The Express.
London, England, 1853-01-07 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURTS.

MANSION HOUSE.

✓ohn Fowler, paid secretary to the London Philanthropic
Society, N 0.17, Ironmonger-lane, Cheapside, was brought
before the Lord Mayor uuder the following circumstances,
in investigating which his lordship was engaged during the
greater part of the day.
Mr. Humphrey appeared for tho rosecution ; Mr.
Wontaer for the defence. .

Mr. J. 11. Heaps, honorary secretary to the society, said
it was the prisoner's duty to attend the meetings of the
committee. On the 19th of October he attended the com-
mittee, and gave to me at the meeting the account pro-
duced for coals (41. 14s. Rd.), as due to Mr. Blackball. lie
also gave me the cheque-book, with a cheque filled up in
his writing for that amount, and I and two members of the
society signed it, and the chairman gave it in my presence
to the prisoner, whose duty it was to pay it to Mr. Black-
AWL The cheque has since been returned from the
beaker's as paid. On the 21st of December we bad
been examining the accounts of the society very
,Sonitly, and the prisoner said, "To be candid with you,
rintlemen, I have been making use of the society's
motley," and he took a paper from his pocket and read the
various names of the contractors fur whom ho bad had
cheques entrusted to him to pay, and the list was copied by
the chairman, Mr. Bathing, as the prisoner read the list.
The sum of 41. 14s. Bd. for Mr. Blackwell is one of the
SUMP. The chairman then read the list over to him, and
the prisoner said he was sorry that he had been obliged to
use the society's money, but he had au action, and was com-
pelled to do it. I produce tke minute book in which the
entry is made of the amount ordered to be paid, and also
the ledger in which the prisoner has credited himself with
the amount.
Cross-examined by Mr. Wontner—The prisoner was paid
101. a year and a commission of 10 per cent. on all donations
and new subscriptions' and d per cent. on old subscriptions.
lie also keeps the petty cash. I can't say when he was last
paid his salary or his commission. lam not aware that
there is a large sum due to him. I should say not 631. I
should rather think there is something due to him. I am
sure the prisoner has not frequently asked for money on ac-
count, and nut received it. He has not complained to me
that he was obliged to use the cheque for his own use, be-
cause he could not get paid his salary regularly. Some-
times two or three accounts wore included in one cheque,
and. then he would get the cheque cashed to pay the sepa-
rate accounts. lie received his instructions from the corn.
mittee as to the management of the affairs of the society.
On his re-examination, the witness said the prisoner

would have no authority 'to appropriate any money to hi.
own use, er pay himself out of any money with which he
was entrusted for another purpose.
Mr. J. Blackball, coal dealer, in John-street, Tottenham-
court-road, proved that the account produced was rendered
by him to the society for goods supplied ; that he had not
received the amount, and that ho had applied to the pri-
soner for it several times, and was about a month ago pro-
mised payment on the Saturday or Monday followiog.
Cross-examined—The prisoner had paid him twice in cash
and once by cheque.
There were three other tradesmen's cases in which the
payment of money was stated not tot ave been made, but
the foregoing particulars exactly describe their nature.
Mr. Weather contended that his client having been the
acting officer of the establishment, was authorised to exer-
cise his discretion in rendering it service ; and that having
found it necessary to change the cheques in the course of
his business, such a transaction could nut be construed into
• larceny.
The Lord Mayor said he could not dispose of ell;.rfr.s of
the kind in any other way than by sending them for 6u-et
investigation to a higher tribunal. His lordship then re..d
the paper preliminary to committal.
Tho prisoner—l have not defrauded any of them of a
penny, and if I had the opportunity of going through the
accounts 1 should have proved that I did not owe
perhaps more than a pound, which I could very well pay.
The Lord Mayor then said that he would accept of bail,
and
Tho prisoner was then formally committed for trial.
LAMBETH.

Applications were, yesterday, made to the Hon. G. C.
Norton by two or three parties who had been swinclW of
property by a person answering the description given of
Henry Goodshall Johnson, alias Captain Johnson, who
had been examined at this court on the day before on a
charge of heartlessly defrauding Mrs. Stewart, a widow
lady at Islington, of 1,0001., and the particulars of a% host
examination appeared in the Express of yesterday, the
applicants wishing to see that individual at 11orsemonger-
lane Oaol for the purposes of identification.
Mr. Norton told the applicants that the cue was not his,
but one which had been heard before his colleague, Mr.

Elliott, and therefore he did not wish to interfere or give
any order on the subject ; but, as the object of the parties
was merely that of identification, he had no doubt that on
an application at the prison the proper otlicer there would
permit them to see the accused.

MOT AND MURDER AT A MIDNIGHT MASS.—
Some dispute having arisen at the midnight mass, which
took place the night before Christmas-day, at Bromout
(Buy-de-Dome), the cure ordered the offcndiig parties to
leave the church. No one having stirred, he asked fur the
names of the rioters, and then insisted that the persons
' named should leave the congregation. After the service,
the persons so expelled waited outside the church to take
revenge on the young man who had mentioned their names
to the cure, but he, being aided by his brother, contrived
to get off. These two young moo were hurrying off, when,
in turning a street, they met a man named 13ournichon,
who wu coming hastily in the opposite direction, with a
knife in his hand, to the succour of his servant, whom some
ono had represented to him to have been attacked. The
two young men supposing that Bournichon was coming to
attack them took up a heavy stone, and struck him with it
right in the centre of the stomach, and killed him instan-
taneously. The two brothers were taken into custody in
the course of the day, and six other penons were afterwards
arrested for having been concerned an the riot.