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

MIAN,SION~-KT.se rrs...Yesterday the bortn MAYOR sat in the Justice-.room, for thie first time, as Chlef.diagiqtrate. In the course of the day he received several complimientary visits. Barratt, the PeT.;on wyho was some days ago chiarged before the'late Lord Mlaver with having commnitted bigamny, in marrying a widow named Wood while his wife was alive, was again examined. It will be recollected, that the mysterious conduct of the prisoner withi respect to the absence of his first wife excited mu 'ch suspicion amongst her friends, and that the wife was represe-nted as havinig no objection ito thfe fancy offher husbanid for another woman. Extraosr- dinary as this cireumstance may appear to be, it turns out to be the fact. The poor woman is in a declining sitate of health, and muchi friendship having beeni sh.own to hier by Mrs. WVood, of Cbancery- lane, she olfered no Opposition to a weddling proposedi by her hielp. mate, which would be likely to make him more comifortable. She expresses her satisfaction at the present conditionL of things, andI does not seem at all disposed'-to interfere, at least so long as slie is pro. vided with an asylum. We find that the matrimonial arrangements had, from the commiencement, hier concurrence; that she was re- inoved from her former to her present abode at hier own desire, anid that she receives; frequent visits from her husbanid and his new spouse. The solicitor for the Prosecution wvas asked by the LORDs MIAYOR whether he had evidence of the offence withi which the prisoner stood charged. H-e said he cou.d not find ann9 person wlho was present at the second marriage, but the clerk of the chutrchi In which it had been solemnized had the book to prodluce, in wvhichi Barratrs inarriage with Mlrs. WVood was enter-ed. The solicitor submitted that this fact, combined with the acknowledgmsent of the prisoner himself that he had miarried Mrs. Wood, were sutficient prina facie evidence upon which to detain thie prisoner in custody. adthr a n ro w r.Humphreis, the prisoner's solct,sadheewsnpro whatveo the bigamy, and submitted that an immediate discharge should be given, particularly as Barratt hiad been several days in prison. The LORD MAYOR called the clerk, and asked himi whethier he knew the prisoner ? The Clerk said he had seen him before. The solicitor for the prosecutiont then callel on the clerk to pro- duce the register. This was done, anid thie clerk hiaving read thne entry of a marriage between Barratt and Alrs. WVood, the solicitor seemed to consider the statement conclusive. The LORD MAYORL was not, however, so easily satisfied. He asked thje clerk whether he could swear that B3arraLt was the mian who was meant in that entry. The Clerk admiitted at once that he could not : he certainly hiad seen him soinewhere, but whethier at churchi or not fie couldl not say. In-deed, it was next to imnpossible that he could dletermiine, for - thugh the marriage took place butt a few days ago, ino less than 63 marriages had been solemnized since in the same plaee. The LORD MAlyort could not think of COMmnitting ajman~ to pri. son uipon such evidence. Thje prisoner had been some time in con- finement, and except p oof of thiefactwlth which he wascharged were imnmetliately producedT,lie shoultlno longer be detained. His Lord- shipi accordtingly discharged Bazrait from. custody. BONY.STtEF.T.-.Mr. Pitt, of the Adlelphil, upp earedt to answer to an Information exhibited against himn by Mlr. Stutely, ttile sur- veyor of Pavements, under Alr. IV. A. Taylor's Act, for the parish of St. Mlartin, for refusing to remove a ceitaii iron ailling ina front of his dvvelling..honise, notice to remnove hiaving beets properly served upon him, and the railing being an obsiruction to ttie tree passage of the King's8subjects. This case occupied thieattention of thecma- gistrates nearly the whole of the morniing, during which the office v.sts filled with persons wvaiting upon ot4er business. It may be remembered that Mir. Pitt some time ago appeared upon the same kiind of charge, and he was convicted in the penalty of 40s. by Mr. Broughton, a magistrate, who sat for Mlr. Halls, the latter dedtleman being Ill at the time. It happened, that in that informa.. tioni the venue was laid in Middlestex only, and not as is generally the case, M1Aiddlestex and Westminster to wit ;" and Mir. Pitt afeerwards discovered that Alr. Broughton was in the commission for WVestminster only. This, of course, was fatal, and the cont- viction was set aside; and yesterday the ease camne