The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-10-08 00:00:00

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POLIO&

OW LON 161......1P1iMA Li PlCKPOCKleniflifi WU-
Soma and Anne Gordon, whose deuterity in robbing
Mr. Karnes of four sovereigns, was noticed in our paper
of Thursday last, ware brought up for re-examination
on Saturday before Alderman Miss.'s. Since the
publication of the report of their first examination at
this office, numerou.s applications have been made at
the Oiltspur-street Compeer by persons who have bad
their pockets picked lately, for leave to see them; and
the Justice-mom was crowded on Saturday by suf
fere» in4ttis way, for the purpose of ascertaining if
any of them could identify the girls as the plunderers
Two or three persons expressed themselves nearly cer-
tain that the prisoners were the parties by whom they
had been robbed, but would not venture to swear posi-
tively to them. One individual, a seafaring gen-
tleman, whose pockets had, by his description, been
Billed of five sovereigns, recognised Miss Williams as
the offender, and stated himself able to speak positively
to her person ; he, however, declined to give his name,
or to be sworn, alleging as a reason that he was about
to leave the country, and was not willing to be detained
to give evidence at the Sessions.
A Mr. Smith attended with a letter from a friend of
his, a respectable gentleman in the country, of the
name of Boorman, which stated that he bad been ac-
costed by two well-dressed females, and robbed of his
pocket-book near the same spot, and about an hour
and a half earlier on the very night of the depredation
ppon Mr. Kernot. His pocket-book contained among
other papers, a 101. note of the Rye Bank, the marks
upon which lie could swear to; the note bad been cat
nearly is two, and one sovereign was %trapped up in it.
Mr. Boorman's letter authorised his friend to tell the
girls, that if they would deliver up the pocket-book
and the important memorandums, Sm., that it con-
tained, be would be content, and not appear. against
them; but if they refused, he would attend, and pro-
secute.
The Magistrate observed there was very little hope
of the pocket-book being restored : that, and its con-
tents, were articles so easily sworn to, that there was
no doubt but that they were disposed of past recovery
long ere this; but in either case it was a duty Mr.
Boorman owed to himself and the public to assist in
ridding the country of two such notorious and exten-
sive practitioners as the prisoners appeared to have
been. He therefore directed them to be brought up
. again on Wednesday next, and desired Mr. Smith to
write to his friend Mr. Boorman to require his at-
tendance.
Bow-sraarr.—On Friday evening a genteelly
dreamed youth, about 17 years of age, was brought be-
fore Mr. MINSHULL. charged with stealing two silver
spoons, the property of William Allen, Esq., of IVest-
square, Lambeth.
Mr. Allen said, the circumstances under which the
youth at the bar was brought there were truly dis-
tressing. He was the sou of a widow lady of high re-
spectability, whose treatment of him was uniformly
kind and indulgent, but be had lately conducted him-
self in such a manner as almost to deprive her of her
reason. He had unhappily got acquainted with a gang
of young thieves, at the head of which was a notorious
pickpocket, who some time ago received the Royal cle-
mency when under sentence of death in Newgate.
This fellow was his constant companion. The prac-
tice of the prisoner for some time past had been to call
upon his mother's friends as a mere visitor, and to
pm.ket some article of value before he left the house.
One day last week he called at the house of the wit-
ness, and when he was gone two table spoons were
massed from the drawing-room, where he was left for
some time alone. On Friday evening. he was appre:
hended, and immediately confessed the robbery, and
that he sold the spoons to one Green, a salesman, km
Oxford-street. Mr. Allen added, that his sole motive
for bringing the prisoner here was to check his career
in time, and to save him from a disgraceful death; for
it was to be feared that when he could no longer plun-
der from those who, from their knowledge of his fa-
mily, were inclined to spare him, he would rob stran-
gers, and perhaps die on the gallows.
The prisoner seemed very indifferent about the matter.
Mr. MINSIIVLL ordered the prisoner to be remanded
for a few (lays, and on Saturday morning he sent an
officer with a warrant to search the house of Or,een the
salestnan. The officer found the spoons, and brought
Green with him before the Magistrate. The spoons,
it appeared, were sold for 165., and they were said to
be eorth at least double that sum.
