News from The Examiner January 7, 1810

ANOTHER MONSTER.--On Wednesday night a Lady, without a protector, was insulted in the most outrageous manner in Prince’s-street, Drury-lane by a ruffian who held in his hand a sharp instrument, like a cork-cutter’s knife. He first attacked a female in Drury-lane, by cutting a long slit in her gown. When he approached the Lady in Prince’s-street, she observed him to take the weapon from his pocket, but was not able to escape without her pelisse being cut. This unmanly ruffian, it is said, has committed several depredations of a similar description in other quarters of the town.

POLICE

GUILDHALL.

William Stevens, the driver of the Hastings-coach, that plies to and from the Bolt-in-Tun Inn in Fleet-street, was committed by the Magistrate on Monday, for having barbarously treated his wife and child, and assaulted a Mrs. Lovelin, who endeavoured to rescue them from his fury. This monster, in a fit of intoxication, made the child, a boy seven years old, strip himself quite naked, and exercised his four horse coach-whip on him, exclaiming at each cut, get up there! The only pretence for this horrid castigation was that the child hesitated to go to bed when desired. The mother went upon her knees to persuade him to desist, but without effect, for when tired with whipping the boy, who was in a lifeless state, he turned upon her an gave her several severe blows with the whip, the marks of which remained on her body; and if it had not been for the intervention of Mrs. Lovelin, he would have murdered her. The shirt which the boy afterwards put on was produced; it was literally dyed with blood! This barbarian, fearful he had murdered the child, dropped from a two-pair of stairs window, to prevent being taken into custody.

BOW-STREET.

On Tuesday, Richard Wright, alias Black Dick, a most desperate and well known character, was charged before Mr. READ, on suspicion of having committed divers felonies; but the charges that are particularly alleged against him are, being connected with Stockton and Edwards, who were apprehended a few months since, in LIverpool, for breaking open and robbing the Whitehaven Bank of notes to the amount of 14,000l., for which they were executed about a month ago at Carlisle, and for which a true bill was found against the prisoner at the Assizes for Cumberland. The prisoner was also charged with being concerned with his brother in the robbery of Messrs. Crosby and Wright’s warehouse at Westbury, of cloth to the amount of about 900l., for which he was apprehended with his brother William, and a man of the name of Lea, at the Black LIon in Exeter, from which place the prisoner made his escape, by letting himself down by the bed-clothes, with only his shirt on; he, however, took care to have with him his share of the money he had received for the sale of the cloth they had sold to a man of the name of Lloyd, which he accomplished by securing it in a handkerchief and tying it round his head; and he contrived to escape out of that county, by prevailing on a cottager to go and purchase him some clothes, and accounted for his state by saying he had just escaped from a press gang. Information being sent to the Office, that the prisoner and his companions were traveling as hawkers and peddlers with a cart, in Lancashire, Adkins has been in diligent pursuit of him ever since. On Sunday he traced him to the neighbourhood of the Kent road, and about half past three o’clock he saw him walking with two other persons, near the Bricklayer’s Arms. Adkins knowing him to be a violent character, he having been heard to say, he would not be taken without committing a murder, contrived to get behind the prisoner, seized him by the arms, and held him in that state till Anthony and Harry Adkins came to take charge of him. Adkins then went after the two persons who were in his company, who had made off, suspecting them to have some of the stolen property. In the mean time the prisoner made a desperate effort to escape, or to get his hands into his breeches pockets. Adkins returned immediately to their assistance, and beat him violently over his legs with a large stick till he agreed to surrender and go quietly. On searching him, two primed and loaded pistols were found in his breeches pockets, which there is every reason to believe he would have discharged at the officers, if he could have gotten at them. He was committed.

HATTON-GARDEN.

Samuel Leeson, who stood fully committed for trial, charged with attempting murder and robbery, in the house of Mr. Boswell at Enfield Chace, some evenings ago, but whose real name is Walker, and a deserter from the 14th regiment, underwent an examination upon a fresh charge. It appeared, that on the evening of the 3d of December last, the prisoner went to the house of Mr. T. Underwood, farmer at Wheddon, Buckinghamshire; no person being at home but Mr. Underwood, an old infirm man and his servant maid. In a short time he drew pistols upon them, demanding their money, took a purse from Mr. Underwood containing 40s and 3s. 6d. From the woman. Not satisfied with this, he searched the rooms, broke upon the chests and robbed them of 14l., in cash, a silver watch, five shirts, and other clothes belonging to Miss Underwood and her brother. He afterwards sat down to supper, drank three quarts of strong ale, got up, discharged one of the pistols up the chimney, which he reloaded, and then attempted the chastity of the woman He remained in the house nearly three hours. He was remanded to prison on this fresh charge.

ACCIDENTS AND OFFENCES.

On Monday night, about nine o’clock, a most daring robbery was attempted to be committed at a gentleman’s house not far from Bedford-row. The family being out, and no one in the house but a footman and a little female child, which it is supposed the villains had proper intelligence of, four fellows went to the door and knocked in an authoritative manner; the footman imagining it to be the family who had returned, opened it, when the villains immediately rushed in, and bound the footman with cords, which they had provided themselves with for that purpose; they then found out the plate, and employed themselves in putting it up in proper bundles. In the mean time the little girl who, through fright from the first transaction, had hid herself, as soon as she found them gone into other parts of the house, made to the street door, got out, and alarmed some of the neighbours, who, procuring proper assistance, went to the house; but the villains upon the alarm it is imagined made their escape.

BIRTHS.

A few days ago Mrs. Phillips, wife of W. Phillips, Esq., of Risea, a Magistrate for the county of Monmouth, was safely delivered of a boy, being her twenty-sixth child in less than as many years. The father had the boy christened George Jubilee, in honour of the King.