on to be heard de no vo. Air. Clarke appeared as solicitor for the complaint; and Alr. Pitt, as usual was his ewn advocate. MVr. Pitt touj several objections, whichb were over.ruled. Mir. Stutely was then called, andawore that the railing in question was an obs.traction to thie free passage, and that Mlr. Pitt had been served with a proper notice. Mr. Pitt said, that bef'ore he entered upon cross-examiniation, or defence, he must take leave to be sworn to an affidavit whic:h lie had prepared, the object of which was to show (as we understood Mfr. Pitt) that the magistrates had no jurisdiction or authority in the case. mr. HALLS said he should certainly not allow any such affida- vit to be sworn. An information was exhibited before him under a penal statute, whiich empowered magistrates to adjudicate ; and un- less dlr. Pitt could show that that power was taken away by aniy subseqeAent statute, he shiould proceed. dir. Pitt urxed for a long time thiat hie ought to be allowed to be sworn to the affidavit5 but Mr. HALLS perAisted in refusing to permit it. 'lir. Pitt thieR said, that by, one section of thie act, no suirveyor was allowed to perform bricklayers' or masons' work frayCm mnissioners of Pavements under the act. MVr. Pitt read thescin andI said that if he could show tbat Mr. Stutely had vioaethsp. vision, the autliority of that officer to act was compeeyust and the present ease inost f'all to the grousnd. He theasdMr Stuitely if he had not done bricklayer's work for Mlr. Winchester, a commissioner for St. Mlartisn's. Mlr. HIALLs said Mr. Stutely was not bouind to'answer this quies- tion. There wats a penalty lbr such an act as that Implied by Alir. Pitt's question, and hie must ktnow that no man was obliged to give an answer that Might criminate himself. Air. Sturely declined answering. Air. Pitt then put a great many questions which we are j ustiff ad in Says..ig had no bearing whatever upon the question at issue, and at almo.st tw'o os'clock he said his defence would occupy nearly two hours longer. Afr.HALLaS then observed,tbat if 51r. Pitt hiad matter of defence to urge, he was ready to hear it; but lie would niot have the public business impeded at the mere whimi of any man. He would not sit surroundted by dozens who were waiting to be heard, while a parcel of frivolous and irrelevant questions were put, merely with a view to try the patience of parties. Alr. Pitt upon thicr refused to say another word, and was convicted in th- penalty of 40s. 4IiARLfl30tOUGT5.slrxErT.-..Yesterday being the day appointed for the final examluation of Jamnes Halaey, charged upon suspicion oF having ret fire to hiis Cremises in Argyll..place, this office was, as on the last occa4ion, t ironged to a great degree previous to the commencement of the examination. Sir GEoOXG FAstssANT', the Mlagistrate, M1r. Alley, who appear. ed as Counsel for the prisoner, several gentlemnen belonging to fire.. offices, and a numlrber of neighb ouring tradespeople, proceeded to take a view of the premises, wih are situated very near the office. As before stated,the shop and kitc'hen appeared almost entirelyconsumed: but the parlour, In which there stands a tent bedstead, was but partially burnt. The prisoner was brought In at balf-past one o'clock to the M1a- gistrates' private room (which, Itowever, oni this occasion was public), andi the following addlitional evidfence gone into. Alr. Griffin (not Mir. Hiarmer, as stated) is thle solicitor for the prisoner, and attended by Mlr. Alley. in the absence of dir. Cronmby, his clerk appeared for the prosecution, which is carried on by Mlessrst. Elrington and Dundee, wine-mertliants. Alr. Thomrpson, a siurveyor, residing at No. 4,-ArgvIl-plrtce, being sworn, deposed, thmat the house in question, as well as all the houses In that lfine ef Street, have beeA built by him t the hiouse, part of wvhich the Pris(one occupied, and the one adoloining, had been let by him on leane to iMessrs. Elrington and Dundee, wine-merchants.. About three o'clock on the morning of the Ist inst., he was alarmed bTa cry of fire in th'e street, and hiaving got out ogf bed and (tressed himself, hewent tosetewkat was the matter. Heie aw agreatiquans. `tit Of smoke issuing from the shiop of the priso'ner, and when theY doot was openetd, he saw the covering over the staircase that leadst from) the shop to the kitchen, on fire. He could see several bundles of fire..wood, old orange-chests, and other com- bustible materials, heaped up on the Place, which was a square plat- form, of about two yards by one. There was a fireman tsien in the