The Express.
London, England, 1848-01-03 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, MONDAY EVENING, JANUARY 3, 1848.

tences frota the Bishop or Llandaff. It was provedlluft
he had not lived at the address he gave ; he was not known
as belonging to the regiment he named, but was known to
the Mendiciiy Society as a regular begging-letter impostor,
by the name of Id• Lean. Ile had been committed from
Marlborough-street Police-office, and had been detected
going about with a certificate of good cheracter which be-
longed to another person, from whom he had stolen it. He
was prosecuted as an impostor, in 1813, and a certificate of
good character from the Chemical Works, at Deptford, he
was in the habit of showing, was a forgery. His wile and
family were found to be very destitute. The prisoner was
committed.
BOW-STREET.—STIALING A Loess—Farr/ter Wilms,
Turner, and Harmer, were charged with steeling a loaf
from the chop of Mr. W. Collins, baker. The two first-
named prisoners walked into the prosecutor's shop and called
for a loaf, which, instead of paying for, they very coolly di-
vided with their companions, who stood outside.—Mr. Col.
line added, that within the last fortnight he had been robbed
of nu less than fifty loaves, and if such a system were allowed
to continue, he could not remain six months longer in busi-
ness.—The prisoners said they hod called at the relieving
'office of the Strand Union, said being told that the overseer
was not in the way, they could not wait his return, being
pressed with hunger.—They were committed for trial.
CHARGE OF OBTAINING HONEY UNDER FALSE Pie-
rencas.—Mr. Ballantine, the barrister, addressed Mr.
Henry, saying he appeared in a case in which a person
named Henry Gompertz was charged.—Mr. Henry said he
did not know of any charge against a person of that name ;
he had issued no summons and he saw no person in custody.
—Mr. Ballantine said, then he would apply for a summons.
—Mr. Lewis, who attended for Mr. Gumpertz, objected to
this. Mr. Oompertz was present and could he given into
custody.—Mr. Gompertz, who was sitting at the attorney's
table, then rose, and accompanied Mr. Haddon, the prosecu-
tor, to the station-house, and in about ten minutes wee
placed at the bar charged with obtaining six bills of ex-
change for 1.531. 6s. Bd. from Mr. liaddene, by means of
false pretenees.—Mr. J. C. Iladdon, civil engineer, 14, Lin-
coln's-inn fields, said the prisoner was introduced to him
about July last, it being stated at the time that he was the
Mr. Gumpertz who had been negotiating for the purchase of
some gems belonging to a Mr. Tyrrell. Prisoner said: " I
am in some difficulty, as a loan of 30,0001. which I was to
have received from the United Kingdom Life Office, has
gone off." He added the reason was, that although the
sureties had been approved of, the office had in a most
extraordinary manner placed warrants of attorney before
the sureties for their signature, which took them so by
surprise that they declined to execute them, and so the mat-
ter went off, and consequently he was uu Isle to continue the
negotiation about the gems he wished to purchase. lie then
said he had contracts for iron, and inquired whether witness
could borrow money on them ; the contracts were fur
100,000 tons of iron rails ; they were not in his own name,
as his schedule was still on the file of the Insolvent Court,
and he could not hold property; they were in the 'lame of
Mr. Lane Fox, whe was his (prisoner's) trustees in the mat-
ter. That upon the contracts 21. per ton had been paid off
the purchase money of 8/. 7s. 6d. per ton ; end that therefore
if iron was at that time 81. 7s. 6d. per ton, those contracts
were worth 200,0001. lie assured witness on several occa-
sions that the contracts were his own. Wittman believed his
representations, and took means to obtain him money on the
security of the contracts. On July 28 a bill for 1101.
was given by witness to Mr. Oompertz. Previous to
this being delivered, however, the prisoner had
added to his former statements that he had made
370,0001. by purchasing up the Birmingham, Bates,
and Stamford Railway shares, and selling the railway to the
Cheat Northern Railway Company. lie said that, owing to his
unfortunate position with the Insolvent Court, that sum was
in the hands of trustees for his benefit, and that, when he had
arranged with his creditors, the balance would be paid to
him. During their conversation as to obtaining the money,
prisoner told witness he had been negotiating with a Mr.
