The Express.
London, England, 1853-11-16 00:00:00

THB POLICE COURTS.

—As--
MANSION-HOUSE.
Robert Prescott, an intelligent lad, aged sixteen years,
waa brought before the Lord Mayor upon the following
maim charge.
Miss Louisa Weston said—l keep • chophouse at No. 11,
Finehdane, which goes by the name of " Louisa's chop-
house." I do not know the prisoner, and never to my
knowledge saw him before last night, when he was in the
Mallets-boom. I received the letter I now produce y•ster-
day morning, at half'-pats eleven o'clock, and communicated
its ciontents to some friends, by whose advice I applied to
the police, and an arrangement wee made to send a parcel
to the address mentioned in the letter. I addressed the
parcel myself. This is the parcel.
Bassett (Detective 593)—The letter alluded to having
been placed in my hands, I went to Mist Weston's residence
about 4 o'clock, and arranged that the parcel should be sent
to the coffee-house named in the letter. It was
delivered by • boy, whom Bduionds, another °Meer,
and I followed to the coffee-house at Storm's-end, in the
Borough, to which it was directed. I spoke to the land-
lord upon the subject, and waited till within a quarter to 6
o'clock. The prisoner came in at that time, and said he
called Lr a parcel which was directed to a person named
Jackson. The parcel wee at once given to the prisoner by the
landlord, who referred him to me, saying you must speak to
that gentleman before you go. The prisoner turned towards
the door, as if he wished to escape, bat I brought him back.
There was another lad waiting outside, who, he said, was
hie companion, and for whom the parcel was. I said you
had better step inside and write me out a receipt for
it. He accordingly wrote " Received from Mr. Bas-
sett a parcel left at the Criterion Coffee-house,
Robert Whildtmith." At the same time I suggested
to the other lad that he had better sign the
receipt else, and the prisoner having whispered to him
not to sign in his own name, but to sign " George Banks,"
he did so. I then said to the prisoner, " Where are you
going to take that parcel to ?" "Oh," said he, "to Ken-
Magian." I then said, "We are two police Morn and
charge you with endeavoturing to extort money of Miss
Weston sending her a threatening letter." The pri-
soner said the lad who was with him knew nothing at all
about it ; that he, himself, wrote the letter, and seat it by a
boy. I prodoesd the letter, and he said he wrote it at
home, and nobody was with him at the time. In the even-
ing I went with the prisoner to Kennington Church to
search for a man be spoke of as the person for whom the
parcel was intended, but we Law nobody like the man he
described, and the policeman on the ,pot said he had seen
no one of the description.
Here the letter addressed by the prisoner, and delivered
to Mira Weston, was read. It was as follows;
" Madame—l am truly sorry to trouble you, but lam
very much in want of a little money. The fast is, I know
your secret, and, unless you wish to be the laughing stock
of a parcel of waiters, and a thing to be despised by those
who do not sell their virtue, you will send me the sum of
71. 10s. Madame, it may be some satisfaction to you to
know, that I have spent more than 100 times the sum I
demand of you, in your house ; and I promise that it shall
be faithfully repaid in three weeks from this time. But re-
member, madame, if I do not receive the money this emp-
ires I premise that you shall rue it before to-morrew's sun
sets. You need not fear being again troubled by me, as
I shall in • few months set rail for America. You must
make a bundle. of it, as though it was clothes, and if the
bearer waits give it to him. If this comes per poet, direct to
Richard Jackson, Criterion Coffee-house, Stone's-end,
Borough, London. If you are so foolish as to try and brave
me out, you will very noon see the effect of my tongue on
your business. Yours, to command, if you choose,
7Acasow."

Edmonds, the detective officer, confirmed the evidence
of Bassett' end added u tollows:—.' The prisoner said the
gentlentanhe was to meet at Kennington Church told tim
what to write to Etas Weston, and he went home end wrote
what was dictated to him."
___

W. Simpson, • genteel youth, clerk to • merchant in
Walbrook, said, "The prisoner's mother is housekeeper at
our offices, and I occasionally see him there. I have known
him about months. I know nothing of Miss Weston,
and n saw or heard of her before last night at the
station-house. Yesterday I was about leaving the office at
a quarter past five o'clock, when I met him at the door.
Be said he was going to Newington Causeway to see a
secondhand piano he was about baying, and we walked
together. It was the first time we ever walked together.
When we got to the Criterion Coffee•house he said, " Wait
• little. I want to inquire it a parcel is left for me." When
I went inside and was asked to sign my name to the re
ceipt, which I did not understand, the prisoner said to me,
"Do sot sign your own name, alga George Barnes." I
did sign George Barnes, but the moment after, perceiving
that I had done what was wrong, 1 told the officers that it
was sot my name, and that the prisoner also had signed a
WNW name.
The Lord Mayor then read the usual words preliminary
to committal, and asked the prisoner whether he bad any
observations to make ?

TM prisswr—l have, my lord. The evidence which
has been just read is rather imperfect. The officer never
showed me the letter, nor told me the charge on which I
was taken ; and I do not doubt if I had been at Kenning-
ton at half-past 7 is the evening, I would have discovered
the man who instigated me to write the letter, but it was
half-put 7 when we were passing the Town hall. I met
that person several times, and he told me be had lost hundreds
in this house, and that it was the means of his ruin; that if
he could get a few pounds, he might go to America, where
he had a little property, and he begged me to write the
letter. His excuse was that he had St. Vitus's dance in his
head, so that he could not for any length of time hold a
pen. Not once, or twice, or thrice did he prompt
me to do this, but he pleaded poverty, dogged my foot-
steps wh I went, and at last, without intending to
gain one farthing by it, I consented.
The prisoner was then committed for trial.
A labouring man, employed at the alterations now taking
pine at the Excise-office, Old Broad-street, was charged
with having stolen a quantity of new lead while employed
at his work.

Carrington, an overlooker of the men, stated that yester-
day the prisoner was leaving his work, and, as usual with
witness, he would insist upon the prisoner, as well as others,
being 'ruched before leaving. In his pockets was found a
quantity of new lead taken from the roof of the building.
He gave the defendant tam custody.
TM Lord Mayor salted the primmer for his defame.
The Oman said that ea proLetlisd,fresa his work he
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