The Express.
London, England, 1862-08-26 00:00:00

THE ,EXPRESS, TUESDAY EVENING, AUGUST 26, 1862.

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

Milesettiendwin, 23, tailor, was indicted for burglary
and robbery of silver articles to the value of 4501., com-
mitted on the premises of Messrs. Burton, in thford-street.
The prisoner had lodged in an attic at 9, Newman street,
and on the night of the 9th June he entered the adjoining
premises of Masan. Burton, through a trap-door in the root.
Us was subsequently traced to another lodging in Clerken-
well. where the police fazed the box in which the silver
bad been carried off, and marks of the metal were discovered
in it by means of a powerful magnifier.
The prisoner was found Guilty, and former convictions
having been proved against him, he was sentenced to penal
servitude for ten years.
SECOND COURT.
(Before Mr. Payne.)
_ _ _

Edward ridsioell, 25, clerk, was indicted for stealing the
sum of 2001. and upwards, the moneys of Mews. Sheol-
bred, of Tottenham-court-n;(1, his masters. He pleaded
guilty, and the court considering it a very aggravated came,
sentenced the prisoner to six years' penal servitude.

THE POLICE COURTS.

BOW-STRFAT.

Stiffest lifsearthy, a respectable-looking man, whir war
said to have been formerly a solicitor, was charged with
stealing six books from the reading-room of the British
Museum, where he had been in the habit of attending as a
reader.
Mr. Poland attended as counsel for the Museum to con-
duct the prosecution ; Mr. Morris defended.
Mr. Poland, in opening the case, stated that the prisoner
bad lately been indicted and convicted for bigamy, in marry-
ing a lady—Mies Mary Anne O'Brien—his former wife being
now alive. In the course of those proceedings the prisoner
wrote a letter to Mr. Miller, who was Miss O'Brien 's solici-
tor though not engaged in the prosecution for bigamy,
which was conducted by Messrs. Lewis and Lewis. That
letter was as follows :—"2, Caroline-street Bart, Camden-
town, August 7, 1862. Sir,-1 venture to trespass on your
kindness to ask the favour of your either preferring the re-
quest yourself or forwarding this note to 3n, Westbouros-
place, that certain book, and manuscripts, with some other
things fairly minq and of much moment to me, may be
forwarded by Ferule delivery. A hat-box and an old carpet-
bag, both containing MSS., with a small writing-case. I
would have asked this earlier of you, but severe illness pre-
vented me until now. I apologise for addressing you, but
really not knowinf whom else to ask of, will excuse me.
I am, your obedient servant, E. P. MACAW/ff." Mr.
Miller communicated that letter to Him O'Brien's brother,
and advised that anything belonging to Mr. Mar:artily should
be given up to him, having been first examined and a list
made. Amongst the books were found six volumes which
were the property of the British Museum. They had been
stolen from the reading-room in 1857, when the prisoner
was a reader there. They had been delivered by the Me-
@Angers to a reader of the name of Mmartiv, who bad not
returned them, and they now bore inscriptions in the pri-
soner's handwriting. No reader was allowed to take books
sway from the Museum. The prisoner was apprehended on
this charge by Inspector Scott, of the A division (the
officer on duty at the Museum), on his surrendering at the
Central Criminal Court to take his trial for the bigamy.
He was then brought to the station-house, but was not
charged before the magistrate, as his friends undertook to
produce him here after the trial for bigamy. He was con-
victed of the bigamy and sentenced to a week's imprison-
ment, which he had undergone, and was now brought up to
answer the present charge.
Mr. Ingolby Thomas Miller—l am solicitor to Miss M.
A. O'Brien, who was prosecutrix in a charge of bigamy
the prisoner. While he won hail. on the Bth of
November,nas
I received from the prisoner the letter produced,
which boa been read. At that time Miss O'Brien was living
at 30, Westbourne-place. I desired my clerk to write to
Mr. O'Brien, the brother of the prosecutrix in the bigamy
case. Within • day or two they called, and I showed them
the letter which they afterwards took away. I recom-
mended them to give up whatever Wowed to Mr.
Macarthy, but to see what they were first, and take a note
of them.

