The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-05-09 00:00:00

THE OLD SOLDIER!

At the Central Criminal Court in London, Beinanl
Tyman, aged sixty•tive, a reepeetable-looking wan,
wee charged with etealing two bills of exchange for
£175 each, the property of Henry l'oleman. He was
also chewed .with foruery. The following are the
parttelltain
The proleentor in this ease was a blind man, and was stated
to i.e very 111, and indeed almost at the point of death. The
case was therefore taken out of its proper turn in order that he
inight be enabled to leave the court It appeared that lie
had resided for a considerable time in Australia, and
hail succeeded in saving a little money, which lie
invested in a hill 14 eStilallge 11111011 1111 the Dank of
Victoria. fie received three bills, or rather, usual, one
bill ill net. for .e. 175. Inch were made payable at
the agents of the bank in London. the course of business
being that when tine of these LEN 11,14:11.01.1t41 end paid, the
other twin became void. The pro,,, tutor sailed for England
in the Sumerseishire, Inc being at the time eaveeittngly ill, and
the prisoner, who was al,” in passenger, prideased great
kiathies, towards him. and appeared to have waited
upon him and treated him very kindly during the voyage
alai he became aware that two of the bills that had been re-
ceived by the ptomelitor fruit th..l lel it are in bib possession,
the third having been remitted to lis fatin.r. who resided
in Norfolk. 'rite vessel arrived at Blackwell on March 5, lied
the prisoner went mi 111101.0 inithollt biddin„.• the proseilitor
good-bye. and immediately afterward, he missed theta
A day or two afterwards the prisoner 111111Ie his appvartinec at
,ie„en,,t, li, ttet aridied to Air I a Wyllll, a publican NMI manager
of ship's stood, to Ca.llll the bills. Ito told him that 110 hunt
not 00 1111Ieh nnnunnnry by 111111, hat at the in nioner's request
Inc advanced him earl s nit 10000, aut. l thing
altogether to about £l6. One of the bills was eventually
sent into the Bank of Victoria through the London
and County Bank, lout inasmuch as the third bill had been
almatly alecetited, the batik drab.' to receive it, lint told
the prisoner ;het lie hail better go down to Norwich Alla
make ininjairtus at the Provincial Punk, it here the thisti
bill was lying, and establish his riaini. It turned
oddly enough, that the third bill, .11101 had been sent by
post to the prosecutor's lather, had also miscarried, and
had got into the hands of the wnnur party, Ind as it WM
only payable at slaty days after sight, this delay afforded
time for inquiries, 11101 fortunately the prosecutor ilid mint
h.. nay Portbtli of Ills money
The prosecutor, who hail to be carried Into court from a
cab by A pollee constable, 01:10 tnhn,lty etatnutmicit. HU bald
that Whell he went 1111 hoard the Sumersehthire 11 numnmn 1111111e11
Berland dyinan went en heard Sn ith Il i 111 l and Inc paid Lis
for his passage, awl the mail gave liiitt an lilt ter that
:manna. The preset:titer explaitit,l that during the voyage
Inc lost his eyesight :mil went into the infirmary, and he tied
the two bills and the lot 111 info tl.olloers Im•rket tiff safety.
'the man Bernard Tyman waited manililliititiring the voyage ;
lad when the ship arrived at Blstektt all he left 1 , and be
mimed his money directly after he was pane. The misliner
became aOillahlted daring the voyage with the fart that he
Inid the bills in his pia...lon. and Inc cautioned him led in
let any irrie on 'siertt the ship know that he had an 1111 l eh
money about hhn. The prisoner, who conducted himself in tin
in great deal if impudence during the trial, esked the tno.
seentor whether lie hail not always primed himself to he his
" friend," and 1111 WS replying in the negative, lie pus a
number of other irrelevant questions to him, and endea-
voured to show that he hail authorlsed him to throw a pair
nit timisers overboard. RIM that the drafts in question were
inn one of the pockets 4.f those trousers.

The prisoner, when called upon for his defence.
entered into a loii rhodomontade story about what he
hail done for the prosecutor. He said he was an "old
soldier," and had served his country for forty-two
years, and received a pension of ninepence a day, and
he called God to witnese that he was wrfectly innocent
of the charge that was made against him.
The jury, without any hesitation, found the prisoner
guilty, and the Recorder sentenced him to eighteen
months' hard labour.