The Express.
London, England, 1847-03-04 00:00:00

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.

OLD COURT—Adore the Chief herein& Mr. bates Coltman.
Upon the application of Mr. Clarkeen, the court post-
poned the trial of Dr. Cronin for wAselaughter until next
session.
TMs POLICE AND THE MINT Aurnohrrise—John Ash-
ford, 28, and Mary Anne Davis, 24, were indicted for felo-
niously having in their posseesion a mould calculated to
make counterfeit coin.—Mr. Doane, for the prosecution, said
this case was one of the ordinary description, with this ex-
ception that the prisoners had mid, at the time they were
apprehended, and ever eine* persisted in the statement,
that they had been entrapped by the officers. The jury
would hear the evidence, and would then say whether it was
probable that men, who had for many years borne a respect-
able character, should be guilty of such conduct as that im-
puted to them.—Serjeant Brennan, of the G division, was
then examined ; and he deposed that, on the 24th February,
he went, accompanied by three other constables named
Harley, Swanson, and Hawkins, to a house in Smith's-court,
Drury-lane. They went up stain and broke open the door
of one of the rooms, and found the two prisoners in lied.
Ile told them they were officers, upon which the woman said
immediately, with an oath, " They will plant something."
He searched the nom, and found • plaster of Paris mould
and a pipkin, which appeared to have been on the fire, and
to have contained metal. He then produced the articles.—
Mr. Payne, for the prisoners : I suppose you will not tell
us who the informer was ; but how did you come to be sent
to this place? Brennan said he went in pursuance of
written instructions from the Mint solicitor.—ln answer to
further questions from the learned counsel, the setjeant
said that officers, who were witnesses for the Mint, were not
paid according to the usual scale, but received as much as
five and seven shillings a day for their attendance.—The
Chief Baron asked the witness whether he received seven
shillings a day for his attendant* at the court ,—He replied
that he did.—The Chief Baron then inquired whether
he received that sum in addition to his pay u ser.
joint of police; and he replied in the affirmative.—
His lordship inquired of him how it was that the Mint
paid ro large a sum?—The oerjrant replied that he did not
know why, but it was the usual custom.—The Chief Baron
asked him the amount of his pay ? —The serjeant replied,
245. per week.—The Chief Baron And the Mint pay you
nearly double, when you are employed by them!—Harley,
another constable, confirmed Brennan as to the finding of the
mould, and said, in addition, that the female prisoner de-
clued that he had taken the mould from his pocket —ln
answer to a question by Mr. Payne, it appeared that they drove
the door in with a sledge-hammer, although, when the officers
got into the room, they found it had only been fastened
by two chairs being placed against it. The landlord of the
house in which the occurrence took place was then exam-
mined, and he proved that the room was hired by the female
prisoner several months before, and he knew nothing of the
man.—Mr. Field, the inspector of coin to the Mint, proved
that the mould produced was one that might be used fat
making counterfeit sixpences.—His lordship then addressed
the jury ; and in the coulee of his observations said he could
not understand how such a mode of payment of eritarseee by
the Mint had originated ; but he must express his opinion
that it was highly improper. Ile could not see why a
person, who was in the service of the public as •
police-officer, should receive double the amount of
hie pay in that capacity when 'engaged as a witness for the
Mint ; end, although he would not go the length of awing
that it would induce men to commit the horrible crime of
getting up case* sgainst innocent parties for the take of ob-
taining that additional allowance, yet, so far as his ex-
perience went as a criminal judge, he must say that he did
not think it este for persons in that capacity to be so paid by
the Mint ; and he said this in the hearing of the authorities
of that establishment, because he thought it was a prac-
tice that should be discontinued. The jury immediately
returned • verdict of Net Guilty ; and the foreman said that
the jury entirely concurred in the observations of his lord-
ship with regard to the mode adopted by the Mint of paying
the witnesses ; and trusted it would not be acted upon in
future.

NEVI COURT.—Before the Recorder snit Mr. fawnludo:ter Bullock.
MAIZE HILL AFFAlR.—lienry Coleyale,l7, a sailor, John
Jones, 18, a sailor, and George PAillips, were indicted for
stealing several articles, the property of Edward Newman
and Thomas Page Baker. The prisonen in this case, it will
be remembered, were some time ago found, under suspicious
I end singular cireumstanees, in alearern under Maize-hill, in

rheenwich-park. A quantity of art.;-les were found con-
ceals,: in that cave, part of which formed the subject of this
ctme.,t. They had been recognised as having been
stolen from the Greenwich Naval School; but there was
no direct evideztm that the prisoners were the actual thieves.
Mr. Commissioner Bullock, in summing up, said the jury
were not called upon to say for what purpose the prisoners
had concealed themselves in this cavern : that was quite
irrelevant to the case. The jury had to my whether the
pruners stole certain articles found therein, and he (the
learned judge) could not see any evidence upon which the
jury could convict the prisoners. Verdict, Not Guilty.