Mornings at Bow Street: A Selection of the Most Humorous and Entertaining Reports which Have Appeared in the 'Morning Herald'Wight, J. (John)
General
Mornings at Bow Street: A Selection of the Most Humorous and Entertaining Reports which Have Appeared in the 'Morning Herald'
Wight, J. (John)
Crime -- England -- London
He stated his case in this manner:--"Here--I wish this fellow to say how
he got hold o' my cheque for three hundred--that's all, you know; let him
come that, and I shall be satisfied. Rum go--had it last night, missed it
this morning--d----d rum go! Here--here it is, see; payable at
Hankey's--all right--grabbed him myself. Went to Hankey's two hours 'fore
Bank opened--waited two hours--sat upon little stool--wouldn't be done,
you know. In he comes with it--grabs him! There he was--looked like a
fool. 'Hallo!' says I, 'how did you come by it?' Mum. Hadn't a word, you
know. Only let him come it now, all about it, and I'm satisfied. Don't
like to be done--a rum go, but can't stand it--that's all."
The city officer said he had been sent for to Hankey's to take the
prisoner into custody; and having done so he carried him before the Lord
Mayor; but as it appeared the offence, if there was any, had been
committed in the county, his Lordship had referred the matter to
Bow-street.
The magistrate asked to see the cheque, as the Esquire called it. The
officer produced it, and it proved not to be a cheque, but an
acknowledgment from Messrs. Hankey and Co. that they had received 300_l._
from Jonathan Freshfield, Esq., for which they would account to him on
demand.
"Pray, have you an account at Hankey's, Mr. Freshfield?" asked the
magistrate.
Mr. Freshfield replied, "Who, I? not a bit of it. I'm from the country,
you know. D--n town!--Had enough of it almost. Diddled in this
manner!--it's a _sick'ner_. Got it again though--only want to know how
that fellow, the long one there, came by it. Put the _blunt_ at Hankey's,
to be safe--'cause wouldn't be done, and then lost the cheque!--that's a
rum go--isn't it, your worship?"
The magistrate asked the prisoner how he came by it.
He said he lodged at _Mister_ Burn's, the _fighting man's_, in
Windmill-street, and two gentlemen there, whom he did not know, gave him
the cheque to get cashed.
His worship directed an officer to go to Burn's house and inquire about
it.
In about half an hour he returned with _Mister_ Burn in company.
"Burn, do you know anything of this business?" asked the magistrate.--"Who
was it gave this paper to the man at the bar?"
"Who gave it to him, your worship?" said Mister Burn, "Why, I did." "You
did!--and pray how did you come by it?"--"Why, I won it, your worship--won
it by _shaking in the hat_;" replied Mister Burn, squeezing the sides of
his hat together, and giving it a hearty shake to show his worship the
trick of it.
The magistrate looked at Mr. Freshfield; Mr. Freshfield looked at Mister
Burn; Mister Burn looked boldly round at everybody as if nothing was the
matter, and at last, Mr. Freshfield ejaculated--"Well, that's a rum go,
however! D--n me, never thought of that, you know. Don't believe it,
though. Coming it strong, eh! Burn? May be, though--won't be sure."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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