Police.
The Times, 1824-02-14T00:00:00

30W1V.STREET..Yesterday lFillis7m Davit, a very res ectably dressecl man, was brought before Sir R. BIRNIE and Mr. ALLS, charged with a daring robbery at Covent-garden Theatre on Thurs- Ma. Oliver Lloyd, of No. 10, Clifford's Inn, stated, that he ras in the pit of Covent-garden Theatre on Thursday evening, but that part of the house becoming very fuL at half-price, he and a friend agreed to go tothe boxes. As thiey were leaving the pit, the prisoner c-ame behind thiemi, anti deliberately taking: held of his st-atch-enhain, snatched it violently, and tIrew it fromn the pocket, but it was held by a guarnl-chain. Witness seized the prisoner by the cellar, and held him until Donaldson, the constable of the theatre, came up and took charge of him. The prisoner made no defence, and was fully commited for trial. It was statet that he is now under recognizances to prosecute an appeal against a conviction under the Vragrant Act, adjudged against him as a reputed thief by iMIr. Ifardvicke, the magistrate at Lamibeth-street police-office.icethmasrtet George a.son, a well-known thief, was convicted under the Police Act and committed to the sessions. he having been found in the pit entrance of Covent-garden Theatre, under suspicious circum- stances, on Thursday night. Donaldson caught him just as the doors opened, and probably savecl the property of not a few of the visiters to the theatre, for the prisoner is considered one of the most active of his, fraternlity. Joh/n Poa'dll, a hackney-coachman out of employment, was re- examined on a charge of stealing a coat, under curious circum- stances, and two fresh charges were exhibited against hliM. The original charge was preferred by a poor boy whom the pri- s'ner, under -pretence of procaring him a siiuation, decoved to Liti- coln's-inn, where he took him up to the first-landing-place of one of the sets of chambers, and persuadei him to take off his coat, whic the prisoner rsan away with. George Plummer, serant to Dr. Lowcock, of Berners-street, stated, that on the 6th of September last the prisoner t.ld hhi he could get a situation for his brother, and an anpointment being made, they met at a pubhc-house in the evening. There the prisoner wrote a letter, which he pretended wac one of recommendation to a gentle. man who wanted a servant; and when he had finished, he asked the witness to lend him his seal to seal up the epistle. He took oat his watch,and the prisoner then asked him if he had anyV sealing-wax, and he replied in the negative, upon which the pri6oner tookthe watch and seal in his hand, andssaid he would g^t a hut at the bar. He desired the witness to dry the letter, and walked straight out of the house with the watch. The next clharge vas preferred by a lad named Eldrey, servant to a publican in tepper Ground-street, Blackfriars, whom the prisoner robbed of his coat in the same manner as in the first case. The pri- soner was fully committed fbr trial. IAALaO0OIIGrl-STIIEET.-On Thursdav last. a very respect- able gentleman, named Evans, residing near Golden-square, came to lhis office, accompanied bv hr. Putt, his solicitor, and a nunhber of respectable friends, to clain the protection of Mir. DrETI, the ma- gistrate, under the following extraordinary circumsta.nces :-He stated that r. conspiracy had been formed by his wife and her friends, in conjunction with D)octors Haslam and Powell, to deprive him of his liberty undet the pretence of his being insane, and, by locking him up in a lunatic asylum, enable his wife to take possession of his house and all his pronerty. He,ulten stated,that sonie time ago these very partiesdid actually place him, without -any certificate ofis..tanity, in a private rnad-lousein the countrv,from whic;: he was smoon after- wardsdischarged through thc interference of his friends, on hte certifi- cate ofthese two niedical gentlemen who nowwere endenvouringattime nstigatlion of his wife and lier partv to confine inis tirain. Al r.Evanms said, that lie has been ever since the 13th of Jaunuiry obliged to abscond from his hume, to avoid being forcibly carriel off; a:*d even in different parts of thc country, where Ire has been concealing hintu. self, lie has been pursued by his unrelenting enemnies, with a view to attain their object. Near Oxford, a roach in wllich he was travel. ing was surrounded by armed men prepared to take himn off, but the leterrmination of the other passensgers in thie coach not to cur- render him alive he had no doubt, saved him on that occasion. Thus pursued and persecuted, he camue to towii again a few davys ago, to seek legal sdvice and redress 1 but the very first night fie ventured'to his owvn house, to inqtire after his business, which he had been thus compelled to neglect and desert, itr. Haslam came with a party of his seen to seize him, anld he with difficulty escaped. ince thenl he has not dared to go into hisown neighbourbood. lir. F.vans here entered into some very severe observations upon the con- duct of Mlr. Haslais, while under his control betore, and read a letter fronm the letter to Mlr. Putt, te solicitor, while ilr. Evans Was iD the country, saying that if he (Mr. Evans) would return to town and attend so his business and family, he should not be mo. leased; but ibis letter, Mr. Evans said, nccw turned out to be only atraptogetim in London. Mr. Evans next read a series of' cOr- respondence which he has held with various persons upon business, since hc hasbeen thiuschargedlwithinsanit5,noneof which, anynmorc than the mannier of lilis statement, certainly exhibited any symptomi of that disease; finally, Mr. Evans requested the magistrate wvould grant him warrants agaiust all the persons conecrned ir this atrocious conspiracy against his liberty. and perhaps his life. Mr. DY Lit asked MUr. Evans if he had been assaulted by any of the persons to whom he alluded, or if he eould swear that he dread. ed any personal violence or injury from them sia consequence of any threats they hleld out.- Mr. Evans replied, that as vet they had not on this last occasion laid hands uon himir, nor coelil he swear that ihey threatened any ass nt; but he could prove their iateadions and threats to con?ine him ins a mad-house. Mr. DYER said, that oao person threatening to deprive alother of liberty was not su(4oient round for a ingistrate to issue a warrant against the parry ; and unless some assaults or threat of assault, was proved, he feared he could aftbrd M11r. Evans no redress, but the nliddlesex sessions commenced shortly, atnd he could indict the ivhole for a conspiracy. Mr. Evans said it was liis intention, by the advice of his friend Mr.Psuttt,o do so, but in themean ti'neit wasa cruel thing he dareci not venture to his own home. MIr. DYER said it certainly was so, and lih would adviseN !Qr. Evans to disregard the danger he apprehended for the present. and reuMrn to his house, taking with hin some friend on whosb confidence be could rely; but Mr. Evans declared this wa imposs ble, for the moment he venturedhome he shotild be int- by fellows who were in wvait for lihn. .Al D r said he could scarcee Abelieve that on the formier oe- cation to which Mr. Evaud IludeXhe could have been confined in any lunatic asylum Wcltout a regular certificate. Mlr. Putt, bo0ve-.er, assured bin it was tlt case, and for that ilegal deteution teney were now bringing an action against the parties. Here the auplicatiorm ended, and Alr. Evans left the ofice w,vith his friends, deteisoined not to go near his home until he prefers his In- dictment as the sessions. 3t was stated by the friends of Air. Evans, that ithe ground upon which thi3 charge' of insanity was ittempted to be supported was an extraordinary zeal in that gentleman in forwarding the conversion of Jews, its which he personally takes an active part, as his wife's fa. msily think, so the neglect of hsis pr.vate afl'airs. * POLICE. _- _ _