Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-06-22 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY

CHARGE OF FRAUD.
On Monday, Robert Marks, a shrewd, intelligent, middle-
aged man, of gentlemanly exterior, described oft the polite
sheet as a publisher, residing at Brighton, was brought up
at the Guildhall police court, on a warrant charging him
with obtaining large sums of money by means of false
pretences. Mr. Alderman Salomons presided. Mr. Alder-
man Mechi was also present ; but,, as his name had been
made use of by the prisoner, the worthy alderman abstained
from taking any part, magisterially, in the proceedings.
Mr. Joseph Thorley, the proprietor and patentee of
" Thorley: s Food for Cattle," said, I carry on business at
70, Newgate-street. On the 3rd of January last the
prisoner, who was a perfect'stranger to me, called at the
office, and said he came from the Royal Agricultural
Society, who were going to present Mr. Alderman Mechi
with a testimonial in the shape of a piece of plate, and he
asked me for my subscription. Believing his representa-
tion, I directed my clerk to pay the
.prisoner one guinea.
He had parchment..with him, containing many hundred
names, but Ido not remember any of them. I was in a
great hurry, and did not notice the names. He asked me
to sign the parchment, and I did so, and he said it would
be in print in a few days. I have never seen it in print.
He had a cab at the door, and I supposed he was going
elsewhere to get some one else's guinea. . I never saw my
subscription advertised in the newspapers. Cross-examined
by the prisoner, who interrogated the witness with great
adroitness ; You did not ask me if I was a member of the
Royal Agricultural Society. lam not a member of that
society, nor any other, I believe, although I do subscribe to
others. You did not ask me if I had received any com-
munication or circular respectinm* the presentation of a
complimentary portrait to Mr. Alderman Mechi. You
did not tell me there had been a testimonial to Mr.
Alderman Mechi. I did not read the heading of the
subscription list, as I had not time ; but I caught
sight of the word " testimonial," and the name of
Mr. Alderman Mechi. I never heard the word " portrait"
used throughout the interview. You said that the names
would be in print, but you did not say that I should have a
print in a few days. Mr. Richard Cort, of Barnsbury-park,
Islington, the son of Henry Cort; the inventor of puddling
and rolling of bar iron, was then sworn and examined. He
said : lam not in any business now. I know the prisoner.
I employed him to collect subscriptions to a testimonial
fund which was being raised in acknowledgment of the
services of my father to the British nation. That was
in A.ugust, 1856 ; and I agreed to give him 50 per cent. on
all he had collected, and that was to cover all the expenses,
and to repay him for devoting the whore of his time to the
object; but, within a few weeks after, I had some suspicion
of him, and discharged hini. The discharge was in writing,
and I sent it through the post I know he received it.
During the time he was collecting under my authority,- I
only received two subscriptions from him, and to my know-
ledge he has collected hundreds of pounds which I have not
received. I discharged him on the 22nd of October, 1856.
Mr. John Boyne, a merchant, of 2, East India Cham-
bers, Leadenhall-street, said •
a letter to the prisoner asking to NV,
sum of £3O 4s. which I had receiveu on. behalf of th,
" Cort's Testimonial Fund ;" in consequence of which he
called on me on the 15th of December, 1856, and I handed
him a cheque for £3O 45., which has since been paid at
the bank. I may here state,- conversationally, that Mr.
Richard Colt is the son of the man who first introduced
the principle of rolling bar iron into this country; and
these subscriptions were being collected for the family,
who were almost in a state .of actual starvation. I
took no receipt, because his appearance , was so highly
respectable that it quite deceived me ; and it is not cus-
tomary to ask for a receipt for chaiitable contributions.
Mr. Richard Cort recalled: I have not received one
farthing of this sum of £3O 4s, nor of any other sum, since
the prisoner's dismissal. Prisoner : This is merely a
question of account between Mr. Cort and me ; and I shall
be able to show that it is a clear case of disputed account.
The prisoner was remanded.

In December, 1856, I wrote
hom I should pay a