Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-03-19 00:00:00

WAVERTREE POLICE COURT.

BEFORE MESSRS. T. W. RATHBONE, RICHARD ALISON, -T. B.
BARCLAY, EDWARD GIBBONS, AND ROBERT WILSON.
DISHONEST SERVANTS.—Two servant girls, named Susanna
Holt and Ellen Martin, were brought up, charged with
stealing a number of articles, the property of Mr. Nixon,
grocer, Castle-street. The girls both appeared respectable,
and were well dressed, and were evidently deeply affected
at the position in which they were placed. Mr. Worship
defended them, and Mr. Fowler, superintendent of the
district, prosecuted. Thwircumstances of the case will be
gathered from the followiTg evidence :—Mr. Henry Wheeler
Nixon, who resides at 7, Olive-mount, Wavertree, said the
two prisoners were in his employ. Ellen Martin was nurse ;
she came into his service on the Bth November last. Susanna
Holt was housemaid; she came into his employ on the 12th
January. Ellen Martin left on the 17th February, and the
other left on the 18th. About a week or ten days after they
had gone he missed some property, consisting of a leather bag,
a linen shirt, two towels, two linen sheets, one calico sheet,
one table cloth, six pieces of new carpet, six wine glasses ;
six knives were missed, two of which were found, and some
other articles. The value of the whole would be about
£8 or £9. On discovering his loss he communicated with
Mr. Bates, of Liverpool. He identified the property in
court as a portion of that missing. Elizabeth Williams
was examined. She resided in Leed-street, and was the
wife of William 'Williams, a porter. Both prisoners came
to her house on the 19th February. They came to take
lodgings. She let them a room. It was furnished. They
brought the box produced. They remained with her till
the 28th of February ; on the Monday following, the 19th,
they brought a second box. When the detectives came
they examined the second box, and found in it some of the
stolen articles. The sheets were found on the bed, and the
table cloth on the table. The boxes were not locked.
William Campbell, 23, Duke-street, Everton : Engaged
with Mr. Bates, as assistant in the private enquiry office,
No. 3, York-buildings. He went with John Sayle, another
'of Mr. Bates's assistants, to search for the two prisoners, on
Monday, the 28th. They found them at one of the
prisoner's aunts, in Gregson-street, Everton. They were
requested by Mr. Sayle to come down to Mr. Bates's office.
They went off with Sayle in a car. He saw them in
Mr. Bates's office about five minutes afterwards. Sayle
asked them where they were stopping. Both of them said
they were living at 34, Leed-street. Mr. Fowler said he
had just been enquiring why Sayle was not present, and
the sergeant of police had just told him that Mr. Bates said
Sayle would not be able to give half the information this
man would give. He had no doubt it was a trick en-
deavoured to be played on them. Witness : No doubt Mr.
Bates would have sent Sayle if he thought it was
necessary. 'Mr. Fowler : Well, we will see how
we can get on without him. The witness
then proceeded to state how he found the goods which were
brought to Mr. Bates's office. The prisoners were left at
Mr. Bates's office. The prisoners were not at the office
when the witness returned. The clerk said they requested
to go, and he had no power to retain them. Mr. Nixon
had no proof of the theft. It was only a matter of suspicion.
Mr. Rathbone : Do you know why the other officer is not
here. Witness : It was not thought necessary to bring
him. He knows nothing more than myself. It was
believed my evidence would be sufficient. I am sure Mr.
Bates would be willing to give every facility. Mr. Rath-
bone : This an important case, and it is desirable to have
all the evidence available, in order to sift the matter
thoroughly. John Priestly, a police constable, was ex-
amined. His evidence related to having taken the
custody of the goods, and as to his taking the
prisoners also into custody, OR the 10th March, in
Liverpool. When taken into custody, Susan Holt,
on being charged with the crime, said, "We have stolen
them, and one is as bad as the other." Ellen Martin replied,
that she had stolen nothing, but she knew what was going
on at the time. The prisoner Holt pleaded guilty, and
Martin pleaded not guilty. Mr. Worship addressed the
bench on behalf of the prisoners, but the magistrates said,
they had made up their minds to send the prisoners to trial.
They regretted that they were not able to deal with the case
under the summary jurisdiction act. It was one that bad
worked well, and saved a great deal of expense and trouble.
The prisoners were accordingly committed for trial to the
quarter sessions

COUNTY MAGISTRATES COURT.

BEFORE MESSRS. ROTHERAM AND MYERS,

CHARGE OF EMBEZZLEMENT. —John Morpeth, a respectable-
looking man, foreman to Henry Dawes, sewerage con-
tractor to the Waterloo Board of Health, was placed in
the dock upon a charge of embezzlement. The case had
been remanded from Monday last. Mr. Mason appeared
for Mr. Dawes, the prosecator, and Mr. Gray defended.
The substance of the charge was that in the week ending
February the 19th last, Morpeth reported to the prosecutor
that he had 145 men in his employment, and received £97
as part payment of their wages, and that in the following
week he reported that he had the same number employed',
and received £145, whereas, it was alleged, on the part of
the prosecution, that the amount he paid in wages during
the two weeks in question was forty pounds
less than he had received, Mr. Mason applied for another
remand, stating that the prosecutor had employed a respect-
able accountant to go over the whole of the accounts
between him and the prisoner, but they were in such a
complicated state that the task had not yet been completed.
Mr. Gray opposed the demand, on the ground that the
magistrates had as yet no evidence whatever before them
that the defendant had not employed the number of men
aid paid the amount of money represented. He contended
that the whole question was merely one of account, and
that it was unjust towards his client to have such a charge
so long pending over his head. The prosecutor was him-
self examined, and deposed that on Saturday, the 19th of
Febniary, the defendant told him he would require
wages to pay 145 men. Prosecutor gave him £97,
that being what was called a " sub" week. The
following Saturday defendant asked for wages for
145 men also, and the prosecutor gave him £ll5. On
Tuesday evening, the Bth March, prosecutor was going over
the accounts with aefendant, when the latter snatched the
book out• of his hand, and the pay sheets, and took them
out of the room, and would not let him see them. The
Bench agreed to allow a remand until Tuesday next, but
intimated an opinion that no further remand ought to be
asked for. The defendant was ahowed to remain out on his
own reebgnizauce.

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a liberal discount on export and wholesale orders,