The Express.
London, England, 1853-01-08 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURTS.

MANSION HOUSE.

Mr. B. Lamar, shopman to Messrs. Benson, jewellers,
of Cernbill, was brought up for final examination upon
the charge of having obtained from Mr. Ward the sum of
31. 10s. for a watch chain, under the false pretence that it
was gold.
The justice-room was crowded with members of the trade
and gentlemen, who seemed to take a deep interest in the
case. Mr. Parry, instructed by Mr. Humphreys, appeared
for the prosecution; Mr. Clarkson, instructed by Mr. Rob-
le:, for die defence.
Mr. Parry, in stating hew he intended to shape the ease
the isedingrahMbriems Kim evidence in which have been
already , said that Mr. Ward was the son of •
rfasweeigadeeetable member of the Stock Excheage ; that
, who sold the chain, was understood to be a
thllhl judge of the artielee which the house disposed of
and aeasoottently a penes fa a 'audition of perfect reopen-
Utility, under the gaieties eireumstancu; that the question
before the hes& most le felt to be of weighty
importance, both 10 the prieener and his employers,
and that it would certainly have been much
more desirable to have the latter in the place
of the accused individual, who acted no doubt
upon their authority and for their benefit. It bad been,
the learned counsel said, already proved that the article
which had been sold was composed of very discreditable
materials and ingredients ; that although stated to be all
meld, it was principally compooed of base metal, and as
OW prisoner's employen could not by the force of the evi-
dence be challenged with the offence, it was found neces-
sary for the protection of the public, to adopt the alterna-
tive of proceeding against the servant. It was the inten-
tion to call before his lordship a party who had assayed the
chain and found that two-thirds of it were base, and that
sae-third alone bad any intrinsic value. He would say, in
the presence of the numerous tradesmen around, that
the case decidedly was • cue of fraud. If • tradesman
sold, as the best silk, an article which was of silk, but
inferior quality, then the doctrine of caveat env-
ier" might came in as to tki judgment of the buyer ;
but if that tradesman chose to sell for silk a piece of cotton
or worsted, made up in imitation of silk, there could be no
doubt of his criminal responsibility. The learned counsel
thenquoted" The King v. Ball," in which case the prisoner
offered thimbles made of base metal as silver ; another cue
in which electro-plated articles were the cause of convic-
tion, and in which Mr. Clarkson had been engaged, with
himself and • third, in which the prisoner pawaed rings as
geld which had no claim to the character • and he said he
womb' show that Mr. Ward had been defrauded to a con-
tamable extent. lie did not ask the Lord Mayor to say
Mutton prisoner was guilty, or that Messrs. Benson sold
illesklest articles ; but he would say that it was most im-
periled{ to the trade and to the public, that goods should
meths falsely ticketed, and that it was necessary to send
the important question before another tribunal. Mr. Parry
dile laid he had only one witness to add to those who had
given evidence upon the first examination.
Mr. (leo. Richard Johnson said—l am an assayer of bul li
-
lion and a partner in the firm of Johnson and dons,
of Neu 6 end 7, G sham-street West. I received part of a
chain—two links. It came in the name of Barber and
Smith. I believe it was from Mr. Thomas. It was not
confined to the two links. It was about an inch of the
chain. I have assayed it. The part produced by Mr.
Thomu appears to be put of the same chain. If a chain
L brought to assay, I should take • link or two of it, coa-
-1 sklering that would be a fair sample of the chain. The
Asia was only assayed for gold, and therefore I can't tell
what the alloy was—probably it was partly silver. The
nerd links were assayed together, and the ornamental
links in another assay. I took them together because the
variance was not very important, and did not amount
M more than four shillings an ounce. I found this
WI chain fourteen carats, one grain and a half lower
ilia the standard, which would be equal to three ounces,
*lien yweights, and six grains in the troy
IFine gold would be worth four pounds six 'WI-
;11 mum. I refer to pare gold. By fine gold I mega
FIN Oft There are ether sorts of gold. Watch tom
ono Mk el eighteen carats geld but gold chains are mead
of sal sorts and qualities of gold. It is difficult to say what's
a gold chain. I never saw • gold chain with the Hall
meek is say reeolleetion. What are meant in the trade by
:erialdda are, I presume, chains that are coloured,
shad brought up to • surface. There are no
et pure gold with the exception of the Maltese
ehrinie, whisk have little or no alloy in them.
Mt. Clezioma said it was quite palpable from the mane
Mina in the cone in preparing the depositions which had
been made as the former examination from the signatures
of the whams, that it was the determination of the
Lord Mayor to send the as for trial to another
court. It would therefore be useless for him to say
one word in defence at the present moment. He would
have en opportunity elsewhere of exposing the object and
aims of the gross and unfounded charge which had been
made to prejudice as much as possible the characters of the
gentlemen of the respectable firm he represented. lie
knew all about the matter, and he would take care that
all should come out in due time. It was obvious that an
unfair desire to prejudice the case existed, from the fact
that a person in the court, who was interested in the prose-
cution, had applauded the attack made by his learned
friend upon the employers of the young gentleman who
was the immediate object of accusation. It was obvious,
too, that the false charge had sprung in a great measure
out of the jealousy of base able and successful tradesmen.
- -

The Lord Mayor said he was not aware of the lent unfair
play upon the part of any individual. The gentleman who
had expressed his approbation of the remarks of the learned
counsel for the prosecution, was evidently unaccustomed to
the forms of a court, and bad done so inadvertently. With
regard to the committal of the prisoner, the impression
upon the mind of the bench upon hearing the simple, but
strong, testimony of Mr. Ward, that the prisoner said the
chain " was not the but gold, not of the purest quality, but
it was all gold," was, that a jury ought to decide the use.
Ile had no doubt that a fair conclusion would be ultimately
arrived at, and he trusted that the character of the firm, the
respectability of which he had tic reason to question, would
be clearly established.
Mr. Clarkson said he supposed the Lord Mayor would be
satisfied with Mr. Lamude's own security for his appear-
ance at the Central Criminal Court ?
Mr. Parry offered no objection to the bail, and the Lord
Mayor read the usual words previously to committal.
The Prisoner—" I wish, my lord, to make an obser-
vation." . . . .

Kr. Clarkson immediately intarpoesd his &deka, and the
prima than said " 1 reams my defence for my trial."

itimbpviWlJOH-STREET.
utmarine Johnson, who stood remanded on suspicion of
being accessory to various robberies, alleged to have been
committed by her husband, an Am
w erican, in which jewel-
lery to the amount of about 1,6001. as taken from the pre-
mises of Messrs. Hunt and Haskell, jewellers, New Bond-
street, was brought before Mr. Bingham for final exam&
nation.
The case stood over for further evident*, the police hav-
ing hopes of getting hold of the husband who bad made his
way to Paris, and from thence to some other part of the
continent. The only evidence against the accused was that
some articles of jewellery resembling some of the stolen pro-
perty had been seen in her possession, and that her hus-
band had pawned at Messrs. A ttenborough's shop, in New-
Ift,ton-causeway, two of the stolen rings.
The magistrate was informed that no further evidence
was forthcoming.
Mr. Humphreys for the prosecution, and Mr. Lewis for
the prisoner, were present, but made uo observation.
Mr. Bin,tham said application had been made in the first
instance to him, and the cue had afterwards been investi-
gated by Mr. Hardwick, who was unavoidably absent that
day on public business, but who had communicated with
him, and had expressed his opinion that the charge could
not be sustained unless further evidence was brought for-
ward. He had read through the notes of the case, and he
coincided with the view of his colleague. lie must there-
fore discharge the prisoner.