POLICE OF LONDON.

The Lord Mayor received intimation on Saturday, from the family of a gentleman who transacts business on the Royal Exchange, that a duel which promised to be a very sanguinary one, was about to be fought on Sunday inoining, at a short distance from town. The parties had quarrelled over a brittle of wine, and a. challenge was the consequence. The invitation was ac- cepted without delay, and every preparation was made. Two surgeons were engaged to attend with their lead-extracting instruments. One of the City Marshals was sent to break up the matter, and he apprehended the challenger. The Lord Mayor ordered the gentleman to find two sureties for 2501. each, and to be bound over himself for 500/.

A foreigner applied to the Lord Mayor for advice, in what manner to act in order to compel Mrs. Cooke, the celebrated swindler, to make restitution of a harp which she had hired from him, and had pawned : the instrument was a yery valuable one. The Lord Mayor desired him to go before the Grand Jury, and prefer a bill of indictment against her at once. A Mr. Creed, who has some connexion with the Society for discountenancing swindling and fraud upon tradesmen, then addressed the applicant, and told him, that if he would call upon him, a prosecution should be at once commenced against the lady by the Society. The gentleman called ; and Mr. Creed got lialt to allow his name to be enrolled as a subscriber, and to pay a sovereign. It turned out, however, that when he pressed the Society to take up the pro- secution in his case, that it was not likely to be preferred from among the other cases under their consideration. " Then give me back my sovereign," said the foreigner. " Not I, indeed," replied Mr. Creed ; "you are a sub- scriber, and you will be ballotted for on the next night of meeting." The foreigner thott.ht that if the Society countenanced such an act, they must adopt a more appropriate name. The Lord Mayor tried to induce Mr. Creed to return the money ; but he persisted in his refusal, as he considered it the property of the Society. He seemed also to consider it probable that the applicant would not now be admitted into the Society.

The office at Bow-street was crowded on Tuesday with people curious to hear the details of a very singular case of misdemeanour. Mr. Henry Holmes, a respectable surgeon in Hendon, Edward Wood, a bricklayer, and Charles Charsley, another :young man, were placed at the bar, charged with having" unlawfully, knowingly, and indecently, on Saturday last, opened a coffin in a vault in the church-yard of the parish of Hendon, and disin- terred three dead bodies, and then cut off from the said corpses the heads of each, and carried them away." The subject of the present inquiry has created a great ferment in the neighbourhood of Hendon. A solicitor con- ducted the prosecution on the part of the parish, and Mr. Harmer appeared for, the prisoners. The first witness examined was the Reverend Mr. WiI- liams, vicar of Hendou. The reverend gentleman stated, that on Wednes- day afternoon, Mr. Holmes, the father of one of the prisoners, called on him, and said that his son wished to make a botanical garden, and he wished to make an arrangement about the tithes. Mr. Williams referred him to the rector of the parish. In the course of the conversation Mr. Holmes said that his son was a pupil of Dr. Spurzheim, and was quite an enthusiast in the science of phrenology. Mr. Holmes then mentioned that he had a daughter who had died within a day or two, and whom he wished to be interred in the vault in which Mrs. Haley, a relation of the family, had been buried ; but that several of the coffins were unscrewed, and the bones in dis- order. Mr. Williams replied, that he could not interfere in any such matter. On Thursday, the clerk told the vicar that Mr. Holmes wished the vault opened on Friday ; but Mr. Williams said that it could not and should not be opened without a regular authority,—he considered a vault in the same light as a grave, which can never be opened without a special order from Doctors'-Commons. The defendant Wood then came up, and he desired him to tell Mr. Holmes what he had just said. On Friday afternoon, as he was returning to his house, he met Mr. Holmes, who introduced his son to him, and said that he was sorry he would not allow him to open the vault; assuring him, on the honour of a gentleman, that his only object was to put the bones in the vault in decent order for the reception of his daughter's body. .Mr. Williams replied, that he could have no objection to that, but he could not allow him to do so until he could obtain a letter from the faculty or Dr. Lushington. He would, however, give orders that the vault should be opened on Saturday, two hours before the time appointed for the funeral, which would give sufficient time to do what was wanted ; and he gave the clerk orders to that effect ; but he enjoined him at the same time not to allow any of the coffins to be touched. On Saturday afternoon, he was in- formed by a servant that the prisoners had been in the vault, and had car- ried off the heads of the bodies deposited in it. In consequence of this, he immediately went down to the clerk, and inquired why he had disobeyed his orders. He likewise perceived Wood in the church-yard, and asked him how he dared to assist in removing the heads. He replied, that he had only done as Holmes had directed him, and opened the vault in his capacity of bricklayer. On Sunday morning he ascertained the necessary facts and on Monday came to town, and went to Doctors'-Commons, and took the neces- sary steps to prosecute. He saw, before he came, the prisoner Charsley, and asked him how he could be so wicked as to engage in such a transac- tion ? Ile replied, that he had been induced by Mr. Holmes, and that he at- tempted to open the coffins with a bolt, but not succeeding he opened it with a chisel. One of the coffins was that of the late Mrs. Holmes, the mo- ther of the defendant, and the other which was opened contained the body of John Lee Haley, a relative of the Holmes' family. Mr. Holmes, senior, here stated to the Magistrate, that the vault was his own property, and had been built at the expense of himself and his friends. John Armitage said, -that on Saturday morning he saw the three defendants in the vault. He saw Wood and Charsley force a coffin open ; and he saw Mr. Holmes remove the shroud from the head of a corpse, which he raised up and rested upon an instrument used for cleaning bricks. He was doing something about the neck of the deceased for some time, and eventually took off the head, and baying lifted it out of the coffin, put it into a blue bag. He did not see him cut otr the head ; but he saw him put it into the bag after it was cut off.

