The Express.
London, England, 1867-01-19 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURT&

BOW-STREET.
Alfred Berton and William Henry Bryant, two well-
dressed young men, were charged by Mr. Parker, the hon.
secretary of the Metropolitan Water Supply Association,
with embezzlement and forgery.
The prosecution was coeducted by Mr. Wontner, jun.,
and the prisoners were defended by Mr. Lewis, sen.
Mr. Wontner said the association, though the learned
chief magistrate might probably not have beard of it, num-
bered among its patrons several distinguished names, in.
eluding those of the Duke of Wellington, the Earl of
Shaftesbury, and Sir J. Lubbock, the banker, whose
firm were bankers to the association. The aloes
were in Bream's-buildings, Chancery-lane ; and the ob-
ject was, by ruemorialiaing the government and pe-
titioning parliament, and by other means which he
need not enter into, to obtain a larger and purer water
supply for the metropolis. It had received a con-
siderable amount of support from the nobility and from
the public, more especially from those carrying on busi-
ness in the City. The course of proceeding was this.
They first of all appointed collectors, who wont about with
petitions, to which they obtained signatures, and who re.
mired subscriptions from such of the public as felt dis-
posed to contribute towards the expenses. Each collector
was provided with a book, in whilh it was his duty to
enter the amount of the subscriptions. It was then his
duty to hand the money over to Mr. Parker, the secretary,
who in due course forwarded a receipt to each donor.
Properly speaking, the money should be accounted for
day by day. Perhaps this wax not rigidly enforced as to
the very day, but at all events it should have been as
nearly so as possible. The receipts forwarded by Mr.
Parker were printed, al: but Mr. Parker's signature and
the amount ; but the collectors had no power to give re-
oepts at all.
Sir Thomas Henry should have thought that the persons
giving the money would have required receipts from the
collectors at the time.

Mr. Wontner said he would not discuss what they
might prefer ; he only stated what was the regulation and
the practice. They were distinctly instructed not to give
receipts, as they would be forwarded by the secretary.
Some time since the two prisoners, who had previously
been collecting separately, joined into • partnership.
Sir Thomas Henry—How were they paid?
Mr. Wontner said the single collectors had 50 per cent.
of all contributions. When two worked together each
had 2 5 per cent., which amounted to the same thing.
For some time past Burton had shown himself very
unwilling to let Mr. Parker see his book, saying that
he had left it at home, and when he saw that of Bryant,
the latter said the moneys therein entered were all that
had been collected by them both. It appeared, how-
ever, that in November the prisoner obtained • donation
of si. from a gentleman named Monday, of 70, Porchester-
terrace, Bayswater. That house had previously been oc-
cupied by • gentleman named Murray, and it was pro-
bable that they mistook the name. At all events, • letter
directed to Mr. Murray at that address was forwarded, and
returned through the dead-letter office. It was found to
contain • receipt similar to those of the association, only
that the name of Mr. Parker was
'printed, and the woods
" Bryant and Burton, collectors,' added. iidded. The date, the
name of the gentleman, the amount, and the signatures
were in the handwriting of Burton. No account of this
donation had been rendered by either of the prisoners ;
and but for this mistake in addressing the letter contain-
ing the forged receipt to Mr. Murray instead of Mr. Mon-
day? the forgery would probably never have been detected.
Sir Thomas Henry asked what part of the document was
alleged to be forga
Mr. Wontner said the whole of it, as purporting to be
the receipt of the secretary.
Sir Thomas Henry said it purported to be the receipt of
Bryant and Burton, and apparently was • receipt for
money which they had obtained. If it was anything, it
was giving a receipt without authority, but at all events it
was not forgery.
After • technical discussion.
Mr. Wontner said he would reet on the charge of am-
berzleinent.

Sir Thomas Henry asked who was the muter. Mr.
Parker could not be so, for he also was a berrant of the
committee himself.

Mr. Wontaer said, Mr. Parker was a member of the
committee, and hon. secretary. The prisoner could be in-
dicted for embezzling the money, the property of Mr.
Parker and others, the oonlmittee.

Sir Thomas Henry said they were not partners. It was
not a joint-stock company.
Mr. Wontner said they were certainly not registered
but the money was still the property of the association.
Persons might be jointly defrauded without being partners.
There might be a fraud on the public generally.
Sir Thomas Henry said that would not be embezzlement,
unless it could be shown that some person or body was
their employers, and that that party was defrauded.
Another discussion followed, in the course of which Mr.
Wootner said that Parker had formerly been a collector
himself.

Mr. Lewis said that Parker made himself secretary
before there was any committee. In fact, it wasall made
up between the three, and the question was which was to
get the most money.
Sir Thomas Henry said if that was so it was a conspiracy
of the three to obtain money by false pretences.
Mr. Lewis said he had only now to meet .the ch►rge of
embezzlement.

Mr. Wontner said Mr. Lewis gave his own clients a bad
character. If the association was a swindle no one would
be more anxious than he that it should be exposed. But if
so, there was no honour amongst these thieves, for the pri-
soners did not give their accomplice his share of the
plunder.
Sir Thomas Henry said it was quite clear this charge was
not made out.

Mr. Wontner—We can get somebody else to prosecute.
Sir Thomas Henry—Very well ; but you are not pre-
pared now to make out the charge of embezzlement. If you
had applild for a warrant these difficulties would have
been poipted out to you.
Mr. Vfontner, after oonsulting his client, withdrew the
charge.
Sir Thomas Henry °Nerd the police to retain for the
present the books and papers found on the prisoners.

DREADFUL DEATH OF • BREAK/HUN OW THE
LONDON AND NORTH WESTERN RAILWAT.—AII the 10.48
train for Manchester was leaving the Lime-street Station
of the London and North Western Railway, at Liverpool,
a breakswan named Zephaniah Hall, aged 30, was standing
on the footboard of a carriage to attach to it the endless
chain which drags the trains up the tunnel, when his head
came into contact with some scaffolding. He was at once
thrown down on to the rails, and, the train being in mo-
tion at the time, several carriages, passed over his body,
killing him on the spot. An inquest waa held yesterday
afternoon, when a verdict of " Accidental death " was re-
turned.

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