The Express.
London, England, 1859-01-06 00:00:00

THE POLICE COITRTE

MANSION-HOUSE.

John amiable, a respectable-looking man, about 40 years
of age, was brought Won the Lad Mayor, charged with
having obtained forty-three bah@ of canvas, of the value of
761. 6d, from Messrs. Rummell, linentactors, 3, Star-
court, Brood-street, by false ces.
Mr. Buchanan appeared forpreten the proeecution; and the
prisoner was defended by Mr. Wontaer.
J. C. Knight, the detective officer, said—l lately made in-
quiries respecting the prisoner, and found that he had left his
home at Peckhais and was residing in the neighbourhood of
Lewisham. At nine o'cloek yesterday morning I watched
the house No. 9, Thane-place, Lewistiamroad, and saw
the prisoner leave It about five in the afternoon,
when I followed him a short way, and told him
I was a polies-offher, and bad orders to apprehend him
for obtaining a quantity of comma of Messrs. Russell,
linenfactora of Star-court, Bread-street, and I added,
" Your name is Constable." He replied, "My good sir, you
are entirely mistaken ; my name is not Coostable—my name
is Thompson." I said, ' I believe lam not mistaken." He
replied • What did you say the canvas wee " I repeated
I what had previously told him, and he replied, "I know
nothing at all about any canvas, and do not know the name
of Russell. He than told me that be would take me to some
respectable tradesmen in Lewisham, who knew him well, for
the purpose of showing me that I was mistaken. He men-
tioned a Mr. Booth, • groom, and a Mr. Burton, but they
told me that they had known him only a short time. He
then asked me to accompany him to his house, which I did,
and he then put • card in his pocket. I then took him
to the railway station, and while waiting for the train
he produoed the card, and showed it to me, and mid, " I
am the men you want, but there is no fear about
the tranasction. The canvas was for the vessel mentioned on
that card, end that is the captain who gave me the order.
The captain mold not take the goods and I was obliged to
dispose of them the best way I could. I intended to pay the
firm as soon as I mold, and was coming to town tomorrow
for the purpose of making them some proposition. The
moon 1 denied my name was that 1 was token so unawares,
as I wanted a little more Mos." I then took him to Bow-
lane station, where the charge was booked against him, and
signed by Mr. Rummell. It was reed over by the inspector on
duty, and the prisoner was asked if be wished to say any-
thing. He than asked Mr. Rumen not to prase the
and said 11 be would go bath
to Lewishamehaerh
him he would give him 101. and security for the remainder,
Mr. Russell said be should like to know who took the canvas
to Booth'e. The poisoner replied, " A carman took the
commas there." Mr. Rummell said be should like to know
who ordered him to take it there, and the prisoner replied,
" I ordered him to take it there bemuse I did not expect you
would take it back again." Mr. Russell then said be must
go on with the ease. The card to which I have referred is—
For Bombay direst, the flee fast-sailing ship Mary Ann,
A 1
967 tons=ter ,
J. Newholin, commander ; lying In
the Victoria
Mr. G. Russell, one of the prosecutors, maid—On the 13th
November last the prisoner called on me and said he wanted
to purchase 43 bolts of canvas, and to have credit for a
month. I asked him for &reference, and he gave me Messrs.
Renton, Sim, and Co., of 36, Seething-lane, and Messes.
J. and K. Our' Swan-street, 2dinories. He was introdsoad
to me by our salesman as John Constable. I inquired of
these firms, and when the prisoner afterwards called upon
me I communicated to him the result of my inquiries, namely,
that I could sell to his only for cash. I said I believed his
to be honest and industrious, but poor, and that if the per-
ms to whom he sold the goods should be unable to pay him
he would not he able to pay us. He said there was Do risk
—that the name was for a ship in the docks., that we should
have a Bon ups the ship, and that he himself was to be
paid by an order from the captain of the ship upon hie brokers
ce owner*. I said I would sell the oatmeal conditions, rely-
ing upon the truth of his statement, and that be would tall ma
themine of the vessel, and hand to me the captain's order upon
the broker or owners for collection, our firm accounting for
morphia. He told me that the name of the ship was
the Mary Aso, Cape of Good Hope, and that she ma
ommanded by a Dutchman, whose trams he did not recosen-
kr. I sated hbw, when the ship ma likely to sail. He
said le three wmks at WM. I told bin that as the goods
would be sold at • moth then would be itienty of time for
the teensratlon to take pima He said the mama was re-
quired for a suit of rib dor the Mary Ann, and requeMed
that ft might be delivered at Balboa and Company's, In
Seething-lase, as it would be coevenient for the evade of
the Mary Ann to me It there. I then gave direc-
tions for tweety-seven bolts of canvas, of the vales
ad 461. 16s. 7d., part of the order,to he deli-
vered en the 16th of November. A few days
after that the prisoner again called and asked nee to
send the remaining sixteen bolts to the same place, and I did
so. He mid that any note addressed to him at Bathes and
Ciespeep's would fled him. I believed he required the
canvas for a mit of sails for the Mary Ann, then lying in the
cloaks, and ft was upon that ground solely that I gave him
meth kw the goods, the vales of which was 761. 113 e. 6d. I
did ace give him credit on account of anything I had based
from the reference, but, on the meteor), refused to do me.
Some informal= afterwards reached me which Wooed me
to communicate with the pollee.
Cromemamined by Mr. Wagner—l knew that the pri-
n..' had been agent to Messes. Kidd and Co., respectable
neenufecturers. He told me he was se old camera, and bad
agreed to supply the Mary Ann with sails. He said he had
made a contract for that purpose with the captain. He mid
he would sot tell me the mailmaker's name, because be did
not want him to know where he got the canvas. I entered
In my book the names of the vessel and the names of the
edemas&