shop, who pulled down this fire with his poll-axe, and some buck. ets of water having been poured over it, it was soon extinguished. No engine was used to put oart this4 fire, nor were the eaigine-tubes ever laid on. A number of the neighbours, whio h-A by this time been alarmed, and assemnbled on the spot, were congratulating each other upon the facility with wrhich the fire was pit oat; and about h fnhuhad elapsed, (during which, however, a- strong smnoke still continued on the premirses), whten suddenly a most tremendous butrst of flame was seen rushiing from the kitchnen, which wan of so violent anature, that at lengtt thlore were several engines on theaspat. It could not be controlled until the wholeofthe slisopkitchen,&c.,were destroyed, as well as the windows and sashes of Ulr'. Dundee's draw. in.reotm,overhbead, and even those of the second floor and attic; and witness was convinced, that had it not been for a precaution which he took wlienbuilding those houses,of what is calledgugging the ceilin, that Is, placing a composition of lime, hair, and sand, betweenth floors and the ceiling, so, great wag tile violence of this fire, that thie wholeofthetwo houses,-andperbapinmore,musthave been consumed. There was no communication whiatever bsetweens the kitchen of IMr. Dundee's other house, and that oectipied by the prisoner; there was a istrong tliick wall that separates them, ana that wall still remains whol, s tht M. Dnde orhisserants could not possibly com.' muniatewit th prsonr'skithen Wines saw 'a bed whichhad bec. daggd ostof he ilo, nd pperedtobe buraed in the cen- tre; rom te rntatlo of ti*he4in te shpi was possible that fiTemigh hav falen o It rom he patfom whch lie. saw on fire. Witnss ntwthes prmist we~, avig hmseltllvei tbree years iIn them, atnd was quidte certain there was no possilble comtnnullieat'ton between them in thie lower partL !Some conversation here took place between thec parties4 for tihe pro. Becution rinld Mlr. Alley, as to the propriety of examining tile tlnugh- ter of'the prisoner, who was in tiic houtse at the time of tliicfire ; and it wvas at lengthi determined to call her in and question her, at all evonts, as to whiat shc mighit know upon the suibject. Mary Holey, a young. girl 16 years of age, was thten called, but not swvorn. Shie w-as qateqtlinedl by Si r GFiotoGE FARtRAwT thle ma- gistrate, anil stated, that on thec nfight of' the fire she had been,a% was her custotn, nmaking up h r flath er' s ccouint-book. in the kitchen, where shie hitad afire ; thlereewas al cu'pboard in the kitchien, andl shle fre4uently, in thie course of' the nighit, went to thatt cupboard, and the last time wits to puat up the account-hook, in it ; fshe then matde it fast witlh a bolt, and wvent to bedl in the shop, where she generally lay; she did not .put oiut the fire, nor was it generally pat ouit, but left to die away of itself. Shle went to bedi about tea o'clock, anti her father had then been in bed about hzlf an houir. Between two andl three o'clock she wasq awoke, almost suff'o- eated by smokce; she got out of bed, andl called up hier fathler andi mother, who were thien %sleep in the parlooir, and had( she not so done, they must have beeni buirnedl. Her f-ather inistantly got up, and forcedt out the shutter -of thie parlour-window, and, wisth thle a3Sist.. ance of tie watchman, got her mother and hierself', and ahlttlelsrother, out at tile winadow, anid thiey were Put into thec watclhman's box. When she went to bed, sheb.ad blasikess and sheets upon thie bed, fn the shop. Shie kniew that in the cupboard in thte kcitchen, whichi had been burned, there was at hair trunk, in whichi her faLther hiad 951t. in Bank-notes. Shte saw the notes, but did not couint them - nor did she know the value of anyone of tke notes, but her fathier told her there was 95I.in the whole. This money her fathier got from ii'(i. ferent fam-ilies that dlealt with him in the way of business, and liad it to pay his rent. Thecre was altio in the trankc a great quantity of valin. able wearing apparel, silk gowvns, and suits of clothes. On tile Sa- tudybefore the fire three of the childiren were resnovecdto thie hous f a1 Mrs. Redmitndl, in Carpenter-street, lVetatminster, as they were intendled to be sent to dlrink the -aters of Streatlhan.. wells, not being in good hecalth. Before the fire, hqr father sold at clok,an somle oCther fUrnituire, a mahioganv Press bedstead, &c. The 9.was the produce of the sale of this furnfituzre. Sir GEonoE FARaA'rT hiere observed, that she before said ttile 951. wast received fromi- families. Shie