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
The second witness, however, after much pressing, admitted that it was a
song called "_Bob's in the watch-house_," and made by one of the
Hungerford-stairs poets in commemoration of poor Mr. Bob's imprisonment.
Mr. Dan could not deny that he sung this song vexatiously, and he was
ordered to find bail--So, then, it was Mr. _Bob's_ turn to sing "_Dan's_
in the watch-house."
A GROWN GENTLEMAN.
A very precise, well-dressed young man presented himself before the
magistrates, saying he had a very great desire to punish a Mr. Bradbury
for _extortion_, _abuse_, and _assault_, and he would be particularly
obliged to his worship if he would assist him in so doing.
His worship desired him to describe the nature of his complaint more
minutely; whereupon the gentleman went into a long and rather melancholy
story, from which it appeared--
Firstly, that Mr. Bradbury lives in the Strand, and is famous for
teaching _grown_ gentlemen to write a fine free hand in six lessons, for
the trifling sum of one guinea, though they might previously be only
capable of scrawling "pot-hooks and links."--Secondly, that the applicant
being in this unfortunate predicament, applied to Mr. Bradbury for his
assistance.--Thirdly, that Mr. Bradbury undertook to make him a ready
writer for the sum of one guinea; and also to teach him how to make a pen,
without any additional charge.--Fourthly, that he went through his six
lessons in writing, when Mr. Bradbury demanded his guinea.--Fifthly, that
he gave Mr. Bradbury a sovereign and a half-crown, desiring him to take
his guinea therefrom.--Sixthly, that Mr. Bradbury, instead of returning
him one shilling and sixpence, returned him a sixpence only, stating that
he retained the extra shilling for stationery; this was the "_extortion_"
he complained of.--Seventhly, that he remonstrated with Mr. Bradbury on
this stationery charge; and moreover complained to him that he had not
sufficiently instructed him in the art of making a good pen.--Eighthly,
that Mr. Bradbury replied he should teach him no more, for he had not
conducted himself like a _gentleman_.--Ninthly, that he told Mr. Bradbury
he should summon him before the Lord Mayor.--Tenthly, that Mr. Bradbury
replied, that he cared no more for the Lord Mayor or the Lord _Horse_
either, than he did for him. This was the "_abuse_" he complained
of.--Eleventhly, that, on his attempting to remonstrate farther, Mr.
Bradbury got up from his desk, clenched his fist, and told him if he did
not walk off quietly, he would "_bundle_ him down stairs." This was the
"_assault_" he complained of; and having stated all this, he respectfully
submitted that he had made out his case.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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