Mr. Missnect. asked what he was?
Green.-1 ant a clothes-salesman.
Magistrate.—What has a clothes-salesman to do
with silver spoons?
Green.—Oh, your Worship, I deal in jewellery and
plate as well.
Magistrate.—Yes, when you can getit cheap I sup-
pose.
Green.—l get them as cheap as I can, your Wor-
ship ; hut I deal fairly and honestly.
Magistrate.—Do you call it dealine. honestly to buy
spoons with a crest and initials upon them from a boy ?
Green.—Why. Sir, the young gentleman came to
my shop, and exchanged some clothes, and he said he
had two spoons to sell, and so I purchased them:
Magistrate.—Did you ask him any questions?
Green.-1 asked hint who the spoons belonged to,
and he said they were his own.
Magistrate.—And you, good easy man, implicitly
believed him.
Green.—l had no reason to doubt Lim ; but if 1
have done wrong, lam very. sorry. lam but a young
beginner in business for myself, and this, I assure you,
is the first time any thing of this sort. has happened.
Magistrate.—Well, as you are a young beginner, I
*ill do you a piece of service.
Green.—l.tbank you, Sir.
• Magistrate.—The service is of a kind that you may
not relish perhaps ; but I assure you it will do you
much good. , I shall stop you in your career before it
is too late, iiy making you find good bail to answer to
this charge at the Sessions.
Oreen.-1 hope, Sir, you will be less severe. I assure
you, (Ten my honour, I had no idea the spoons were
stulett.
Magistrate.—Your honour! But for such men as
you we should not so often have the pain of listening
to such a case as the one before me, and I am deter-
mined, as far as my province extends, to enforce the
law with the very utmost rigour against receivers:
Mr. Alien said. that when be first asked Gni youth
where Ist• sold the spoons, be said, at Speer."

T-
he abet explained the lientlesset to .Ide.tise
word for the *bop of a receiver of stolen genii.
Mr. Allen said, tbery could be so dock.. dot tW
boy was instructed by his companions where WOO, a,
ready market for bis goods. •
Oreea begged very hard to be tat off t Una *the Ma
gistrate was inexorable, and be was compelled to enter
lets untie* for his appearance at the Sessions.
John Fish, a very yoang-lad, was charged by Rob.
Barry, Esq. the barrister, ,with picking bis pocket.
Mr. Barry's statement was, that as he was passing
through Tavistoelsetseet, be felt a pall at his coat
pocket, and at the same instant two boys, one of whom
was the prisoner, passed him, and one of them turning
Toned stared him fall in theface. He felt his pockets,
and missing his handkerchief he pursued and caught
the boys. He wasionmediately surrounded by a crowd
of men and women, by whom he was pushed about
and assaulted in the grossest manner. At length a
man, who pretended to be a Bow-street officer,
came op, and Mr. Barry gave one of the boys into
his custody, bat it turned out to be a mere trick to
get the boy away, for the pretended Constable disap-
peared with his prisoner altogether. He brought the
prisoner at the bar here himself. Several attempts
were made to rescue him, but he held him fast. • The
boy was hilly committed for trial.
Samuel /Smith and Thomas Noble, two well knob!'
characters were examined on a charge of stealing from
the dwelling house of Richard James, of the Eagle
tavern, City-road, 35 sovereigns, four St notes, and
divers articles of plate of the value of 100/. Remanded.
MART-LE.HONE•OFFICE:•-•IMPORTANT CASE TO THE
COAL TRADE.—On Saturday, the adjourned Worms-
don preferred by Mr. Bradfield, a respectable gentle-
man, against Mr. Acoelts, a coal-merchant, for vend-
ing coals short of measure to Mrs. Collins, of Manches-
ter-square, . received its final bearing before Mr.
GRIFFITHS, the sitting Magistrate.
At one o'clock, the appointed honr, Mr. Andrews,
Counsel fur the prosecution, with his witnesses, ap-
peared in the office, bat neither the defendant nor his
Counsel, Mr. Alley, was in attendance.
