The Express.
London, England, 1860-08-14 00:00:00

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.

Henry JOCKS, 27, who was in custody, and Darid Wells,
Charles Wells, Lis .an, Rickard Lamb, and Edward Wilson,
who surrendered, were indicted for conspiracy.
&leant Parry attended specially with Mr. Cooper to
conduct the prosecution. Mr. Sleigh, Mr. Cliffard, Mr.
Lilley and Mr. Ernest Jones were counsel for the de-
fendants.

This was a prosecution instituted by the Great Northern
Railway Company, and the offence imputed to the defen-
dant" was • fraud not only upon that company but also
upon the public, of a most impudent chancier. The public
is aware that the Great Northern Railway Company was
very extendvela concerned in the sale of coals, and
had large depute at King's-cross, and this business
was managed by a gentleman named Herbert Clarke.
The following was the case against the prisoners as stated
by the prosecution :—The elder prisoner, Wells, has •
coal shed- in Clerkenwell, and it was his custom to pur-
chase coals of the moot inferior character from the com-
pany, and for which be did not pay more than fourteen or
fifteen shillings per ton, and then sell the same coals to
the public as best Walls End curls, and he had bildheads
printed in such a form as to induce the public to believe
that they were dealing with the Great Northern Railway
Coal Company, and the receipts were signed " pro H.
Clarke." The difference in the quality of the coals was not
the only fraud to which the public were subjected, for it
appeared that the prisoners, when they i•ent in cosh to a
customer, were in the habit of sending empty sacks 'atheism,
and in one case they delivered to a gentleman named Minaret,
who bad ordered two tons of coals, 15 sacks only, instead 0120.
The fraud was in the first instance discovered by Police-
, constable Henry Greathurst, 100 0, who it appeared was
early on the morning of the 18th of June on duty in St.
John•streeCread, when he saw the prisoners Charles Wells,
Lamb, and Wilson, with • coal waggon, in which was two
tons of coals. They "topped when they got near Raw-
stonmartreet, and there five empty sacks were thrown into
the waggon. The constable then watched the waggon,
which was accompanied by another carrying coke, drive to
the house of a gentleman named Millaret, No. 10, Myddel-
tonempure. The three prisoners then delivered fifteen maks
of coals, but previously to so doing placed the five empty
sacks down, throwing those which they supplied upon
them, and when they had called the servant, counted
them all as Laving been delivered. The carte then went
away, and the officer went up and asked Wilson how many
cads he had delivered, and he said two tons, but he did not
know how many sada there were. There were at that time
five sacks of coals in the van, which the prisoners said were
going back to the Great Northern Railway Company. The
constable then asked where they came from, and they said
King-street, Clerkeuwell, upon which he at once went
there and saw the elder prisoner Wells, who keeps a coal
shed. He asked if he knew where his son was, and at that
time the prisoner Charles came in from the back, and the
constable told him what be had seen, and that he should
take him back to the house of Mr. Minaret. When
they got there, the elder prisoner Wells, who had
followed them, begged that Mr. Minaret would not prose•
cute, and offered to give him two tons of coals. This was
of course refused, and the younger Wells, with Lamb and
Wilson, were charged with the offence of defrauding Mr.
Minaret out of the five Fucks of coals. The elder prisoner,
Wells, claimed both the carts, one of which bad no name
upon it, but • board, upon which was "Great Northern
Railway Coal Company Depot, King's Cross," upon the
other the name of " Lee, Mark-lane." He also gave up
the cheque which had been given in payment for the coals.
The receipt and invoice which bad been given upon the de-
livery of the coeds was headed "Great Northern Railway
Coal Company," and signed "H. Clarke." Upon one of
the prisoners was found an order of the company for the
delivery to them of some Oscar coals, of the value of 14a.
• ton and which were the same as those sold to
Mr. Millaret at 225. as Walls End. Jones bad
solicited the order of Mr. Milhualt, stating that
he was agent to Mr. Herbert Clarke, and gave
one of the bill-heads, of which a counterpart was the
one delivered with the coals. It was also shown that the
elder Wells had • place in Shaftesbury-street, Heaton,
where he traded as the Great Northern Coal Company, and
Jones had solicited orders as agent for the Seaborne Coal
Company. Fur the defence it was contended by the
counsel who severally addressed the jury, that the evidence
was not in a legal point mulliciently oonchuive to convict
the prisoners of the charge of conspiracy.
A great number of witnesses were called, who gave to
each of the prisoners a very high character.
The Recorder having summed up,
The jury, after about half an hour's absence, returned a
verdict of Nut Guilty.