Police.
The Times, 1824-06-11T00:00:00

Bow-stitzm-A striking initance of the mistakes which are sometimes made by wvitnesses as to pewnal identity occurred at this office yesterday. Mlrs. Brooks, a respectable-loolking woman, who was for same-years an actiess of considerable note at the Surrey and other minor theatres, was brought up by Gardner, a patrol, on a warrant, charged with unlawfully. awning several silk and other dresses, the property of a man named Smith. The prisoner appear, ed dreadfaUy agitated, and was several times nearly sinking to the earth. Sh6 was accompanied by her husband and a young gentle. man, we believe her son. Smith isashoemaker and lives in Wych-street, Strand. On Thursday the 20th' of lay, he and his wife were from home, and rWhen hereturmed he discovered that the door of his sleening apartG inent bad been opened, and two drawers forced, and 'the articles mentioned stolen. There are several lodgers in the house, and the street door is generally fastened witb a latch only ilt the day-time. He set oUtso0n after to search at the pawnbrokers' shops for his property, and at the very first he entered, Mlessrs. AIagwood and Lawrence's, in Drary-lane, he was informed that they had been pledged there that day by a woman of the name of Brooks, an ac- tress, whose name was formerly Hatton. He then procured: a war- rant at this office, but- the officer was unable to find her until yesterday. Wm. M0ainvwaring Fenner, shopman to Magwood and Lawrence, deposed that theprisoner,.on the eveningof the20th of Alav, pledged the articles wrhich he' now ptoduced. (They wete identified by Smith.) She asked to have 31. upon thenm, btit he gave her a less sum.: Shegaveher ovrn name of Brooks, which he wrote upon the ,uI licate. 71rs. Brooks stood wringing lier hands and weeping vrhile the Ahopman was giving evidence, and exclaimed several times, "Oh, God forgive you, young man !" When called upon by the M1agis. trate to speak, she-declared in the most energetic termns, that it was altogether a mistake,_that she was as innolent as the uenbom child. Fenner.-I am very sorry to say so, -Mrs. Brooks; but I am too certain of your person tobe mistaken. Mr. MINsHULL.-Did you ever see her before that day s Fenner.-Veryofteen,Sir,bothoffandonthestage. I have known her for years. She stood oa the evening in questionunder a strong fligbt, and remained there for some time. She sang part of a song, and was very noisy and trouble3omei - I AMr. Brooks assured the Atagistrate that it must be altogether a mistake. He did: not, nor conld his wife-want 3L at any time.. She vas wel provided with ihe comforts of life, and could, therefore, have- no inducement to commit-an offence-like this. Besides, 'she had always borne a spotless ciracter for. integrity, as he could prove by the testimony of a hundred persons. itIr.AUl2sHuLsL.}f.-Xt is exceedingly strange. Young man, be cautious; are you sure that von may not be mistaken? Fenner.-Quite positive, Sir. Ar. -AfixsHUsLL directed that Mrs. BTooLs should be taken into a private room and s'earched. This was done, but nothing was found relating to the charge. The Mlagistrate 'asked Feiner if t'here wes any thing remarkable in Mrs. Bro6kss manneron the evening in question - Fenner said he'thonght shehad-been-taking too much drink. Mr. Brooks._That cannot apply to my wife, -forit -is impossible that any womaneanbemorefree from thevice of drinking than sheis. Mrs. Broo!. -Oh, Sir, believe me, this is entirely a mistake. I have lived in respectability for nany yea. I'have bad money-to a considerable amount navanced-to me by Mlr. EUiston and other gen- t.lepen, who neveraskledmc to6returnit, but theyalwavs received it themoment that I hiad wherewithal to pay them. Is it likely, Sir, that. I sbould all at once become a thief? Mr. M1INrSHilUL asked Mlr. Brooks privately, If his wife was ever at all disordered in her mind, and wag answered with a dedded ne- gative. Fennelstillcontinuedpositive, andiMr. MlS irurrL askedif inyi one else was in the shop at the time ? He said fliat MIT. LawrenCce and a apprentiee-wereuresent. They were sentrfor, and-the ap. prentice came,I MT. Lavrence beingfiombome. Theformer, the mo- ment he entered the office, and'saw Mirs. Brook,' dreclared that the was nOt.the woman-who pledged the things !'He saw the woman butfora sbort time, but he wvsqiite positihe uo6'ithe sabject.