The Express.
London, England, 1867-02-18 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

(THIS DAY.)

COURT OF EXCLIEQUER.
After Term Nisi Prins Sittings at Guildhall.—(Before the
Lord Chief Baron and Special Juries.)
alerrit r. GASLIGHT AND CORN CONPANT.
This and five other actions against the Gaslight and Coke
Company had been specially appointed fur trial this morn-
ing. They were brought to recover damages for loss sus-
tamed from the destruction by fire of Saville-
house, in Leicester-square, in consequence of the
alleged negligence of the defendants' servants. Mr. Ward,
a chairmaker, who occupied the lower part of the pre-
mises, had recovered, on a second trial in this court, a ver-
dict against the same defendants, and the court above had
reserved its judgment as to whether there should he •
further trial or not until these actions had been tried.
Mien the first action was called uu only five special jury-
men answered to their names, and it transpired that
although the trial bad been fixed for to-day eight days
ago, the attorney had only seined the summons upon the
jurymen on Saturday, and one of them said he did nut re-
ceive his summons until this morning.
Mr. Hawkins, Q.C., add that even if there had been a
full attendance of the jurymen he should have applied
for the postponement of the trial on the ground of
the absence of a material witness named Carely, who was
suffering from disease of the heart, and was under the
treatment of the senior assistant-surgeon at Westminster
Hospital. He had an affidavit of that gentleman, stating
that the excitement of an examination in a public court
might prove dangerous to the life of Candy in the present
state of his health.

The Solicitor-General, who appeared for the plaintiff,
said he considered Casey was a material witness.
The Lord Chief Baron mid that having presided at the
last trial, he was of the same opinion.
After some discussion it was arranged that the triak
should be postponed until Thursday the 16th May, awl
that if necessary Carely and some other witnesses who
might not be able to attend then should be examined
before a barrister.

His Lordship said if it should happen again here, or in
any nisi prius court over which be presided, that, owing to
the negligence of any attorney, the jury were not sum.
moned in time, and a failure or ► delay of justice was the
consequence, he should himself originate an inquiry into
the matter, and if it appeared that the attorney had no
proper excuse for such conduct he should take cure that he
was visited with severe reprehension, and possibly with
punishment.

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.
(THIS DAY.)

The February adjourned general sessions of the peace
for the county of Middlesex commenced this morning at
the Sessions-bourse, Clerkenwell-green, before Mr. Bodkin,
asaistant-judge, Mr. J. Payne, deputy-assistant-judge,
and the following magistrates ;—Mr. John Formal', Mr.
J. Turnley, Mr. H. H. Harwood, Mr. Twentyman Mr.
Loveland, Dr. Jervis, Mr. Rankine, Mr. Figgins, Admiral
Bosanquet, Mr. Goodson, M.P., Pitcher, Mr. T. R.
Baker, Mr. Gould, Mr. }Staley, Mr. J. Batley, Mr. H. L.
Taylor, Mr. F. W. Oloseop, &c.
The calendar is numerically heavy, there being 101 pri.
sonen committed for trial, in addition to special bail
cases. Of the large number of 103 committed, the whole,
with six exceptions, are indicted for felony. The state of
education of the prisoners was reported as follows :—Can
neither read nor write, 22 ; can read and write imperfectly,
57 ; can read only ?2 ; and read and write well, 2. The
offences with which the prisoner* stand charged are
assaults, robberies by servants, robberies from the person,
stealing in dwelling-houses, embezzlements, breaking and
entering dwelling-houses, indecent assaults, rubbing fur-
Dished lodgings, obtaining goods by false pretences, Lona
stealing, and several other minor offences.
Mr. Rumbelow, the crier of the court, basin. sworn the
grand jury, the Assistant Judge briefly addresesed them,
and they retired to their room.

THE POLICE COURTS.
(THIS DAY.)

GUILDHALL
C77IIRING FORCED RECEIPTB.—IATENSWE nurn.q.

William Baler, a respectable-looking young tu.tn,
redd-
tog at 38, Devonshire-read, Hackney, was placed at the
bar, on remand, before Alderman llakin, for final exami-
nation charged with uttering forged receipts and stealing
the money he should have paid away for the gouda the.e
documents referred to. _ _

