The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-09-23 00:00:00

A COUNTRYMAN IN LONDON.

At the Middlesex Sessions, last week, William Simpwm,
54, described in the calendar as a gardener, was indicted fur
stealing c:soo in Batik of England notes, the property of
Mr 11th I 11011. This trial revealed an amount of credulity
almost unparalled in the annals of the co ourt, and the state-
ment made by the learned counsel in the case caused mush
anniament.

It was proved that the prosecutor, who resided at
the Rookery Farm, Towson, Icorthanipteltshire, had
the sum lif OW left to him by a relative. 'laving re-
ceived a cheque for the amount he proceeded to Lon-
don, on his way to Coventry, and on hie arrivill in town
determined to enjoy a few of its sights. Me slept the
first night at St. John's-wtssl, and the following d iv
went to the Crystal Palace, anti beim, unable to t
any refreshments, the prisoner volunteered to get him
some. An acquaintance sprang up between them, anti
on returning from the Crystal Palace he went to tit.
St tuth Lunt jug the p. Lesser at
Palace. On arriving at the music-hill he saw the
prisoner there. After leaving the music-hall with the
prisoner he found that it was too late to go to St.
John's-wood. The prisoner proposed that they
should go to a coffee-house, whither they went, and
slept in separate rooms. The next morning they
parted, and prosecutor went into a public-house, where
he saw the prisoner and another man. They litulsome
refreshment together, and a conversation ensued about
the boat-race. They subsequently went into another
public-house, where they were told that the race was
over. Orton then parted from the men, and went to
Euston Station, whence he proceeded to Coventry to
get his cheque cashed, and at the station in that town
saw one of the men who was an associate of the pri-
soner. On his way back he saw the same man at
Rugby, in the train, and again at Ruston Station. if
subsequently went to Chelsea, and there in a public-
house met the prisoner and the other Men. They
dined together, and afterwards one of the men said Inc
was a furniture dealer. anti wanted to borrow £lOO.
Another of the men offered to lend it, and the first man
said he would go out and get a stamp. He threw
down thirty sovereign.s as a guarantee that he
would come back He asked the prisoner to go
- Prose-

with him, and 172;;; winething ad: a glut. raiqr

cuter had in his pocket tNA.. pocket-books, one
containing memoranda, and the other MO. He
threw down one of them, thinking it was the one with
the metnoranda, and he anti the man went off. In a
few minutes the latter said the money he had left was
all he possessed, and asked the prisoner to go back and
look after it. He accordingly returned to the inn, but
found that the men hail gone, and on retuniing to in-
form the other man of the fact, he found that he had
gone also. Farmer Orton thereupon awoke to the fact
that he had been robbed of MO. He gave informa-
tion to the police, and after sonic time the prisoner
was apprehended at Liverpool, and prosecutor now
identified him as one of the gang. The others had not
been apprehended. The question resolved itself en-
tirely into one of identity, and the jury returned a
verdict of Onilly. _ . .

An officer from Birmingham and Serjeant Ackrell
spoke to the prisoner being a convicted thief, awl com-
panion of noted skittle sharps.
•

Mr. Sergeant Cox sentenced him to be kept in penal
servitude for seven pars.