The Express.
London, England, 1862-10-09 00:00:00

THAMES.

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Benjamin Harden, a a:avenger, in the employ of Mark
Tomkios, contractor, was brought before Mr. Wool.
rycb, charged with discharging a load of mud or street
scrapings into the common sewer in the parish of St.
George-m-the-Est.
Samuel Richardson, a police-constable, No. 229 H, said
he found the prisoner that morning in charge of a scaven-
ger's horse and cart. The cart contained loose mud, the
sweepinp of the street. He had just passed the horse and cart,
and was a few paces from it, when he heard a loud splash,
and on turning round saw the cart right over a grating
leading to the common sewer, and the mud running down.
The cart was brim full when he first saw it, and when it was
over the grating it was nearly empty. As soon as the prisoner
saw him, he whipped his horse and started off at full speed,
and as the cart rattled over the street the mud fell out.
He took the prisoner into custody, and he admitted he
took the peg out of the mart and turned the rand out.
The Prisoner—No ; it fell out just as I was passing over
the grating.
Mr. Woolrych—lt was a very remarkable coincidence,
indeed, that it should have fallen out over the grating.
The policeman was recalled, and said the prisoner west
out of his way into a back street. The drain is at the corner
of Pennington-street and Artichoke-hill, St. George-in-the.
East The prisoner went down hill from Rateliff.highwar.
and had to drive up bill again. He bad no bulimia that

way.
Police... Sergeant Barnes, No. 10 11, said the grating in
question was over and communicated with the common
sewer, and a similar offence had been repeatedly committed,
to the manifest injury of the sewers. He questioned the
prisoner,l who said he went into the back streot by accident.
The Prisoner—The peg us the shaft of the cart was shaken
out.

_
Mr. Woo ryes said this was a very serious offence indeed.
This was the way sewers were choked up, and the cleaning
out of the sewer would be attended with a great expense.
Lazy fellows like the prisoner would not do their duty, end
the semen were injured. The clerk or surveyor of the dis-
trict board ought to have been in attendance. He would
not act in such a case again unleen the district board, whicdt
had the care of the sewer, prosecuted. He tined who pri-
soner Ws.

Esther Bays, aged 20, of No. 23, Riohard-attest,
Liroebouse-fields ; Eliza Towitakend, a widow, 33, of
No. 12, Mercer-street, Long acre ; Peter Paul, alias Waker
Brawls, of 12, Cecil-court, P.t. Martin's-lane, where he has
long carried on an immoral trade ; Pat ieh Bay, 22, bill-
poster, of No. 10, Baldwin's-gardens, Gray's-inn-lane ; and
James Smith, 32, commission agent, of Sussex-chambers,
Bonveriestrest, Pleet.street, were brought up on remand
charged with swindling.
Mr. Male, barrister, defended Paul and Day; Mr. Charles
Young, solicitor, defended Smith ; Mr. Waren, from
Stubbs' Trade Protection-office many of whose cheatsbad
been defrauded, and who exposed; the gang a year ago, was
in at-endance to watch the case on behalf of many persona. .
. _

The evidence given last week by Inspector Griffin, Ser-
geant Briden, and Venable', • comitable of the K
proved that the prisoners and a man not in custody had con-
spired together and bad caused advertieemente to be inserted
in many of the provincial journals offering to lend money
on personal security, and directed applications to be
to the "Richards' Estate Fund Association, R. H. Twining,
manager, 23, Richard-street, London, R" Bays lived in
this house a mall one and badly furnished, only to receive
the letters, which were delivered there in great numbers
every day except Sunday during the months of July,
August, and September, and were called for every
morning and taken away by the other ni-
-1 goners. Many of those letters were registered, and *then
contained postmffice orders made out in favour of R. H.
Twining and Samuel Gilbert, represented to be the manager
and treasurer of the association. The postmffice orders
were in every instance but one brought to the offices in
London where they were made payable by Smith. After
the first year's intern; on the loan promised to be granted
was forwarded to London, the victims never reoeivcd •
' farthing.
On the prisoners being placed in the dock, Mr. Wool.
rych inquired if any professional gentleman attended for
the prosecution.

