbed her in company with a sailor,
and charged her with the robbery. The sailor stood
rd. forwar • ence of his companion, who escaped
down no of the narrow lanes. An officer who was
irt-s)
passin moment took the sailor into custody.
on the eliarg f having aided and assisted in the es-
cape of a perso ccused of felony.
The sailor, one name is William Scott, when
brought before t e Magistrate, declared that he had
no knowledge of the thief beyond the accidental
acquaintance of that day.
Time officer who apprehended him stated that west;
duplicates had been found in his possession; that he
admitted they belonged to the woman who had been
accused of the robbery, but declared that she had
thurst them into his pocket without his permission,
and that be was wholly innocent of 'any offence. The
sailor's captain gave him a must excellent character.
and said be was now going out to the coast of Africa
wit hem.
gr. CHAMBERS attended to his recommendation,
hut declared, that as it was evident that the sailor
had acted with great impropriety, he should not go
without making the poor girl some reparation for
her toss.
The Captain became responsible kir the sum sug-
gested by the Magistrate in the event of not finding
the thief.

The account in our paper of yesterday, of the arci lest
at Bromley, arising frost. an explosion Of gunpowder,
it appears, was considerably exaggerated; an explosion
took place of* small quantity of gunpowder by which
some windows were broken, and the servant alluded to
was bort, and 'conveyed to the liespital, but he is ex-
pected to come out on Monday revive& ed from its effect*.