The Express.
London, England, 1850-01-24 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.—T
BMWs MR. 8111/11AWT ADANS, ASSUITANT JOl2Oll.
EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF BE001110•LITIIIIIIMPORMON.
Jobs 7hoomas Simpson Jones, 86, a respectably dressed
man, butone of the most notorious begging letterimpostors in
England, was foliated fur having ohtaMrd by false pretences
two halves of a SI. Bank et England note, end also the sum
of 31., from Mr. John Collingridge, a gentleman of fortune
residing at Siusbery,
Mr. Phien and lit. Lempriere appeared for the proven-
, den, and Mr. Prenderges• appeared for the prisoner.
Prendergast applied for a postponement of the trial,
en the ground that the prisoner was anal‘4lll to plead antra
NM acquit, and thatto arable him to do se it was necessary
*at the record of a former trial of the prisoner upon the
OEM charge must be produced, and at present he Lad not
had sufficient time to procure it.
After some dimension, the court ordered the trial to pro-
ceed, deciding that the prisoner had had ample time since
his committal on the 9th inst.
The prisoner was then arraigned. He pleaded autre foie
acquit, but as he was Dot prepared to put in that pies in
writing, and refused to make any other plea, the Court
ordered the plea of not guilty to be entered.
Mr. Phinn then proceeded to state the ease to the jury.
He said the character of the investigation they were about
to enter upon was one which, though supported by very
simple facts, was of considerable public interest end import.
%ace, though Lot of frequent occurrence in a court of justice.
The prisoner was charged in the indictment with having by
false pretences obtained from the prosecutor certain monies;
ai.d the false representations upon which he so obtained the
money were contained in what was very well known as
"begging letters," and it would appear that the prisoner
was one of those pests who defrauded the charitable
and benevolent portion of the public by assuming
false characters, concocting pitiful stories of woe, efilie•
lion and trouble, and appealing to conapissionate feel•
ing and sympathise, and who thereby perverted the
stream of public charity from those channels in
which, for the interests of society, it was desirable it should
flow. The prosecutor, Mr. Collingridge, was a gentleman,
who resided at Banbury Ville, in this county, and who also
bed a residence in Polies( y-strest, Bath, and the pi itoner
having got possession of has Bath address, forwarded him •
letter thither • but at that time, July last year, Mr. Coiling-
ridge was at Banbury, and the letter was repeated at Bath to
him there. In cessequence of that letter, Mr. Collingridge
must a post-office order for 31. in favour of a person named
Brewer, to the Post-office at Gravesend, and the eircum•
stance of the litter having been sent to Both, gave MO to
the anopeeition that the Bath Sessions had jurisdiction in W.
case, but the Recorder decided that the money had been
obtained in Middlesex, and therefore the case was (nought to
this curt far trial.
James Brewer stated that be was now ro prirencr in Bath
Gaul, utder a convictic n for obtaining money by hate
pretences, or rather by begging letters. lie had known the
prisoner about three years. In July last they both lived at
No. 21, Liffingtonstrest, Vauxhall-roar'', and he (witness)
showed him a letter which Mr. Collingridge, the prosecutor,
had given him, far treatment at the Bath 'Dispensary.
Jones took down the address, and wrote a letter to Mr. Cal-
lingrielge, and directed witness to proceed to Gravesend
to pot it.
The letter was here pat in. It was as follows :
Crave end, July 30, '4l.
Sir,—Permit me to address you in a ease of charity at the earnest
entreaty of James Brewer a young man whom you have been very
tied to on several occasiot:s, and some months ago gave hint 11. 3s. to
take film to Leamington. Ile ca. ordered here for the benefit of lica
bathing, but the air being too keen fur his delicate frame, he has been
advised to endeavour to gain admission to the Consumption iloopitsl
• Bromptem, near London. Ile is in very riistres.d eireunist...nors,
and has ao means of ming the fees of that institution, and is also
indebted here to his Widiaaly for board, \e. Your kin:lnc-a to him
before induces him to hope that once more, and for the lia.t time, you
might render him some little assistance to enable Lim to male op
IL 10a., all that he le de&lent of I have taken more than usual In-
terest in Me ease, having given him M. lee. and tome linen.
