I THINK it necessary to give some account of the debt of £60 for which
Cook is now confined in the Fleet, at the suit of Mr. Henry Meux.
Cook had dealt with the house of Starkey and Jennings for many years;
who, soon after his conviction, seized upon all his property, both at the
Swan in Vere-street, and at the White Horse, Long Acre; the latter being
kept by his wife separately, out of which she was forcibly turned; but,
by what authority, remains involved in mystery to this day. His dealings
with them appear to have been exemplary correct and just, and such as by
no means could warrant the step they had taken;—there was no money due
for any beer, for that in the cellar was over-paid:—the mortgage on the
lease was reduced from £1175 to £116; and there was no debt of any kind
at the time of the levy; for he did not owe ten shillings in the world.
Among the property seized under this levy in Vere-street, were six butts
of porter, sent in by Mr. Henry Meux, the present plaintiff against Cook.
Some days after the levy, Mrs. Cook learnt from the men in possession
that all the effects were to be sold:—she thereupon sent to Meux, to take
his beer back;—and to the Distiller, Mr. Temple: the latter of whom
succeeded in getting away his property. But Meux’s claim was resisted;
and in a manner that would have induced me (had Mr. Meux been my client)
to have advised him to bring his action, against Starkey and not Cook;
for it must be observed, this beer constituted the only debt due to Meux;
whose cooper and servants will prove the struggle Cook made to have the
beer returned: and I have no doubt but a jury will remunerate him
sufficiently, not only to discharge Mr. Meux’s demand, but to recompense
him for his imprisonment and other wrongs he has suffered from the
transactions of Starkey’s house:—however, let my suspicions on the
subject be what they may, this is not a time to promulgate them; as I
shall reserve them for the contents of a council’s brief.—I have taken a
vast deal of pains to sift the conduct of this _brewing_ community; and
the end of my research is, that no fault attaches to the _Draymen_, or
_horses_! Knavery, as well as Folly, _distinctly_ may accomplish much
mischief; but a _combination_ of both, generally destroys the effect of
each other;—which may, perhaps, be illustrated in the present case.
The levy was made on the 18th July, 1810, the property all taken, and
Mrs. Cook turned into the street; and on the 26th of September following,
being a space of two months that Cook had received no account of his
property; but the evening of the day previous to his standing in the
pillory, he was visited by Mr. Batt, the fac-totum of Starkey’s
Brewhouse, and some other persons, to finally settle the accounts with
the house. It must be confessed it was an hour illy calculated to settle
accounts—more especially _such accounts_. Cook, in the moment of
distraction, expecting to meet a violent death in a few hours, had
neither time or spirits to expostulate; he made no objection to any
settlement; a cabbage-leaf would have been as satisfactory to him _then_
as the following receipt.
£381 13_s._ 2_d._
26th Sept. 1810,
Received of Mr. Cook the sum of three hundred and eighty-one pounds
13s. 2d. being the balance of his account, and in full of all demands
up to this day, due to Mrs. Starkey.