The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-02-25 00:00:00

AN ACTOR'S FURNITURE.

SERIOUS CHARGE AGAINST AN AUCTIONEER.
,At Clerkenwell Police-court on Monday, Fredk.
Wm. Denny, 29, an auctioneer, of 49, Upper Tolling-
ton-park, Holloway, was charged on a warrant, before
Mr. Bennett, with having feloniously received on the
27th ult. a couch, a settee, seven chairs, and divers
other articles, the property of Mr. Wilson Barrett,
actor and lessee of the Globe Theatre, which had been
previously stolen from the prosecutor, the prisoner
well knowing the same to have been stolen.
Mr. Pearpoint, solicitor, appeared for Mr. Wilson
Barrett; and Mr. 11. F. Dickens, barrister, defended.

Mr. Wilson Barrett first went into the witness-box,
and, having detailed the circumstances of losing his
furniture whilst removing from North-bank, Regent's.
park, to Mansfield-gardens, said his former house had
been in the care of a housekeeper since the previous
July. On Jan. 16—the day he lost the furniture—he
gave Infununtionte the poli4.e, and subsequently adver-
tised the robbery. The total value of the furniture
taken was £2OO. It consisted of a drawing-room suite,
some carpets, two folding chairs, and some bronzes,
china, &c. On Feb, 16, witness went with the police
to No. 14, St. Thomas's-road, Finsbury-park, and
there, in two small rooms, connected by folding doors,
was found the bulk of the furniture. The rooms were
too small to allow it to be properly set out, and the
things were huddled about anywhere. The missing
carpets, which were small pieces, were in other rooms.
From what a woman in the house told him, he went
to the auction room and office of the prisoner near
Finsbury-park Station, and there saw Mr. Denny.
Police-sergeant Record, who accompanied the prose-
cutor, told the prisoner who they were, and the latter,
in answer to questions, said he owned the furniture at
St. Thomas's-road, adding, "I bought them of a man
from a house in Pentonville-road." He also said he
was the owner of the premises at St. Thomas's-road.
On being asked the number of the house in Pentonville-
road he said he did not know it, but he could point
out the place. Asked to give the name of the man
from whom he bought the furniture, he said, "I have
a letter of his somewhere." He then looked for the
letter, but could not find it. He was next asked what he
gave for the furniture, and he replied £35. He des-
cribed the person of whom he bought the furniture as
a man about 35 years of age, fair, and fair moustache.
Denny added that he had never seen the man before
that occasion, and he doubted whether he should know
him again.' Sergeant Record asked, "Not recognise
the man of whom you bought the furniture ? " and
he replied, "No ; I see so many men." One of the
carpets Denny said he had at his other place at
Crouch-end. He had no other articles besides
those at St. Thomas's - road and Crouch - end;
there were 13 pieces of furniture. Witness
asked the accused, "Did you not buy two fold-
ing chairs, one in blue and the other in gold embroi-
dery and crimson ?" and he said, "No." Witness
again asked, "Are you quite sure ?" and he answered,
"Yes." Further questioned the auctioneer said he
had made an entry in his books of the purchase of the
goods. He had gone to the house in Pentonville-road
to see the furniture. A man named Waters opened
the door. He saw no one else there. He went down
to the house in a trap, and his own man removed the
goods. He could not say at the moment what was
the exact date, but he thought he could remember it.
Witness and the officers then left, but called and saw
Denny again the next day. Witness asked him if it
was not rather strange and unusual to find such
valuable furniture in such a house as that at Penton-
yule-road. He replied, "No; the man told
me he had had a quarrel with his wife,
and was going to sell up his furniture." Nothing
further of importance occurred at that inter-
view-, but in the evening of the same day they
had another interview, when Denny said, "I have
two chairs" (meaning the two folding chairs) ; "they
were up at the warehouse, but I have sent for them."
These folding chairs were up in a very high recess,
and a man employed by the prisoner got a ladder,
and after clambering over a lot of bedding, got the
two chairs from behind it. The chairs were pro-
duced. They were handsomely upholstered in blue
and gold brocade, and were covered with cretonne.
Sergeant Record asked Denny how he could forget
Making, such a purchase, and whether he was in
the habit of dealing in such things. Prisoner
made no definite reply to the first portion of the
question, and said "Not often" to the second.
Further asked whether he had got a • receipt for
the money he had paid, viz., £35, Denny said,
"Yes," but he added "that he was afraid it would
take him a long time to find it." Detective-sergeant
Beale, who was the other officer in company of wit-
ness, asked the prisoner, "As a business man don't
you file your receipts ?" and he replied, "Yes, gene- '
rally ; but I can't put my hand on this one now."
Denny was next asked whether he was going to give
up the property, and he said "No ; I am not going to
lose £35; I can't afford it." He was then told that
process would be taken against him, and witness and
the detectives left the office.

In answer to the magistrate, Mr. Barrett said the
defendant did not state how he paid the money.
Cross-examined, Mr. Barrett said the prisoner sent
a message to him at the theatre on Saturday after.
noon at half-past four, but witness did not see him.
On Saturday morning he attended at this court to ask
for a warrant for the defendant's apprehension. The
prisoner had asked for another interview with wit-.
ness, and the reply was sent to him to come to the
Globe Theatre at 7.15. Witness did not order Denny
to be given a seat in the dress-circle to see the per.
formance of "The Golden Ladder." He went to the
police-court and swore an information for the arrest
of the prisoner before he received Denny's application
for another interview.
The magistrate then remanded the accused, and
said he would accept £lOOO bail for his reappearance,
hifilself in £5OO, and two in £250.

Bail was subsequently put in, and the defendant
was released, the further hearing of the case being
adjourned for a week.

A DENTIST'S little joke.—" You see, my dear fellow,
that a person who is considered landless has some-
times two or three achers in his mouth."
MISSED HER CALLING.—Every time a lady physician
calls on a gentleman patient it is unmistakeably evi-
dent that she's Mr. Calling.