O'Brien—l reside at Bromptoo. In 1844 the pri-
soner was married to my sister, Mary Anne O'Brien. He
bad a wife then and now living. In August last my sister
lived at 30, Westbourne-place, where she still lives. I saw
Mr. Miller on the 002411100 he describes, when he allowed
me the letter, which he afterwards sent to me by past.On Tuesday last I was at my sister's, and I saw there the
red.covered book DOW produced. I noticed the number,
and some other marks on that book, from which I inspected,
first, that it belonged to some librsry, and secondly, that
it had probably been stolen from the reading-room of the
British Museum. I raked if there were any more such
books, and the green one was handed to me. I took them
both to the Museum. I delivered them to Mr. Ryle, who
went back with me to my eiders, and there be found some
others. My suspicion that the books had been stolen from
the Museum was partly by something I had heard
about his hawing disposed of his ticket of admission to the
reading-room. (The two books referred to by this witness
are Dugdale's " Antient Usage of Anne," and the "His-
torical Memoir, of the Rebellion in Ireland in 1641.")
Mr. Stephen Hewitt O'Brien, brother of the last witness,
deposed that be looked over a box of books and papers
belonging to Mr. Ifacarthy, at his sister's house. He
was then searching for documentary evidence. He exa-
mined all the books, chiefly for the purpose of ascertain-
ing whether any letters were endured • between
the leaves. Amongst the books he found the two produced,
the " Antient Usage of Arms," and the " Historical
Memoirs." Did not at that time notice that they were
Museum books, as his attention was directed mainly to the
object be hid in view. Knew the prisoner's haodwriting,
having formerly engaged him as • solicitor when he was
practicing in Ireland. In these two books there were seve-
ral entries in the prisoner's handwriting. The name
" Macartby " on the Sy-leaves was in his handwriting. In
one of them, a label with the Maearthy arms engraved on it,
was pasted over the Museum press mark. Upon this label
mottoes, apparently those of the Msmrthy family, were
written in Latin and in Irish in the handwriting of the pri-
soner. Marginal notes in the prisoner's handwriting were
nscribed in various plates throughout both books. In a
carpet-bag belonging to the prisoner witness found a book
now produced. It was in Irish. The title "Christian In-
structor" appeared in English on the back of the book, and
the same title, in lriah, on the title-page. There were in-
scriptions in the prisoner's handwriting in that book also.
Witness also found amongst the prisoner's books copies of
" Dod's Parliamentary Companion," Lawler's " Ireland,"
and Beiges " Philosophy." all marked with similar inscrip-
aolls in the prisoner's handwriting.
Cross-examined—Witness bad not urged the officer to
take the prisoner in charge. Would not be guilty of such
an act, which he would consider extremely mean and un-
worthy.
Mies O'Brien deposed that she bad been married to the
prisoner, and had lived with him as his wife until a year
and a half back. When they parted he left these and other
books with her, and she kept them in case he should claim
them. The signature, " Eugene Macarthy," in the Museum
reader's book, now produced, was in his haodwriting.
Cross-examined—She herself had been a reader at the
Museum, and had signed the book.
Mr. Poland was glad that point bad been raised, as he
should be enabled to show that all these books had been
stolen before Miss O'Brien had become a reader.

Maw O'Brien's sigusture was then proved. It was under
the date 14th 01Ft., 1857. •
• . • •

Mr. Ryle and Mr. Holden, assistants at the Museum,
were then called, and proved that these books had been
missed on the Ist September. 1857, baviog been given out
at previous dates to a reader of the name of SLtarthy. They
could not identify the prisoner.
Mr. Morris said the defendant bad nothing to say.
He was committed for trial, and bail was refused.

THE BANK OF ENGLAND NOTE FORGERIES.

A circumstance has just transpired at Brighton,
which it is hoped will lead to the detection and apprehension
of some of the parties concerned in the recent forgeries of
Bank of England notes. Yesterday Mr. White, chief
officer of police, obtained a warrant for the apprehension of
a man who has given his name as John Lee, and who on
Thursday last was committed by the Lewes magistrates to
seven days' imprisonment for drunken and d isorderly cond trot
Mr. White has pretty clear evidence that this person has
been instrumental in passing three forged 5/. Bank of England
notes on different tradesmen in Brighton, and under very
suspicious circumstances. One of the notes was passed at
the shop of Mr. Corder, lineadraper, North-street ; and the
assistant who took it went and saw Lee in gaol on Satur-
day, and mays he should have no hesitation in swearing to
his identity. Yesterday another of Mr. Corder's assistants
went to Lewes and saw him, but could not positively iden-
tify the man, as he had been allowed to shave off his beard
sines Saturday. The second note was passed at Mr. Walton's,
jeweller. King's-road; and Mr. Walton has also wen
bat could not swear to hia being the person who pared
the note at his shop, although he has not much doubt about
it. The third note was passed at Mr. Stevens's, shoemaker,
Western-road One very suspicious circumstance that
the endorsement on two of the notes is unquestionably is
the same handwriting, although different names and ad-
dresses are given. One is signed, "Fredk. Lsrdner, 14,
King's-road, Chelsea;" and the other "Charles Harvey,
14, Cumberland-place, Brocipton." The indorsement ea
the third note was written by one of the shop attendants et
the dictation of the person offering it, as "C. Fowler,
King's-terrace, Brewton." There are several other signa-
tures on the notes, but a careful comparison shows them to
have been written by some two or three persons, as distinct
traces of the same handwritingstay bemoan on each of them.
Two of the notes bear the mane number, viz., 91,103 ; the
other is 83,166. Lee, who we believe is a young man of
about 28 years, and of gentlemanly appearance, will be
brought up before the magistrates es Wednesday, his term
of imprisonment expiring on the =Maga that day.

RAILWAY STATION MAlffill&—An order bas just
been issued by the director of the Orr Northern Basel
Conapaoy, restricting the appointments of the riles of statics
master to Wm servants of the coarany who have attained
a perfect ksowledge of the goods or merchandise departmeat.
is order to obviate the inconvenrses sad lon the public (re-
questly seder owing to the deader" at Information pas-
mold by retry of the clerks who have hitherto had the
renege of statioos r to the rata af sesseiundise when cos-
wired firs neatens to station.