• John Connolly saw Mr. Holmes cut the head from a body, which he after- ... . wards tied in a white handkerchief, and put in a blue bag. He saw him

also take a skull out of another coffin, -wipe it, and place it in the bag ; but he did not see who opened the second coffin. James Birch gave evidence to nearly the same effect. Mr. Harmer, 'for the defence, admitted at once that Mr. Hoboes had taken Me head of his deceased mother (who died in 1809) sons her coffin. When the reason of his having done so was explained, he all convinced that all the world would acquit hint of anything like a crime.

The family of Mr. Holmes had been habitually subjected to a disorder in the head. It was well known to many of the friends of Mr. Holmes, that such a disorder was inherent in the family ; and the object Mr. Holmes had in view, in getting possession of the head of the deceased, was to enable him to ascertain the cause of the family malady ; whiCh he believed he should not only be able to do, by the application of his knowledge of phrenological science, but that he should be able to find some remedy for the disease, and eradicate it from the system of his surviving. relations. He could not mean anything like disrespect to the dead : it was to serve the living, and to extend the benefits of science to mankind, that he had violated, though only in ap- pearance, the sanctity of the tomb. Under these circumstances, he thought the Magistrates would be of opinion that the case ought not to be pursued farther. Mr. Halls declined to give any opinion, either as to the conduct of the defendant or the nature of the defence. What had been done was in law a misdemeanour ; and he should therefore call upon the defendants to put in bail, themselves in the sum of 40/., and two sureties in 201. each, to answer any indictment that might be preferred against them. A haggard looking man of colour was brought to Guildhall on Tuesday, by one of the officers of the Mendicity Society, who found him begging, squatting upon the pavement in Aldersgate-street, with two large cabbage- leaves bound about his jaws, to excite commiseration ; or. according to his own story, to cure the tooth-ache, being the method prescribed by the know- ing " negers " in Antigua, from whence he came. This fellow has already been in four houses of correction ; and he was again sent to Bridewell for a month, as a rogue and vagabond.

A girl about fourteen years of age was charged at Union Hall, by Mr. Shew, auctioneer, with having while in his service, from which she had ab- sconded, stolen some trifles which he valued at 6d. Metaled out that Shew,

whose head is grey with age, had seduced the girl, and she was forced to leave him. The complainant was dismissed with a severe reprimand from the Magistrate. The friends of the girl were so incensed at the hoary pro- fligate, that they seemed inclined to tear him to pieces. On getting into the street, lie was followed by a mob, who hooted him as he went along.

Elizabeth Purvis was brought before Sir Peter Laurie at Guildhall, on Monday, charged with having wilfully thrown vitriol over a silk dress be- longing to Miss Langford, sister to Mr. Langford, druggist, St. Paul's Church yard. The girl stoutly denied the charge. 1 It was proved that she had got some vitriol from the shopman, and had twice asked him not to mention that she had received it. The girl then said that she wanted the vitriol to clean a copper, though she had never before used any such liquid for that purpose. She had no malice towards Miss Langford. Mr. Langford explained, that until his sister came to reside with him a few weeks ago, there had been no

mistress to look after the servants. Sir Peter said he could understand this would make her place worse than before. As she had-no longer to pay for

and order goods, though she had the same wages, her perquisites were less. She still persisted in asserting her innocence, but the magistrate adjudged her to pay 3/. 10s., the value of the dress she had spoilt, or to be committed for two months.