The writer than proceeded to request that an enclosure
might be forwarded to the Gravesend Post-office for Brewer,
es
he (the writer) was about to leave for Scotland.—
(Signed) Join( Score, MD.
Witness then continued—He posted eight cr nine other
letters at the same time as he posted the cue just read,
and when he went to Graveiend, in a few days afterwards,
he received several letters in answer to them, including one
from Mr. Collingridge, enelosirg a Post-Once order for 31,
which he at once got cubed, and one encloriug 61. from the
Queen Dowager. He returned to London, and halved the
money with the prisoner. Shortly afterwards he went to
live at Bath, anti the prisoner and a woman named Farr
went to live with him. He was the party referred to in the
letter, but it was all fictions about his wonting to get into
the Brompton Hospital. The prisoner se ro: e the
letter. In cross-examination the witness said he
had been a begging letter impostor about three
pare having been led into it by a companion
of the prisoner named Sullivan, but that he had not got bis
lorirg by means of employment since 1843; in which year
he was thrown from a coach in the Somerset-road, and was
severely hurt. There were two charges against him at
Bath; he pleaded guilty to one, and was sentenced to
four menthe' imprisonment, with hard labour. Did not
expect a mitigation of his sentence, it the prisoner was
evicted. _ _

Inspector Tote, of the Bath constabulary, and Brunswick
Harrison, • Bath ottieer„ yu.oduced • quantity of begging
letters which were found in Brewer's house. obey likewise
produced a number of " Court Guides," Dads' and Bight''.
Peerages," and Dod's " Parliamentary Companion',"
which were found there also.
In the crosgexamination of these officers, it transpired
that the prisoner wakapprehended on a charge of stealing a
gold watch. On searching Brewer's house, these letters
were found.
Mr Collingridge proved leaving received the letter, and
sent the 31. He should certainly not have sent it, had he
not believed the representations contained ia the letter were
genuine.
Mr. Coors, postmaster at Gravesend, proved that the
money was paid to the prisoner, who received the letter.
There was no Dr. Scott at Gravesend.
From evidence then gone into to substantiate the other
charge in the indictment, it appeared that when at Bath the
prisoner had, by some means, become aware of the circum-
stance that Mr. Collingridge was remotely related to a fami.y
of that name in Northumberland, and he at once assumed
the character of a member of that family, and wrote the
lollowing letter to Mr. Collingridge. In stating the case to
the jury Mr. Phian remarked that this letter was remark-
able for the "exquisite delicacy" with which the prisoner
told what his object was:
Bath, August 16, 1049.
S'r,—lt is is a most unusual thing for me to address an individual
to whom I am an entire stranger, but circumstances over which I bail
no control almost c impel I,lle to make my present situation known,
and having received the morning • note teem Dr. Harrison, who
was a friend of my late tether, the Rev. W. C. Collingridge, of
Newcastle, intimating that a namesake of mine was re-icing at lt.c.h.