Mr. ANDREWS opened' the business by expressing
his surprise at a letter which had appeared in some of
the public papers, purporting to be from the defend-
ant (Mr. Acocks,) dated Oct. 3, stating, among other
particulars, that the case had been dismissed that day
by the Magistrates. He (Mr. Andrews) wished to
know whether that was the fact ?
The Magistrate answered, certainly net, and ap-
peared surprised at the statement. No such decision,
he observed, could have been made, as Saturday was
the adjourned day for hearing the case.
Mr. ANDREWS then proceeded to argue the case at
considerable length. Ile contended, that the informa-
tion, as it sought to recover the penalty of 40s. on
each sack (16 iu number) was strictly correct, and
-came within the jurisdiction of the Magistrate; and in
support of his argument quoted the case *of Fleming
and White a. before Lord Ellenborough, when
the defendant was Convicted on each separate sheet fur
printing bills without affixing the siguature of the
painter. The Learned Counsel, after consinenting on
the grossness of the deficiency, and reiterating, bh
former arguments, called on the Magistrate to give de-
cision in the case.
Mr. GRIFFITHS then delivered his opinion, and de-
clared that lie conceived the information to be entirely
without his jurisdiction, insomuch as it sought to re-
cover 321., that being the amount of the penalty, at 40s.
on 16 sacks of coals. That being above M., he cer-
tainly could not receive the information, and after hav-
ing given the case the most mature consideration, he
was confirmed in his opinion. If the Judges in the
Court of King's Bench should decide the information
to be within his jurisdiction, he should certainly feel
much pleasure in again hearing the case.
Mr. ANDeEWS.—TIien I take it, you decide against
the information.
Mr. GRlFFlTHS.—Certainly.
Mr. ANDREW'S here observed, that he felt much
obliged to the worthy Magistrate for the patient hear-
ing be had given the investigation.
This important case, it is determined, will be re-
moved by oson,idnots into the Court of King's Bench.
WORSIIIP-STRSKT...—FORGERT OF THE GOLDSMITH'S
COMPANY'S MA It R.—lf illious Weston, residing at
No. 30, King-street, Islington, was brought before
800 enT BEVILL, Esq. the presiding Magistrate, under
the following circumstances:—Mr. Miles, Inspector
of the Holdsmiths' Company, received information
which induced him to go to the prisoner's house, accoin-
panied by three police constables of this office. They
went into the prisoner's workshop, where they found
two of his sons at work upon a dozen of silver tea-
spoons produced. The witness asked the prisoner for
his mark, and he gave the mark now produced, which
he kept locked up in the counting-house. It was his
regular-mark, of which there is the impression, signed
by him in the Goldsmiths'-hall, and the spoons pro-
duced were marked by the same mark. Mr. Smiths,
engraver of the marks for the Goldsmiths' Company,
stated he had inspected the spoons produced, and he
found that all the impressions, purporting to be thi
marks of the Company, were forged and counterfeit.
Mr. Lane, the Solicitor for the Goldsmiths' Company,
suggested that the spoons had not yet been assayed,
and on that account the prisoner was remanded till
to-morrow.
Mr. Clark, a publican at Bethnal-green, appeared
to answer •an information lodged against him under
the Act of George 11. for allowing cards to be played
at his house. The act in question only prohibits
journeymen, labourers, eervants, and apprentices from
playing at unlawful games; and as the defendant
proved that the persons engaged at play were master
tradesmen, the case was ditnissed.
LAM armsTßEET.—Saturday Mr. French appeared
to answer to an information, charging him with carry-
ing 14 outside paisengers, two of whom were chil-
dren, under the age of seven years, and by the statute
accounted as equal to one grown person; and the in-
formant, therefore, sought to recover 201. as a penalty
for carrying one more passenger than was allowed by
law. Mr. Halifax, on the part of Mr. French, took
an objection to the -information, because it only
averred that two of the passengers were under the age
of seven years, and that for any thing that appeared to
the contrary, some of the passengersanight be infants,
and if so no offence was committed. The Mngistrate,
however, overruled the objection? anti said be should
proceed in the
.ease,, whereupon Mr. illaruter,advieed
his Client not to plead, and the ease aned. over ,for