The Express.
London, England, 1862-08-20 00:00:00

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.

OLD CO CRT.
(Mose Thomas Citamberi, Esq., 034

117 LION

Charles Repwide, situ Glories Davies, described as a
draper, 40, was charmed with feloniously mewling e letter to
Sir Anthony Rothschild, threatening to murder him.
In other counts of the indictment the prisoner was charged
with sending letters in which be threatened to murder
Baron Meyer snit Baron Lionel Rothschild, the brothers of
Sir Anthony Rothschild.
The prisoner pleaded guilty, but at the same time said
that he had no intention to do any injury either to Sir
Anthony Rothschild or his brothers.
Mr. Metcalfe, who was instructed, with Mr. Orridp, to
conduct the prosecution, said that the court was aware
from the depositions of the nature of the charge
against the prisoner, and he had only to say that it ap-
peared that he had sent six lett rs to Sir Anthony Bethe-
-1 child, in every one of which there was a demand for cliffs.
rent sums of money, at that 3001., then 200/., and lordly 1501.,
and a distinct threat that if the money was not glean the
author, he or his brothers would be murdered.

The common Serjeant inquirodwhetheTtilere were any
grounds for behaving that other persons were concerned
with the prisoser in the truesction ?
Mr. Metcalfe said he thought there was no reason for
believing that this wu the case. Inquiries had been made
about the prisoner, and it appeared that he was very
respectably connected, but it eau unnecessary that the
names of his friends shookl be mentioned, and he was in-
structed by Sir Anthony Rothschild also to state that be
did not believe that the prisoner really intended to do him
any violence, and he was desirous that he should be dealt
with leniently. It was very probable that, having heard of
the extreme charity that was practised by the prosecutor
and his brothers, the prisoner bad endeavoured to trade
upon their charitable feelings by sending these letters to
them.

The Common Serjeant observed that this was an aggrava-
tion of the prisoner's offence.
The prisoner repeated that he had no intention to do the
prosecutor any injury.
The Common Serjeant, in passing sentence, said that the
prisoner had been convicted of an offence which it ap-
to him was one of the most serious known to the
peered
The act of presenting a pistol at a man in the high-
way and demanding his money under • threat to shoot Min
was regarded as a very serious one, and many persons during
the last century had been executed for it, but he oonld not
help saying that it appeared to him that in some remade
the act of the highwayman was not so bad an offence as the
sending of letters of this description. The man who wee
stopped in the highway had an opportunity of resistance or
of escape, lint this was not the Casa when • threat of mar.
der or to do some act of violence was made is • letter, mid
the party to whom the threat au made was kept in • state
of perpetual terror, and his existence was rendered coo-
pletely miserable, bemuse he mold not tell whether the
threat might not be carried into execution at any moment.
The prisoner had represented that he did not really intend
to do any violence to the promentor, that in point of fact
he bad merely written a malicious lie, bat it appeared to
him that this did not make any difference, for it eras clear
that the person who receited the letter had no means of
knowing whether the writer really intended to carry out
his threat or not, and this fact did Out in his opinion in any
way alter the character of the offence. Hie lordship then
said that but for the merciful recommendation of
the prosecutor, he should have paned • much
more severe sentence than the one he was about
to pronounce. In charge, ef • similar charm-
, ter, although the threat was of a different descrip-
tioe judges generally paned a sestooto d pond ser-
vitude for life, and two prisoners had very rime* been
sentenced to that punishment for the affirm. He did nut
propose to go to that extent on the present occasion, but,
under all the circuoistancee, he feM Gil be should be neg-
lecting his duty to the public if h• did all pro • sen-
tence of some severity for so very serious as oast& He
then sentenced the prisoner to be kept in penal servitude
for five years.
Mr. Metadle said be thought he ought to mention that
the City constables employed in the case, Green and Scott,
had exhibited a good deal of tact and ingenuity in appre-
heeding and bringing the offence home to the prisoner.
The Common Serjeant said be concurred in the remarks
of thelearned couneal, and but for the dexterity exhibited
In these officers, the prisoaer, in all probability, would not
have been detected.

Three Pod-office letter-carriers, named Moult, &area, and
Morrie, pleaded guilty to charges of steeling letters con-
taining money and other property, and they were sentenced
to four years penal servitude.