The Express.
London, England, 1867-01-09 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURTS.

(THIS DAY.)

GUILDHALL.
CLEVER CAPTURE OP A THIEF.
William PI ar.ou, who gave • false address, was dragged
before Alderman William Lawrence and Alderman
Cotton with stealing a number of workmen's tool..
Richard Reif, :Its, laid, about 9 o'clock the previous
morning he wits in Newgate-street, when he saw the pri.
soner coming towards Holborn with • large phute under
his coat. He asked the prisoner where he got the
plane from, and he replied that it was his own.
In reply to farther questions the prisoner said
be hail come from his brother's, in Tooley-street, her.
mond.ey, and that he was going to work up in the Cale-
donian-road, close to the Model Priam. He then saw
that the prisoner had a centre-bit, a hand saw, and other
tools in his pocket on the right-hand aide, and put ques-
tions to him with regard to carpentering. The prisoner's
answers were not at all satisfactory, and Relf said he would
not tske him into custody to hinder him in his work
if his tale were true, but he would go with hits
to see if his storyi were correct, but the
prisoner said, " Ob, no, you won't," He refused
to go with him, and Reif ook him into custody. When
they got near the station he said, " Well, I told a good
tale, didn't I? But you knew too much for Inc.' In
reply to questions put by Relf, the prisoner said he stele
the tools from some houses that were being built at the
back of the Model Prison, near the Caledonian-road, and
if he went there he would find a coat full of Oaths
which he had not brought away. He got hits
the house by breaking • window. Witnesa went
up to the place indicated, and found everythict
as had been described by the prisoner. The coat on.
Mined about three-quarters of a hundred weight of nails.
Subsequent) yhe told the prisoner he should go to the
place where he said he lived, and he replied that he need
not trouble himself, for it wee • false address.
John Starke, 13, Offord-street, Caledonian-road, ides.
tided the tools as his. He was • carpenter working ce
some houses that were being finished, and he bad left
his tools there safe the night before and missed thew o:
the following morning when he went to work.
The prisoner was remanded.
BOW-STREET.
A DANGEROUS CUSTOMER.
. .

A tall, powerful-looking man, black bearded, haggard of
visage, and with a fierce brightness in his eyes, who gave
the name William Miller, and said he was a leather cutter,
was charged under the following circumstances :
It appeared from the evidence of Mr. Knight, proprietor
of the Oyster-rooms at Charing.cross, and his assistant,
that the prisoner entered the shop last night and had
dozen of oysters and some bread and butter. When called
upon to pay he refused, and drawing from hie
pocket a weapon, of which only the handle,
resembling the butt of a pistol, was seen, he
exclaimed, "I will show you how they do it in America.'
Mr. Knight and his assistants, fully believing that he had
a loaded pistol ready to shoot the first that laid hands rei
him, were so alarmed that they hastily retreated to the
parlour behind the shop. The prisoner then coolly marched
away, and walked along the Strand. He was no wooer
out of the shop than the assistant came out from the par.
lour and went in pursuit of him. Finding Police.eonstable
Mew, A 72,'0n duty in the Strand, he informed that officer
of what bad occurred. The constable followed the psi.
seiner, overtook him near Drummoud's Bank, and took
him into custody. On being told that he was charged
with threatening Mr. Knight with a pistol, the primate
said it was only a knife. He added that he was an Irisk
American, and he would let them know "how they do it is
America." The constable took him to the station-home.
He gave up the knife, which has a peculiar round, thick
handle and a crescent-shaped blade, like that of a cheese.
cutter. It appeared to be a tool used in the prisoner's
trade of a leather-eutter.

The prisoner made a long, rambling, and incoherent
statement, about a lose of money, Ice., which, u far as it
could be understood, seemed to be intended to convey that
when he ordered and consumed the refreshments in gutm
tion he believed he had money to pay for them but when
he was about to pay be for the first time discovered that
he bad loot his money.
Mr. Vaughan asked if he could produce any persona who
would speak to hiseharacter ?

The Prisoner said he bad some friends in this cowitry,
but they lived at a distance.
Mr. Vaughan said it could not be tolerated that amu
like the prisoner should go into a shop, and, after roe.
earning provisions, threaten violence to anyone who should
press for payment. He did not believe that the prisoner
really meant to injure Mr. Knight or the assistant, but be
certainly meant to deter them by the apprehension of
violence. If he could produce anyone who knew him to
prove that he was generally a peaceable man, it might be
sufficient to bind him over in his own recognisances;
. .

otherwise be must be held t; bail.
Prisoner WAS remanded.

THE LEEDS BANKRUPTCY COURT SCANDAL.

