The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-12-31 00:00:00

ONE WAY OF GETTING AN "I 0 II!"

At the Bonthwark police•couri, to London, /Om William
Traybere, who described himself se a music traveter, was
;Merged on remand with stealing two pianofortes, other
wir.al instruments, furniture, ,tc., worth upwards of £5O,
from the pretties@ of Mr. Halle, music ostler. Great Dover
street, Borough, and In.:ens an "I O " for 431, with intent
to swindle and rob him.

It appeared from the evidence cf the prosecutor
that about two years and a half ago he was pot into
business by his father, and since then he had OCC3.
sionally purchased cheap music of the prisoner, never
more than two or three shillinge at once, which he
paid for at the time. On Saturday afternoon, the 10th
inst., prisoner brought some music to his shop, and he
agreed to pay him 3s. for what he selected. The pm.
loner refused to accept the money, and drew from his
pocket a piece of plain paper and Wrote on it " three
shillings," asking him to sign his name underneath.
He objected to it for a long time as he was ready to
pay him, but at last he signed his name 55 requested.
The prisoner then doubled the paper up and asked
him to sign his name on the other aide, saying
that he wanted that as a check upon his em.
ployere, when he gave one half. The prisoner
called two days afterwards, and witness paid
him the 3s. and he left the shop. On the
following day the prisoner came into the shop in a
bullying way and flourishing a piece of paper Bald,
"Are you prepared to jny me 1:31. 3r. on your I 0 ur
Witness looked at the paper and found it to be the one
he signed for the D. worth of music, and at that time
there was no other writing on it except hie endorse.
ment and address. He told the prieoner that he did
not owe him a farthing, and never gave an I 0 U to
him or any one else. The prisoner declared that he did
owe him the money, and unless he paid him he should
remove the property at once. Witness was so alarmed
at the prisoner's roguery that he was unable to help
himself, and the prisoner called in two men and removed
from the shop two pianofortes, four violins, two cower.
tines, a canterbury, and other things, completely
gutting the shop, and drove away in a van. Witness
immediately proceeded to inform his father what had
occurred, and then he communicated with the Police.
On Monday,. the 19. h, he saw the prisoner in Drury.
lane, and pointed him out to the detectives. Since the
last examination he had seen one of his pianos in
pledge in Bridges-street, and the other with the
remainder of the property at the prisoner's lodgings.
In cross-examination, witness said he had purchased •
little cheap music of the prisoner, but never more than
2.. or 3s. worth at a time, when he always paid on
delivery.
David John Lewarne, a detective cflicer, said he
apprehended the prisoner and found on him the paper
produced. On one side was an I 0 U for £3l 35.,
signed by the prosecutor, and on the other side an
authority to take away the goods on non.payment,
also signed by the prosecutor. The prisoner said "It
was all right ; the prosecutor owed him the money for
goods supplied." In company with Marsh, another
detective, he went to the pneoner's lodging and found
one of the pianos and the other goods. The remaining
piano was found at a pawnbroker's in Brydges.street,
where it had been pledged by the prisoner.
Toe defence set up was that the prosecutor owed
him the money for goods supplied daring the last two
or three years, and that he gave him the I 0 U and
endorsement. _ . .

The magistrate observed that it waa the most impu-
dent and abominable case he had ever heard of, and
committed the prisoner to Newgate for trial for forgery
and felony.