The Express.
London, England, 1865-12-05 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURT&

MANSION-HOUSE.
William Eyre Arthur, lately a confidential clerk in
establishment of Messrs. Peek and CO., toe merchants,
Rood-lane and Liverpool, was brought before the Lord
Mayor for further examination upon the charge of
battling 4001. the otoeies: of his employers, there being
serious circumstance of aggravation in compaction with i
charge, that the prisoner was in the receipt of a salary
6001. a year, and that he bad been only a few months in
service of the prosecutors at the time his defakatioas •
discovered.
Mr. Humphreys, of the firm of Humphreys and Marga
of Newgate-street, who was instructed to prosecute, when
the prisoner had been plaited at the her addressed his lord
ship, and said that he wee aware of the nature of ti
charge that was brought against him, and that be was
mended for the purpose of affording an opportunity '
the production of further evidence. Stoop the
sonar had been in custody, however, the prosecutors
received letters from the wile of the prisoner and also r.
some of his relations, and it appeared that the prisoner's
wife was almost at the point of death, and believing
if the charge were persisted in that her death would be the
consequence, with a view to prevent the possibility of their
being considered in any way parties to such a melancholy
result, and upon that ground alone, they were desirous
withdraw from the prosecution. So far as his lordship •
concerned, he might state that the length to whirl
case was carried oo the former occasion was to allot
certain sumo of money had been received by the prisoner,
sad that he had not paid over those sums ; but there
not any direct evidence to show that the money
actually been received by the prisoner ; and, under R..
circumstances, he therefore hoped his lordship would permi
the prosecutors to withdraw from offering any fr-
evidence. He thought it right at the same time to
that the prosecutors were actuated by no other feelin
the matter than that of humanity, and that they had
received, sod did not expect to receive a single farthi
from the prisoner or any of his friends, on account -
deficiencies.
The Lord Mayor said that so far as he was concerned
case was not complete, and if the evidence that •
necessary to complete it was not produced there wet
end of the matter, and the prisoner must of course b
charged. At the lame time be thought be should .
going out of his way to say to the prisoner that be boa
a very narrow escape, and was very much indebted
the prosecutors for their humanity. His lordship at
same time observed that the prisoner was a young man,
he hoped be would retrieve his character, and that
bad now taken place, and the narrow escape he had
would be a warning to him for the rest of his life.
The prisoner, who appeared to be suffering acute
anguish, replied in a low tone that he hoped it would,
he was then ordered to be discharged from custody.
Two well-dressed young men, who gave the of
John Wilkins and 31 alter Watkins, were brought
custody of Sergeant Packman, a detective officer, charge..
with having committed a forgery upon the Leamington
Priors and Warwickshire Banking Company,st Lennior"
It appeared from the evidence of Packman that
previous afternoon, about half-pastl2o'clock, he went
shop of Mr. Montagu the money-changer in Corobi
found the prisoner Wilkins in the shop ; and Mr. Mr
handed to him three 101. notes of the Leami
Bank and a 51. note of the Warwickshire
ing Company, which be said the prisoner
to have changed, but which had been a.
on account of their being ter' of the produce of
gery. He asked Wilkins where he got the not from,
he replied that they had been given to him by some ',-
man with whom he had been living at Notting-bit.
put some other questions to the prisoner, the ateliers
which were not at all satisfactory, and he told him that
must go with him to the police.atatioa. As they ...
going along, the other prisoner (Watkins), who appeared
have been standing outside the shop, name up and spoke
Wilkins, and the latter then said that he was the
man who had given him the notes to get changed. 1
asked Watkins whether this was true, and he said
was, acid that he knew it was all right, as he had receive,
notes at the beak at Leamington himself on Saturday
He searched the prisoner Wilkins at the police-station,
found fifteen sovereigns and eight shillings woe . -
also a watch apparently new, and several other
which appeared to have been recently purchased.
Mr. John Lund deposed that he was superintendent
the Leamington police. and on Saturday lest he received
formation of a forgery having been committed at the 7
miegton Priors Batik, and he immediately took the r
eery measures to stop the notes that bad been paid
forged cheque. He knew both the prisoners, bat tl
given fake names ; the real name of Wilkins being
and that of Watkins being Watson.
In answer to spentise put by the Lord May.
Lund said that he had been re search of the primaries
Saturday, and from information be had received be .
up to London and gave information to the City polies,
FALL OF • RAILWAY VlADueg..--Tbe viaduct on very shortly afterwards be found them both is pootody.
the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway between Breathe's@ Mr. Nathaniel Merrillew, oar of the cambers of the I
and Thoophridge, near Helmfirth, fell on Sunday morn- otiorton Priors sad Warwiskabire &whip; Company,
leg. It coexisted of thirteen arches, and was 200 yards Leamington. deposed that a teatimes embed Hugh /Fr
long. The traffic IS, of course, entirely suspended. The kept an *omen% at that bank, and cm Saturday last • e
lass to the company will be great. The cause of the for BU. 10a. 6d., purporting to be nigsed by that pat'
disaster has tot been aiseertaina, but it is supposed the was presented at the beak by the miaow, Watkins,
foundations bad Imes weakened by a rivulet which runs paid it in eight of their owe Dote, for 101. each, aid
through the middle of the stakes.—Leeds Mercury. lamb. Whoa the rapes was peeeested. the -"

ever.
The jury returned • verdict for the plaintiff--danagee,