The Express.
London, England, 1853-06-23 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, JUNE 23. ' 853

should fad upon them. The sentence upon the prison. r
was tt.at he be trensported for the term of ten pan.
IneVDENT AMMeV AT IKA1:1).
Willi-rot I;irl, 41, watchmaker, was indicti el for having
%mina Daly attempted to obtain, by means of false pie.
tenets, trout the Loidlou and North Weeteru Railway Com-
pail, the avin of 50L, with intent to cheat and detranci
the paid company thereof. In a second count of the indict•
ment he was charged with having in like manner, sod with
the like intent, attempted to obtain from the company the
sum of 301.
From an elaborate opening by Mr. Clarkson, and the evi-
denced a great number of witnesses, it appeared that the
prisoner, a working watchmaker and jeweller, and another
man, arrived at a quarter past S o'clock on the morning of
I he nth of May, at the Leighton Buzzard station of the
North Western Railway from I)unstable, having with them
a box, a blue tureen bag, and a deep heavy carpet bag.
The latter the prisoner deposited with one of the porters,
who placed it in the cloak room, and gave him the usual
ticket, for which he paid the booking fee, twopence, and
he and his companion went together into the town, taking
with them the box and the blue bag. About noon they
went to the station again, and made some inquiries relative
to the trains to Bedford. The prisoner asked fur the carpet
bag, and on receiving it from the porter he delivered up
the ticket, and the bag was placed with the box and the
bloe one, which they had brought with them, on the plat-
form. The prisoner mud the porter if there was not a train
to Bedford at 12.29, and on receiving summer in the nega•
tire, he went and examined the time bill. Being sandier:
that there was no such train, he used for the ticket back
from the porter, the bag at that time being still on
the platform, and the porter being in a hurry to
get to his dinner, fur his dinner hour had arrived, omitted
to take possession of the bag, although he had given up the
ticket. Another porter took his place, and he not knowing
that the prisoner had got a ticket for the carpet bag placed
it with the other luggage on the platform, r. an for the
meat down tr in. The prisoner and his companion took
tickets for Bletchley, and when the train arrived the blue
beg and the box were placed in the van, and the carpet
bag, as the two porters positively swore, was taken by one
of them, the prisoner or his friend, and placed in the car-
riage in which they took their places for Bletchley, no
complaint whatever being made about any bag being lost
or missing. Instead of going on to Bedford, when they got
In Bletchley they proceeded by the branch line to Oxford,
where all trace of the other man was lost. Oa m-
ilting there the prisoner deposited a carpet bag, which
from the daunt non given of it appeared to be the atm
which he afterwards alleged had been lost at Leighton
Buzzard in the care of a porter who gave him a ticket, and
with whom he had some conversation as to the extant to
which the company held themselves responsible for articles
given into the care of their servants, and for
which tickets were given. The porter called his
attention to an endorsement on the back, of the
ticket, upon which he pulled out of his pocket the ticket
he had got at Leighton Buzzard, and said he had booked
a carpet bag at that station, it had been lost, and on his
complaining of his loss, all the satisfaction he could get was
an assurance that if it was found it should be sent on to him
at Oxford, not one word of which was true. When he left
the station he went to a public house, known by the name
of the Air Balloon Tavern, and made some inquiry u to
whether he could have a bed, and though he was told he
could he went away and engaged accommodation for the
I night at another public house c Tied the Post Boy, at both
of which places he mentioned that he had lost a carpet bag
containing his tools and clothing, on the North Wester.
line, and to Mrs. lord, the hostess of the Air Balloon, ho
stated that a similar occurrence happened to him once be-
fore, when he obtained compensation for the loss. A day or
two after he had taken lodgings at the Post Boy he re-
turned to the Air Balloon, and accounted for his not staying
there when he applied for a bed, by representing that
in the mean time he had been to London, and he
then engaged a lodging there and sent the porter
with the ticket to the station for the bag he had left;
he received it, and it was deposited in.his room. It was never
seen again. Re purchased another one of a different shape
and colour, and then went to the North-Western Station at
Oxford, and complained to the sergeant of the company's
police there, one Charles Ow nos, of the loos of his carpet
bag at Leighton Buzzard. Previous to this he had applied
for work to parties at Oxford, to whom he complained of
the loss of his tools, and he engaged a solicitor in the pre-
sence of one person, to whom he applied for mmployment, to
write to the company informing them of the lots, stating
that if the bag was not found, the company must make
recompense, and that the lost in amount pecuniarily could
nut be made good for less than La Inquiries were
