The Express.
London, England, 1867-05-25 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURT&

MANSION-HOUSE.

Geste,r Szoren, 28, a German, who described himself as
being a commission agent, residing at B, Edwards-terrace,
St. Ge,n-gr's-roul New Peckham was brought up in cus-
tody, And charged before the Lord Mayor with being con-
cerned with A olphe Goldstein (now in -custod)), in forging
aid uttering two bills of exchange for 7S/. Ilia. and 7:d.,
one purportmg to be accepted by \Vm. Parker amlCo.,
Lower Themes-street, and the other by Henry Ituedell and
Leadenhall-street. The prisoner, it will be re-
collected, was given into custody by Mrs. Goldstein, the
wife of the other accused, after the examination of her
husband in this court on the previous day.
The prisoner was remanded to Friday next.
GUILDHALL.

The Rev. John W. Leycester, the incumbent of the
district church. Lower Norwood, was summoned before
Sir Benjamin Phillips to answer the complaint of Mr.
Joseph Reynolds Masters as under :
Thomas Phillips, assistant to Messrs. Masters and Son,.
booksellers, of 33. Alderspte.street, said the defendant
had urchased some hymn-books from them to the amount
of 11.., and on the nth Mat., a messenger called at their
shop with a note from the defendant enclosing a cheque
far rd.. sail requesting Mr. Masters to pay himself the
lls. out of it, send him N. by the bearer, and re-
tain the balance till he next called at the shop. He gave
the 31., believing the cheque to be good, and that Or.
Leyceater had authority to draw the cheque. The cheque
produced was in his handwriting.
Mr. Henry Mottles said he was a secretary to a bank,
and Es ed at Lower Norwood. He and Mr. Kyberd were
the churchwardens of the parish of Lower Norwood. The
defendant had no authority to draw upon them, as they
had no funds of his in hand. He had drawn two other
cheques which had been presented, and to each he
attached the following answer—" No authority to draw,
and will not be paid."
Mr. George Thomas Kyberd said he was a cheesemonger
at Lower Norwood, and one of the churchwardens of the
district church. The defendant had no authority to
draw upon them, as they had no funds of his in hand.
Cross-examined by defendant—There would be some-
thing coming to him, but witness had never received any
church money, and therefore defendant had no right to
draw upon him.
The defendant said the churchwardens received the
money for the church and the minister's stipend, and
although they might have no money in hand this morning
they might have it before night.
Mr. Monies was recalled, and said as the pew rents
came in, he gave them to the defendant. On the 14th
of May he received a note from Dr. Leycester, asking
him for any pew rents he might have in hand, and he sent
back word tbat Le had none. On the 15th the cheque
was drawn, and since then he had received 21. 9s. 6d. for
pew tents, and sent is to Dr. Leyoester and he sent it
hack again.The Lust money be mud the defendant w.s on
the :10th of April, and he had received none from then till
the 15th of May. Hs had never paid any cheque the
defendant drew upon him.
The Rev. J. W. Leyeester in defence said he had been
in the position he now held for nine years since he was
placed in it by the Bishop of London, and all tee church-
wardens previous to the present ones had been in the
habit of handing him the money without trouble, but those
now in office made him come two or three times for it,
and treated him with great unkindnens. He sent to them
on the 14th inst., and told them he should draw on them,
and they sent back word that he was not to do so, for they
had no funds of his in hand, and would not pay. They
had paid 201. away of his against his express direction,,
and therefore he considered they had money of his in hand,
and that he had a right to draw on them for it, although
they told him not. He had been sines informed that he
was wrong, and would never do so again. He did, how-
ever, feel that, although he was legally wrong, yet morally
he was justified in what he had clone.
Sir Benjamin Phillips said—You ought to have carried
your morality • little further, and considered that,however
much you might he justified in drawing cheques on the
chutchwardens, you had no right to go to a third party to
take his money from hint. Your conduct in this matter
is very disreputable, and if I thought for a moment that •
jnry would convict you I would send you to the Old
Bailey for trial. Yon knew that they had no money of
yours in hand, and et you drew on them. Ido not believe
that any jury would convict on the evidence, and there-
fore I discharge you.
The summons was then dismissed.