The Express.
London, England, 1863-05-02 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURTS.

MANSION-H0178.1i

Joan Snead Laws, lat•V;inemerehant, cerrYin on
business in Mincing-lane, appeared before Mr. Alderman
Hale, in answer to a summooe takes out at the instance of
Hamra Smithies and others, charging him with having
within three months next before his filing his petition for
the adjudication of bankruptcy, unlawfully obtained under
the false pretence and colour of carrying on his businer,
and dealing in the ordinary course of trade, • qoastity of
wine to the value of 6001., from Messrs. (Miley, Cramp, and
Co., with ►latent to defraud, contrary to the Bankruptcy
Act al 11161, section 221, article 10.
The defendant was also charged on another summons,
ander the same section of the said act, article 11, with
having within three months, he., periled and disposed of,
otherwise than by bona fide transactions in the ordinary way
of trade, certain of his goods and chattels, to wit, • large
quantity of wine of the value of EOM, which b• had unlit/.
tally obtained on credit, and which then rentaised
unpaid for.

Mr. Telford Salter, banister, instructed by Mews.
Sharpe and Co., appeared to prosecute ; Xr. Miller
appeared to watch on behalf of other creditors; and Mr.
Lewis, jun., appeared for the defendant.
The evidence, as far as it was taken, went to show that
the defendant formerly canted on basin/se as a wine UNE,
shut in Idol•lane, but afterwards removed to Mine/beam
In August, 1861, he first bad transactions with Mama
Offlay and Cramp, winemerchants, of St. Helen's-Oaos,
Bishopagate, and in February, 186 Z he seat sn order to
those gentlemen for a quantity of wine to put down
in his wine cellars in Mincing-lane. There was an outataad-
ing account with the defendant considerably overdue, and
they therefore at first demurred at letting him have a large
quantity on credit. They, however, made inquiries and
found that he bad opened new cellars, and under those
circumstances they consented to allow him to have wine on
credit, upon the representation that he wanted it to put
down in him cellar. Messrs. Offiey sent him in maniple* of
wine, and the defendant refused to take them at the prin.'
they offered them. and some correspondence amnia, is
which Messrs. OMey consented to supply the wine at
21. per pipe less than they had at first offered them. The
defendant wrote a letter back, stating that he would accept
1 the wines at the prices stated for a bill at six maths, belt
to he drawn es that date, which was 27th of Fehrmiry, and
the other half to be drawn from Ist of March. On the Ub of
May, 1862, the defendant filed a petition for the adjudica-
tion of bankruptcy, and at intervals from that time to the
present he he been under examination, and it
had been discovered that the wines bad never
been placed in his cellar at all, but as are
as he received the delivery note from Mealy.
Offiey, the warrants, eighteen in number, were
obtained from the docks, and were transferred to Mims.
Non:s and Chaplain, wine brokers, of Mark-lane, who ad.
yawed him the sum of 6001. One of the clerks from
Mews. Norris and Chaplain's office, produced a book called
an invoice-book, in which there was an entry of the trans-
action with the defendant, and he produced a chorine which
was signed by the firm, referring to the transaction, and
which lhad been paid to the defendant, and returned to them
as paid. Sixteen out of the eighteen warrants had been
taken into the docks, and the signature at the back was in
the handwriting of Mr. Chaplain, but as he was absent the
1 case was adjourned, as he took part in the whole matter
with the defendant, and it was necessary to have his depo-
sition to complete the one.
The defendant was, however, admitted to bail in his own
recognizance in 2501., sad one surety in 2501.