I immediately art on foot, in consequence of which the
porters at Leighton Buzzard, having asserted that the
prisoner and his companion took the bag away with them
in the train, and the porter at Oxford having stated that
the prisoner had with him, when he arrived there, a bag
the description of which corresponded with that of the
one he took with him from Leighton Buzzard, the
Sergeant, Gwynn, was instructed to watch the prisoner's
asovements. He duffed the garb of a policeman, and
amanied a disguise in which he introduced himself to the
piemser at the Air Balloon, and so complete was it, that the
prima did not in the least recognise him. They ma
mpsidista drank and nuked together, and in the course 011
their emmanation he ascertained that the prisoner was
about to proceed to London by the North-Western, and net
the Great Western, for the reason that the London ter.
Minus of the former was nearer to his home than that of
the latter. Instead of doing this he went to the Great
Western station, and took a ticket for London, closely
matched by Gwynn, whom he did not recognise, for he now
appeared in the costume of a hard-working migratory jour-
neyman carpenter, and they tzaveUed to London in the
came carriage. The officer remarked that when he '
arrived in town he should try to find out King's-cross,
whereupon the prisoner, with whom he had been in conver-
sation, said he was going there too, and on arriving at
Paddington, they took the omnibus down the New-road
together. Gwynn asked him if he could recommend
him a comfortable lodging, and he recommended him the
place where he himself lodged at, a coffee house in Cale-
donian-row, and accordingly they went there together, just
what Gwynn desired. The latter was in communication
with Mr. Beresford, the superintendent of the police on
the southern division of the line, and they resorted to a
stratagem to ascertain whether the prisoner had in his pos-
session any of the articles he asserted he had lost, and a
list of which was enclosed in the solicitor's letter to the se-
cretary of the company. Ben grind wont to the coffee
Louse and took Gwynn into custody on a pretended charge
of having stolen a quantity of carpenters' tools near Abing•
don, and seeing the prisofier'y carpet bag on the table, he
mid there hel been a robbery of a carpet b.g resembling
that one, pointing to the prisoner's, and containing ladies'
wearing apparel. lie bad a list of the articles stolen, and
las he (prisuutr) was in the company of a man he had ap-
prehended for a robbery, be presumed he could have no ob-
ection to his seeing whether that bag actually contained
say of this missing property. To this the prisoner had no
objection, and he turned out the contents of that bag
sad another, article by article, while, as ho sup•
posed, the superintendent was examining a list
sal the articles of female attire, stolen, as he
stated, near Abingdon ; but in fact, he was comparing the
articles .he prisoner prod. ced with the list sent in the pro-
fessional letter of the ankh s the prisoner alleged he had
lost with his carpet bag. The articles, which comprised
watch movements, twit, and materials used in the pri-
soner's business, were precisely the same as those he claimed
compensation for hem the company; and being now satis-
fied us to the nature of the demand on the company, Beret-
ford told the prisoner he was convinced that he hats no
connexion with the robbery at Abingdon, and left with
Gwynn in his supposed custody. This result was commu-
nicated
to Mr. Bruyeres, the conioany's superintendent of
traffic, to whom the prisoner afterwards presented a kind
of inventory of the articles lie bad, as he said; lost, which
had been valued et. 2.31. lit.. Ile said he could not take less
than 301. for the whole, including his expenses, and that he
was in great distrait, having no tools, no clothing, and,
indeed, nothing In the world but what he had on
at that time in consequence of his loss. Mr. Bruyeres
told him that most of the articles he clammed
compensation for .had been seen in his possession since
the Chinn seas mole, and d in Beresford who soon un-
dec. ived hint as to the pretended robbery at Abingdon, and
apprehended him on the preterit charge. The prisoner then
said the company were in the wrong, and would rue giving
him into custody. B,restdd went to his lodgings and took
possession of the various articled, which were' produced in
court, and actually called over to the very list made out by
the prisoner and sent to the earneany. When he Was star-
ing at the Air Balloon. et Oxford, he hint. d his suspicion
to the landlady that the man in whose company he had
been (Gwynn) was a detective, and said he would give half
a sovereign to he sure on the point; Out she, knowing the
officer, and being aware of his object, 'lid not choose to
enlighten him on the subject, and having heard after-
wards that the loss of him property was the subject of
inquiry, he remarked to her that the only, thing
that looked black sgeinst him was his having got
rid of, or done a wily with, his other beg.
When at Mr. Broyeres' office he paid he did not tell his
solicitor to ask for 301., but told him that he would rather
have the beg restored than 50/. The second count referred
to the demand of 30/. made by the prisoner to Mr. Bray
eres. _ _ .

