The Express.
London, England, 1863-10-28 00:00:00

'HE EXPRFSS, WEIMISDAT EVENING, OCTOBER 28,

added ; for Syr-olds ; oohs, 8412 lb; Ms, eg ; lofts
oikmsooss 'f.Y.U. (1.2 sobs.)
Captain Moire c, by Vedette - Voucher (Oa). Tot lib
(MOM 1
Mr. R.
RM. Merano C. by Tedutor—Dromer#sdatu tted 1.
7et • t

(H.
rr-
Mr. L. nettotes Prescriplon MOLL let llb Orioubaw) V
The foilon lug al.o ran: Y by V.-dette, dam by Touchstone,
Little Mar. Mysterious Lady. Pirouette, t by riodangu—Oosia-
Intr. Flaneur. Wee Au* and Highland Mary.
Betting :6to 4 apt tb• Voucher filly, 4 to 1 eget Pre.
maiptioo, and 100 to 15 apt Pirouette. Won by two
leogthe; a dead heat between the Drosera's dam colt and
Prescription for mooed place. The winner wee claimed.
A FUZZ HANDICAP SWIZPSTAK/03 of 25 sows each, I 0 ft,
for 3-yr-olds and upwards ; wissers extra. T.Y.C. (3 paha)
MSet r. Naylor's Fiances. by Btockweo Athol brow, 3 p
IMb (Chsliolierh ) 1
Mr. Payne& Merry Maid, 4 nutlet 3lb ,H Oronshaw) I
Betting : 6 loess Merry ilia, 7 to 4 apt Fiancee, 4 to
1 apt Lust*. Won by a neck.
A ,of 10 each ; weight for
•

dWEIPSTAZ2II,-, ; ; th;
winner to be sold for 80 eon. it demanded. (
subs )
Mr. W. Hart's Airedale, by Mountain Deer—Chaperon,
3 yrs, Bot Mb
Mr. Ylaber'a Reindeer, 5 yrs. OM
lrolyboi and Humphrey also ran
Besting : 6 to 4 snit Dolphin, 2to 1 apt ady other. Won
by half • Imigtb.
BETTING AT NIGHT.
DERBY.
2500 to 100 apt Coastguard (t)

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.
(Bofors the Common Seriesat)
11/10DOLIST 11/211.112 110GLITIM
Jan Irroutialq, Thowhas Oxford, sad/oaa Dross, tkrimp

...somas Orion,
rtapectaiiiloo—rtieg wee, who .dead to take their
trial,
teal, were chargd with another porde, maned Charles
Alfred Combo, who did not appear, wltbounpireey
The indictment exteuded to very peat iragsth. but the
substantial offence imputed to the defendants was that by
mesas of a sham or fraudulent bead% sodety, called the
;Perseverance Life Assurance and Sick Fund Friendly
Society. they bad defrauded a large number of persons.
Mr. Clerk awl Mr. Hanley oor.docted the prosecutioo on
behalf of the Treasury, who, having regard to the nature of
the fraud Imputed to the mamma and to the want of
cleans of the persona who were alleged to have been the
sufferers through their conduct, felt it their duty to take
care that the matter should undergo proper Investigation.
Mr. Gifford, Mr. Bosley, and Mr. Kydrl, were counsel for

