The Express.
London, England, 1849-09-24 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURTS.

GUILDHALL,

CHARGE OP SWINDLING.—CharIes Thomas, a well-
dressed man, who bas several aliases, was charged with frau-
dulently obtaining fancy silk goods, to the amount of
401 17s. Ild., from Mr. Hellaby, of" No. 7, Hazgin-lane,
stock, brace, and belt manufacturer. Mr. Walk,-r, from the
office of Messrs. Mardon and Prichsrd, appeared to I 'weenie
on behalf of the City of London Trades' Protection Elooirgy ;
and Mr. Beard, from Mr. Buchanan's office, defended the
pri.once.
Mr. Walka mid the prieona had obtained goods from
various tradesmen ir the names of James Thomas. Thomas
Brandon, Thomas Hogg, &c., but as the mama had only
bern apprdsmded that morning, ne would at present only
produce sufficient evidence to justify a unread, as there had
not been sufficient time Co get all the witnesses necessary to
go fully into the inquiry.
Mr. Farrar, traveller to Mr. Hellabv, stMed that he called
at the prisoner's house, No. 20, Clarence street, Greenwich,
and solicited an order, when he gave him a re'erence to Mr.
Jam e Bickham, of No. 6, Noel-street, Dunearsterrace,
Clcv-road, whom he stated to be a gentleman keeping his gig
and servant, and in good circumstances. Witness went to
the address and saw Mr. Bickham. who said Mr. Thomas
was a highly respectable man, and in confirmation of that
fact gave witness the document produced :
6, Noel.etreet, Duncan-terrace.
Sir,-1 know Mr. Thomas Is a respectable men, and you are quits
earls in any transaction you may have with hist.—Your,
T. Bicanms.

Witness called about six weeks since at No. 6,llMiTstreet,
and found the house empty, and was informed that Mr.
Bah= had absconded, after swindling most of the trades-
men of the neighbourhood. Witness saw the prisoner car-
rying on busies*, is Clarence-street and Nolsorrtreet,
Greenwich, up to Wedneseay last, sines which time he had
taken away the whole of the property, hut where to had not
yet been found. The prisoner was apprehended that morn.
ing at No. 4, Eaenezarrow, Bermondsey, at a private house,
where there wee little or no furniture, and about half •
dozen bonnets, but none of the goods Mr. Beßaby had sup-
plied were there.
Mr. Thirtell, from the firm of Messrs. Vyse and Bons,
' merchants and straw hat manufacturers, Cripplegate-build-
ings, stated that the prisoner had obtained • quantity of
goods from his employers in the name of Thome. iiogg, and
he gave as a reference • Mr. Wills, of Maze-pond. On cal-
irg there, the house and furniture appeared to be repect.
able, and there was an old brass plre on the door, and the
reference was considered good. As, however, the money
woo not forthcoming, • call was made • day or two after-
wards at Mr. Wills's house, when it was found that the bird
had flown, but not before favouring some of the tradespeople

with orden.
The prisoner was then remanded until Tuesday next, cud
bsil for Lis appearance was refused.
LAMBETH.