The Asaistaut•Judge haling gone through the evict( nee
and laid all the material I.2ets liehire the jury, kit them to
decide this question—Did the prisoner or did he not re-
vs, s. himself of his carpet bag at L• ighton lluzz.iril, and
then, finding he had the ticket of its delivery to the porter,
make a false demand upon the company for the loss of pro-
perty which he had by him at th.! time.
The jury found him Gouty.
The A-alst■nt-Judge said there could be no doubt u to
the prisoner's guilt, and hoped the result of the ease would
' be a warning to othi ra not to attempt these frauds on great
companies. The 1.441 t, ner upon him was that he be kept to
►ard labour fur six calendar months.

THE POLICE COURTS.

MAN SION-HOUSE

Joseph We!lima Sari A was brought before the fiord
M:iyor, in the custody of Feenell, of the detective police,
charged with forgery.
Mr. W. C. Clayton, conveyancing counsel, of No. 4, New-
square, Lincoln's-inn,sairl—The prisoner has been in my
employment, as R clerk, on two occasions—on the lag, since
the autumn of until within the last three months,
when he ceased to he my clerk. I believe, on the 28th of
Nay last, I received from Mr. G orgo Potts, a solicitor, at
South Ship (Is, a h ink. es draft or bill of the National Pro-
vincial Birk of Etgland. owed South Shields, M sy,
1843,upsso ti... 1, indon Joint-Stock 11 inl., for 1/. 7,2 d.,
indoeiti'd by Mr. ti.sorge Pi.tts, and male payable to me or
my order. When I received the bill, on S eturday, the 28th
of May last, I put it into the drawer of my writing.tsble,
which I locaca. I left my chambers on the Saiurday,
the bill being in the drawer. I nest went to my chum-

