Police.
The Times, 1824-05-05T00:00:00

GU19ILDHAtL..John ?Sith, aiU-favaourea, - muscular fellow, was charged before the Sitting Magistrate with an impudent rob- bery at the houlse of Mr. Sherman, 27 Water-lane, Blackfriars which he entered in the middleof the day while Mmfzr. Sheirm'rn was enigaged with some customers in the shop-ascended to: the iecond floor, and had broken open every drawer, cupboard, &tc, when he was disturbed by hearing footsteps on the stairs. The wife of one 'of the Beacon-office flreimnen who lodges in the, house, came home opportunely, mret the prisoner on the stairs with a bundle, and sus- pecting upan what errand he bad been, courageously seized him by tbe collar, and called out "A thief!" but he whirled her round, and continue( his course down stairs. At the bottom, however, he en- countered MTrs. Sherman, and a Mlrs. Steward.i of- Printer-:treet. Blackfriars, and he struck at the former, but immediately received so severe a blow upon the stomach frotn the latter, that he fell backwvards on the stairs, and his bundle of piunder was wrested, from him. Other assistance was then obtained, but it required the utmost exertions of five individuals (among tbem a Bow-street pa. trol arnd Potter, the beadle) to secure and convey hini to the Compter.The immense strengh Ind the fury he exhibited were like those of a maniac. The buiidle taken from him contained a quan- tity of alrs. Slierman's apparel ; and upon seatrching him, a silver cream-jug, the property of the complainartt was discovered in his hat. A wvatch was also foan(d in his possession, which he claimed as his father's. lie was comniitted for trial. The undaunted Ama- zoniari conductof the wvomeni, in contending with so formidable a ruffian, cxccited the admiration of the court; Bo1w1-STREET.-Yesterday Stephen Seatcrsrl, George Coltm.an, and Johin T tlyor three of a mast desperate gangof thieves who bave long infested and been the terror of thle neighbourhiod of Twickien- hamaand Isleworth, were btought up for a final examination, chargeu Vwith stealing a large quantity of lead, tihe property of Edeward Dick. enson,Esq. at Twvickenham. The lnnc'pal evidence wats an accomplice. ot the name of Grim. shiew, anl from his statement, corroboratcl by'the testimony of others, it appeared that, on the 4th of M(arch, the three prisoners, thc approver, and a man named Philpot, met together at a public- housc at lsloworth, and formed a plan tbr robbing AMr. Dickenson's prernises. It was arranged that they shoaulti strip the lead from the roof of the dwelling.house Lnd outhouses, and also remove a very large lea( cistern whichi stood in the garden ; and it was further agreed upon, thlat if opportunity .erved, the house itself should be broken into and plui.dered. Fortunately, however, this part ot' the project was found to be imnpracticable, and the tlieves contented themselves v-ith ripp,irg up and carrying off about 50 weight of iead, Philpot provied a horse and cart tv carry off the stolenl property; and he undertook to convey it to London and dispose of it the otlers, being weariedl with their night's work, retiring to an adjacent barn to rest therselves. Philot, on his way throngh Pirentforid, happened, fortunately for the enns ofjustice, to nmeet wvith an exriseoc-er of the name of Hewett, who fancying that the cart contained smuggled goods, took the liberty of stopping it. Philpot ran away, the cart was detained, and he w.s soon after apprehen(lde, tried, and convicted at the Old Bailey, as the receiver of the lead. After his conviction, he gave information of his ace-m. lices, and the three prisoners and Grinshaw were aJpreThended. The latter had been but a very short time in custodv before he confessed everv thing lie knew; and offered to give evidence against the others. 'The prisoners made a general denial of guilt aDd spoke in the strongest terms of contempt and indignation of 6'riui- shaw. They were fully committed for trial. AiARLBotRoUGa-sTirEET.-A young man of fashionable ap- pearanee, and dressed comUpletely d Ias; nilitairc, was yesterdav brought to this office from St. Giles's watehhouse, clharged with having defrauded the proprietor of an catinghouse in High Holborn out of the sun of 7d.. in tAe following rnannerr-The complainant, an elderly woman, sta ted that the person at the bar came into her shop abotit 11 o'clock the ni,rht before, an(d regaled himself with 1 Soup, sallad, and bread, for which the regular charge was 7d.; but 1 when about to depart, lie discovered that he had, by accident, come out without any mioney, and, in short, either would not or could not pay the demand; and not only this, but he abtused every onie in the house in the grossest language, particularly the con plainant, for presiming to doubt the wora and tonour of a gentleman, when he said he would call some da' and pay the bill. The compliainant, however. thought that the most secure way wvas to call in the watchmar , auid deposit her customer in the watchhouse, which she accordingly did. Air. CONAXT, the