Brett to purchase some pictures, but that that was al vs at a
standstill through the failure of the 30,0001. from the
assurance company ; he could, however, get time from him
if he had something on account, and that he had no doubt
Brett would take witness's bill for 5001. They had an in-
terview with Brett, after which Oompertz told witness he
was still in some difficulty, ss he could not get the contract
for iron from his brother, Mr. Mote, without paying wane
money which had been advanced upon it—vu., 10a. per
share, and requested witness to give him a bill for 5001. He
declined, but he ngreed to accept for 3001., provided a
contract was placed in his hands tor 500 tuns as security.
Upon this a verbal agreement was come to. Witness gave
the bill produced for 1101. to Mr. Gomperta or to Mr.
Tyrrell in his presence.—Mr. Henry here interrupted the
proceedings, and said be thought it would be very difficult to
make out a case of false pretence upon this evidence, as the
contract was the cause of the money being advanced, and
not on any of the representations made by Mr. Oompertz.
—Mr. Ballantine said, that if he proved that the contract was
I not bond fide, but entirely a false contract, this would be a
false pretence.—Mr. Henry said that fact would enable the
I prosecutor to bring an action for deceit, but it would not
I establish a criminal charge. A prosecutor must part with
his money upon a false pretence alone, and not upon any
contract, whether good or bad. Mr. Haddon had, after
hearing all the representations of the prisoner, distinctly re-
feud to advance the bills upon those representations alone,
and he himself proposed to take the contract as a security. I
Of course it was at the option of the parties to prefer a bill
of indictment at the sessions, Ile, however, ordered Mr.
Oompertz to be discharged.—The accused then left the bar,
declaring that he was quite able to pay all legal demands
against him.
C 'teal y.—Sir R. Sutton, Bart., remitted 5/. for the relief
of the poor.
WORSHIP.STREET.—BUROLART EY "A FRIEND."
—E. (Juicer was charged with burglariously entering the
house of Mr. Toplis, in Minerva street, Hackney-road, and
robbing it of about thirty pounds' worth of propetty.—The
prosecutor said the prisoner was a " friend ' who was fre-
quently at his house, and assisted him occasionally in his
business. He was there on Tuesday last, and about half-
past six in the evening they left the house together, pro-
ses:titer locking the street door, the key of which
he took with him. At the end of the street the
prisoner wished him good night and left him. Upon his
return home at twelve o'clock his errand lad informed him
that at nine o'clock he found the aide-gate open. Witness pro-
ceeded to examine the dwelling house adjoining the warehouse,
and discovered that his drawers had been ransacked, and
the property, amongst which was a watch, was stolen. The
prisoner came as usual on the following day, and the robbery
being mentioned he expressed much concern at the mielfor-
tune.—Smith, of the K division, said it was quite clear to
him that the robbery had been committed by some one tho-
roughly, acquainted with the premises, and after some in-
quiry his suspicion fell upon the prisoner, whom he at length
pointedly accused in the prosecutor's presence. The pri-
soner, after some prevarication, said, " Well, I may as
well tell you all I know about it. When I left you
I returned to the house, and found the side gate open, and
two bundles in the yard, and I took them, fur which I am
very sorry ; but I know nothing about the watch." He
then accompanied the witness into the yard, and took from
behind a door a pawnbroker's duplicate for a coat which he
I ad pawned, and mentioned the names of two persons with
whom he had deposited the rest of the apparel. Witness
afterwards found a watch and appendages, which was among
the missing property, concealed in the prosecutor's kitchen.
—Mr. Combe committed the prisoner for trial.
