The Express.
London, England, 1851-10-30 00:00:00

CRIMINAL COURT.

OLD COURT.—YESTEHDAY.
Barons Ms. lemma Camswsti.
Edward Henry Poyntz,36, described as a labourer, was
indicted fur feloniously forging an endorsement to a bank
post bill fur 501., with intent to defraud the Governor and
Company of the Bank of England.
In another count the intent of the prisoner was laid to be
to defraud Edward Marjoribanks and others.
The circumstances under which the charge was preferred I
were of rather an unusual character. A great number of
witnesses were examined for the prosecution, but the evi-
deuce being somewhat complicated, the nature of the we I
will be better explained in the form of a narrative. It ap-
mend that the prisoner was highly connected, and had
Wed the position of a captain in the army, and in the same
Vt with him there was a gentleman named Tomlin,
as possessed of considerable fortune, and they were
IS Vary intimate terms while in the army together ; but it
would mem that for some years, Mr. Tomlin having retired
from • military life, there had been no intercourse between
them The prisoner was aware that Mr. Tomlin kept an
asswast at Mears. Coutts's, and in February of the
prison year that firm received a letter from Windsor, sp•
patently from Mr. Tomlin, requesting them to transmit him
a bank post bill for 501. The bankers, having no suspicion
at the tune, scat the bill as requested, and in the month of
June following a similar application was made in the name
of Mr. Tomlin for two other post bills of 50/. each, and they
were also sent. Two of these bills were proved to have been
passed by the prisoner to different tradesmen, and he resorted
to a very ingenious scheme to get rid of the third bill, by
going to Liverpool, and addressing a letter from that place
to the Bank of England, inclosing the instrument, and re-
questing that a 601. note might be transmitted to him in re-
turn. By this time the fraud had been discovered, and
a letter having been sent addressed to the peat-
office at Liverpool, Whicher, • detective officer, was
sent to apprehend the person, who should apply for
it, but it appeared that the prisoner was too wary to be
taken in this manner, for he did net apply
for the letter, and the police were for the time thrown off
the scent. lie subsequently applied swain to the Bank,and
resorted to a variety of ingenious expedients to endeavour
R.) get the amount of the bill, and he was at length taken
into custody by the officer at Chester. A difficulty was
thrown in the way of the prosecution by the circumstance
that Mr. Tomlin was in such an ill state of health at the
time of the prisoner's apprehension that he was not able
to give his evidence, and he had died since the committal
of the prisoner, so that it was impossible to give any direct
evidence of the endorsement upon the bill being a forgery.
' Mr. Clarkson, on behalf of the prisoner, endeavoured to
show that it was probable, Irom the former intimacy that
existed between the prisoner and tho prosecutor, that the
latter had given him au:hority to obtain the instruments
from the hunkers, and he said that, in the absence of posi-
tive evidence, the jury might charitably come to the con-
clusion that the charge had not been established against
the prisoner.
The learned Judge having summed up, the jury imme•
dietely returned • verdict of Guilty.
A former conviction was then proved against the prisoner.
It appeared that he had been convicted in this court last
April of uttering a forged order tor the delivery of goods,
and that judgment was respited until the ensuing session,
when he was sentenced to seven days' imprisonment.
Sentence was deferred.

NEW COURT.—YESTERDAT.
Boom Tat BACORIAZ._

--- • --
1. Scott, 21, clerk,— was indicted for feloniously marrying
Temperance Caroline Bather, his wife being then and uow
alive.
The circumstances of the case are somewhat remarkable.
The prisoner, who is of good family, held a clerkship in the
Admiralty, and in November, 1815, was married at Clap-
ham Church to a Miss Stock, he being then 19, and the
lady some few yearn his senior. The marriage was a secret
to his friends, and the lady, at his instigation, obtained the
license. They lied together about two years, when the
young lady returned to her mother's home, and had since
that time lived with her at Hammersmith. Towards the
end of the past year be became acquainted whit his second
wife, who is the widow of a licensed victualler, possessed of
some property, and about 15 years the prisoner's senior.
During their courtship, which was but of two months' dura-
tion, she told him she heard he had been before married.
lie admitted he had, but that his wife had died in
child birth at Brussels. The second wife knowing his
family, and that he lived with them, believed it to be true,
and they were married on the 6th of February at
Hammersmith church, which it appears is close to where
his first wife lives, and where she attends worship. Sub-
sequently finding out that his wife was alive, she refused
longer to cohabit with him, and having seen the first wife's
mother, these proceedings were adopted.
The jury found him Guilty.
The mother of the first wife said the prisoner's cruelty
was the cause of her daughter leaving him.
The Recorder, in passing sentence, said that although
the prisoner's conduct was very bad, the circumstances at-
tending the second marriage were not of the heartless charac-
ter where a man obtains the heart and person of a young girl,
and coupling that with the fact that the first match was a
clandestine one,contracted when he was very young, and that
his misconduct would lose him his appointment, he thought
the ends °titmice would be satisfied by a sentence of sic
months' imprisonment and hard labour.