ETIHNSIVE ROBEEHtia IN DUBLIN DURING THE QUEEN'S
VlSlT.—Samuel How, a man of respectable appearance, was
placed at the bur on a charge of being concerned with a
person named Juin Shea, in stealing a Sank post bill of the
Bank of Ireland for 601. Mr. Games attended on behalf of
the prisoner.
The evidence in the ease was taken at some length, hut
the brief facts are these;—On Wednesday • bank post bill
for 6 .1., No. 62,712, date July 27, 1849, and issued by the
Bask of Ireland, was changed at the hullizn office of ?dears
Spielmann, Adam, ant Co., 10. Lombard street, City, by a
person who gave the name of I he Thomas, who repre-
sented himself as the landlord of the Windsor Castle public-
house, in Reps Town, Kt nt-road. On the same day Mr.
Spielman' forwarded the note to his correspondent in
Dublin, and en Friday afternoon he received it back,
with the words "stopped," "stolen," stamped on the
front of it, end from the letter of Mr. Spielmann's cor•
respondent it appeared that it was on'y one of a vast
number of notes that had been ant back to London
under similar circumstances, and which had been stolen fecm
different ineividusis during her Majesty's late visit. The
case was put into the hands of Henry Laws, the constable
belonging to the bankers' clearing-house, and he lost no time
in looking after the parties connected with the transaction.
On going to the Windsor Cis le, he found it was kept by
Mr. Gurney, and not "John Thomas ;" but, from informa-
tion which he had got from the human there, and also
from the postman of the district, he discovered that the
note had been changed by a Mr. John Shea, residing at 10,
Alex •nder-street, Church-field', in the neighbourhood ; and
he, in contequence, went in search of that person. On
knocking at the door and making for Seise, his wife said
he was not at home ; but while speaking to her the pri-
soner left the house, and went to No. 1 in the game
a.reet, which turned out to be his own residence. The coo-
stable followed him there, and inquired about Mr. Shea, and
also his business at .he house. The prisoner replied that he
bad only gone there for the purpose of allowing him to
pack up same things, and that immediately before the
officer arrived Mr. Shea had gone out to procure some cord
to tie up his things with. He also expressed some surprise
at hearing the nature of the charge against SheaNind said
that if he should meet him he would give him into custody.
He then went away, and returned some time after, when he
informed Mr. Spielman he had got the money. The pl-
- then wont into the house of Shea, acoomponied by
Mr. Spielmann, and followed by the constable, and he then
read a note to Mrs. Shea, which purported to come from
her husband, stating that be had pent the money to get the
post bill back, and that he should bring an action against
some/sere', who were not named to recover its amount.
The constable endeavoured to secure this note, but wet un-
able, and during the scuffle the prisoner drew a hand'ul s I
sovereigns from his pocket and threw them on the floor,
saying, "There, Mn. Shea, take these, they arzergioitssr
so‘
money." The constable, however, picked up 46
enured the pelt/osier, and took him to the statioalottee. Oa
tearching the house of Shea he found a carpet bag full of
clean linen, and articles of wearing apparel, packed up and
locked ready to betaken away. He alto found two great coats,
one of which tithes had on when he got the note changed, and in
the pocket of the other was a bunch consisting of 11 skeleton
keys, so that there could be little doubt that Shea intended
to start on his travels oaths same evening, and had not calcu-
lated upon Mr. Spielmann receiving an answer from Dublin
before Saturday morning.
In hie crowisexamination by Mr. Games, the constable said
the only thing suspicious which he had observed at the house
of the prisoner was a vice and several files, and these he cer-
tainly thought whet odd imnlements at the house of a
"Ipntlentan," particularly after finding the skeleton keys in
the house of his friend. Mr. Games submitted that there
was no ease against his client, inumuch as there was no
proof that the note had actually been stolen, and said that all
he had done was to sane a large funny to keep them out of
trouble.
Yr. Elliott dimmed that' his ermduet in the transaction
was such as to lead to the inference that he was an accessory
attar the fact, and remanded him to a future day. On the
application of his solicitor he was, however, admitted to bail.
DiTALCATION OP a.-POOR ZITS COLLECTOR.—A warrant
was applied for by the members of the board of hithways far
the narish of St. Mang. Newington, and granted, to dig- I
imam upon the goods of Kr. Richard Ellis Clusesensan, the
so >Ueda of the highway rite, for a sum of 2271. I& 10d ,
the meant of defalcation. Mr. Chememan, it was also said, •
is a defaulter on hie poor rate collection to upwards of 6001
For the latter sum, it appears, the parish officers of Newing-
ton have ample security. but so high did his character stand,
that the commissioners for the highway did not think it
neceinuy to exact additional sureties and the amount at do-
faleetioa wEI, therefore, fall upon the ratepayers.