Mr. Little, carpet-manufacturer, Tottenham-court-road, appeared at Bow. street, on Monday, to complain that he had been swindled out of two pieces of carpeting by a person calling himself Coleman. This person, under the pretence of furnishing a house at Stanmore, had induced him to send the carpeting to his lodgings in Norfolk-street, Middlesex Hospital; where it was left by the porter, but Coleman had not since been heard of. Mr. Little wished to know how he was to proceed to recover his goods. Sir Richard Birnie expressed his surprise that any tradesman could be found to part with his goods so readily, after the recent instances of extensive swindling that had come before the public through the newspapers. "I must say, that the tradesmen of the metropolis are entirely too prone to give credit to mere strangers, who by virtue of fine words and a good address pass themselves off as gentlemen of fortune." Mr. Little wished a warrant against Coleman ; but Sir Sichard said that he could not grant a warrant under the circum- stances. "If it were my case," added the magistrate, "I should feel no hesitation in taking the party by the collar wherever I met him." Coleman had also attempted to swindle Mr. Harris of Leicester-square, out of some carpeting ; but the porter having arrived with it just as Mr. Little was re. tiring from an unsuccessful call at Coleman's reputed lodgings, saw reason to carry it back to his employer.

William Willis was examined at Marlborough-street on Monday, on the charge of having forged and uttered a check for 64/. 10s. The prisoner, who was clerk to Mr. Davis, news-agent, Broad-street, Bloomsbury, came to the

Times publishing-office on the 25th August, and presented a check for 641. 10s. to Mr. Street, the publisher, and desired him to take ten guineas out of it that were owing at the office for extra numbers of The Times, which had been

supplied to the prisoner, and as witness supposed for the use of Mr. Davis, to whose account they were charged. The witness deducted the ten guineas from the amount of the check, and paid the balance of 54!. to the prisoner. On

the same evening, the check was paid into the banking-house of Messrs. Gosling and Co., front The Time's office, and returned from that house the

next day as a forgery. It ran thus :— "London, August 23, 1828. "Messrs. Hankey.—" Please to pay to _Mr. Ibbotson, or bearer, the sum of sixty-four pounds ten shillings.

"L64 10s. "H. A. TAYLOR."

It was proved that no such individuals as those mentioned in the check were known at the bank ; and Mr. Davis said that the check was altogether - in the prisoner's handwriting. The prisoner was committed for the forgery.

Elizabeth Calton was brought to Guildhall, on Wednesday, on the charge of having pawned a jacket and trousers, the property of the parish of St. Mary Staining, which had been furnished to her son, an inmate in the poor- house to enable him to go in quest of employment. Davis, the beadle of Bartholomew the Great, said the prisoner was a great impostor, and had given much trouble in his parish; but a neighbour dying, she attempted to bribe the watchman of the burial-ground to suffer the resurrection-men to disinter the corpse, and was so hunted upon this account, that she was glad to shift her quarters. She used to lock her son up in the room, and give him physic to make him ill, to excite the charity of the societies for visiting the sick, and of religious persons, whom she invited to pray and read by his bedside. The worthy rector of St. Bartholomew's had thrice been called on to administer the sacrament to the dying youth. She had invited Dis- senting ministers in the same way, merely for the sake of the shilling or two which the miserable appearance of herself and her apartment was sure to cause to be given. The lad joined in the laugh which this recital excited,

