The Express.
London, England, 1853-01-26 00:00:00

INSOLVENT DEBTORS' COURT.--YzsTERDAT.

Bursas vas OUP Cosesenome.
111 TRII MATTER OE SARAH JANE STAHRINS, ALIAS COLE. I
This insolvent was opposed by Mr. Sargood, for Mr.
Clements, a !schoolmaster, and Miss Hood, a schoolmistress,
as also for aMr Wagner. Mr. Cooke supported.
The case, which occupied the whole day, disclosed some
peculiar circumstances. The insolvent, a good looking ,
woman, had incurred considerable debts, and had 69 cre-
ditors on her schedule. She had lived at various pieces at ,
the west end, and passed as a " widow." She bad, how- ,
ever, n been married, although she was the mother of
four children. Her real name was Stebbins, but she had
passed as " Mrs. Cole." Her two sons were boarded and
educated by Mr. Clements, at Turnham Green, and all he
had been paid was 171. She spoke to this creditor of her
allowance, and represented that she was a widow. She was
then living in Piccadilly, at the rate of 1451. a year for un-
furnished apartments. Her two daughters had been boarded
and educated by Miss Hood, and she was a creditor for 691.
To that lady she represented, it was alleged, that she was a
widow with an allowance from the country.
Mr. Danger, a elicitor, and Mr. Shaw, • soap manufac-
turer, were subpmned from Bristol, where they resided.
They both stated that they had made allowances to the in-
solvent for some years past. Mr. Danger had paid her
about 501. a year in reference to two of her children. and
I Mr. Shaw's allowance had varied from 251. to 1001. a year.
Both stated that the insolvent had no legal claim on them.
It seemed that the insolvent had referred persons to them,
bat they bad authorised her to state that she had
property, or had she any property.
From the insolvent's examination, it appeared that the
had resided: at various parts, and had gifts from her
" friends." One gentleman in six weeks gave her 2261.,
and afterwards an action was brought against her by
another person, for the money, as she supposed. She left
Bristol about 1248, where her parents were tradespeople ;
they were now both dead. Nearly the last house she took
was from Mr. Wagner, in Hanover street, Hanover-square,
at four guineas a week. She paid no rent, and when she
bad occupied it about a month, from a complaint made of
her conduct she was locked out. She filed a bill in Chan-
cery, and Mr. Wagner had been to upwards of 501. in ex-
penses. In the bill in equity, she described herself as the
widow of a dammed solicitor.
The ease was placed before the court as one of great
hardship as the creditor, and calling for a judgment for
debts incurred without reasonable expectations of pay-
ment. On the part of the insolvent it was urged that she
bad been already six months in Whitecrowstreet Prison
and had suffered for her conduct.
The Chief Commissioner expressed himself clearly of
opinion that the debt with Mr. Clements and Miss Hood
had boa incurred without reasonable or probable expecte-
, tins at payment, which called upon him to give a judg-
ment. -Ks should consider that the insolvent had already
bees in prima since July last. His Honour pronounced •
judgment of three calendar months from the vesting order
on the 20th December.

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.—Yr.fIuDAY.
asp= am Saws.mr? Aimm, Assinarr Jones. AIM • BOWS OF

W. Tihnoeies, 20, wee indi-Terice dealing 76 trusses of
straw, vane U. 6e. 4d., the property of Daniel Adams. He
was further indicted for steeling three loads of straw, value
64 the property of Thomas Dame, his master and
em-
r.
he prosecutor is this mow was shay and straw dealer,
Po. 6. FroMPlll•dri, aelisifeed, mg therm bad bees
in kis et*. Mail ammo, at b. ter . Them war
mem map* rawataassi Mai Mom trenavedin
eat of whist this charge arose. It seemed that the pease
had edneaded a Mr. Holyman, jan., of a load of hai,
whisk le mid to a Mr. Blagden, of Doswell-street, whit
paYYa fir it, but subs/fatly Mr. Blagden was seer
lle gmmidilbe County Court Mr. Holman, ten., for She
gill ad OM hay, and Mr. Ho yman, jun., then swore test
be OM doe hay to Mr. Blagden ; the latter, however, poi
lively &plied this. Notwithstanding which the &skim of
the judge of the County Court was against him IS two
011111010114, the original hearing and on a new trial. Mr.
wider these dreamstances, instituted iimpdries,
MiPilinigheenesquenee of tit advertisement the primmer was
ultimately apprehended, MA was at ones recognised as the
parson who had resolved parmat for the hay of Mr.
Blag-
lee, and a host of prow same forward to charge him
with cheating mad abaft la bay trasaactiocs. In the ma-
jority of oases, however, it argeerod that he had contrived
Is keep oat the essestiel itymedienta of larceny, and ren-
dered the matters added to the civil sag sot the criminal
law, but the promoter seam forward and substantiated
two unmistakeably 'Mar camas ot !slimy against him. On
the 14th of July last ths promoter scat the prisoner, and
asst sr servant of his, a mass mused Clare, for some hay
end straw, boat the Eastern Counties Railway,
and the primer, whoa they had got it, told
Clare that be was aatbeeised to sell, and persuaded him
le go with lint tea pima is the Curtain-road, where he dis-
posed et a_ portion off , sad the other was disposed of to a
penes in Matos4trart. • The prisoner thin gave Clare the
slip, and the latter returned to his master with empty
earls, and of course found that the prisoner bad no authority
te dispose of the property of his master. From that time
e.til he was in custody the prosecutor had not seen the pri-
mer. Mr. Rolyman, jun., is under a charge of perjury
Wing out of the proceedings in the county court.
The jury found the prisoner Guilty, and he was then
tried on the secoad indictment with the like result.
Mr. Gifford then said be had to inform the court that the
Omer had been concerned with a gang et others in an
estensive and unfortunately successful system of frauds
tope countrymen sent to London with loads of bay, straw,
else. They skulked about the outskirts of the metropolis,
sad waylaid the simple countrymen es they ease in with
their loads, lured thus into publk-houses, treated them
with drink, and bargaining for the hay or straw, or what-
ever they might have, and then without paying one penny
taking possession of the property, and selling it on their
own account. At least a damn ewes of this description
could be proved against the prisoner, who was clever
enough to evade in every one of them a criminal charge,
by making the matter more one of debt than of theft, and
thee setting his dupes at defiance. In the cases of which
he stood convicted, however, he had gone far enough to
reader himself liable to the law of larceny, and, fortu-
nately for the ends of justice, the evidence had been suffi-
cient to place him before the court for judgment.
The Assistant Judge said he bad heard of this system of
pleader before, and then sentenced the prisoner to be
transported for ten years.

THE POLICE COURTS.
MANSION-HOUSE.