Inspector Griffin replied in the urrative. The Commis-
sioners of Police were Dot in the practice of employing legal
gentlemen to conduct proaecutioos, and the persons who
had been swindled and parted with their money wire too
poor to do so.
Mr. Wooluck said this was the most complicated cue
that ever came before him, and he regretted very much there
was no barrister or tolicitor in attendance to conduct so im-
portant a prosecution.
Inspector Griffin said he had requested the attendance of
many witnesses, of whom thirteen were present. All the
persons defrauded by the loan swindle gang lived in radon*
parts of England, Ireland, and Scotland, and a great ma-
jority of them were too poor to defray the expenses of a
journey to London.
Mr. James Strickland, of Wimborne, Dorset, boot and
shoe maker, who had been defrauded of 12/. 75., and who
was promised a loan of 2001., and Mr. Reuben Clark, boot

maker, of Winterslow, near Salisbury, who applied for
a luau of 501„ which he never had, and from whom the
gang obtained 41. ss. fod., gave evidence at great length.
The swindle in each and every case was awed on in the
following manner. When application was made to the self-
styled Richards' &tate Fund Association, 23, Richard.
street, London, E., the pretended manager and sometimes
secretary, „ft. H. Twining," wrote to the applicants for
refereoce& The persons referred to having answered the
inquiries ddtwawi to them, the applicants were advised by
letter that the loans would be granted, stamped promissory
notes fur the borrowers' signatures being forwarded et the
same time, to be returned with the first year's interest on
the loan, the price of the stamp having been previously re-
mitted. Of course no loans were ever greeted, gad
excuses were sent to the persons duped that the
solicitor of the association was not satisfied with
the signatures because they were not attested. To give an
appearance of fairness to these transactions the signatures
to the promissory notes only. were returned, and a promos
was held out that Mr. Twining or Mr. Twining's son would
call upon the would-be borrowers at their own dwellings in
the country, and attest their signatures. Mr. Clark, after
being swindled of his money, came to London and lodged a
complaint with the oommisaioners of police. Acting under
the advice of Mr. Griffin, he applied for another lose in the
name of John Brown, carpenter, Pitton, near Salisbury, and
gave a reference to James Green, a tailor. His appli-
cation was answered in the usual manner, and ss. for a
stamp was requested. Mr. Clark sent ss. to Mr.
R. H. Twining. A promissory note was forwarded
to Mr. Clark, who signed it, and sent back with it to Lon-
. don a post-office order for 305., made payable as suggested to
Samuel Gilbert, at the Strand money.order office. The
prisoner Smith presented the order, called himself Samuel
Gilbert. and rewired the money. He was immediately
' arrested by Brian, who well in attendance for that purview
Mr. William Grove, clerk at the money-order office,
Sawed, produoed the poet-office order for 11. 10e., made out
is favour of Samuel Gilbert by John Brown, and said the
prisoner Smith presented another order for 3/. 10a., signed
by Mr. J. L. Walters, of Port Nevin, near Elston, Corn-
wall, in favour of B. H. Twining. In consequence of infor-
mation be refused to pay the money upon that order.
' Brides and Venables gave evidence of the operations of
the gang, whom they closely watched for a month, and saw
from 50 to 100 letters delivered daily at No. 23, Richard.
sties& They were received b) Bags. The woman Town-
send generally called for them. Sometimes Day and Paul
called at the tenement in Richard-street.
• Mr. Dickie asked liridon if. a man to whom the woman
Townsend handed a packet of letters ore morning near the
Bricklayers' Arms, Old Kent-road, was not the notorious
Dr. Waters, of the celebrated ear infirmary.
Bridoo said be was in search of another of the gang, the
principal, be believed, in the nefarious luau swindle, and it
might defeat the ends of justice if he was to mention his
name.
' Mr. Dickie— Will you say it was not Dr. Waters
Brides—l woo'' say it was or was not.
I Mr. Dick's was instructed toy say that Dr. Waters, wls•
swindled people some time ago by pretending to curs dis-
eases of the ear, was the person to whom Mrs. Townsend
delivered the letters which she received from Mrs. Bags in
Richard-street. He then argued that there was no ease
against his client', Paul and Day.
Mr. Charles Young eddreased the magistrates in favour of
Smith, and contended that there was no legal evidence to
affect his client.
Mr. Woolrych recapitulated the evidence, and said there
was corroborative evidence, and accumulative proof which
brought all the prisoners in oonnexion with eachother. There