- Air. MINSuuULL-There is a very strange mistake on on6e side or the other.' ' ' : - Fenner.- Ihope itis notsupposed'thitl came hereto swear to a falsehood. Iknow 'tliatIam nght,and pe. the case raybe nut off untilDIr.-.Inwrence can attend. EHe knows Mrs. Brooks welL.- MIr. Brooks said,thai his wife was sorisucb alteredfromillhealth within thelast two years, that some of her friends scarcely knew her -when they met her. ' ' - After some further conversation, Ir. MItiNSHirLL said, he could not makeup his mind to decide upon - the extraordinary testimony before him,, and the casemustbe postponed. ' ' - Ars.-Brooks wasuffer d to goat large upon her husband'sfiunder- taking forher appearance; and rr. awrencewasorderedtobesum- moned to.attend this day. -A.LLsOROUG STg5TPerick Callgi'x, an Irishnari, who stated that he came over to this country on the speculation. ac- cording to inf9rmation he bail--received,- of 'getting plentybf work and fine wages in~ -Bagand, butwhich he-now found2 to his cost and inconvenience, sws altogether a fiction, coin iaineA to tho ma- gistrate3 that he bad ap lied to-'she officers of St. Gfles'spariab, when biv had odge4lbr ^-JatiorWialt, to WiahimoRo this native country, but that they refased bim either to do so, or to support him .wiile he remained. In reply to this, Davis, one of the messngerof the parisbwso was present, said, that they had offered this man the same:means of getting home that-the parish was in the bzibit'of allowipgto all paupers whom they passed, which was; to give, them, some bread and cheese and 6d., with directions to ko on to the next parish, which no doubt would give them similar relief, and so'on te their journey's enl ; but thisman had had by some means or-other, the cunning to get hold of the words of thle clause in the act of Parlia- ment which regulates theremovalof paupers, and which says, that they shall be " conveyed" to their respective patish, and he there. fore refused to walk, but insisted upon riding aU the way home - indeed, he did not think the man wanted to fget home at all, hut to remain a burden to the parish. CaUaghau denied this, and sad thatbhe was mnost anxious to get h6me, from w7hich hewould never again stir; but he fhought, as the law entitled him to ride home, he might as well do so, and save his ould shoes. The Rer. Air. TBURSBY, a county magistrate, who happened to be on. the Bench, said, that at AMarylebone office, where he is in the habitofoftenattending hehad seen agreat number ofthe cases of these poor Irish. people, vrho were shamefully seducedlfron'm their homes and families by a designing set of men, for theprofit arising from their conveyance to this country, and in all he had witnessed the greatest anxiety to get back totheirhomes,and beardthemtutter the bitterest execrations against their deluder. He knew that, on the subject of the scandalous manner in which these eoor crea. tures uere imposed upon, the Secretary of State ras- in cor- respondence with the authorities in Ireland, the result of' which wvould shlortlybe made known to the magistrates. Vith respect to this poor man,' the rev. gentlernan said, that he fully believed him whenhe said that he wished- to get home; and as to the law on the subject of his removal he was -perfectly right, wherever he ob-- tained his information, and he certainly was entitled either to be conveyed to his parish or else tobe maintained where he was,und the parisl of St. Giles must do one or the other. The poor man was not to be sent abouthis business with a bit of bread and cheese, and left to the mercyof the officers in every parish on his way home. ' Davis said, that he knew the act was so, but if this man's- couu- trymen came to a knowledge of the fact generally, they would every one insist upon riding home and the parish would be -pat to an Cnornious expense. l1r. Tzuscsny said that this could not be helped; they were enti- tied to the benefit of the law. POLl CB.