hens on the following Tuesday morning, et half-
Not 10 o'k lock, and f siind that the lock of the
drawer had been toreen open, a oarently w.th
in instrument, and I mused this bill immediately.
.tt the time I put the bill in the drawer there was
11.1 indersenient on it of Willi .m Clayton Clay-
ton" immediately following that of Mr. Potts, and the
former name was not written by me or by my authority. I
believe that signature on the hill was written by the pri.
loner, whose hand-writing is known to me. I have since
received the amount of the bill from the London Joint-
Stock Bank, and I endorsed on the bill the receipt for the
Money.
Mary Ann Wheeler said, I am the laundress of Mr. Clay-
ton's chambers, and keep the key fur the purpose of clean-
ing them. I know the prisoner, and on a Saturday about
thee weeks ago he came to my house in Fetter-lane, and
said he wanted the key for the purpose of getting his
clothes out. I did not then know that he wan out of Mr.
Clayton's service, and I gave him the key. On the follow.
ing Monday ;morning I received the key back from the
prisoner while I was in Mr. Hayes's chamber on the same
floor with those of Mr. Clayton.
Samuel Corkett, a jobbing porter, residing inNag'silead-
court, Lombard-street, said—About three weeks ago I was
in Lombard-street at about 10 in the morning, when the
prisoner came and tapped me on the shoulder, and said lie
wanted me. He then took me into a public.house in
Nicholas-lane, and gave me the document produced, telling
me to go to the London Joint Stock Bank and get the
money for him. I presented it at the bank, and received
4/. is. 2d., and wrote my name on the back of the docu-
ment, and returned and gave it to the prisoner, who was
at the door. lie gave me Is. 4d. for my trouble. lam
sure that he is the man.
Mr. W. C. Boors, one of the pay cashiers of the London
Joint Stork Bank, proved that he paid the bill produced to
Corkett, who wrote a receipt on the back of it.
Funnel!, the detective officer, said on Saturday afternoon
I took the prisoner into custody, at No. 41, Booth-street,
Spitaltields. I told him that he was charged with having
forged Mr. Clayton's name on the bill in question, and that
he must go with me to the station-house. In going along
to the station-house he said to me he hoped that it would
not bring any one elre into trouble, that be should admit
the whole of it, that be did it, and he would tell me where
the two duplicates were for two coats and a waistcoat which
were taken out of the office at the same time.
The prisoner, upon being asked in the usual form
whether he wished to make any statement, said " I have
merely to observe, my lord, that in Mrs. Wheeler's evi-
dence she has made a slight error. She knew I had left
Mr. Clayton's employ. I admit the forging. I had been
robbed of 18f. before the act was committed.
. .

The prisoner wee then committed for trial.
BOW-STREET.

Mr. J. George and Mr. J. Howell. the churchwardens of
St. Ann's, Suho, and Mews. J. Chatfield, Richard Hay-
lett, 11. Grant, and B. Bridger, the overseers of the same
parish, were summoned before Mr. Henry for wilfully
neglecting to pay the HIM of 4001. due to the board of
guardians of the Strand Union, upon an order issued on
the 19th of April last.
Mr. Kilner, the clerk to the board, stated that these
proceedings were taken under the 4th 44 sth of William
IV., c. 76, scc. 9S and 42, which enabled the magistrate to
inflict a penalty of 51. for disobeying the orders of the Poor.
law Commissioners, whom regulations were as imperative
as it embodied iu the act itself. . . . .

Mr. George denied that any wilful neglect of duty had
taken place, and showed from the bankers' book that
1,2001. bad been paid since April 19. He elicited from
Mr. Kilner that other parishes in the union were default-
ers toe greater amount than St. Ann's. The churchwardens
and overseers had no voice in the appointment or dismissal
of the collectors, and no control over them, except by
' threat of complaint to the board of guardians. It was
clear that the defendants had no means of accelerating the
collectors in the discharge of their duties, and it was not to
be expected that they could be always putting distress war-
rants into people's houses a ithout a week's notice for the
arrears. As soon as he and his colleagues could get the
money, it should be paid. They were not allowed to keep
a balance in their hands, and of course they were not going
to pay the money out of their own pockets. He retaliate cl
the charge of neglect upon the guardians themselves, who
were elected by proxy, and not by the legitimate voice of
the ratepayers, and who, he believed, were actuated by
party feeling in selecting St. Ann's for persecution.
Mr. Henry took some pains to disabuse the defendant's
mind of this impression, and to show the evil of allowing
the arrears to accumulate.

Mr. George pointed to the 81st regulation of the Poor-
law Commissioners, to show that the full period of notice

had not been given, relative to the estimates required, pre-
paratory to the enforcement of the order; and it having
appeared that the practice of the board had not been strictly
in conformity with this regulation,
Mr. Henry suggested that it should be closely observed
in future, to prevent any possible ground of complaint.
With respect to the present summons, he would adjourn it
for a week, and if the amount required was duly paid in
during the interval, it might be understood that no penalty
would be inflicted.