Yesterday, Mr. Patrick Robert Welch, registrar
in the Leeds Court of Bankruptcy, appeared bu'ore Coos.
missioner Ayrton, at Lassie, to 'bass his last exatuinatice
and receive his order of discharge. From his statement of
aocounts it appeared that he owed to creditors unsecured
5,72431. ; to creditors holding security, 9,toYfl. ; to liability
on guarantee, 1,0001. ; and to creditors to be paid in full,
40/. Total liabilities, 10,666/. His assets were thus esti.
mated:—Good debts ; property given up to assignees,
2384 ; property in hands of assignees, 9,3101. The de.
ficiency is thus 7,1011.
Mr. Middleton, barrister, appeared for the assignees;
and Mr. Simplon, solicitor, represented the bankrupt.
Mr. Middleton said he was instructed by Mr. Moore, the
trade assignee, and the largest creditor, to ask his Honour
for an adjournment, and also to ask for a cash sod deb.
ciency account. Mr. Moore was very much dissatisfied
with the bankrupt's statement in its present form : and be,
on that gentleman's behalf, had to ask that the
mall account should go back as far ft 3
inasmuch as he gathered from certain examins.
tiona elsewhere that there were large sums of
money dealt with in 1863, of which the assignees ought
to have some account. If MI. Simpson con,idered it
would not be reasonable to go back so far, then the
bankrupt might be called upon to furnish a special
account.

Mr. Simpson said it was quito proper that the assignees
should receive an account of specific sums of mosey to
which his attention had been drawn. Generally a cash
account was only granted for a particular period—rarely
beyond twelve months. As to the deficiency account, Its
(Mr. Simpson) raised no objection whatever. As to the
cash account, he would consent to ono being furnished
for twelve months, and such an account of the disposition
of sums received between ifei3 and the beginning of sock
cash account as might be required by the assignee. its to
specific sums of money, his client had no objection to fur•
nish an account of them.

The caws was then adjourned to the lot of March, bank•
rapt being meanwhile ordered to hle a deficiency and cask
account for twelve months, and en account of such specific
sums as may be required by the assignees between Jas.,
18114 and the beginning of the ,:aid cash account.

The first of two lectures " On Greek Art, espe
chilly Architecture," was delivered List night to the nem-
hers of tLe Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society, by
Dr. Kinkel, F.H.G.S., Professor at the Federal I'olyteci•
:ileum of Zurich.

The Fieherica Commissioners have commenced
their inquiry regarding the salmon firslimies in North
Wales, opening their investigations yestenlay a, Conway.
Some very remarkable evidence was given yee-
tertky at the inquest on the bodice of the n.iners killed by
explosion at the Talk-o'-th'-llill Colliery, North Stafford.
shire. There can be no doubt that the men were in the
habit of smoking in the pit, and it is equally certain tint
they carried duplicate keys, by means of which they could
open she safety lamps.
It is to be feared that before the close of the
present week a very largo number, if not the whole, ol
the colliers in the Ashton-under-Lyne dist iet sill
be out on strike. The men require an advance of
wages, but the masters, who have announced their inten-
tion of reducing the price of coal, have so far resisted the
demand. Seine of the men arc already " out," and tie re-
mainder, it is expected, will follow their exempte en the
expiration of the notices which have been given--that is,
of course, if concessions are not made ou one side or the
other.

MANCHESTER MEETING:.—Theft races have melt
postponed until Friday and Saturday, the 25th and *-h;th
mat.—not the 11th and 12th, as previously statid.
A BURY MECHANIC TAKEN Volt A FEN I S.—.t trR
days ago Mr. Boby, of this town, sent one at his rintincerei
named William Downs, over tototion-1, in Indatid. nt
some machines at Messrs. Dlurphy's htewery at that place,
He had been there at work three days, hut on the evi niag
of the fourth day, when on his way home from work. he ale
seined by three policemen, armed, as Irish police always are.
Being questioned by them, Downs answered too easily, it
would appear, for he was at once token to the barracks ,ad
placed under a policeguanl. Hi a atatell tea t havin7 been tike'
down here, Mr. Murphy had to he found up, and a< he lad
left for home, had to be followed some iliatance. The
employer's statement of coot-se agreed with that of the
supposed Fenian, hut nevertheless, aid although the eieht
was already far advanced, he W. 1.11 taken to a magisttstet
but as he had just retired to rest, he was taken before
the mayor, who accepted the two statements made,
apologised for the detention, and lie was at once set at
liberty. The supposed Fenian kept his temper ti.renjt•
out, and joked with his captors, who informed him they
really thought they had got St, Owns. as he was so ninth
like the build of the Head Centre.- Borg and ,V,r,ri,*
Post.

RATINU.—The question of rating the
North &Latent itAilw•ay in the East Riding h.s at length
been finally settled. The new rtes am in tit:my uses
fully 100/. per cent. increase over the old a.se..ment.,
are in all eases higher. The telegraph is included in th°
rateable value.