THIRD COURT.—YESTULDAT.
BITOIII yes COMMON !FAS WIT.
John, Burke, 52, hairdresser, pleaded guilty to three in-,
dietments for stealing a portmanteau, some forks, spoons,
and dresses and other property, valued at nearly 1001., the
property of the Eastern Counties Railway Company.
Mr. Ballantine said the prisoner was one of the most ex-
pert and notorious thieves that infested our railway sta-
tions; there was scarcely a station in London that he bad
not plundered.
Mr. Iluddlestone applied for a savings bank book and a
large sum of money that was found on prisoner to be given
up.
Mr. Ballantine opposed the application, stating that there
was no doubt the property found formed part of sonic of
the very numerous and extensive depredations be had been
engaged in.
The court refused to allow the property to be given up,
and deferred sentence on the prisoner that some further evi-
dence might be given about his previous character.
Dennis Burke, 11, JoAn:Nellianis, 17, and Thom *Apr,
alias William, 17, described in the calendar as lakeweews,
were indicted for stealing a handkerchief from a penmen-
known.
The prosecution had been ordered by the City outlaw.-
gise.•11111 Mr. Locke and Mr. Ryland appeared to suppest
k. Xr. O'Brien defended.
From the statement of the learned counsel and the eel- '
tame, it appeared that on the Bth of October a constable
tithe City police, named Moss, saw the bey Burke try the
pskets of several people who were passing down Holborn,
Om other two prisoners following close behind, what is
termed covering him. At last the boy Burke abstracted a
handkerchief from the pocket of a gentleman, and handed
it to Nelhama, who directly made off. Moss then seized
Burke and Agar, and was conveying them to the station
when, on passing the end of Plumtree-court, where there
were a great number of thieves of the most desperate cha-
racter standing, Agar called out for some of them to go to
his pals to come and save him, upon which a mob of the
worst of characters rushed out upon him, and elides-
Veered to rescue the prisoner, threaten;ng to "do for
him." A constable named Hewett coming up, he gave
Agar into his custody, and although he got most severely
beaten by the mob, succeeded in getting his prisoner to the
Minims. Agar made a mast violent resistance, and called
spa some women who were there not to let the officer
%KU him, and they immediately attacked him and beat him
mast severely. Hewett, however, continued to hold his
priketer until they got to King-street, when prisoner
and slipping his arm through the sleeve otirtl
jetnelt rites* released himself from the grasp of the officer, '
sad ina gave him so violent a kick en the sack that he
fell wreaks, is the reed, dragging Agar along with him.
Tim dale MOM lIA
is fell upon him and further mal-
treated MM. Assegase officer coming up took Apr from
bins, but MS dyad to let him go to rescue Hewett from
being crumbed by a cart that was coming down the declivity
where be kg. 1$ was then discovered that Hewett was
enable to skink lad consequently was immediately taken
St. ardwAsuartw's Hospital, where upon examination
Ms leg was band to have been fractured just above the
1 sack jakit, and from that period down to the present
be had been in a very precarious state. Notwithstanding the
confusion that took place Agar was secured, and Nelham,
who had the temerity to follow to the station, was taken
amongst the mob, as also were four women named Paton,
Sayers, Collins, and Flynn—two of whom, Collins and
Sayers, were recognised as having been convicted a year
ago of rescuing a prisoner from the police. Several re-
spectable tradespeople who witnessed the transaction, spoke
of it as being one of a most desperate character. The mob
that attacked the police formed part of a gang that are the
terror of the neighbourhood, and to preserve peace and pro-
tect the public, additional police have been obliged to be
placed on duty about Pluentree-court and the end of Shoe-
lane.
The jury found the prisoners Guilty.
Several police proved that they were all well-known
thieves, and belonged to what is called the Field-lane

gang.
Burke was sentenced to 18 months and hard labour, and
the other two transported for seven years.
Agar is to be tried 'gain with the four women, for the
injury indicted on the officer.

ate with their fin-

s
gen, or used spoons. The cook
is often represented, in
the pictures of the period, bringing his meat upon the spit,
and offering it in that way to each guest, who cuts off with
his knife, and removes with his fingers, what he wants,
and suffers the cook thin to pass on and present the spit to
his neighbour. Among very great people these spits were
usually made of silver. Forks were scorned by Mr. Bull,
long after this period, when they were known in England.
It was a mark of good breeding to keep the hand as little
greasy as possible. It is recorded of Matthias Conjoin,
Yuig of Hungary, from ItSS to 1490, that he was very
accomplished in this respect. His contemporary biographer
says that at that time, is Hungary, forks were not used at
table, as they were a many parts of Italy; but that at
meals each person laid hold of the meat with his fingerl
and en that account Hungarian fingers were always feud
• to be much stained wills ',M.O.D. which was then put intol
sauces and soup. The biographer praises the king for
eating without a fork, yet conversing at the same time,
and sent dirtying his elothes.—Dickens's " Iloweheigl
Were."