The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-04-05 00:00:00

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Out tourt.t..—A very smart dressed lad of IS, named
James Holmes, was brought up yesterday before the sit-
ting Magistrate, Alderman T. SMITH, npolt the charge of
a venerable-looking old man, his father, who, though
moving in the humble sphere of a porter at a straw-hat
manufacturer's, hail, he said, been able to bestow upon
leis eon an education which might have qualified him far
almost any situation, and had been particular in his en-
deavours to instil into his mind a due sense of his moral
and religious duties. Ile had been equally careful, at the
proper age, of putting him *ell out in lite, and had pro-
cured hint a very excellent situation; where, however,
he conducted himself so ill, as in a short time • •u be turn-
ed awry. Ile took him home again, and endeavoured
by good advice to reform him, but he aplieareul to
despise all admonition; seldom returned home till very
late at night, and, to supply himself with means of
continuing Lis dissipations; bad latterly taken to roll-
bing him. About a month ago he had provided hini-
self with a key which opened all his (the father's)
drawers, and had forced a small desk which is in snit of
'them, and stolen therefrom 31. 6a., which he had laid
by to pay his quarter's rent. He enumerated several other
acts of dishonesty, but observed that on Sundry last be
haul a long and serious talk with his son upon his con-
duct; that he freely forgave him all that had passed be-
fore upon his promise of good behaviour for the future;
and yet, notwithstanding, on Monday morning he opened
One of his drawers and sto!e a waistcoat, which he had
pawned for 4s. Finding him thus determined to 'mane
his bail courses, lie haul no other resourct left than to
brlog him before the Magistrate, He wastublir„ed to leave
his son at home when he went to work, and histonti-ss3 at
such times towards his mother was so violent, that
he feared he would, in his absence, do her some bodily
rniqcbief.
The old man told this tale with great feeling, which it
was some' pleasure to obeerve affected the prisoner also ;
fns upon being asked what he had to lay to this charge,
I be limited into tears, and answered only " Guilty."
From the confessions he had made to Worcester, the
officer; and the answers he gave to the questions put to
hint by the Magistrate, it appeared that the prisoner's
principal infatuation was'that of dashing about at • the
public theatres, in the box lobby of one or other of which
he was to be found whenever his depredations haul pro-
eared him the means of making his appearance there.—
The money which the old man, his father, haul so care-
fully saved up to pay his quarter's rent, was expended in
three nights in admissions to the theatre, and supper, and
wine afterwards for himself ana another box-lobby
lotrave,luis companion--a lady's shoemaker, with whom
he bet °me acquainted at the theatres.
As the father had never before had recourse to other
means than that of giving his son good advice, and as the
latter eppeared somewhat sensible of the awful and de-
grading situation in which be was placed, the Magistrate
thought it would not be advisable to proceed toextremi-
ties with the prisoner; and in the hope that confinement
and rettection might work the proper change in his
mind, he was committed to Bridewell for one month,
with directions that he should be keptseparate from other
prisoners.
BOW-STREET.—Yesterday John Smith, was brought
before Mr. HALLS. charged 1.0 suspicion of stealing revt-
ral lambs, the property of Robert Cannain, hag. of

;Twickenham.
Mr. Cannam had a large numberof sheep and lambs at
Twickenham, and the prisoner was his shepherd. About
a fortnight ago the prisoner informed him that three of
the lambs had and he had a similar tale to till on
subsequent days until nine or ten were gone. Mr. (an-
num began to suspect that the prisoner was robbing hitn,
and asked him what be had done with the skins snit
carcases? Ile replied that he had sold the skins to a man
at Twickenham fur three halfpence each, and the car-
cases be had given to his dogs. Mr. Cannam; however,
still suspected bhp, and questioned him until he thought
he discovered some prevarication in his answers. He then
made inquiry in the neighbourhood, and found that the
prisoner bad told him a falsehood with respect to the
man to whom lie said be sold the skive. The prisoner,
after his apprehension, confessed freely to the officer,
that be hail sold two live lambs to the sons of an inn-
keeper for 3s. lid.; but he said they were his perquisite 'oy
a custom which prevailed throughout the country, and
when that was done away with he would give over being
a shepherd.
Mr. Ilitinpliries, the prisoner's Solicitor, said it hail
been a ruvtem from time immemorial for Shepherds to
bare the skins of lambs that died as their perquisite, suit
another privilege equally ancient was, that w hen an ewe
had twin lambs and was weak and sickly the shepherd
took away one, which he considered his own property.
His notion of perquisites might be erroneous, but if the
prisoner took the lambs, really conceiving that he had
a right to do so, there must be an end of the charge of
felony. •
Mr. Cannam laughed repeatedly while Mr. Humphries
was urging these points, and the latter with considerable
warmth said, " Really, Sir, I must be free to tell you
that your conduct is not ron-istent with your cbaractrr
as a gentleman.% t is not at all becoming you to stand laugh-
ing in the face of a fellow-viesture whose life is at stake
upon a charge of which you are the prosecutor."
Mr. HALLS said he supposed Mr. Canna's) langhed at
the extraordinary proposition put forth by the Learned
Gentleman, according to which a shepherd might sweep
otf the whole of his master's dock. Ile thotight it a case
fora Jury, and should send it for trial.
The prisoner was committed for trial.
Maimantourix-svater.—Yesterday a youth of 18, of
respectable appearance, was brought from the watchhouar
and che..ged before Mr. CONAN', under the following rattle+
singular circumstances :—Mr. Hitchcock, of St. George
tel, Alberotrle-street, stated that on Monday or:Tuesday
test a young man, describing himself as thecterh of 'Mr.
Bower, solicitor, of Ctifferes-intl, came tO his !tease and