The Sun. — 1829-12-01 (London, England)

BOW-STREET.  Yesterday Mr. Thomas the Superintendent of Police, waited on Sir R. BIRNIE, and stated, that he had a man in custody upon suspicion of murder, but as the Coroner's inquisition had not yet set upon the body of the person whose death the prisoner was supposed to have accelerated, he (Mr. Thomas) wished to know whether he would be justified in detaining the suspected party until the finding of the Coroner's Jnry. Sir. R. BIRNIE asked Mr. Thomas if he had any evidence to produce tending to criminate the prisoner, as in that case he would of course be quite warranted in detaining him. Mr. Thomas replied, that the deceased, whose name was George Melliors, had kept the White Lion public-house in Clare-market, and from circumstances that had transpired, it appeared that he had come to his death by unfair means. His forehead exhibited a dreadful gash, and several severe bruises were visible about his head and face. Sir R. BIRNIR asked if the accused was present ?  Mr. Thomas directed two of his men to bring the prisoner forward, which was done accordingly, His name is Charles Willis, and he is the brother of Mrs. Melliors, the wife of the deceased. A police-constable, named Easthope, on Tuesday last, at six o'clock in the morning, was passing the house of the deceased, when he heard a violent altercation inside, and upon looking in, he saw the prisoner beating the deceased in a most brutal manner. He then pushed him towards the stairs, and knocked him down. Witness went between the prisoner and the deceased, and separated them. He then left the house, and was returning in the same direction-in about six minutes after, when he heard a dreadful cry of murder proceeding from the house. He immediately rushed in, and found the prisoner beating the deceased in the same dreadful manner as before. Witness desired the prisoner to desist, observing that his conduct was most brutal. The wife of the deceased, who stood in the bar all the time without attempting to interfere, began to abuse witness, calling him an insolent fellow for interfering, and said that the prisoner was her brother. The Magistrates then asked the prisoner if it was true that he had had a quarrel. with the deceased ? The prisoner replied, that disagreements had frequently arisen between him and the deceased, who had latterly taken to drinking to such an excess that he had quite neglected his business, in consequence of which he (the prisoner) came from the country for the purpose of assisting his sister. Sir R. BinraF.—Have you any thing to say respecting the death of the deceased ? The prisoner stated, that the deceased was in the act of pulling open a door in the back-yard that morning, when be fell backwards and inflicted the wound upon his forehead which was supposed to have occasioned his death. Sir R.BIRNIE said, thatunder all the circumstances, Mr. Thomas would be justified in detaining the prisoner until the Coroner's jury should sit upon the body of the deceased. [An inquest was held on the body of Melliors in the course of the evening, and a verdict returned of " Accidental Death."] The young man who was charged before Mr. HALLS on last Tuesday evening, with having by false representations defrauded a Mrs. Lupton of 61., and whose name we forbore to state in consequence of the respectability of his friends, was brought forward for a re-examination, when Mr. Hobler, jun., attended for the prosecution. It will be recollected that the prisoner obtained the money from Mrs. Lupton, by stating that he expected to draw his pension from Somerset-house, when he would repay her. He had represented to her that the pension arose from his holding a commission in his Majesty a navy. It did not appear to Mr. HALLS, however, that the false representation was sufficiently made out to constitute an offence according to the Act of Parliament; and the prisoner must therefore be discharged, unless it were desired to press a charge of robbery against him with reference to the jewels which he had stolen from his sister. Mr Hobler, jun, said, that of course there was a  considerable reluctance to press that charge, _tie: from the unwillingness of the sister to appeirS. prosecutrix, and the curious nature of the itself. The prisoner, whose appearance at the-bar trayed the most indecent levity, was theo 'a? charged.