The Express.
London, England, 1853-05-17 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURTS.

MANSION-HOUSE.

Gabriel Sans Carnal, who has been in custody for some
days upon a charge of having uttered a forged letter of
credit, by increasing the sum of 2101. to 5,2101 , was again
brought up in custody of Thane, the detective officer, and
placed at the bar, before Alderman Wire, for further exami-
nation. _ _ _

Mr. ilulleas said, that on the former occasion, in the
presence of the Lord Mayor, he had charged the prisoner
with unlawfully attempting to obtain, by false pretences,
from the Union Bank of London, the sum of five hundred
pounds; that he had shown his friend, Mr. Wontner, a
copy of the depositions which were then taken, but thought
it desirable that the evidence should be read over, as it
would be necessary to put to Mr. Debenham a few addi-
tional questions.
Mr. Debenham was then called, and his former depo-
sitions having been read, he was further examined as
follows:—The letter of credit, number 41, was in favour of
the prisoner, Gabriel Sans Gurat. The whole amount I
paid him was 1001. I produce the cheques which the pri-
soner signed for the 1001. I saw him sign these cheques.
I have my letter of advice from New York. 1 filled up the
cheques produced for the prisoner to sign. Each of
these cheques purports to be drawn against Messrs.
Duncan and Shearman's letter of credit, No. 41.
Before I paid any money upon that. letter of credit I com-
pared it with my letter of advice, with which it cone-
sponded. The Union Bank have paid upon the order of
Gabriel Sans Garret the whole of the 2101. mentioned in
that letter of credit. I produce the bills drawn by the pri-
soner against that letter of credit, amounting, with the
three cheques, to 2101. I saw him sign the three cheques.
There are five bills. I believe the signature to these bills,
" Gabriel Sans Garret," to be the signature of the same
person who signed the cheques. The dates are as follow :
Berlin, 4th January, 1863, 251. ; Berlin, 6th January, 10/. ;
St. Petersburg, 18th January, 401 ; Moscow, 17th January,
261. ; Moscow, 24th January, 101. All these bills upon the
face of them purport to be drawn against Duccan and
Shearman'a letter of credit, No. 41. When I paid the 100!.
I returned the letter of credit to the prisoner.
Mr. Woatner—The letter of credit is exhausted, is
it not ? _ .

Witness—lt is.
Mr. Wontner—Supposing you had paid the 2101. instead
of the 1001. ; what should you have done with the letter of
credit ? Should you hantlept it ?
Witness—The instructions to correspondents are for the
party paying the last amount upon the list of credit to de
kin it. _ _

Mr. Wontner—And yon would have lone the ume, of
course, if you had paid the whole amount of the credit ?
Witness—Yes.
Mr. Wontner—You have only seen one letter of credit?
Witness—Only one in favour of Gabriel Bans Garrat's
credit—that was a letter of credit for 2101.

Mr. Wontner—Has that letter of credit been through the
hands of one of your correspondents ?
Witness—ft hu been through the hands of A. Mare and
Co., of Moscow, who are the correspondents of Duncan,
Sbearman, and Co., of New York.
Mr. Mullen—lf, when Merin. Mare and Co. saw that
letter of credit, it purported to be for a larger sum than
2101., they would not nave detained it ?
Witness—No.
Mr. Mullens—But would have given it back to the person
' who presented it to them
Witness—Yes. - _ -

Mr. Mullein—Have you received any advioe from Mews.
Duncan, Bhearman, and Co. to pay money to Gabriel Sans
Garret except that letter of credit No. 41 ?
Witness—Never. _ _ _

Kr. Alderman Wire—ls it the custom of those who issue
these letters of credit to advise all the correspondents, or
only the Union Bank?
Witness—Only our own bank.

lik;.Aldermiiii Wire—Then the parties on the Continent
to whom that letter is addressed would not see the advice
as to the amount.___Witnef—No.

Mr. Alderman Wire—They would only see what was to
be advanced nom the letter of credit itself. Witness—
Yes.
Mr. Mullen. said he would now proceed to examine wit-
nesses upon the subject of the Berlin bill.
M. Alexis Maratha's: was then sworn and ex-
amined through an interpreter, as follows: I am
'in the service of Messrs. Shickler Brothers, bankers,
at Berlin. On the 2nd March last the prisoner was at
our bank; I am quits sure he is the parson. Messrs.
Shickler and Co. are the correspondents of Messrs. Duncan,
Shuman, and Co., of New York. They pay money upon
Meters. Duncan, Shearman, and Co.'s general letters of
credit against bills of exchange drawn upon the Union
Bank of London. On the 2nd March the prisoner received
from Messrs. Shiekler the sum of 5001. sterling against
the bill now produced. I saw the prisoner sign the
bill, which is dotal Berlin, 2nd March, 1853,
for 5001., upon the Union Bank of London, to the
order of Messrs. Shickler Brothers, on account of Music.
D. end Co.'s letter of credit, No. 41, and it is signed Ga-
briel Sans Garret. I did not see the letter of credit which
is referred to in the bill. The money was paid to the pri-
soner upon the faith alibis bill, which is filled up by one of
Messrs. Shickler's junior clerks, named Schulte, except the
signature. According to the practice of our bank, the
letter of credit would be shown to Mr. Schultz, who would
not make out a bill of exchange for a larger sum than the
letter of credit. I make the bill out according to the in-
structions I get from the principal. The letter of credit
would be delivered to Mr. Schultz by the cashier, in
order that he might endorse upon it the amount of money
paid. The prisoner remained on the day in question
in the presence of one of the principals and myself, at
the hack; the money was brought into that room and paid
to the prisoner, and there the prisoner signed the bill before
receiving the money. The first endorsement is by Mr.
Shickler to Mr. Drury, the manager at Berlin of the Imps-
. vial Continental Gas Association.

?dr. Wootaer—ls it the practice of the hotuo to keep a
copy of the letter of credit ?
Witnesa—No. . . _

Mr. Isaac Walton—l am clerk to the Imperial Conti-
nental Gas Association at their offices, No. 7, White Hart-
court, Lombard-street. Mr. Leonard Drory is the manager
of the Association at Berlin. The signature L. Drory,
upon the bill produced is in Mr. Drory's handwriting.
The directors of the Association endorsed the bill to Messrs.
Spooner, Attwood and Co.
Mr. W. M. Holmes—l am clerk to Messrs. Overend,
Gurney and Co. On the Sth of March last, I was in the
service of Mr. George Michael Harrison, a notary. On
that day I, on behalf of Messrt Spooner, Attwood and
Co., presented the bill produced to the Union Bank of
London, when the answer I received was, " the credit,
No. 41, against which this bill is drawn, is all paid."
Mr. Debenham recalled:
Mr. Wontner—You stated that you only pay upon these
letters of credit when you have received advice from
Messrs. Duncan, Shearman, and Co.
Witness—Yes.

14;.Wentneri-Not till you have received advice.
Witness—We should not dishonour their signature
although we had not received advice.
Mr. Wontner—But supposing a letter of credit bad been
issued appsrently by Messrs. Duncan, Showman and Co.,
and you had received no advice when it was presented,
should you not defer until you had received advice ?
Witness—That would be a ease for nur discretion ; it
would not be in the ordinary course of business; but such a
case has never occurred.

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Mr. Womner—You have never paid any of Messrs. Dun-
can, F Spearman, and Co.'s letters of credit till you have re-
ceived advice from them?

Witaess—No.