the defame;
Wbee the defendants were called upon to plead they each
replied that, by the advice of their counsel, they declined to
do so.
The Common Serjeant, therefore, under the provision of
the statute having reference to such • state of circum-
stances, ordered a plea of not guilty to be entered for each
of the &foldouts, and the trial proceeded.
Mr. Clerk, in opening the case for the prosecution, said the
jury would have gathered from the reading of the indictment
that the offence imputed to the prisoners wan that, under
the pretence of carrying on a benefit society, to enable the
poorer classes to provide a fund for their relief during sick-
ness, and a sum of money for their relatives at their
death, they had got poseewion of a considerable sum of
money ; the whole transaction being, on their part,
nothing less than a fraud, the only object the de.
hndanta had in view from the commencement being, by
false pretences, to induce poor persons to band over sums
of money to them, which they applied to their
own me. He then proceeded to state that it appeared that
previously to the year 1969 the defendants Knowlden and
Oxford, had been connected with another friendly society,
ailed the Friend in Need, but separated from that
society, and in the commencement of the year 1869 the
whole of the defendants were engaged in getting up the
society that was now the subject of inquiry, and which was
called the Perseverance Life Assurance and Sick Fund
Friendly Society. Some rules ware drawn up, which were
submitted to• Mr. Tidd Pratt, the registrar of friendly
societies, and confirmed by him. sad prospectuses were
issued in which it was Meted that the society had a paid-up
capital of 5,0001., composed of
.20,000 shares of ss. each,
, and offices were established in Waller-place, Francis-
' skeet. Newingkm. The defendants appeared to have
oda I. reference to the society in the respective
of secretary, treasurer, sod clerk or collector,
reelival wldes being the first mentioned officer, Oxford the
turanzer, and Dios the clerk ; sod Coombes, the man who
did not surrender, also appeared to have taken an active
part is the matter. According to the evidence for the pro-
secution the defendants appeared to have gone aboutand
made a glowie statement to different parties of the pros-
perous condition of the society, and the greet advantages
that would be derived by them if they joined it. In mow
mueries of these re preseatatioas sit appeare tht • great
any perms' in a humble condition of lifed joined the
society, some insuring the lives of relatives, others against
nickname, and the other contingencies that are the subject of
soak societies, the whole amount paid by them going into
the pockets of the prisoners. Things wart on in this way
until the beginning of the year 1963, when
there appeared to be no doubt that the finances
of the society were at a very low ebb, for
the defendants were linable to pay the rent for their
premium in Waller-place, and they were &strained upon,
sad removed to another place in Mount-row Lambeth.
Then • fresh proapectue was issued, which informed the
public that the removal of the of of the moiety wite
owing to the " great increase in the business and the
prosperous ocmdition of the society." This change did am
appear, however, to help them, and their affairs seemed to
have been brought to a climax very soon afterwards by the
death of apemen named Littlejohn, whose life had been
insured by ha wife, end who by that event became entitled
to 241. It appeared that upon her claiming the amount of
the insures the widow was pat off by various •
and at the defendants appear to have admitted
that that they no funds to pay the insurance with. and
that the society wee in a hopelessly insolvent condi-
tion, sad that these were the real names why the
mossy had not base paid. These were the principal
poists is the evidence against the prisoners, the only other
additional material fact being that, instead of the society
ever having been in possession of • reserved fund to the
amount of 5,0001., the only money ever have been
in their beads was • sum of 201., whirl wee to
paid into the
London Provident Society in 1d59, at the time the society
was just established, but which sum was drawn out imme-
diately afterwards, and all that subsequently remained
standing to the credit of the society was the sum of 3e. for

•
(Neon Mr. Commissioner Ben.)
Janes Long, 49, labourer, Thomas Floyd. 18,9 labourer,
sod Joh* Ehnipeon. 51, labourer. were ftteed for that
they were foiled by night ualawfully haring is their posses.
aloe housebreaking irepieneeets, with the 'Moat to eater
Stephen !alley,

the dwellieg-hen.: of —astwomi
The whole of the prioniars pleaded geilt r '
Several previous °invidious were proved spinet Floyd,
who having been sentenced to two years' imprisonment in
1861, was now sentenced to eve, attd each of the other pri-
weer, to three years' penal servitude.
John Bell, 24 was indicted for passing three bad five-
shilling pieces, laving in his possession at the same time
soother spurious coin.
Mr. Cooke and Mr. Poland proneouted ; the prisoner was
undefeoded.
It appeared from the evidence that the prisoner uttered
the lint livisehilling pi•oe at a public-house in the South-
wark-bride-rod, on the 14th inst., on which occasion he
succeeded in getting off with the change without detection,