MARLBOROUGH-STREET.—BENEVOLENCE. From
Sir Richard Sutton, Bart., 5/., fur the poor-box.
WESTMINSTER.—A HINT TO PAWN lIRONERS.—J.
Jenkins was charged with being found in possession of two
plated spoons, supposed to have been stolen.—Mr. Ball, as-
Blatant to Mr. Hayes, of 36, Cheyne-walk, Chelsea, pawn-
broker, stated that the prisoner offered the spoons in pawn.
Witness inquired how he became possessed of them, when
he said they had been given to him by his mother. As wit-
ness, on examining the spoons, found that they had a crest
upon them, he sent for a policeman, on whose arrival
soner rushed out of the shop. He was followed, and su
quently apprehended.—ln reply to the charge, prisoner said
he picked up the spoons in Marlborough-road, Chelsea—He
was remanded.
LAMBETH.—CHARGE OF BILL STEALING.—W. CAMS-
eller and J. Lorton were charged on suspicion with stealing
two bills of 2501. each, the property of Capt. Shrapnell, of
Gosport. The prisoners described themselves as partners in
the business of procuring loans. The captain entrusted the
two bills to Chandler to be discounted, taking the usual re-
ceipt. Hearing no more of him the captain left town, and,
after waiting a day or two a friend gave the prisoners in
charge. One of the bills was found on Chandler. who stated
that he bad given the other for discount to a person named
Morton, of Ford's hotel, Manchester-square, who bad not
yet handed him the cash for it. The prisoners complained of
these harsh proceedings, as one of them was answerable for
an overdue bill of 3501. of the captain's, and the other held
over-due bills of his brother's. The captain not being pre-
met, this representation was neither denied nor admitted,
and the prisoners were remanded.
THAMES.—Tire LATE EXPLO,ION ON BOARD THE
Catcixr.—A steam-boat stoker, named Edwards, formerly
employed on board the Cricket steamer, came before Mr.
Ballantine to solicit relief. He said that directly after the
explosion he went to Bow-street police-court and afforded
every information relating to the defective state of the en-
gines, and machinery, and was also examined at the inquest
held on the sufferers by the explosion. In consequence of
the course adopted by him, he had been unable to obtain any
regular employment es a stoker. The steam-boat companies
were inimical to him, and he had fallen into a state of great
distress. All his goods bad been seized and sold for arrears
of rent. Ile had a wife and three children, who were in
want of the coa•nron necessaries of life.—Ellis, the chief
usher of the court, said that Edwards had been consisted of
smuggling several times at that court. Edwards said that
distress compelled him to become a smuggler.—Mr.
Ballan-
tins suspected the steam-boat companies would not employ
the applicant because he was a smuggler, not for the part he
took relating to the Cricket, for which he deserved praise,
instead of censure. The magistrate desired Ellis to give the
men 3s. to relieve his wants, and said that further inquiries
woulebbe trade about him.
HAMMERS al IT H.—BENEFIT SOCIETIES.—M. A. Tem-
ple and S. Hall, stewardesses of the Hammersmith Union
Female Benefit Society, appeared to show cause why they
had refused to pay to Elixaheth Freethy, a member, the
sum of Si. 165., the amount of twenty-two weeks' sick money.
—The husband of the complainant said she was in a hos-
pital. She became a member on the 27th of November,
1843, and declared on the sick fund on the 12th of July last.
There had not been any payment, although repeated appli-
cation had been made for it —The defendants submitted that
the complainant could only be entitled to the amount claimed
if the full kick money had been paid up. This had not been
done. In March last the state of the hinds was such that
the society was compelled to shut the box ; the complainant
was aware of- that feet, as a written notice was sent her.—
Mr. Paynter, having examined the printed rules, expressed
his wonder how any person could imagine that for a payment
of ls. 4d. per month, they could receive Bs. a week when
sick. He was aware that there were many other societies