Police.
The Times, 1824-04-14T00:00:00

MIANSIOS lHO-uS-.-A man named Day was brought before the LORD AMAYOR on a charge of having committed wanton and brutal assaults upon his wife. The wife is a Young woman of a delicate figure and manners, fr beyond those of her husband. She stated that she was 21 years of age, and that she lad been married to the uraisoner between three and four years. Duringtthattimeilehad ingenjeral behaved to- lerably well to her, but latterly he had tatken it into his head l0 corme home and beat her unmercifully, without assigning the slightest pretext. A fewv evenings sincebe had comnehome in this manner, and without uttering a syllable to her he knoeked her down. Upon this assault she sought the protection of his Lordship ; for unless her husband was restrained by the law, she was apprehensive of her life from his increasing violence. The defendant, when he was called Upon to account for his col- duct towards his wife, stated, that he was astoker, or assistant in the manazement of the engine of a steam vessel, and was necessarilv called upon to sleep on board very frequently. ile had learned, and indeed had satisfied himself by his own observation, that his wife pursued a very improper lineof conduct in his absence, and that she had maintained a criminal intercourse with a young man who be- lonred to the same vessel, and wh,o lodged in the same house where he (the defendant) and his wife lodaed. On the night when he com- mitted the assa,'dt charged against him, his wife had gone to the the- atre alone-he had little doubt upon an assignation * and he wished his Lordship to say whether such a course of behaviour was not enough to irritate any husband "to correct" his wife in the man- ner in which he had done. The LoRi3 MAYOR asked the wife whether it was true that she had gone alone to the theatre ? The wife admitted without hesitation that she had. The LORD MAYOR.-YOU have heard, young voman, what your husband has stated respecting other parts of your conduct, but you need not answer hiis charges hiere unless you think proper. The wife here becane evidently agitated, and after a struggle with her feelings, she said that what her husband had thought proper to charge her with in this manlier publicly, was all true; but, she added, directing a scornful look towards biin, that he vas out ofem- plovment some time since, and he knew well for what puxrpose sle had been in the habit of going to the theatres. She declared, that from the commencement, he was well aware of the connexion, for which, having now got employment, lie begars to maltreat her. He could not deny a word of what she stated. The fellow was evidentlv confeunded by this unexpected state- ment: he hung down his head, and made no answer. The LonD MAYOR expressed great astonishment and indigna- tion. A fellow who, under any circumstances, for a purpose which could not be mistaken, of participating in the profits, sanctioned such a line of conduct in his wife, ought not to have the audacity to show himself in a court otfjustice, much less to ask for protection in maltre.vtinge her for continuing a practice of which lie had been the cause. He had degraded her, andl must take the consequences. The wife afterwards interceded for her husband, and procured his discharge, on his makinga promise to his Lordship that he would not ill treat her in future. The mode in which she interceded in. terested all present in her favour, and loubly humiliated the hus- band, who lid not say one word after, but held down his head and slunk out of the oflice. GuILDnEALL.-An attempt, the second within seven days, was made early on Sunday morning, to break into the shop of Mr. Morris, linendraper, south-east corner of Fleet AMarket, and] one of the villains was secured; but the watchman, in censequence of the hurts he had received nor being able to attend, the prisoner's ex. amination was deferred till vesterday. Alr. Hninphreys attended as bis solicitor. The prisoner, a very powerful young man, gave his name Joseph Thoinas Boyce. John Fishburn, the watchman, who appeared with his head and arm bound up, stated, that a litde before five o'clock in the morn- ing, on his trying the door of the fishmonger's shop, whiich adjoins Mr. Morris's; he found it open, and saw two men standing against the back door. He went in, and they immediately closed the door and shut him in. One of them, however, morointentupon escaping, ran out of ttieback door. The other (the prisoner) exclaimed, "I'll do for you: now you are here, I'll serve you out," and struck him a blew with his fist. Fishburn returned thc blow, when the former picked upaheavycrow-bar,andlstrLuckhim violentlywith iton thchead and on the arm. Fishbum findinz himself thus unequally matched, cried out for mercy, and said," Dow't kill me quite." A parley en- sued, and the prisoner told him to sit dowil on a block at the farther nd of the shop, threatening if he stirred it should be the worse for binm. Having thus, as lie supptsed, secured the distance of the length of the shop, the prisoner started offdowvn the market Fish- burn, though covered with blood, and completely maimed in his right arm, managed to spring his rattle and pursued him as fast as he was able. Two watchmen whom the rattle had alaimed, joined in the pursuit, and the prisoner, after a desperate resistance, was ul- timately taken in Shoe-lane. On examining the premises. some of the bricks had been taken out of the wall vhich divides Mr.Morris's from the fishmonger's shop,and a few iinutes wouldmore have been sufficient to have enabled the villains to make their entry through. Another crow-bar and a dark lantern were tbund in the shop. Thir- teen shillines and some halfpence were missing from the till at the fishmonger's, and that exact sum was found upon the person of the prisoner. 