The Express.
London, England, 1855-01-22 00:00:00

FRENCH POLICE CASES.

A curious application WU yesterday made to the
President of the Civil Tribunal sitting in chambers. Mr.
George Chaplin. an Englishman, Bus des Petite Hotels,
No. 34, had some time IMO the imprudence to receive a
bidme.Nieuwhoff, but called Plaster, to live with him. At
the end of last month this person, according to his account,
bribed the concierge to give her a receipt for the quarter's
rent in her own name, instead of in that of Mr. Chaplin.
Oho then declared to that gentleman that he must consider
her as the tenant of that apartment, and as owner of all the
furniture • and that if he shouid refuse to do so she would
hive him'turned out of doors. Mr. Chaplin could not be-
lieve that she was serious, but n eeeeeeeeeee went to consult
the commissary of police. On his return, he found that
lidme. Plaster was quite in earnest, as she refused
to allow him admission to the apartment. Fearing that she
might make away with the furniture and effects if prompt
measures were not taken, he prayed the Preaident of the
Tribunal to order that he she'd be restored to the possession
of the apartment, or that at least the furniture should be
asquestrated until the question of proprietorship should be
formally decided. In opposition to this application, bidme.
Plaster caused the receipt for the rent to be produced, and
contended that it proved her to be the tenant of the apart-
ment, and that, consequently, the furniture must be consi-
dered as hers. The President decided that the commissary
of police should make an inventory of all the furniture,
papers, and effects in the apartment • that the articles of
which the proprietorship should not be disputed should be
given up to the parties ; and that with respect to the other
things, they should be placed under sequestration until the
question of ownership should be decided.
A man named Macron, who for 26 years bad been valet-
de-chronbre to Lord H. Seymour, was three days ago tried
in the Pas de Calais for robbery. Lord H. Seymour for
some time past has resided at the Hotel de Baia', at Bou-
logne-sur-Mer, with the Marchioness of Hertford and a
relative, Mr. Wallace. This gentleman was accustomed to
keep by him for petty expenses between 700 f. and 800 f. in
gold, and he generally placed the money in the drawer of a
table in his dressing-room. Although this drawer was
always kept looked, Mr. Wallace daring the last three
years continually missed pieces of gold from it. At length
the robberies became so frequent, that he determined
to take measures for endeavouring to discover the
thief. In March last, he placed 1,0001. is French
gold pieces in the drawer, and the day after he found
that 100 f. had been `taken away on the three following
days be missed 201., 40f., and der. He then marked the
remaining pieces in such a way as to be able to recognise
them. The day after one piece was stolen, the day follow-
ing three, the third day two, and the fourth one. All this
time he always found the drawer carefully locked, exactly
as he had left it. To as the precise time at which
these robberies were committed, Mr. Wallace counted his
money on several occasions in the course of the day, and
again before retiring to rest, which he generally did about
three o'clock in the morning. He thus ascertained that the
robberies were committed between four o'clock and nine
o'clock in the morning. On the sth of April he directed
a man named Gournay to be on the watch during
the night. He counted out before him WOE in gold,
and placed them in the drawer, which he locked.
At haldpast six o'clock in the morning, Oournay saw
Macros enter the dressing-room. After waiting a minute
or two, Gournay tried to open the door, and found that it
was held on the inside. "Who is there 1" cried Macron.
"It is I," said Gournay. The door was the& opened, and
Macron appeared embarrassed. Gournay pretended that
he wanted Mr. Wallace's gun, and having taken it, went
away. A few hours after, Gournay related what had oc-
curred ; aid Mr. Wallace having counted his money. missed
a piece of 20f. Lord H. Seymour having been informed
of this, summoned his domestics, and asked which of thma
had been in Mr. Wallace's dressing-room. Macron mid
that he had. Lord IL Seymour then pressed him to
acknowledge himself the thief, and even held ot t
to him the promise of a pardceat m if he would
do so ; but the man expressed gr indignation at
being suspected. On this, the commissary of police, who
had been called in proceeded to search Macron's
room and he found in several purses& sum of 5,5281. 60c.
He deo found on Macron seven pieces of gold, four of
which bore the mark Mr. Wallace had made. Notwithstand-
ing this, the man impudently persisted is denying his guilt.
After a while he requested permission to retire for &moment,
but a police agent followed him, and saw him take a key
from a bandage which he wore. The officer seised the key
Just as he was about to throw it down a water closet. This
ey opened the drawer of the table, and it clearly appeared
that after being made it had been altered, so as to open all
the locks in Mr. Wallace's dressing-room. After this disco-
very the man coolly avowed that he was a thief, and
that it was he who had altered the key. But he
declared that he had only had the key in his pos-
session for a fortnight, and that all he had stolen
from Ms. Wallace were seven pieces of gold. But
Mr. Wallace estimated histotal loss at between
6,000 f. and 6,000 f. Moreover, thte sum found in the men's
pleasesioa was larger than he could have come by honestly;
ead it subsequently turned oat, that be had besides
deviated 980 f. in the Savings Bank at Paris, had par-
doned • gold watch and chain for 390 f., had made different
to the amount of 5,3241., had given 4,100 f. to •
We named Dumas, had betted largely on horse races, and
had made many costly presents to his wife, who resides at
Paris. It farther appeared that in addition to the gold, he
had robbed Mr. Wallace of a nuts of 1,000 f., of a
quantity of cigar*, of eau de cologne, and other articles ;
and he had robbed Lord Seymour s courier, a man named
Cocoa i, of 300 f. at different times ; and had likewise
eekbed his lordship, the proprietor of the Hotel des Being,
mod several ladles and gentlemen who had resided in the
laid. The jury declared the man guilty without exteisuat-
issokeresearnaas, end the court sentenced him to seven
Irape kagelessessat with hard labour.