and. under an impression (our name being by. no means common) I
have ventured t, address you, thinking you might have sprueg from
the Northumberland (amity of the Collingridges. I know of no rela-
tion in the world living, bearing my name, except an only brother,
now living at Utahans, and several slot rs married, but who, or
, course do not take the acme now. I have been bred to snertaidile
pursuits of commerce, and for many years traided at Cape St. Mary,
Haver Gem..ia, Western Coast of Africa, when I 1041 t Ica one night, by
the upsetting of • shallop, or small-decked vessel, at the m mth of
the over Nuno, the entire savings of many years of industrious
and Laborious toil, amounting to 2,2301., Inoue of the most unhealthy
climates in the word, and, what La worse than the mere
lost of wealth, the burning beat of the Torrid Zone has so injured
my constitutioa, that at the early age of 34 I have been compelled
to relinquish a good situation. waled required some activity. Sims
my return to England I have for seine time been enleavourg to ob-
tain a situation in some of the milder West India Islands, the
Mader* or the South of Europe, with the view of re-establisteug my
health, hut all endeavours have proved unavailing. The medical pro-
fession have recommended nao to try the benefit of the Bath waters,
but I am sorry to say I have found no benefit. My loads are
almost, nay, I may ray wholly upended, and I have not one single
friend here to whom I can appeal to in confidence. Upon beginning '
to write this, It was my Intention to have salted you to advance
me a small sum as a loan—that is if you had any knowledge of our
family in the oath—but I will refrain from asking you that favour,
for it you obLimal me with a to .n I have no prospect in the world
of repaying it at presort ; but if it is in your power to
swot • ruined merchant in lU health. I will teed very
grateful. It must be as a gilt, for from the tenor of my brother's
latter it appears his means are hushed, and I have no prospect there
except causal whitener lie sent me 31. in June, hissing an arid
mother to maintain and a large family upon a small practice, being by
profession a surgeon. Read his letter, and you will see his position
and mine. I really cannot summos resolution enough to apply to
Wes, at least toe • time. The enclosed letter you will be pleased to
Mega as se, se also the note, which you toll perceive by the AN&
blebsof York (signed EMI) I suppose the Wan moue for that city,
and • day with a family at Cliippenham„
eggeselegiehe LAlTericatoarsit, you will be pleased to return them to se
se Wow. I em • poor one, Mr. Collinglidge, to maw tar a favour.
I bias always through life been placed ab it, aed MMressesen
Set the lees, or Os privations I have undergoes and now skean,
imitergaiag an not the km keen teams I do rat enlarge upon
*ma teat as I have addressed you in esolideanynto, I will
bare state that it 70S ma reader me pecualary
sedMento without Injury to time who have stew& upon yon,
and equally usivoiltees. win for one be grateful kr WWest aid.
An early rower will obese, sad I say Moe motion it was your
doe esles In Peluensysigest win saw me your address, Wing 1
esUid this morning, le Ur bops of seeing you. messily. WiehlYl
yelk, sic, a long eopyggiat of peace and tranquillity,
I resale, sr, your obsdient eteesel, JOll/1
Address Mr. J. IL Oolangridge (when called fur), late front Africa, •
rest-office, Chlppenhaa.-Wllts.
Mr. Collusgridge dr posed that in answer to this letter he
posted one half of • U. note as desired, and on the receipt of
that being acknowledged, he sent the other half. He got a
letter of thanks in return, in which the writer prayed for Lis
spiritual welfare.
The schoolmaster of Bath gaol and Kate Phillips proved
the lett. re to be in the prisoner's ban-writing. The latter '
witness was the wife 01 a soldier, and lived at 21, Lillington-
street, and had frequently seen the prisoner attired as a
clergyman. He went occasionally by the names of MONS
and Ili( ialay. He told her that he got • good living by
writing bossing letters.
Mr. Prendergast then, at great length, submitted that the
ems could not be maintained, upon the ground that Mr
venue had been wrongly laid, the money, in the one
strum, having been obtained in Kent, and the other k
W 'habits.
Mr. Phinn contended that as soon as the prosecutor had •
ported with his money, by depositing it in the poet office at
Sunbury, the fraud was complete.
The learned Judge ultimately said he would reserve the
polar for the delusion of the Court of Criminal Appeal.
The jury found the prisoner Guilty.
Mr. Phian thought it right that the court should know
amending of this man's character. He was one of the moat
ingenious impostors in the country, and had, in the guise of
a Clergyman, had interviews with the lam Queen Dowager,
from whom he had, by representing himself as connected
with religious societies, obtained vedette large sums of
money. He was the asoosapliee of a man who was recently
sentenced In Ewer to transyorWioa.
Hanford, the Mendielty BBoaug7's hoar, said the prisoner
had been in custody several dram sink 1847, for imposing
en *khaki individuals. Ho had boon convicted three
times.
The Leaned Judge said that the high sad diatiognished
names mentioned in the bundles of letters produced showed
not only the impudence and skill of the prisons; but the