said, piart wvas, and part. for the furniture. TIhe partiet for thxe Prosccx!tion said they couldi comopletely contra.. Vert this girl's statement, but they wo(uld net Make a witness oi lier: the other sidle might, if they thioughit proper. Mifr. Alley thouight, that asi she was called, and spoke in the pri. soner's favouir, her deposition oughit to lie taken. The prosecutors snai, however, that they should not swear lier. The next witness was Williami Sparrow, a watchman) of St. Jamnes's patrishi, whio deposed, that on thieiniorulsng of the lire, he wvas first alarmedI by the Falling of'the shutters fromi Mr. l-laley'a patlira windlow, an(i presently saw M1r. Haley, AMrsi. Haley, thieir dlaugli. tar, andl a child, at the window, all undiressedl: witness assisted Mrs. Haley (whio was calling loud for assistance) andi the chiildlren out, anid aniothier watchiman placedI them in hiis watch-box. Witness then went to the assistanice of a lr. Atkinson, whio wvas getting his chil- dren out of an adjoining hou.e in King-street. About 2 o'clock, and before any alarm oF fire was given, or any appeatrance of it, wvit- ness nassed tfie prisoner's windlow twice. calling the hiour, and he hieard a chiildl crying inside, and people conversing, and witness tIOUgh that AIr atid Mrs. Halev were quarrelling; thiey were cer. wainty no asepa thie time,as hie cottild dlistinctly hear thi'em talking. Mir. C]roi-by's clerk deposed, thAt a few days before the fire, the prisoner camd and tendiered a qua-ter's rent (131.) to Air. Cromby, on account of Mrf. Thomiipson, this head landlord ; butt would not on account. of M)essrs. Elrinztoon anti Dundece. There was at this time rent dlue f'romi tlieprisone- both to Air. Thompson andl Mlr. Dundee. Prisoner tlid not prodkuce any. money, buat said he had it about isim. IVeawood thefireais,who as xatnitietd on the last dlay, was now ecaled,atl aked n wht tte e foundit she bed in the shop,. liesai, tat he ed as aidupo atuirn-down bedstead it was on fir in te Cenre, an he dagged itot and extingvuislhed the- fire; thatfiremigh posibl. bu notproablY, fall on It front thec plat. form hat as o fir. Thre ws nether blanket. etliect, or coun- terpane oni this bed, nor did it appeara if anyv onie lied slept in it--it was not st all pressed diowni. Mlr. Scott, the auctionieer and appraiser, in addition to hiis former evidtence, produced an inventory which thie prisoner himself madie out and gave to Mr. Scott twvo di 'ys after thte fire, of wearing appoarel, whichi the prisoner said was contained with the 951. in notes in thie trunk said to be consumed in the cupboard. This inventory was read br Sir GEuORG FARRANTT, attit ran thus :Clotlies belonging to Mlrs. Franley, eighit new gowns of silks, bomibazeensg, and poplins, 16 new shifts, one newv silk pelisse, one new blue cloth pelisse, several lace caps9, two new bonnets, several pairs of ladies' hoots andt slices, a number of ladies' stocktings, some silk.-Mhiai Haley, nearly the same.-Mlr. Haley, two newv suits of clothes, one dtozen new linen shiirts, aieckkerchicfs,gentlemnen's stock. ings,rboots;, shoces, &c.-F ive changes of childIren's dreeses complete. Ser Sot said, that fromi the inspectioni he hias made of thie re- mainls of the cupboayd, &c. whichb were burnied, he was conivincedi qthere never was any such property destroyed ; there must hiave been somRe remains of the boots, shoes, or clotlh, at all evensts. Nor didI lie believe there was any trtink b,irned thecre. Trhiere was a hair trunk found ini the paclouir, whichl conitained olti femnale wearing ap- parel of lit tle value. H~artley, ai fireman, said, thait lie has hid great expe-rience in fires, hiaving attended upwards of 1,000 ivithin Eaur years. Ile has ex. smninedl the remiains of thie cupboard, and found several pairs of oldl stoechings, mostly without anly feet, not that the feet were burned off', hut worn off. Trhere were fouir old phiitts, aLll torn, and of no valuie. Witness is quteit certain that no xtiche. pgeperty as described in this inventory could have been burnedI thcterj-itlthough this was one of the mosit des,perate fires lie ever sair. - The evidlence hiere closed . andti'5r.,'Fitzpatrick, the chiief clerk, read over the whiole of the depositionk'tathe diff'erenit witnesses,which they wvere reaqworn to, and signed;.