magistrate, asked the defendant who and what he waq that cosdd plav so scurvy a trick on a person in the sitaatior. o' the comIlainant. flc replied, that his name was William IKing that he was a respectable solicitor, and resided at No. 10, Blooms. bury-square; that be went irto this shop by mere accident, and discovering that he had no monev, lie offered to dleposit his hat with tbe conilrain. , as security fbr her demand. .Mr. CON AN asked if he wras a solicitor, or a solicitor's clerk ? Hie said lie %as a regular solicitor, and the house in Bluomsbury. square was his own. AMr. CONASr, on referring to tLe Court (Llide, saw that thete was no person of th^ name ni KIing residing in Bloornshury-square, nor was there in t'he Lawv Lisct any WVilliam King, a solidtor. Tihede.cndant t'hen brgicel his Worsidp'spardtin. Upo,n his honour he had in the confusinn nf the moment made a mistake. The fact was, t'hat ihis nanue was William King. but liewPs anactor atDrury- lane Theatre, and residies in that neizhbourhood, and had just lef: the theatre, aftter sustaining a very arduous character, a few minutes before le went into the comiplainant's shop,. Mr. CoNANT said that he could now scarcely rely on any ca- count he wave of himself, but wihoever or wvbatever he was, bis con- dact was hillily diicreditabde-first,as Tegarded the complainant; ard exxt as to tie shamie-ful alsehoods he Lial just told in the office. The compldil:nt said thatalli she wanted wasto bepaid her money, which the defendant consenting to do, lie waO diScharged, after a con- stable hald bcen srnt with him to sec (hat die demand swas paid. MAr t1Y LEgSOX it-OF FI ic .-cstord:y a ludicreus scene was ex- tibited at tbis oflice by twio person, of the motst eccentricand inisera. ble antearance, naismed Jo/n an d James li;dge, styling thiemiselves gunucrcmer. wnsC of anlr Isi.t banister. Thpy were charged by a man na,red WVillian Cauth with procecding. aftcr the Irish manner, to p:ll d1ovn his cottage, ana, destrov his property. The partictlats of the outrage, as wit very grcat difficulty clicited from Couch, wvho seemede so alarmed at the sanguinarV thrcats of the accused as to he unahlc to give a. connected detail of the transactions, vere as follows :_ Some mionths since tile defendants and tlie'r father presented thems elves in Pormstm-green, where he lived, and took a cottage very c'ose to hinm. Since their visitation they had continually kept tic ncighhourhood in an uproar, by causing the best friends to quarrel. Somehow or other, Couchi having inter fered in soine affray, the father of the defendants denounced hiin, and notified throughout the Green, that lie as an Irish barrister would find means to shove hi:n oiithe ground, and accordingly commenced a wordy war with poor Couch, who, unable to stand so potent an assailant in profusion of phrase and brilliant metaphor as an Irish barrister, was ob!iged to adtopt otilier measures to avoid or counteract the anathemas dealt out by Counscilor Ridge; but was amazed on Saturdav morning la-r, when lie was besieiged ini his little dw-eling by thecounseller and his sons, who, without a word of explanation, proceeded to destroy hisgarden, and tear down some sheds wlicih contained a ental1 stock of poultry, which by the fatiling-in of ithe roof were killed. He could not calnly look on and see his propertv thus destroyed, and lie niost haunbly asked one of the defendants the meaning of this strange outrage: he was answered, " Arrab, my honey, it will be nothitg wher you are used to it; yost k-ow you are a rogue, and that's ernsugh, so says my tather, the couinsellor, to turn you OUt legally." This would not do far hin, and he sent for Mr. John Griffirlie, a resc.tablc solicitor, weho arriveil iust as the defendants, aiLs'xen. by their fatber stid a group as latele`s as themselves, had sinroofcd zhe cottage, and destrove:A all his furniture. Mr. (tiifliths tromptlv pitt then to flight, but not before the "cosineNir" haa brokein a " big stick" over Couch's head ; and on Sir. (Grffiiths maiting laquirs, it sceused a person natued Harris haul let the ground tJ " Counsellor" Ridge, whoe was thus clearing it without Saving previously inquired whether Harris bad any right to sell it, which he had not, having ito clain at all on the land. For this outrage upon Couch's Ver.on and propertv.a warrant was ob- tained apainst the family of tne Ridges, and shiortly after Thos. Hooker, of this office. secoreul tire twvo prisoners; but the a Coun- sellor," who had previously gone through the neighbourhood defying the magistracv,' and saying, fromn his practice at the " Old Bailey Bar," during 25 years, he well knew the lawv, had, on heatfing that warrants were out against him, disappeared, and left his suois to bear the effect of his folly. The defendants, ivho were both intoxicated, aisd who were not sparing in their abuse of Couch, were unable to excuse themselves, and were ordered to finl good bail. They svere eventually locked up, and were taken to prison for want of sureties. PolicE.