51r. HuovitnEys had suggested, thatsomeotberpersons should beplacedwith the prisoneratthebar,as e understood that the watch- man would not be able to identify him. Fishburn, however, identi- fied him positively, and soon explained the reason for *Ir. Hum- phreys suggestion, by stating, that the prisoner's girl had been with him at the hospital that moming, and offered him 31. not to swear to him, promising, in case he complied, to malce it up 51., but that he had rejected the offer. The prisoner's solicitor advised him to make no defence at pre- sent, and he was accordingly committed to take his trial for the rob- bery, and a detaiaer to be lodged against him for the assault upon the officer in the execution of his duty. The Magistrate, AMr. Alderman C. SsIITH, praised highlv the courageous conduct of Fishburn, and directed a statemeat of the case to be sent to the Common Council of the Ward, with a recom- mendation from himself, that such vigilance and determination in the execution of his duty might not go unrewar(led. BOW-STREET.-Yesterday a very long examination took place atehittoohice. before Sir R. BiRNiE, of three men who have been some weeks in custody, and have undergone several examinations upon charzes of stealing a large numberof swans, somne the property of his Malesty,and others that of the Vintners' and Dyers' Company of the citj of loadon. The pTisoners were Janmes and Willianm Suize- lin, (broihers) and Yanmuel Raines alias Dolby. A gentleman at- tended as solicitor for the Crown, and the legal advisers of the two W~orsliipful Companies also appeared for the prosecution. Those majestic birds, which are so great an ornament to the Thames above a certain point inland, are almost exclusively the property of his Alajesty anl the two companies above mentioned; and the utmost pains are taken to preserve them. T he King and the companies have each a swan-marker and other officers connected with the preservation of these birds, and it is the delight of the wortlhy citizens who belong to the companies, to take excursionsat certain periods oftheyear to inspect and mark the swans. The birds, either dead or alive, however, are too profitable as marketable commodities to escape the attention of those who are dishonest enough to make money in any way that pre- sents itself; and there are a number ofpersons on both sides of the Thames, called swan-hoppers, who make a considerable sumt in the course oftlieyear bv thiskind of depredation. Doring the late winter so great IL number has been stolen, that serious apprehensions were entertained that the whole race would be destroyed unless the thieves were speedily brought to punishment. Ilisliop, one of the principal efficers, and Avis, a patrol, were empleyed by the pro- prietors, aul, after an infinitedegreeof labour, theysucceededin apprehending the three prisoners, and a man named Jokhe Roake, aU inbabitants of Chertsev, in Surrev. Thev hail not been long, in custodv before John Roake cxpressed a desire to tell all he kcnew, and he made a long confession. hIc stated, in stubstance, that a few months ago, a1t a time when lie was in great distress, and had made an uuiuecessful applicatioin to the parish for relief, the purisoner Janies Snelling came to him, and told him that lie could put bim in a way of gettng a few shillngs. He asked how; and the reply was, that he knew where there were some swans to be got easilv. Roake, biowever, said he would have nothing to do vvithm it, and Snelling went away. In two or three days he saw Roakce again, and told him he was a d-d fool not to earn a few shillings when he could, without any' risk of being hurt for it," and Roakc at length consented to join him. They and the prisoner -laines went that night and caught several swans, which J. Snelling tooktime next *norning to Leadenhall-muarket, and left with Mr. Stevens, a sahesusan there, upon commission, receiving something on account. H{is father was ini the habit of sendling p>oultry tO Mir. Stevens, so that hiehad a perfect facility of getting rid of tiem, i\lr. Stevens supposing themi to be the property of the old man. Thev wentupon several subsequentoceasions,antd kiUed anumber of..wanus wlheh were disposed of in the samne manner For the titst exploit Roake receivedfrom .1. Snelling 3s., and for subsequent ones sinmi- I.t suns ; and upon thmelast occasion, when lWn. Snelling assisted, and when they got eight swans, he received no more than 5s. He renionstrated, but could get no more, and he therefore refuse d to have any share in their future swan-liopping expeditiouis. They sere very soon after apprehended. Somne of the stolen swans (which can easily be identified by the proprietors' marks) were traced to Csagtang's, a bird fancier, in Hampatead-road; to Haines, in South M.olton-street: and to Cap- tain Henniker's, Ashmdo n Park, Sussex, by all of whom they bad been purchased frona nr. Stevens. The three prisoners declined saying any thing, and were flly comwiutted for trial. POLICE.