The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-07-30 00:00:00

POLICE.

M A smos-Honse.—Yesterday John Wray was charg-
ed with having defrauded a number of respectable trades-
men, by representing that be was a clerk in. the employ-
ment of hankers, on whose account he borrowed certain
sums of money.
Mr. Johnson, a coal merchant, stated, that on the 20th
of November. between five and six. in the evening, the
prisuher came to his house, said he was a clerk in the
house of Uorrien and Co., and that be was just settling
an account in the neighbourhood, bat was unfortunately
one pound short; as it would be too late for banking
hours, the loan of that small sum until the morrow
would be considered a great favour. Mr. Johnston
observed that the prisoner was an utter stranger to him.
" Oh, you must know me," observed Wray, " for 1 have
been often here to give orders for coals for the louse."
Mr. Johnston's objections were settled at once by this
reply, and the money was lent, but never returned. pn
inquiry at Dorrien's he was informed that the prisoner
had long been dismissed from the service .•f that firm.
A Clerk of Messrs. Porticos proved that the prisoner
bad left their service upwards of three years.

A person in the house of Messrs. Baylis, in St. Paul's
Chnrch•yard, stated, that the prisoner had called there,
and requested the loan of 31. for the house of Sir Peter
Pole and Co., as he came into the neighbourhood to pay off
an account, and happened to he short of thulium. There
was twine liesitalon in acceding to the• application, hut
the prisoner mentioned so many names of persons in the
firm of Sir Peter Pole and Co.. and spewed himself to be so
well acgnainted.witb•thevn as to remove all suspicion, and
the intsu-y was lent to him. It was fottud that he bad no
connection with Sir P. Pole's hrsse.
The prisoner was committed f or trial upon these two
charges, but was told that bail would be taken.
A carrier belonging to one of the inns was summoned,
at vie instance of the Rector of St. Dunstan's, the Rev.
Mr. Hesketh, on a chirp, under—the Act of Charles,
for having exercised his worldly calling on the Lord's
day.
The defendant had, if appeared, delivered a parcel, on
Subday morning, and had rattled by th.• church whilst
the Rector was in the middle of his sermon.
Alderman Cox, on referring to the Act of the 59th of
'Geo. 111. found it is there cnactD.l, that if any carrieror

•
The prisoners stated, that the boy was the son of rear
cottage's at Spelbrook.in Hertfordshire, and that it' was
by their consent he came to London. lie is sixteen years
of age, and they said he had been seen by Sir Slither
Cooper, and Sir Everard flame, and was considered by
them to be an extraordinary plienemeuon.
Mr. flee' m. ordered the bay to be brought before—Him
The boy was Immediately bronght forward. dressed in a
plaid cloak. On being asked,- he said that it was lals •
own wish that he was shown to the pel lie. (The einak
was then removed, when his arms appeared, each of tlhem
terminating in a perfect finger, which seemed capable of
' being used for various purposes with facility.)
Mr, BIM LI, disapproved of the prisoners going, about
to obtain money by this exhibition. The boy was cer-
tainly an unfortunate youth, but there was nothinz in his
deformity so striking as to be likely to induce persons to
give much Money to see him, nor was there any thing
unfit or indecent in the exposure. He should, therefore,
discharge the prisoners; but he recommended that they
should cease the exhibition, and send the boy to his
parents down In the country.
The prisoners (one of whom, it appeared, was the
boy's brother), said, they would act according to thin
Magistrate's recommendation, and they left the office in
company with the boy.

POLTGAIM—A Scoundrel, of the name of Matthews,
who has for the last year been employed as journeyman
at a respectable house of business in Bath, havirg con•
tracted an intiu3acewith a young woman, a servant of
irreproachable character, whom he understood to possess
a little money, and whose parents are small, but respect-
able farmers, living in the neighbourhood; he paid
such frequent addresses to her as 'educed her to believe
that be intended to take her for better or fir o:te for
life; indeed,. he soon began himself' to express a great
desire to marry her, and by the assumption of the man-
ner and habits of an industrious honest man, Le gained
the girl's affections and her friends' consent to the
anion. This obtained, they came to this city, and were
both regularly joined 'together agreeably to the rited'of
the church; All appeared to the satisfaction of this
bride ; fortune seemed to smile on her in favoukng her
with a husband apparently possessed of every qualiiica-
! don to render her happy. Previously to returr:iag
home. Matthews, being by trade an ironmonger, neat
to Mr. Nott, of this city, to select some articles to stocde
his intended shop with ; and, after having concluded
his purchases and partaken of the hospitality of the nor.
thy tradesman, who thought he could do no less than
pruvide his new customer and spouse with a good din-
ner, he ordered that the articles lie had selected may re-
main till sent for, when the money should likewise lie e-
mitted. All this appeared so very tradesman-:ike and fair,
that Mr. Nett mat'e no sort ofobjection to his taking away
a few knives and forks to the value of about 5!. which
he said, be immediately wanted. The newly-m trried
couple then returned to Bath. to their lodgings in Green
street, where they lived together in connubial bliss about
four days !—Matthews, it appears, wantell nothing hut
the young woman's money, and having lived with her so
longs time, he thought be might then put the question
to her with good grace ; his plea was, that previous to
opening his shop, it would be oecessary for him to go
to Birmingham to make farther purchases,—thus lie
easily prevailed on her to give him up a great portion of
the cash which she had accumulated by her induitry ;
he then immediately left her, and bits not since item
heard of. The young. woman, having waited with ex
treme patience for his return, or some account of him
till such time she had reason to believe all was not right,
applied to the persons with. whom he had previo :sly
loJged, who informed her that lie had left Bath en ir..1:,.,
and was gone home to his wife and family in I i mting-
barn. Ws intelligence paralyzed her with astonishment
and dismay; she Was at once deprived of every ho; e of
happiness in the woe hi. But these circumstances whs. I
Only a.faint idea of this despicable fellow's villainy : he
had, po,itivrly, but a few days previously, married ano-
ther young woman in another parish in this city, whom
he had just left in a similar manner, after hiving coha-
bited with her for a similar period of ti me. Ile was like-
wise, at the same time in treaty of ni irriage with an.
other young woman of Devizes, a housekeeper to Mr.
'Long, who has, we understand, given up. a good situa-
tion for the purpose of being married to him. This lat-
ter young woman, however, has been comparatively for•
tenet... having only lost,by him softie
.had requested him to bring from Bath
(Bristol Mercury.)

11,

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for her maCer.—

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