~ - M r. AT.T.Evy did not think it proper, pmt this stage of' the proceed. logs, to uirge any tilinig on thle Part of' the prisoner a nd Sir GEo. FAflUANT said, thecre was quite stidlelcent evidence to send the orisone for trial before a .iury ; butitf he could make out a good de- lence, there could bae do oubt lie wosld there have the full advan- tage of it. The prisoner was then fully commi-itted for trial ; and the witnesses all hound over to prosecute. AMr. Jarrin came to the office to state to the magistrate thiat thle afflic- tion and thistress etfmindI A'l rs..Jarrin himboLired undier, from this attempt thatiwas iade onhlir life, agstsated in thepapersofAMonday, was inde- scriable Th myserythathinig oer hisarocous ttept, lbe said, wasgretlyheihteed y wathe adgnceleanedfeo ashoeniaker ofhe ameof reehlywholivs natnim, w o happened to beoppo. sit lladoo a te tmeth ernsctbatook place. This man told him cat le oberve t~v wel-dresed ememn in the street. There were no othe pros in it that lie could observe, whects thie pane o1' glass was lrkn one of those gentlemneni wvalked up to the window, and looked in; te other, who was ots the opposite side, also seemied to take notice of it, hut neither of then-i in such a manner as to lead hiim to thin k they liad any thiing to do whitl the businessi. C.reeehly confirmed this statement of Mir. Jarrini's, anid said, if he thought otherwise, he couldI have easily secured those gentlem-en;, they ha nothing in their hands that lie could observe. Mr. CNANT said, that thiere coulId be nio doubt but if the per] snits that Creechbly saw were gentlemien, and mere lookers on, that whezi they hieard oif the distress of mind Sirs. Jarrini was in, they wouldI come forward, andI as far as in thiem lay remove it. Mvr. Burnett, a respectable surgeon, residing in Dukle-street, Gros- venor.squaTe, who a few diavs ago preferred a charge of assault at this of lice against a M1r. Reeves, compslained to the sitting ma- gistrate, that a misreprtesentation hadl gone forthi respect'ing him upon t1tat occasion which hie wished to hatve corrvcted. It was said, that Mr. Reeves. stated himn (Me. Buarnett) tobe'sis illegitimate sion. If he had hteard Sir. Reeves say so, he woultd have cotitradietedl him upon the spot, because the assertion was false. The fact being, that Mlr. Reeves hiati married his (Sir. Buirnett's) mothier, witen hie was quite a chiild, by lier foriuer huisband ; andl he therefore stands- only,- owardfs Mlr. Reeves in thie relationship (if it be any) of a step-son. HArT ON-GARDE N.-YeSterdlay Mr. Thonnems Palnmer', formerly a haberdasher, but now at green-grocer in Clara-market, appeared upon a summols toD answier the complaint of Mliss Frances Anin Ha- thewell, an agreeable-lookinig young wvoman, eigh teen years of age, for sefusiing and neglecting to teach her the trade of a milliner and dress-miaker, to wrhichi sle was bouind as lIis apprentice. Itappeared that the comIplainant had served four years of liar time to the defend- ant : otit of whlich time fsle was kept but thiree weeks so the trAde, the remaindler of liar time shie was kept as a 1Isausehold servant ; as, shortly after slhe entered as his apprentice, he gave up the business of a haberda-sher, anid turnied grocer, ard his wife gave up the busi- neRssof dress-miking; andI latterlyhe'gave up the buiinessofa grocer, and keeps a green and potatoe-shop, in Clara-rearket ; and com- pliati et as a drudge, the defendant refusing to discharge her indentures, or turn her over to another master who would teachi her hier trade. Tue complainant's shster, a respectable young woman, a dress. sniaker, stated to the Magistrates, that the cause of the cornplaint not bein.g!soonerlmade svas,tliat thecomp)lainant hadno friends. Hfer father was inea%yinidolent man, andnegleeted to notice it,aTnd the imisterhived in the country; and, on coming to toivoi, she remonstrated withi the defendant, who refused to dischxegc~ the indleitures, or turn hier over to aothr mster wh wold tachherher trade. The .-~ndat, o beng skedwha li hadto ay,said. that he intnde nxt prng o et p haerashr' shp,and then he woud tachlia he trde,buttha afer eepng erfour years he woul no tun hr oer o aothr mste, nr wuldhe consent to have the indentures cancelled. The Miagistrates, Mir. Sergeant Se.r39l.Loa anti Sir, ROGERS, in- formed Ihim it was a harder case onitthe complainant, tltat he had a servanti four years without paying her wages. They told the de- fend Ant, for his own credit's sake, to withdiraw with the parties and turn over 'ie appreintice to the master provided for her by her friends; if he did niot do so, they fouind it a cduty to cancel the indentures. The parties were then ordered to retire, and attend again on Wed- nesday next to assign over the indentures, or, on the part of the de- fendant to comply, to cancel theta. POLICE.