The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-12-20 00:00:00

POLICE.

Posmc Orrt cm, Bow-, TR cnv.—Yesterday Mrs.
Wood, a woman keeping a second-hand clothes shop,
was summoned to shew in what wanner she became
possessed of some wearing apparel, belonging to a
child who had been stripped by a miscreant in a very

daring manner.
Mr. Thomas Chancy, a. tradesman residing in
Brownlow-street, Long-acre, stated, that on Monday
afternoon, about three o'clock, his daughter, a child
of five yeari old, was sent to a shop in Belton-street,
Ito purchase some article for her mother, and in about
a quarter of an hour she was brought home by two or
three persons nearly naked, and crying bitterly. Upon
inquiring what had happened to her, she said, she was
met in Belton street by a young woman, who sail it
she went with her She would give her tome toys. She
consented, and the woman took her to it house close
by, and into 'the back yard, • where she took ol her
clothes, and said she had a little girl just her sine up
stairs, and she would take the clothes and see if (hey
would fit her. She went away with them, leaving the
poor child naked in the yard, and did not return.
She at length began to cry, and some nail/61)6r found
her in the condition described. The child's clothes
were found in the shop of Mrs. Wood yesterday morn•
ing, and she ►ery readily offered, upon being told they
were'stolen, to give them up; but the father thought
6ttie case ought to be brought under the notice of the
.Magistrate, and be therefore procured a summons for
her attendance.
. Mrs. Wood now stated that she purchased do.
clothe* from a woman for half a crown, but she took
no notice of her person, and she did not think she
should know her again.
It was stated by some persons in the office that se.
veral children had been plundered in the same neigh-
bourhood within the last week or two.
Mr. Mixslium, said the father bad done perfectly
right to bring the cue forward, but there was nothing
stated upon which to detain Mrs. Wood. A sharp
lookout, however, should be kept for the thief.
Mrs. Wood was discharged, and an order issued
that she should give up the clothes.
Richard Fenton, an idle, drunken coach-smith, who
having bad 300/. left him about nine months ago, has
since, by dint of exertion, contrived to spend it all in
libations of blue ruin and heavy wet, was brought be-
fore the Magistrate, charged with stealing a hat from
Abraham Cohen. _ _

The evidence in the case having been taken, his
Worship asked Abraham what business he followed.
, and be replied, i' I am a dealer in clothes, your
Wonbip." "Aye, you are an old elotheenutn." "No,
yoot Wornhip, not an old clothesman, by any means."
" Then probably yon deal in new clotherenlyi" " No,
your Winship; the clothes what I deal in have seen
all their best days before they comes to me." " Why,
then, as I said before, you are an old clothesman."
" Your Worship, I don't see how you can call me an
old clothes:van. when I'm not above three and twenty!"
" Well, Sir; then we will say you are a young old
clothesmaii; snit young dealer in old clothes, will
that satisfy you ?"
Honest Abratam expressed himself satisfied with
this clefieition;and the prisoner was committed.
, George Dudjield, the notorious " case-keeper," in
Sbire,latte, as convicted in the penalty of 101., for
keeping .house open after -eleven o'clock. He
'gate notkiilidappeil to the Sessions, and entered into
the usual sureties for his appearance.
M ART-LI•BONS Orrice.—Yesterday a young man
entered the office, and addressing Edmund tiriffitbs,
Esq., the sitting Magistrate, requested Justice
under the following circumstances :—He described
himself as a travelling hawker, who bad stationed him-
self in Piccadilly, where he accosted a gentleman to
whom he displayed what he termed a handsome highly
finished gilt-chain and stale, which he offered to dispose
of to hinsfor twenty-seven shillings. The gentleman said.
fi he would accompany bits a short distance, he would
give. bin) twenty shillings. The compbigant. went
with him to a house in Oxford-market, where the gen-
tleman asked for a hammer, and in the " twinkling of
in eye," shivered the chain and seals into a number of
pieces, exclaiming, " Moses, if you don't immediately
be gone, I will give you a thrashing, which you most
richly deserve."
Mr. Gnievyrne--The gentleman did not put his
throat into execution ?
" No," exclaimed the complainant, " had I *ailed,
perhaps be might."
The Worthy Magistrate then said, that he reeetted
he did not wait, for he most richly dePerved a threat-
log. ThespUblic were OUT imposed upon by gangs
of such persona selling cbains, So, for two oritrlve{c
pounds, whicb,lufact, being mostly composed of cop-,
per.and otter *sporieus ittetals; were, in, ree)itil
.pot.
worth more titan thee or foie pence. II thit_gest, ai
*coat, the . 114 Wit roe said ke. woasl Ant ao asor-001#
for the Comitlainant, W 10) quittpd the* oleic u sUeO
titogrined at the bad success Ail application.