The Express.
London, England, 1866-07-24 00:00:00

MANSION-HOUSE

George Morris Mitchell, the primmer who it will be
remembered was committed by the House of Commons
last session for contempt, he having been the means of
presenting certain petitions to parliament containing a
number of forged 4riatures, was this morning brought
before Alderman Finnis for further examination upon the
charge of stealing tome parliamentary papers from the
Law Institution in Chancery-lane.

Mr. Humphreys prosecuted.
It will be remembered that on the former examination it
was proved that the prisoner went to the institution
and asked to look at some parliamentary papers having
reference to petitions presented to the House of
Commons in 1839, '42, and '4B, upon the subject of
universal suffrage. Soon afterwards it was discovered that
several leaves had been torn out ot this book, and these
leaves were afterwards found at the office of the primmer
in Broad-street, by Buff and Webb, two detective officers,
who had apprehended the prisoner on a warrant.
The only additional evidence adduced on the present oe-
oasion was to prove that a letter in which the prisoner ap-
peared to have offered to supply information connected
with the monster charnel petitions, as they were termed, of
1842 and I.B4B,wasiallis handwriting. It was alsoproved that
on the occasion of his bringing an action against Ifr. Sidney
Smith, the liberal agent, to recover 471. 54. for searching
for information relating to the Chartist petitions, he
swore that he had made • search in the parliamentuy
papers to obtain information relating to them petitions,
and charged • considerable sum for that service.
The prisoner was again remanded.

BOW-STREET.
ATTIMPTID FRAUD ON THE UNION DAM

A boy named Jaw HU, employed to attend to cham-
bers in Lincoln's-inn, was charged with forging a cheque
for U. on the Chancery-lane branch of the Union Bank of
London.

Mr. W. Walker, cashier at the bank, deposed that the
prisoner presented the cheque on the 12th inst. It was not
signed, and witness told him that it could not be honoured
unless the signature of the drawer was attached to it.
The boy then took it away. He returned shortly afterwards
and offered the mane c 1 eque, but the signature was an
obvious forgery of the name of Mr. T. S. Drake, • gentle-
man who bad an account at the bank. Witness asked the
',limner to step into the manager's room, bat instead of
doing so he ran out of the bank. He was followed by one
of the clerks, overtaken, and brought back. He then said
he had picked up the 'fugue in St. James's-street, and a
boy signed it.
Mr. Drake, barrister, of 7, New-square, Lincoln's-inn,
said the cheque was • forgery. It had been torn from his
cheque-book. The pi isouer, being employed at the
chamber doors, had access to his room. The whole of the
writing was • forgery.
Mr. Flowers committed the prisoner for trial.

DARING ROBBERY ?ROM THE NORTH LONDON RAILWAY.
Two young men, who gave the namesof StoncsandSmiles,
were charged before Mr. D'Hyncourt with stealing a bed
from the hbury-station of the North London Railway.
From the evidence it appeared that the bed belonged to
a Mrs. Somber, who entrusted it to her sister, Miss Mary
Hancock, of 2, Quadrant-road, Highbury, to take to Rich-
mond. It was platted on a cab and conveyed to the High-
bury-station, when the prisoner Stones took hold of it and
carried it into the station. The porter labelled it fur
Richmond, and the prisoner, who had nothing whatever to
do with the station, carried the bed downstairs on to
the platform, where he was told by one of the porters to
put it in the break van. The prisoner allowed the
train to start without having done so, and when asked his
reason said that the break wasunder the archway, end that
he could not get at it ; but this statement was not correct,
and he was told so ; on which he said it did not matter
much, ea he would see that it was all right. He carried
the bed upstairs, and left it in the station for some hours,
when be returned with the prisoner Smiles, and gave him
the bed to carry. Smiles was asked by the station-meter
what he was going to do with the bed, and he said that •
gentleman was outside with a trap, and that he was going
to take the bed to the Waterloo railway sta-
tion. The atation-muter proceeded outside to infoim
" the gentleman with the trap" that there was no need
for him to take any trouble in the matter, as the bed
could be forwarded to Richmond by the next train as "left
lounge," when he -as surprised to find neither gentlemen
nor trap, and seeing the prisoners going off with the bed,
he gave information to police-constable Woodhall, 374 N,
who apprehended Smiles, and asked him, as he was carry-
ing the bed, if it belonged to him. Smiles replied in the
negative, and in reply to other questions, said
he did not know where the bed was to be
token to, or to whom it belonged. All that be
knew about it was that Stones had employed him to awry
it. He was taken to the police-station, and charged with
the unlawful possession of the bed, and whilst these the
other prisoner came in, and he was also charged. Stones
then said that he had been to every house in the Alwyne-
road, to see if he could find the owner of the bed, as he
had no intention of stealing it ; and when asked why he
had been to the Alwyne-road, he said because in the morn-
ing, when the owner of the bad came to the station, she
had an altercation with the cabman about the fare, and
the cabman then said he had come from that road.

