Police.
The Times, 1824-09-08T00:00:00

MDANSIONet-oUSE._ A young man, named Agdl/ar, in the er- vriw of the Post-offlce, ras charged vith having forged a bond taken by the establiahnient as a security for the correct performance of the Jutites of the officc. Mlr. Dowmi;sO, the solicitor, said the prisoner had been ap- pointed in 1823, and given a bond for the payment of all dues: lately he was in arrear, and his bondsmen being applied to, it was discovered that the iname of one of the securities was written by an- other person, the bondsman not being able to write. This was the forgery. .3. Sparks was called to prove the forgery. He was intimate with the prisoner, who some timc ago asked him to sign a bond, by which he would get a situation in the Post-office. He consented at once. The prisoner came with the bond; but he (witness) saiA he could not write. Prisoner imid it vwoul do quite as well to get some one to write his name for him. Witness's daughter went out and got it signed by a ncighbour,who said he believed it would not d5o. Under- stood perfectly, well the nature of the bond, which prisoner, upon getting the signature to it, put into his pocket. The witness's daughter, and two other persons, confirmed the above statemcent. 11r. HARItER, WhO attended for the prisoner, said it was quite absurd upon these facts to charge him with having uttered a forged bond, knowiing it to be foiged. The instrument was not a forgerv, bu: a valid and recognized instrument, upon which the Post-office might recover in anactionagainstthewitness Sparks. The instances were common where persons, who from ignorance or paralysis could not write, authorizedc othems to wxite their names for them. Mlany eld dleeds % ere executed in this way: wbat other means could a man w/ithout srms adopt ? The LOarm aAYOr thought the instrument could not be called a forgery. He observed that the Post-office would, by sending to the nominated bondsmen, in the case of any person applying for a situation, very read;ly ascertain whether any deception was medita. ted. By such a course, the instruments must be duly executed. - The Solicitor to the Post-office said, that such had been the course formerly adopted, and he-believed it must be again resorted to. He pressed that the insttument in this case was not validl. A 8olicitor who attended in behalf of Sparks was of the saine opinion. Mr. HARM ER accounted for the interference of th e latter gentle. man, bv saying that he was desirous of getting rid of the re pon. ,ibility for his client. Mr. Harmer then called the attention of his lordship to the forn of the deposition which had been concocted in the office of the solicitor to the Post.office. That deposition ran in tern,s like these-" Sparks deposes that the signature Is not h1is writing, and that lie cannot writc." This was a strking instanc;: of what our courts of law anid equity ought to be more deeply im. pressed with-that a tita vore exatninatioti was the only certain mode at getting at the full truch in a mnatter of fact and that the mode of trying facts by docuntentary evidence waas all timet ex. tremnely hazard'ous, end ought in all possible cases to be dispensed with. Mr. DowrLsINO said the document contained merely notes of evi. dence. AIr. LfArMc R *aid it was drawn up with all the formality of a iepaition, anad us as a docuiment. oIge LORD1a1 AIYOR remanded the case, in order that lie mayhave the decision of the city law Gfficers. An Italian Noblernan, one of the refugees, waited upon the LonD MAIosn, on the part ofimanyofhi8 countrymen whohad fled hither at the conclusion ofthe last struggle at Naples,and exprased to him the thanks of those computlsory visters for the benevolent parttaken by Lordship in superintending . plan for their relief. He had but a 4ryLlimited income, which was now quite exhausted by the aid ht t,l aiven to hi' companions in exile. Their number was about bey were all irentlemen of rank and talent, who hnai lived in 'he enjoyment of affluence; bitt in consequence of their endeavours to am.eliorate the political condition of their countrymen, they were now pl,nged in the deepest misery. Many who had hel(d the rank ot magistrates, advArcates, colonels, &c., were at this moment house- less wanderers, and had been obliged to sleep in the parka and abroad in the epeti air. All these gentlemen had rendlered themselves ob- noxinus by the exercise of their power and abilities in behl2f of their country, and most or them were highly educated, and well ac- quatnted with many languages. Thev were anxious to subsist up- on their own industry in commercial situations, or as teachers of their accomplishments. The LoRD MAYo t highly approved of the intention, and had little doubt of its success. To obtain situations for the unfortunate patriots would' certainly be the best modle of giving them relict. Our academies offered many facilitie3. The greatest difficulty was often feund in obtaining for youth proper instructors in the living languages. but when gentleinen of the highest educution offered to underalste the drudgery, the advantages which their services held out could not fail of being appreciated. The Nobleman, who was accornpanied by one or two of the Te- fugees, then retired, after