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
It appears that Mr. William Wilkins, having been out on Friday
night--spending his evening, as it is called--repaired at five o'clock in
the morning to Rowbotham's "_final finish_," in James-street,
Covent-garden, just by way of finishing himself. He found the saloons full
of good company. There were assembled the Marquis of Paramatta, Viscount
Toongab, the celebrated Lord Mops, from Cheapside, Sir Francis
Fogleshifter, Sir Sidney Cove, Mr. Gluckman the bass singer, Mr. Phelim
O'Toole the strong-backed Knight of the Knot, and Mrs. Judith M'Craw,
Dunstable Charlotte, Peg Protheroe, Kitty Parenthesis, Sally Succinct, and
many other fair nymphs of the piazza. There was singing and drinking
_galore_--"We are the lads," and hot elder wine, and coffee of the best,
went merrily round; Mr. Gluckman, and Dunstable Charlotte, and my Lord
Mops, "roused the _morning lark_ in a catch;" and old Father Time, with
his companion old Winter, in the _lily-white benjamin_,[28] were held in
utter scorn by every body. Mr. William Wilkins enjoyed the fun vastly; in
token whereof he handed round his high-dried Irish to the ladies and
gentlemen liberally; and then sat himself down to half a pint of smoking
hot elder-wine among a select company of ladies in one of the side
saloons. Presently came the "Brummyjum outrider" to him, with a low bow,
and a "Mr. Gluckman, will be obliged to you, Sir, for another pinch of
your high-dried." "With infinite pleasure," replied Mr. William Wilkins,
handing over his eight guinea snuff-box to the Brummyjum out-rider. Mr.
William Wilkins then finished his smoking hot elder, and repaired to the
general company again--not doubting but his snuff-box was safe with Mr.
Gluckman; but, to his utter astonishment, neither Mr. Gluckman, nor my
Lord Mops, nor the Marquis, nor the Viscount, nor any of the ladies, knew
any thing about it. Mr. Gluckman declared he had never sent for it; nobody
knew the "Brummyjum outrider," nor could he be found; Mr. William Wilkins
said it was uncommon improper, and every body ought to be searched; my
Lord Mops said "the _highdear_ of such a thing was cursed _low_;" the
ladies voted Mr. William Wilkins a bore; and Mr. William Wilkins walked
away, _cleaned out_ and completely _finished_. He wandered to this office,
and communicated his woes to the patrol in waiting; and in two or three
hours thereafter they succeeded in apprehending the "Brummyjum outrider,"
but no snuff-box could they find upon him.
The Brummyjum outrider, in his defence before the magistrate, persisted in
saying that Mr. Gluckman asked him to borrow the box, and having borrowed
it, he delivered it to Mr. Gluckman; and what became of it afterwards he
knew not.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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