The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-02-22 00:00:00

THE TRICKS OF LONDON.

At the Southwark Police-court in London, William
Adams, aged fifty, a singular looking man, partially
deformed, and who was described on the charge-sheet
as a schoolmaster, was placed at the bar for final
examination charged with being concerned with others
not in custody, in stealing a i.!20 Bank of England note,
a t 5 ditto, anil three sovereing,s, the property of
James Brash, a young Scotchnian, just arrived in
London.

The prosecutor, rather a simple.looking man, said
that on Friday week he came from Scotland in search
of asituation in London as a grocer's assistant. He at
that time deposited in the London and Westminster
Branch Bank, Whitechapel, £2S, as he was residing in
that neighbourhood. On Wednesday morning last
being in want of money he withdrew it all out, and
proceeded towards Notting-hill to arrange about
a situation that was vacant. While looking in
at a window in Oxford-street a country-looking man
accosted him and they got into conversation, and after
walking about for some time they entered a public-
house somewhere off Regent-street. They met the
prisoner there, and he said he hail just come into
£5,000 and a deal of property, and that a lady met him
to whom he gave a sovereign to buy a pair of gloves,
but she had not returned with the change. lie said
he, however, did not mind that, as he had just got
eimo from his lawyers, and could have £5OO more on
the following day. The prisoner then took out his
purse, and showed what appeared to be fifty or sixty
sovereigns, and two notes, looking like Bank of Eng-
land notes. The first man then asked witness to take
a glass of beer, which he refused, and they all three
left the house and proceeded towards Vs estminster
Abbey to compare the sights of London with Edin-
burgh. They entered another public-house in that
locality, when another man joined their company, and
they all crossed over Westminster Bridge. On the
way the prisoner asked him what business he was
and what had brought him to London. He told him
the whole of the circumstances, when the prisoner said
he should not mind lending him £lOO to help him on,
as, he saia, his uncle had made his money by lending
money to young beginners at 5 per cent. Two of the
other men came up at the time and expressed a wish to
borrow £5O each on similar terms. They then entered
a beer-shop in Blackfriars-road, when the prisoner
ordered some beer, but witness refused to drink. They
went into an up-stairs room, when the prisoner said,
"Now, gentlemen, show me what money you have
about you as capital." The other two men pulled out
what appeared to be hank-notes and sovereigns, and
held them in their hands. Witness took from his
pocket a .220 and 25 Bank of England notes and three
sovereigns, and held them out. The first man he met

then took them ffrom him, apparently to examine the
amount, and took what appeared to be his own, and
passed all to the prisoner. They then sat down' and
after chalking something on the table the first man
said that prisoner had won all the money. Witness
then demanded his money back, when the prisoner
and th, the man toll him to gollownstaire with the
third man, and it would be all right. He went out of
the house with that man. After going twenty yards
he suspected he had been robbed, lie consequently
returned to the beer-house, to look after the prisoner
and his two companione, but they had decamped.
He then proceeded to the station-house and gave in-
formation of the robbery. Ile did not play cards or
gamble with any of the men, neither did he drink with
them. He was perfectly sober. The munbers of the
notes were as follow :—L'2O, No. 93672, 21.8.67;
No. 21316,27-11.67 ; both of which had been stopped
at the Bank of England.
In cross-examination by the prisoner, witness said
that when in the beer.house near Westminster Abbey
the prisoner wanted him to throw a 141 b. weight but
he refused. When in the yard witness picked up a
piece of wood which the prisoner said was stone, and
betted him 6d. on it. One of the other men cut it with
a knife, and pronounced it to be wood, but the pri-
soner never paid the sixpence (laughter.) lie never
made any other bet, or gambled with cards or anything
. . . .

William Chandler, 117 H, said that when he arrested
prisoner on the charge he told him he arrested him for
robbing the prosecutor of £2B in a beer-shop. He
said, "Cannot that be squared, Mr. Chandler?"
Witness told him
.there was no squaring about him,
and took him into custody. On the way to the station.
house in a cab the prisoner said to the prosecutor,
'Mind how you word it. If you tell the truth I can
get your money back, but not for a week." The
prosecutor replied, "II you can do that, that is all I
want." The prisoner also said, "If you charge us
with stealing your money the magistrate will not
allow us to settle it." The prosecutor's brother, who
was in the cab, said he would not allow him to settle
it, unless he was paid £lO besides the money taken from
him. _ .

The magistrate asked if be knew the prisoner.
Witness replied that he had known him for many
years as a card sharper and magsman. He called
himself a schoolmaster (laughter). lie saw him at
Barnet fair two years ago delivering religious tracts,
at the same tune looking out for flats (renewed
laughter).
The prisoner said he did not recollect that. He,
however, denied robbing the prosecutor. Ha made
beta and lost in a fair way, and the other men had the
money.
lie was committed for trial at the next surrey
seasions.