having again thanked his Lordship. Gur(3zA)zALL--The fineness of the weather on Fritlay and Sa- turday teanpted many thocsancis of persons to visit Bartholomew Fair, but tne immense concourse who repaired tbither on lMlonday itiiht wa.s never exceeded on any former occasion. Still, howeever, toler.ibly good order prevailed. except in the narrow space between the houses and the toy ande gingerbread stalls, where some persons thnlghtit a good frolic to rush rapidly along, exciting the fears of t.e females, and threatening destruction to the whole line of tem- et-erary erecetions and their gaudy or savourycontents. Ihowever, oniyv or seven of the cases brought before the sitting Alderman, Sir ,tAiiLES FLOWSER, yesterday, had aristen on this spot. Among wearn were twb respectable persons, 1Ir. Faoex, a considerable Maltster at Yaxley, Huntingdonshire, and Ms. Cr-re,, a hattr, lb the ;ruadway, Blackfriars, who were charged ith t rathier serious a"sault upon George Gronett, one of tbe city officers. He a, it seetns, attracted by some females screaming violently, and Observin; the defendants armTin-arn, i creasing the upear ;Ir3iuch as they could by pfting absiut, desired th'e to desist. Pon hir, interfering, however, they behaved mtill worse, and used tuch ofiFensive langu ge,shat the officer endcaroured to take them be- fore the City MAarsihals, wtwho were in attendance at the Compter,and Thrj doing sot Curry knocked him down by a violent blow in tile >5uib, torchlsis clothes, and made a desperate resistance. At the (irnpter, too, they behaved in a most outrageous manner, accusing oxestt Of robbing Curry of his wvatcli and a puree with two sove. eits inS it. ;LAlr. C'ope the Marshal, however, saw Curry slide the a5tter on to a table behid him at the time he was making tite acei. 5tian, a.d the vratch was found in his orvn brceches' pocket. The ~tltSter seemed eager to disclaim all participation as to this latter tansaion, so thee the whole merit of this superlative piece of im- l'udene, tie wickedness of which by far exceeded its wit, mutt reat With his London friend, the hatter, anld, lideed, he seemed evens yes- t5tiay but very little awshamed of it. *n the sequel they were both Ofdc5ed to Bnd boil, and will no doubt be prosecuted at the expense of Ahe city.ung fe namned WFilliiens Vernon, was also conmmittedi to db upon the charge of breakin a constable's head with his own ntvd, for obstructing his entrance to one of the singin_qrosms ef a public-house, which was already cramined almost to suttbcation. The pickposkets were neither very numerous nor very dating. The only fellow that was committed was a 1ad of the name of B,srner, for stealing a gold shirt-pin from a Air. Fox, opposite Richardson's show. T'ere %Vas but little crowding there at the time, and the prisoneryery deliberately drew it outt,and handed it overhis shoulder to an acconQplice, wlho made off. HATTO--GADIE .-Arespectabletradesman (whose name we arc induce(d to witihhold) appeared yesterday belbre MIr. Sergeant STLLoSr. tO solicit the Magistrate's advice unlder the following dJsq tressieg eircumstances:-The complainant stated, that it was his ill- fortune to have speculated in the matrimonial lottery, andi had drawn what ultimately proved eveR worse than a blank ! The fact was, he had marrfed a woman whose temper and disposition, and habits of life, were completely at variance with his own. Ile cnjoyed no- tlhing so much a domestic comforts; while his partner was only happy when gadding about, and, engaged in the pursuit o' expensive pleiasurcs, to the gratification of *vhich he (complainant) could not al- ways administer: and in default of so doing, he was always sure to re- ceiveaplenteous discharge of abuseand imvectivc; indeed, on some oc- casions, the lady didi not limit herself mertly to a wo-dv warfihre, but had recourse to more forcible, though not umore satisfactory, ar- gumnents. ' lagistra.e.-Really, Sir, I fear it is not in oUr power to give you red rca:,. Complainant.-I wished to know how I should act. Mulagistrate.-If you flind it impossible so live in amity, by all means separate, and make her some suitable allowance. Comrplainant.-Thlat I would willingly do, kut she won't consent to it: her clief pleasure is to msake me miserable. Magistrate.-Riemonstrate with her friends: a magistrate has no power to interfere in such a case as yours. Complainant..-But could I not take hier up on a charge of robbery I She has latterly plunulered me of various valuable ef6ects. Bline is, you will allow, Sir, a case of peculiar hardship ; why she don't mind selling an article worth 1Ijs. Ior 3s.; and this is all to purchase w;hat she calls pleasare. A! agistrate.-The case is, I confess, distressing enough ; but as a wYife cannot rob her husband, I (lo not see how you can with pro- priety place her in the sittistion you seem to wishl. Ceomplainant cthoughtfiflllv).Then I can't arrest he; P !llagietraue.-t er ain ly no't, without somne distinct charge. Complhinant (mournfully).-Thank vuts, Sir.-M'hen drawing from the bar, he heaved a sigh so piteous asil profound, aLs didl seem to shatter all his hulk, and on r-eaching the door, lie once more heaved, and mentally ejaculated " Clod blh) mre !" POLICEFB.