The Sun. — 1827-08-29 (London, England)

UNION-lIALL.---Sstuac LINO, AND IT$ CotisSQuEscEs.—About a fortnight ago, a large seizure of tobacco was made on beard a barge lying up at the Nine Elms, Battersea, and two men, named Barber and Stagg, were apprehended, and brought to this office, the former charged with aiding and assisting in the landing of the tobacco, was fined 1001., in default of which he was committed to Kingston gaol until the penalty he paid; and his associate, Stagg, on conviction of the' offence, was sent on board one of his Majesty's ships, for the term of five years. Subsequent to the convictions and sentences being carried into effect on the above cases, from certain inforrnation received by the Officers of the Customs, a third party was also taken into custody, named William Russell, who was designated as the " Captain" of a small vessel called the " Deception," in which, it appeared, the prohibited article was brought from a port in Holland to this country. Yesterday the defendant, whose friends are of great respectability, residing at Vauxhall, was brought before the sitting Magistrates. Mr. Platt, the Barrister, attended on the part of the defendant ; and the information was supported by Mr. Thackeray, for the Crown. The chief evidence in support of the information was Barber, who had been already convicted of the offence, and was now brought forward by habeas, from Kingston. He deposed, that on Friday night the 6th instant, he went on board the Deception, which was lying in the river up at Vauxhall. He saw the defendant was on board, and other persons, and assisted in putting bales of tobacco from the Deception into a barge alongside. When the bales were all hoisted out of the cutter into the barge, defendant gave witness directions to go on board the latter, and work fiber down to 'Squire Fraughton's garden, which runs down to the river side. Witness did as he was desired, and having brought the barge close to the shore, the defendant who had previously landed in a punt, immediately proceeded to open the door of the summerhouse, and all hands in the barge, assisted by the defendant, commenced unloading, and stowing away the tobacco in the summer-house. In the midst of the work, however, they were alarmed by the screams of a female, who, it appeared, was the defendant's sister, and who, hearing a noise at the bottom of the garden, fearful that thieves were about to rob the place, instantly gave tile alarm, by lustily calling out—" Watch, watch +! murder thieves !" The screams of the lady soon alarmed the whole neighbourhood ; the party, mistaken for thieveg,, fearful of detection, now began to get the tobacco out 01 the summer-house into the barge again, as fast as they could. In their hurry, witness stated, one of the bale' dropped overboard, upon which the defendant jumped after leap to bia middle i>a water and mud, and mcuifarscit.,-Having got all the bales once more aboard the barge, .the defendant directed witness to pull her up against tide, and make fast alongside the Deception till the coast was clear. Witness was anxious to obey his instructions, for which he was to have 1/. as a compensation ; but while they were working the barge to the Deception, an officer catne on board and apprehended him. The witness underwent a rigorous cross-examination hf Mr. PLATT, but nothing was elicited to shake his teatimony as to the identity of the defendant. Other witnesses were examined, and the Magistrates cog" victed the defendant, and sentenced him to five years' service on board a man-of-war. It was painful to witness big reparation from some members of his family.