29 JANUARY 1831, Page 4

Cnoss PURPOSES.—On Friday last week, a lady nemed Stewart camplained,

at Marylebone Office, that her husband had abandoned her. Ile was a Medical officer • had been two years in India ; was now in England, but on the eve of returning to the East ; he kept a black servant, and was to be heard of at the Jerusalem Coffeehouse. A war- rant was issued for the capture of Mr. Stewart ; and on Monday he made his appearance. The officer had learaed at the Jerusalem Coffee- house, that he lived in Norfolk Street, Strand ; kept a black servant ; was a medical officer; had been tal India, and was on the eve Of returning thither. Mr. Stewart being duly placed at the bar, Mr. Rawlinson said, "Sir, I presume you admit the marriage ?" " I adinit no such thing," replied Mr. Stewart ; " I never was married in my life." The Magistrate looked aghast—" It Can't be possible that tl:e lady would depose on oath to a falsehood. She stated that your beother wrote her several letters, offering her an annuity—do you know liLy thing of that circumstance ?" " It is impossible I could know any thing of it, for I hav'n't a brother in England." And your father doesn't live at Brighton ?" " 'Pon my honour he does not. " Do you beione to the Medical Establishment in Bombay ?" "No, I belong to the 3htdras Establishment." Mr. Rawlinson—" There must be a mis- take somewhere." " There must indeed, and a very ridiculous one it ia." Mrs. Stewart now entered the office, and was requested by Mr. Rawlinson to look round and ascertain if her husband was present. She did so; but, after a careful survey, declared he Was not. " Why there is Mr. Stewart, Madam," exclaimed Mr. Rawlinson. Both parties looked at each other for some moments with the most perfect astonishment : at length Mrs. Stewart said that she never had the honour of seeing the goatleman before in all her life. It turned out, after some explanation, that the lady having heard of a gentleman who bore the same name, aild in every other point answered the description of her husband, had lustily concluded that the Mr. Stewart at the bar was really he. She few stated, that since her previous application, she had ascertained that the real Simon Pure was at Brighton. To the authorities there the Marylebone magistracy referred her ; and the other Mr. Stewart, who had so unconsciously abandoned a wife whom he never saw, retired, laughing with great good humour at the charge with which he had been threatened.

Wne's Turf THIEF ?—A blue-coated subject, the blue bordered with white, was charged before the Lord Mayor on Monday with stealing a shoulder of mutton. He had been seized by the private watchman of Mr. Jeffries, Leadenhall Market, in the act. The prisoner pleaded hard that he was a sailor and no butcher, and knew nothing of the mystery of earring either Mr. Jeffries' sheep or his own. The authorities were divided ; for although London be the greatest sea-port in the world, there is not one of its magistrates or officers that could tell the difference be- tween the bits and the binnacle. The watchman argued strongly for the prisoner's right to the wooden tray. Lord Mayor—" Are you confident that this is the man?" Watchman—" Not the least doubt of it, my Lord. I saw him whip off the joint in a trice—never saw such a hand in my life. He'd scarce lifted up one hand, when the meat was bang in the other." The Mayor being still a little doubtful, said, instead of committing the gentleman with the blue coat and white facings, he would send him to the House of Correction for a month. This . deter- no nationhad no sooner been announced, than a voice from behind ex- claimed—" My Lord, my Lord, he's an innocent man. He is, s'elp me God." Lord Mayor—" How do you know that the prisoner is an innocent man ? " Palmer—" Because I am the guilty one. It was I that cut away the shoulder. I served my time to a butcher, and I can

prove to you that I can use the knife. I know nothing of this poor man, and never saw him before, but I can't let him be punished for my fault."

Watchman—" Palmer came up to me when I had hold of the pri- soner, and said, if any harm was done, be would pay for it, and he !tugged me not to put the poor man in the watchhouse." Lord Mayor- " Well, the prisoner shall have the benefit of your evidence, if xpit will have the boldness to appear at the Old Bailey for him. I intended to confine bins for a month ; but now I shall commit him, and we shall are whether this mem:mare will do before a judge. I would have you, however, Mister Palmer, take care how you swear, for, as sure as you were born, if you don't be cautious you will be committed for perjury."

FATHER AND SON.—A lad named Supple was charged at Guildhall, on Wednesday, with robbing his father, who was the prosecutor. The cid man said the lad would never learn a trade—bad no means of living

—had repeatedly robbed him, and within the last week bad the folly to form a connexion which must involve him in misery and mischief: he

had married Ft female who had been a servant in a brothel in the twelfth

year of her age, and there was no hope of breaking up this unfortunate omnexion. Mr. Alderman Farebrother, with much humanity, endea-

voured to mediate between the parties ; and, at length, on his benevolent suggestion, they retired, with a view' if possible, to arrange their differ- ences. • The hopeful wite was at the door of the office, waiting the issue of the application.

Fuatous DnIvtato.—At Bow Street, on Monday, Charles Barber, the driver of a job carriage, was fined five pound:al:or knocking down

and severely injuring Colonel Campbell and General Salmon, on the night of the L5th. The two gentlemen have been contbsed ever since ; and the latter has had his foot so severely hurt, that permanent lame- ness, it is supposed, will be the consequence. The Colonel and General were crossing from the Athenmnm to the United Service Club-house, when the prisoner drove round the corner at a furious rate, and without giving the slightest warning. ,

LETTER-WRITING EXTRAORDINARY:A fellow named Myles was charged at Bow Street, on Wednesday, with writing threatening

letters to his late master, Mr. Poole, of Old Burlington Street. The twopenny post communications of Myles, it is said in the report, had amounted from first to last to 20/.; so that his letters must have exceeded two thousand in number. This is, we suppose, a pleasant exaggeration. He could give no excuse for this miscellaneous correspondence, but that his late master wmild not give him a character. He was held to bail.

AN ACTOR OF am. Wm-tn.—A gentleman named Grey was captured at the Garrick Theatre, in Goodman's Fields' on Saturday night, while playing a part in the Unceintions Parricide. He was charged with theft Iminmitted on the 14th of August last, at the lodgings of a Mr. Pen- uarie, Bowling-green Lane, Clerkenwell. Grey, and a comrade named Godie, a theatrical hero also, called at Mr. Penuaries on that day, and,

on pretence of waiting to see him, contrived to break open a box, and to carry off twenty-four sovereigns, a mourning-ring, and a silver snuff; box. Godie was caught and transported .for the offence, but Grey con- trived to keep behind the curtain until Saturday.