as be did likeiries as the mooed occasion ; but two days after,
on offering a third crown at the Crown in Watliegetreet, the
imposition was at once detected and the prisoner given into
custody, and on being seerobed another bad crown was found
in his left boot.
The jury found him Guilty, and be was sentenced to two
, ice
.
years plvanment.
John Asa, 30, was indicted for uttering a spurious crown
piece.
The prisoner was Acquitted.
John kessp, 20, carman, and Henry Doris, 19, porter,
were indicted for uttering and having in their poessenon •
quantity of counterfeit coin.
Mr. Cooke and Mr. Poland prosecuted; the Mermen
were undefended.
It appeared that on the 14th instant the two penmen
went up to a little boy in the New Crow-road, Deptford,
and gave him • bad form, asking him to go end get a quar-
ter of an ounce of tobacco and bring them back the change.
The boy proceeded to the tobacconist, who at oboe detected
that it was a bad one. He immediately wait after the
two prisoners, who made off as soon as they perceived him.
Is the course of the pursuit Davis threw away •
0011 taining four bad hafcrowns sad three spurious dorir
Close to the same spot a bad shilling was found broken in
two.
The prisoners were found Guilty, and sentenced to two
years' imprisonment.
Margaret Idly. 37, married, was indicted for feloniously
lat eminterfeit coin, well knowing the same to be bad
altraeme of its utterance.
Mr. Poland and Mr. Cooke prosecuted ; Mr. Afettelfe
defended.
It appear.ed that, on the 24th host., the prisoner went to
the Mar um of Hastings public house, Somenr-town, and
f
• pint of beer and • quarters of gin, in payment
or which she tendered • Amin, which was dila:olmM to be
bad immediately after her departure. The next day, how-
ever, she again appeared, and called for • pint of porter, in
payment for which obligees the barmaid abed half-crown. The
latter immediately detected it, and told the prisoner, who
took it from her, and put it back into Der pocket. The
landlady, however, detmaised sot to allow her to escape,
bolted the door, and sent for a coestable, who asked the
to give up the batfcrown. She refused, saying she
prisoner
it, but it was ultimately found. On being
marched, 'hopes up her purse, which contained eight half.
crowns and • half sovo, all good money.
Mr. Metcalfe addreseed the jury on behalf of his client,
sad stated that he would call witnesses to prove her respect-
ability •• shadow of doubt. He then milled
Mary Thomas, who stated that she had known the pri-
soner for some years, and went on to my that on the first
day in question she bad rolled upon her to take tea, and in
the searing they proceeded to the Marquis of Hastings,
and here the wittier distinctly swore that it was she
herself who presented the two-shilling piece, which was
not bad, as she had but just received it from her husband.
The latter was called up, and he swore that be bad given
his wife the florin ; and be further swore that it was a good
one. The barmaid was then recalled, and she most posi-
tively swore that she had not received the florin from the
woman Thomas, but from the prisoner. The two Thomases
were then recalled and examined by his lordship, but their
statements so differed, and bore so many discrepancies, that
his lordship adored them to stand down.
The prisoner was toned Guilty on both wants.
His lordship then observed that the witness Thomas
must have wilfully committed perjury, and he asked Mr.
Cooke whether he did not think it was • ease in which the
crows ought to prosecute .It appeared to him that both the
man and the woman had oome there for the express purpose
of doing • little hard swearing.
The learned gentleman concurred with the Commissiorier,
who at once ordered Mrs. Thomas to be taken into custody,
sod directed the ease to be laid before the greed jury.
The Commissioner, addressing the primmer, told her the
offence was of a mast serious nature, and he doubted whether
the punishmeot was at all commensurate with the character
of the offence. He then ordered her to be imprisoned and
kefuo hard labour for tbe specs of two years.
concluded the whole of the Mint cases.
Henry Addis, 40, coachman, was indicted for feloniously
intermarrying Anna Mille, his wife being then alive.
The prisoner pleaded guilty.
The second wife was called, who stated that she became
acquainted with the prisoner in May last, and be bad then
and ever since solemnly declared that he was a single man.
On the very morning that she had given him in charge he
went on his knees in the bedroom and swore that he had
sever been married. At the time of her marriage ahe had
401., which he soon squandered, never having done a stroke
el work since his marriage.
The prisoner said when he married her be thought his
drat wife was dead, as she had long left bins.
In peons( sentence the commissioner said that the affec-
tions of single women must not be trifled with in this way.
The prisoner was then sentenced to 12 months' imprison.
ment, with bard labour.
Eliza Chambers, 30, was indicted for stealing a watch, •
locket, and • breast pia, value Ili., the property of Wm.
Barnett, from his persoc.
The jury Acquitted the prisoner.
Mr. Legator!" prosecuted.
Thomas Phillips was indicted for embezzlement, bat the
jury Acquitted the prisoner before the conclusion of the
evidence, hie lordship observtog that there was no infest to
defraud.
Mr. Matadi* prosecuted; Mr. Poland defended.