The Express.
London, England, 1853-05-10 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURTS.

MANSION-HOUSE.

Thomas Roche was brought benne the Lord Mayor, in
custody of Russell, the detective officer, charged with
having offered a stolen Bank Post-bill, for:37/., fur payment
at the Bank of England.
Russell said the prisoner was on Saturday, at half past
3 o'clock, given into my custody in the Bank, for having
presented a Bank Post-bill, which had been stopped, having
been stolen that day. Ile said the bill had been given to
him to get changed by a person from Messrs. Pigeons, in
Throgmorton-street.
_Funnell, the officer, anti I then &Z.-

cumpinied him to Throgmorion-street, and the priloner
went into Messrs. Pigeons' shop, and pointing to a young
man, named Thomas Lambert, said that is the man who
gave me the note to get changed. Lambert at once denied
the truth of the accu.atioa, and waa much surprised. The

indorsement on the bill, "Thomas Roche, 3Z.-Lime-street,
City," is the prisoner's correct name and address. We
then went to the Bank, when Lambert said he knew the
prisoner very well intim' four or five years ago, and was in
the habit of speaking to him when they met, and I then
detained the prisoner.
Thomas Lambert, porter to Messrs. Pigeons, wholesale
druggists, in Throgmorton-street, said—l know the pri-
soner by eight. I might have seen him on Saturday as I
went in or came out, hut I don't remember it. Ile is a
porter who plies in Throgmortou-street. I did not give
him the Post-bill, and I knew nothing at all about it till
the officers came to the warehouse. We were not in the
habit of employing him as a porter, nor did I know where
he lived.

Mr. S. Smith, of Charlotte-street, Fitzroy-square, piano-
forte manufacturer-1 lost the Bank Post-bill produced at
about half-past 12 on Saturday lest. I put it into my
pocket-book at home, and I put my pocket-book into my
right-hand inside coat tail pocket. I took an omnibus in
Tottenham-court-road and rode to the Bank. On going
into the Bank and taking out my pocket-book I noticed
that the fastening of the clasp was loose, which was not
tie case before I put it into my peeket. I examined the
bock and missed the bill, which I had placed in one of
the pockets of it, and I gave information of my loss to the
authorities. There was a man in the omnibus wha sat on
my right side, and who had on him a Muckintosh cloak and
suddenly quitted the omnibus in Newgate-street. I don't
know who that man was.
Mr. It. Curtis, clerk in the public drawer office of the
Bank, said, I received some information about the 13 ink
Post-bill, and subsequently the prisoner presented the bill,
a eying that ho caste from Messrs. Pigeon and Co., 31,
Throgrnorton-street, and that he was a ticket porter.
E. Knight (72).—At 20 minutes after three on Saturday
I saw the prisoner standing by the private door of Messrs.
Pigeons' premises as I was on duty. A woman asked him
to mind her basket, which I thought was rather strange,
and I waited at the corner of Angel-court, which is very
nearly opposite, and I there saw a man respectably dressed
I go up to him and give him a paper, which the prisoner took
I his glasses from his pocket to rend. They were together
about a minute and a half. Tbo prisoner then folded the
paper in four and put it in his pocket. It was about the
size of the bill produced. I then saw the prisoner go to-
wards the Bank. The man who gave the prisoner the
paper was not at all like thew itness Lambert, but was much
tabor and more respectably dressed.
In answer to the catraordinaay statements made by the
witnesses, the prisoner said—l was waiting at the place. de-
seeibtel tor a person for whom I was to go on an errand,
when a man came up to me hastily from behind, put the
bit in my hand, and told me to run off immediately to the
Bank and get geld for it, and come bask to Messrs. Pigeons
with it. Iron oft' as fast as I couln, aft( r just aivinga glance
at him, and presented it to the cashier, who asked me if my
name was Smith. I replied in the negative. Ile then
asked me whit; my name was. I told him, and I wrote my
name and address on the bill. I dal not suspect there was
anything wrong, till I was desired to go to Messrs. Pigeons.
I went in thinking there might be some mistake, which
could be rectified there, and I certainly did say that young
man was the person, but how he came to be connected in
my mind with the person who employed me to go, I cannot
imagine. I rim now firmly convinced that neither he nor
anybody else in the premises was the party. I am very
sorry for making the charge, and cannot tell how I con-
founded the two persons together.
The Lord Mayor remanded the case till Friday, but said
he would accept good bail.