and corroborated its truth. His mother used to apply to the dispensaries when he was in good health, and he was obliged to swallow the medicines, for the purpose of exciting charity. She sometimes got 3s. at once from the Sick Society, and also money from the parish. The boy said he was tired of being made ill for his mother's profit. The woman, who:held in one hand a much 'worn New Testament, and a large bottle of physic in the other, attempted to make a diversion in her own favour. She prayed for the conversion of all present, appealed to God from the false judgments of men, attempted to expose her cancer-eaten breasts, exhorted her son to re- member whom heIwas accusing, aud denied the ',imputations of being an impostor and drunkard. She was committed to Bridewell for seven days. A young man who gave his name George Thomson, but whose real name is George Andrews, was brought to Marlborough-street, charged with various frauds practised by him upon woollen-drapers all over the metropolis. It was proved by the shopmen of three respectable dealers, that he had ob- tained cloth from them on pretence of having been sent for it by tailors who dealt with them. The value of the cloth obtained from these shops was up- wards of 30/. As there are other charges against him, he was remanded for a week. The prisoner was before convicted at the Old Bailey for having been implicated in the robbery of his master. A rough dirty-looking Irish labourer, was charged at Mary-le-bonne Office with having assaulted a young woman whom he had seduced, and persuaded to live with him. The defendant wore an enormous pair of whiskers ; and, after ordering the gaoler to detain him until he made the young woman com- pensation for striking her, , Mr. Rawlinson said he should like to have him walked up and down St. James's-street, that the dandies might see what beastly figure he cut by following their fashion. A great many small tradesmen have been fined for carrying on their trades on Sunday, after ten in the morning. On Wednesday, in reference to the case of a widow, 111r. Rawlinson said he could not help making the obser; a- tion, that the parish were unusually energetic at a bad season. Every body knew that, when people of fashion were in town, the servants of large fish- mongers, fruiterers, and confectioners, were running about the streets and squares : then was the time to put such a law in force, and it would be ad- ministered more effectually because more equally, and the great ones would be hit as well as the little ones. However, he told the defendant he sat there to do his duty, according to the oath he had taken ; and, as she had offended, he must punish her, and she was fined 5s. and costs.

An insane person, who has been a private in the 48th Regiment a Foot, and has a pension of seven-pence a-day, as a compensation for ten years' service, and divers shot and other wounds, which he received in battle, was brought before Sir Richard Birnie on Thursday, charged with demolishing a number of the plate-glass panes in the windows of the house of Lord Mel- bourne, at Whitehall.—It appeared that the man had taken it into his head that two persons were in Lord Melboure's, who had robbed him of some property, and he threatened to break all the windows in his lordship's house if the persons did not come to him and give him money, which they kept from him. As it was, he broke two panes, value ten guineas each. He told the magistrate that he was a descendent of Henry the Eighth "by the Duke of Clarence, who, in the reign of Queen Anne, was banished to New South Wales. I am ready to show my pedigree from Henry the Eighth, and that I am kept out of my lawful property." He was sent to prison.

A tradesman named James Slee, was brought to Union-hall on Thurs- day, charged with horsewhipping a young lady named Blackburn. The complainant, a genteel and delicate-looking girl, stated that the defendant resided nearly opposite her father's house. A few days ago, a young man on a visit ether father's house, happened, w hilestanding at the window, to observe one of the defendant's daughters, whom he nodded to. The salutation, however, was notreturned, and the young lady walked away from the window apparently annoyed. Soon afterwards, her father m ade his appearance at the door ; and from his gestures, it was evident his daughter had complained to him of what had oc- curred, for he brandished a horsewhip about, and seemed very much inclined to use it, as complainant supposed, over the shoulders of the person who had affronted the young lady. Some time elapsed ; and the complainant having occasion to go out, had scarcely proceeded the length of the street, when she was attacked most furiously by the defendant, who seized her by the arm with one hand, while with the other he horsewhipped her over the shoulders, until she nearly fell to the ground front torture, The complainant added, that she never in her life gave the defendant any provo- cation. The complainant's father said that her shoulders were marked from the stripes of the whip. The defendant, in his justification, pleaded that the complainant was in the habit of insulting his daughters, and had circulated a report in the neighbourhood injurious to their reputation. Complaints had been frequently made to him on the subject ; and under the excitation of his feelings, he admitted that on the day in question, seeing the person who had scandalized his daughters pass his door, he snatched up a whip that was lying in the shop, ran after her, and laid it over her shoulders. "I am now willing (added the defendant) to make an apology for my conduct." The complainant's father said she should not accept either of apology or com- pensation, and he would prosecute the defendant if it cost him every farthing he had in the world. The Magistrate said the assault was one of a very gross nature, aud the defendant was ordered to find bail.

James Abbott has undergone several examinations at Guildhall, on the charge of having maliciously cut and stabbed his wife. Some witnesses were examined on Friday ; but as the woman, though out of danger, is not yet able to leave the hospital, the case was again put off.

Ryan and Jones, two known house-breakers, were brought to Bow-street, on suspicion of having robbed the house of Mr. Clint, Cecil-street, Strand. Some property belonging to him and his lodgers was found strewed about the ground beside the house; and the prisoners were found by the watchman concealed in the water-closet, with several housebreaking implements beside them. They were remanded.

A poor fellow came to Union-Hall on Friday, and gave himself up as a deserter from the Royal African corps at Sierra Leone, which he had left on account of its unhealthiness. Two men were watching to apprehend him, for the reward of 4/. ; and by giving himself up, he saved the money, which would have been stopped from his pay.