Mr. D'Eyncourt inqub if anything was known of the
character of the prisoners.
The police replied Stones had Differed one month's im-
prisonment in the House of Correction, for the unlawful
possesaion of some lead. The other prisoner was known as
• steady hard-working young man.
The prisoner Stones said that rather than have the ease
sent to the Middlesex Sessions for trial, be would plead
guilty. On his honour be could assure the magistrate that
the other prisouer was not aware that the bed was stolen.
Mr. D'Eyncourt said he did not think that there was
enough evidenee against Smiles, and he would therefore he
discharged, but he had better be careful of the sort of com-
pany he mixed with for the future. The magistrate then
asked if robberies of this description were frequent at the
Highbnry station.
The station-master replied in the affirmative, and added
that on the day of this robbery inquiries were made of him
about a box that had been stolen from • eab at the station.
Mr. D'Hyneourt said that looking at all the circum-
stances perhaps the prisoner had no intention at lint of
staling the bed but afterwards gave way to temptation.
The sentence on the prisoner was that he be imprisoned
and kept to hard labour in the House of Correction for six
calendar months.

The prisoner left the dock smiling.
WANDSWORTH.

lITRACIEDINAMT CAXII Or ELOTEMINT.
Wise, • labourer, described as living in Prince's-
square, Commercial-road, Lambeth, was charged with
stealing a box containing clothes and other articles.
Mr. Wilson defended.

William Webb. a labourer, living at Barnes, stated that
the prisoner lodged with him about two years ago, and he
went away, taking his wife with him, and also the box of
linen, his property. On the 1 revious day witness found
his wife living with the prisoner, and the box in his
porsession.
In answer to questions, the witness said the box con-
tained some wearing apoarel belonging to his wife.
Mr. Wilson, who appeared to be instructed by the wife,
as she sat behind him, informed the magistrate that the
husband had been to see them several ::men since they
went away. He paid them a visit last week and had tea
with them.

The prosecutor was further questioned, and he admitted
that he went to see them.

Mr. Ingham—Did you have any refreshment with them?
Prosecutor—l had a drop of beer with my wife, bat not
with the prisoner.
Mr. Ingham—Very well ; I think the best way is to
leave you and your wife to settle the matter between you.
The prisoner was then discharged.

TRIAL or • BOLDUC/. —At the Clonmel assizes
on Saturda, before Dr. Ball, Q.C., James Dillon, • private
of the 17th Regiment of Infantry, and James Ryan, a
young man of the peasant claw, were placed at the her
o with shooting Thomas Dunne, • policeman, on
the me of Februais last, at Glenbane, or I oagstone, in
the sweaty of Tipperary. Mr. Serjeurt Armstrong stated
the case for the crown. Dunne, who has nearly recovered
from the effect of his wounds, was examined, and was
corroborated by Head-constable Thompson, three eon-
etebles, Mazy Ryan, the prisoner's sister, and Thomas
BYRE, his first cousin. Mr. Harris, (.C., addressed the
jury for the defence ; Mr. Wall, Q.C., replied on the part
of the crown. His lordship suc:ffclii up, and, after an
hour's deliberation, the jury t in a verdict of
"Guilty" against both prisoners. His lordship then pro-
ceeded to pass sentence, and commented in forcible terms
on the culpability of the soldier Dillon, who had proved a
traitor to his sovereign and false S. his oath as a soldier.
He sentenced Dillon to penal servitude for 90 years, and
Ryan to • like punishment for 14 years. This finished the
WWII foe the South Riding.