At the Mansionhouse, on Monday, three little girls about twelv
or thirteen years old, all children of Jews, were charged with haying knocked another little girl, the daughter of a Jew clothes-dealer in Cutler Street, and stolen from her a pair of breeches, which she was offering for sale for her father. It was said that this is a common prac- tice in that part of the City.
Sir Peter Laurie said, that the Jews uniformly put their children to some trade which required no manual labour; and that which they called a general dealer was particularly calculated to deprave the moral character, as it Intro- duced at once a system of lying and fraud. The Jew denied that his trade was worse than any other, and said that there were even professions which acquired for their honourable supporters consider- able emolument by lies. Sir Peter Laurie—" Why, you ask eighteen-pence for what you will sell for sixpence. What do von call that ? Show me one amongst you that ever was a bricklayer or coal-whipper. You are like another sect of religionists who never work with their licuids, but are indefatigable in filling their pockets by other means—any thing hut labour."
The evidence in the case not being satisfactory, Sir Peter refused to detain the prisoners, but reprobated the conduct of their parents for bringing them up as general dealers.
A young woman was examined on the same day at the Mansion- house, on a charge of havinn.b stolen some „silk from her master, a Mr. Huggins. She denied the charge, and said that she was in very un- fortunate circumstances, being unknown to her father and mother. A woman who was present in the office, and who, it appeared, had always taken care of the prisoner, at the request of Sir Peter handed up to him the name of her mother,—a lady of tide at the West End of the town, but who had never contributed to the support of her daughter since she was a year and half old. Mr. Huggins said he would make further inquiries about his silk ; and the Lord Mayor said he hoped the titled mother of the prisoner would see the account of what had then passed, and be stung a little when she observed the consequences of her cruel conduct.
William Staurs, a German, was examined on Wednesday at the Man- sionhouse, on a charge of baying forged the name of Mr. Gibson, an official assignee, to a dividend order for 121. 10s. on the Bank of Eng- land. Mr. Gibson stated, that the prisoner had been his clerk, and that he had discharged him a few days ago for dishonesty. The pri- soner said nothing in his defence, and was remanded. Mr. Cole, a medical gentleman of enormous bulk, residing in the Edgware Road, applied to Sir Peter Laurie at the Mansionhouse, on Wednesday, to ascertain if he could uot compel the omnibus proprie- tors to take him for sixpence from Paddington to the Bank : at pre- sent, the drivers, conductors, and passengers all refused him admission. Sir Peter said it was out of the question—he was twice as large as other men ; and he recommended the doctor to walk and get thin. This, the complainant said, was impossible ; he was fifty years of age, and the modes practised by jockies and others would be ruinous to his constitution.
At the Marlborough Street Office, on Monday, Mrs. Murray, a young widow lady, of Arundel Street, Strand, whose appearance was highly respectable, was charged by George Cummins, a Policeman, with having come up to him last Sunday evening in the Hay market, and, without saying a'word, struck him a blow in the face. For this assault be had taken her to the Stationhouse and had her locked up. Mrs. Murray, in her defence, stated, that she had been most infamously treated by the Police. She was going with a younger sister to another sister's house in Suffolk Street East, when the Policeman threw his arms round her neck, and forced his hands into her bosom. She pushed him off, called him an insolent fellow, and said she would take his number. He said, " Oh ! you want my number, do you ? then I'll take you to a place where you shall get it ; and I'll have you fined next morning by a Magistrate." He then pushed her before him, with great violence, through the streets. She screamed for assistance; and another Policeman came up, whom she offered to accompany quietly to the Stationhouse. The charge against her was entered by the In- spector, and she was put into a cell occupied by drunken prostitutes, where she went into hysterics ; and continued extremely ill till about four o'clock, when her mother, who had been apprized of the occur- rence by her younger sister, came to the office, and, having given bail for her appearance before the Magistrates, obtained her release. In- spector Abrahams said, that Mrs. Murray would not have been locked up if she had not cried a great deal and made much noise while the charge was being entered against her. When she fainted, he had a doctor sent for. Mrs. Murray here said—" Yes, and you this morning put a bill into my hands for a guinea, although I had only a little ether in a tea-cup." Mrs. Murray's story was confirmed by her sister, and by the Policeman who had been alarmed by her screams. She had also lost a valuable ring at the Stationhouse, when her gloves were taken off by the Policeman. Mr. Dyer said that he totally disbelieved the story of the Policeman, and directed Mrs. Murray's charge against him to be taken down on oath, for the purpose of holding him to good bail to take his trial for the assault.
At the Queen Square Office, on Wednesday, a boy, about eleven years of age, was charged with begging in Palace Yard, Westminster. The mother of the boy followed the Policeman when he took him into custody, and abused him in the grossest manner. It appeared that she had sent him out to beg. Mr. White committed both the boy and his mother for a month each to the House of Correction. For isome time past, the inhabitants of Palace Yard have complained to the Police of a number of lads gambling in their neighbourhood. The quantity of money they possessed excited much astonishment. The Police watched them closely, and ascertained that all the lads were young beggars, and that their earnings generally amounted to five or six shil- lings a day.
Frances Isherwood, a girl of seventeen, was committed from the Worship Street Office to the House of Correction on Saturday, for attempting to stab her mother, whom she actually had cut severely on the wrist with a large knife. Two Policemen had great difficulty in securing her : she abused and defied the Magistrate in the grossest language, and swore that she would rip her mother open on the first opportun ity.
The Governor of the Giltspur Street Compter, received an order on Wednesday, with the sign-manual, directing that Richard Carlile, who
has been confined in that prison for a libel, should be liberated upon his own recognizance to the amount of 5001. to be of good behaviour for ten years. The order states, that from some circumstances it has been thought fit not to require the two sureties of 250/. each, alluded to in the sentence of the Court. A formal remission of the penalty, which also constituted part of the sentence, was expected in the course of the day.
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