The Express.
London, England, 1865-01-18 00:00:00

THE DARING SWINDLE AT SHREWSBURY.

Thomas Ellis, alias John Morgan, the man
charged with swinding Mr. Charles Ashworth, at Shrews-
bury, wee examined at Shrewsbury yesterday. The crowd
outside the Guildhall was immense, and so great was the
rush to get into the Nisi Prins Court, where the inquiry
was held, on the °paring of the doors, a few minutes
before eleven o'clock, that it is marvellous some serious
accident did not occur. Mr. Peels, town clerk of Shrews-
bury, appeared to prosecute. The evidenoe adduced simply
detailed what Laa already appeared in our °plumes. The
most extraordinary part of the proceedings, yesterday, wee
the statement made by the prisoner, who said :—" f plead
guilty to stealing the money. The warrant was an old war-
rant of the county of Bream, which I found most some
papers belonging to one of the °Mous now at Swansea gaol ;
and if the police and the gentlemen on the bench on the
day on which Mr. Ashworth was remanded had read it they
would have found out that It was dated 1851. I sWili
decline to produce that warrant at present; but shall do
so at some future day. The beading for that warrant I
did slier for the borough of Carmarthen. Before it was
for the county of Bream I did not take much sotice
of it afterwards, till I came to the court that day. I
then found that I had forgotten to alter the bottom of
it. It stood oonsevently directed to the police-officers
of the county of Brecon. I have only to add that
the polioeconstablee were excessively negligent, or
they would have detected me at once. I am quite
a cripple ; and I always thought it was necessary that a
policeman should not labour under any such defect. The
way I carried on after I had apprehended Mr. Ashworth,
ought to have induced a suspicion in the minds of the
police, six or eight of which I treated with rum and
brandy. I gave myself up." Mr. Poole, at the emiclusion
of the prisoner's statement, said he would like to suggest '
that the preescution should be carried on at the I
expense of the borough, and that Mr. Ashworth should
not be put to the trouble and expense. As the legal
representative of the corporation, he should do his best
to see it carried out fully and faithfully as a public duty.
With respect to what the premier had said about the
date of the warrant, he believed that the trial would
disclose that that statement was. like all his others,
a tissue of falsehoods ; for he could not believe that the
• magistrates could have been deceived by a document eon-
raining such extraordinary mistekaa. The Mayor then for-
mally committed the prisoner for trial at the mixes. On
one of the magistrates who took rather a prominent part
when Ellis preferred the charge against Mr. Ashworth,
leaving the court, the crowd outside the hall hooted him to
such an extent that he was glad to take refuge in a neigh-
bouring building.
It seems that on the 28th of June last the prisoner was
committed for rig calendar months to Swansea gaol, which
term of imprisonment he finished serving on the 27111 of
December, the very day he commenced operation at
Shrewsbury.

COIL MARKET.—(THIS DAY.)
Walls End Hetteit. Ib.; Walls End South Hatton, 195.:
Wills End FAA Hartlagool, 184. 9d. ; Walls End Ersddris
HAWN 18s. ; Will. End Raman Hatton% 18s. ; Walla
Bed South Hellos, 16a. ; Walla End Hough Hall, 18e.;
War End Hallos, 18a.; Walls Hod Goof °AI). 161.; Walla
led Tmetal, 16.. Ild.; Will, End Harlon, 16..; Walls
Sad Mora Mae, 16a. 3d.; Walla End Hatton Lyons.
164. 111.; Hartlepool Hulas, 14n. 6d. ; North Patton, 15s.
Woe na. 3d. ; Tiebside Hartlay, 17a. &I. ; Hut-
lap Hartley. 17a. 31-122 gips at nutrlnt 96 61 Ni.

• ..1•• :e •