Mr. J. !Mohohon—The card produced in one of the oar&
of the Mary Ann, of which I woe oommander in November
lent. Bhe was then lying In the Victoria•dock, and wea
bound for Bombay, and not for the Cape of Good Hope. I
do not know the prieoner, sever haviug seen him till to-day.
I never gave anybody orders for sans, or materials to make
sails, at that time.
By Mr. Wontner—The Mary Ann was provided with new
sails about the 16th or 18th of December. I took possession
of her on the 27th October, which was some time before she
wsa chartered.
_ .

The delivery of the canvas was then proved by a porter in
the service of the proeecutore.
Mr. F. Simmons, manager to Mears. Depothiner, the
owners of the Mary Ass, said that no order bad been at say
time given by the jinn to the primmer for new sails for that
vaw. . . .

Kr. G. Robson—l am • commission agent, and rent part
at the office of Mews. Renton, of Seething-lane. In the ab-
sence of Mr. Railten I signed mac! the notes for the delivery
of the canvas and afterwards remarked upon the extra-
ordinary circumstance of its being there. I was there when
part of it wee taken away in the prisoner's present*.
Mr. It. J. Booth, 1111Ct100401, of Badge-row, rid—l know
the prisoner by the name of Sawyer. On the 16th of No-
Timber he brought 27 bolts of canvas to me for sale, and on
the 24th he brought 16 bolts more. He gave me directions
to sa the goods by auction, and the lot fetched about 691.,
which I paid him, after deducting my commission. I ad-
vanced him 461. on the deposit, and paid him the balance
about • fortnight ago.
This was the cam for the prosecution.
Mr. Wontner—l do not know whether your lordship bee
made up your mind in this case.
Ihe Lord Mayor—l think the case sufficiently proved to
Induce me to commit the prisoner for trial.
Mr. Woutner—lf so, I shall reserve my observations for
another tribunal. . .

'Tll7l.;;;;crMayor—This is a ease that requires further in-

Il37.iii7Unter—Will you accept bail P
The bard Mayor—l am, as you know, very chary of ed.
parties to bail. In sloicat all the cases where I have
refund, and spplication has been made to a higher tribunal,
and to. parties have been admitted to bail, that is the last
we have beard of them.
The prisoner, who in answer to the charge said, " I leave
it to my solicitor: was then fully committed to the Central
Criminal Court for trial.
The Lord Mayor requested en
from " M. 8. C.," for the poor-box.

of 101.,