The Express.
London, England, 1867-04-24 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSION&

Jo mexloom,. 23, was indicted for exhibiting and
offering for sale divers lewd and obscene prints in a public
!glace, to the manifest corruption of the morals of her
ters.taglb,iiteiTtruttide being.
yintte Society for the Suppression
of Vice, prosecuted ; the prisoner, who pleaded not guilty,
was undefended.

It appeared from the evidence of • Mr. John Kelly, a
theatrical agent, liviite in Agnes-street, Waterloo-read,
that on the ath of A , between nine and ten o'clock at
night, he was in Queen's Head Tavern, Piccadilly,
and there were several other person, including females,
in front of the bar taking refreshment. While he was
there the prisoner entered, and produced three prints,
which he offered for sale. Mr. Kelly refused to purchase
them, and shortly afterwards the prisoner left the bar ;
but Mr. Kelly watched him, and saw him mix with the
crowd that was then quitting the Egyptian-hall at the
close of the performances. Information was given to
Sergeant Godfrey, 18 C, who went up to the prisoner and
asked him where the prints were. He said, •• What
prints!" and at the same moment tried to run away, but
was taken into custody, and three prints were found in
his breast coat pocket.
The jury found the prisoner Guilty.
Herbert Reeves, warder at Coldbath-fields, proved that
the prisoner had been tried at the Old Bailey for forgery,
and sentenced to eighteen months' imprisonment.
The Assistant Judge sentenced him to be imprisoned
and kept to bard labour for two years.
The witneu Kelly was then ordered to stand forward.
. .

The Assistant-Judge mid the witness had done great
and good service to the public by the manner in which he
had acted in this case, as it was throu4h his exertions that
the prisoner bad been brought to justice, and his only re-
gret was that he had not the power to order him a sub-
stantial reward. All that he could do was to express the
high sense the court entertained of his meritorious services.
Mr. Kelly thanked his lordship for his favourable opinion
of what he had done.
William Elliot, 27, was indicted for obtaining, by means
of false pretences, 4/. from George Virgin, with intent to
defraud.

The prosecutor is a cab proprietor and driver, and on
the morning of the 21st of March he was hailed by the
prisoner at the Great Western Railway station at Pad-
dington, and directed to drive to Doctors'-commons, where
he waited for a considerable time, and afterwards was in-
duced
to pay Bs. for • dinner for the prisoner and a woman
he had with him, on the representation that his father
had just died, and he bad come into the possession of
a fortune of 25,000/. After dinner the prisoner went out,
and soon returned with a note stating the solicitor he
wished to see was then out, and he was to meet him by
appointment at half past $ o'clock the following morning,
and as he had no money then he would pay him the next
day, after he had seen his solicitor. He asked the prose-
cutor to drive him home to Victoria-terrace, and to call
for him the next morning in time for him to keep his ap-
pointment. He remarked that as he was short of money
he should be glad if the prosecutor would let him
have a couple of pounds, and he would give
him as security • mortgage of 12.000/. upon the
ship Susquehanna, and on the faith that it was
a genuine document he advanced him the money. The
next day the prosecutor drove the prisoner to the City,
to Mr. Farrer's °Mee, and after he had been there for a
short time he said he was going to Lincoln's-Inn-fields, and
that prosecutor was to wait there until he came back,
when he would pay him his money. He came back sa
cordingly and then directed the prosecutor to drive him
to Lm.rdenhaU-street. The prisoner there entered the
East India Avenue House, and came out with • cheque
for 7801., and said he should get it cashed at six o'clock.
He then asked the cabman to lend him some more money,
but he told him that he had none with him. The prose-
cutor, however, said that he would go home to Sberborne.
street, and there he handed the prisoner al., being pro-
mised 2/. the next day for the loan of it. They then pro-
ceeded by the Metropolitan Railway to Moorgate-
street, where the prisoner picked up with two
women, and he told the prosecutor to go and
fetch his cab, and that he and the two women would
wait for him at • coffee-shop in Little Moorfields. The
prosecutor went away to get his cab, but upon his re-
turn the prisoner and the girls were gone, and he saw no
more of the former until he found him in custody on
another charge. The whole of the statement about the
prisoner being entitled to the sum of 25,0001. was of
course an entire fabrication. _ _

The prisoner, who made no defence, was found Guilty.
Herbert Reeves, warder at the House of Correction,
Coldbath•fields, proved a previous conviction for &fraud of
a similar description at this court on the Ist of May,
1865, when he was sentenced to be imprisoned and kept
to bard labour for 12 months. He waa again convicted
in this court for a similar fraud upon a policeman on the
Bth of August, 1866, and sentenced to six months' im-
prisonment., . . .

The Assistant-Judge said he would prat • stop to his
frauds for some time to come, and sentenced him to be
kept in penal servitude for five years.