Mr. Humphreys appeared for the prosecution, and
stated that the prisoner's frauds amounted to about :Mt
Mr. Charles Alfred Henry Dean said he was a publisher,
carrying on business at 6t, Ludgate-hill, and :he prisoner
was his clerk, and had bceu in his employ for about five
years. It was his duty when an order came from a cus-
tomer in the country to write out an order on the cubist
for the money for the goods required, then to take it is
witness to get it signed, and having done so, to go to the
cashier for the money to obtain the goods. It was then
'his duty to procure the articles, and send them to the
customer, and to give the receipt to the cashier as a
voucher for the money paid. mu the 2sth of January the
prisoner brought him an order to sign for three micro-
scopes, and the figures on the order signified the account
to which they were to be debite'L
George Newell, cashier to Mr. Dean, said he gave the
prisoner 4/. ISt. 6.1. to purchase three voieruaypot, and
four or five days afterwards he brought hint the invoice
and receipt woduced, purporting to have come front Mr.
Stanley, an optician, of Croat Turnstile, Holborn. He
had been aocustonted to send to Mr. Stanley for mice,.
scopes.
Mr. Dean having been recalled, said that on Mote
day before he gave the prisoner into custody he called
his attention tothe matter, and said," Baker, you have bees
actin very improperly here, what is the meaning of it !
This is not the only one by a great many." Mendel, That
is very true." Witness gab!, "You are not in a 'wean.'
to require this," and he replied that he bad no res.t for
it, and that he must have been toad to do it. He I,ked
prisoner whose handwriting the receipt was in. and he
said it was his own ; nobody bail anything to .10 rite I
but himself. The figures on the order referral to the
amount of Mr. Markham, of Huundel, in Hertfordshire.
Mr. Charles Markham said he was a customer of Mr.
Dean. and sent him the order produced, but the e was tai
item of a microscope in it, and he had never received a
microscope from Mr. Dean since then.
Mr. William Ford Stanley, optician. Great Turnstile,
Holborn, said he had no knowledge of the receipt pro-
duced for 4/. lfis. lid. It was not written by hi.] or by
any person in his employment, or by his authority-. He
did not sell the goods mentioned in the bilL
Another case was proved where the amount sa.
V. 17s. 81. The evidence was precisely similar, %aryl.;
only in the name of the customer, the date, and the sow.
The prisoner, who declined to say anything in 3113.0
to
the charge, was fully ea:initiated for trial.

BOW-STREET.
THE CHARGE OF RECEIVING JO:AINsT ♦ CORN PEALTIL
COMMITTAL. . .

George Austin, of 13,1.;:le. ir-street, corn .Paler,
brought up on remand, on the charge of r. wing tve
quarters of oats from a corn merchants carman, kumm„;
them to be stolen.
Mr. Abrams, who conducted the caoe on behalf of the
=7prosecutors, Messrs. Bowyer and corn inerehaias,ef
-wharf, Lambeth, cornett,' an errone,,o,
statement made on the last occasion that Ham, the or
man, after the sentence of 12 montlio' imprieonment Ind
been pasaed was recalled and liberate' on lii, r
to come up fur judgment. What occurred woo ti:,:
sentence was mitigated to six months, which be had
gone. In reference to the statement of Anvil!, tha i.e
had bought the corn of Messes. Bowyer /11.1
customer of theirs, the foreman would prove that he nal
never dealt with them at all. Ilmtu would 31%t Ir
eINaIIiIIC,L His evidence might, perhaps, be reg.ml. i with
some suspicion, but it was laid before the coat ;olKiut
it was worth.
The foreman proved that he had seen the V.llllO. 10
with a load of oats which were all for one customer. II
carman had no authority to leave any on the w.y. eith"
with the prisoner or anyone clue. Prisoner uoti
customer. . .

The carman Ham said that on the night preehms to t
theft he met the prisoner in a publie.bouse. TL. 1., iv 3..,
asked him to bring four Licks ui teas (tutu his
day. No agreement was made as to the price. They ug,
going to have some drink together when sitars.
headed 17 Policeman Asker.
The pnacmer was committed for trial.
CLERKENWELL

LITP2IRIVR R011P71117741' A.CONVIDENTIAI. '4ol' A"'
Williast Dixon, aged 34, of 3, St. Paul's-terrac... Ni!
end, a private watchman, was charged with ll'.
and 101, Hatton-garden, 1211 e. of brass, the proi.rt
Messrs- David Hodges and t:o., of the NitlUe ul iv... Ail
.Ifoses Lery, aged 50, of 4, Cambridge-road.
marine-storedealer, was charged with feloniously IR-CtlctP;
the same well knowing it to hai e been stolen.
Mr. Iticketts, solicitor, of Frederick..treet. I .r)
road, defended Levy.
The prisoner Dixon has been in the empl.,y or tte pm.
mentor for some time, and lately a gnat .1 al of
has been stolen from Messrs. Hisiges's palm-, • : n'
suspicion fell on the prisoner. The place was wateh.ed
Lc
Police-constable Knowles, 2001:, and when the
left, at about 7 o'clock in the inomin;;, it was notic,.l
his pockets were very bulky. The constable. f..neyin; th
all was not right, watched him from listmiek,ole:i
Mile-end and there saw him enter the shop of the pri•ona
Levy and place the brass mentioned in the chars, in
scale. It was weighed, and the prisoner Mixon reeriye.!
some money, and when iis came out the con-t.iide s!•'•
bim if he had been selling some brass. He r- plied
native, and was then taken back to the shop in cu..
andthe pnsoner Levy said he had the prop*
u.
for the brass. The constable, in a drawer it
counter, found a quantity of brass which hod
from the prosecutors.
Mr. Hodges, lamp manufacturer, of 'Litton g