The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-12-25 00:00:00

POLICC.

MA NSION-HOUSE.
ExTexervs:Essiezzhessr.wr.—Anthiery Leger, a person
who has been nearly '2l' yearn a clerk in the house of 3lr. Meyer, of
Great it. Helen'e, merchant, was brought before the Loan
Malcom, charged with having appropriated to his own use large
sums of money, the property of his employer.
Mr. Meyer has been obliged to suspend hie payments, in come-
!pence of severe losses. The prisoner was most confidentially em-
ploye by him. It has been a principle of Mr. Meyer not to ape.
elate n the possible injury of other men's property, and we un.
demand that the bills outstanding at the time he was obliged to
suspend his payments amounted to less than the prisoner is now
charged with having embezzled. The plan by which the prisoner
contrived to keep the money in his possession was, it is said by
those who have examined the books, extremely ingenious, end
could not have been detected without a more constant comparison
of accounts than is generally made by mereantilemen, when the per-
sons principally engaged in tninsarting their business are strongly
relied opon. Figures were changed to meet the various exigencies,
and such was the prisoner's knack at obliterating, that one figure
has been changed tnto another, and changed back again into its
original state, without leaving any palpable mark of erasure. At
length the great disproportion which Mr. .leyer's money at his
banker's bate to the demands upon the house, awakened his suspi.
cion, and he soon ascertained that Leger had possessed himself of
i no less than from 8,0001. to 10,0001., and that the credit of the
house was ruined.
Two cases of embezzlement were gone into en the present
oecasion.
31r. Itaonrnice and Mr. ITOBI.tR, jun. attended for the pro-
&coition ; Mr. Anosl'Ht'S and Mr. Bow utsr for the prisoner.
111 r. Meyer stated that the prisoner had been his clerk for a great
number of years. Witness had Mr. Daniel Hazard in partnership
I with him until the 19th of July, 11124. He (witness) had a disarm:it
account at the Bank of England on the 15th of April, and on that
day drew a check for 1,950/. and d, livered it to the prisoner, whose
business it was to take checks to the bank to receive the amount,
and pay it into the banking-house of Pole and Co. in the witness's
I name. Witness never received the sum of 1101. of this account.
Mr. J. Holtigate, a clerk in the Bank, stated, that he knew the
prisor.er by sight; knew the draft Mr 1,9501. and paid It by an
order
to another officer in the Bank to that amount on the 15th of
Hay. 11124.
Another clerk in the Bank stated that he paid the order in one
note for 1,000/.; three for 30W. each; and one for WI. The
801. note was No. 14.954, and dated 27th March, 1824.
A third clerk stated that he gave cash for the 501. note, Na
14,954, on the 15th of April. Did not know whether he gave it to
the prisoner ; recollected having seen the prisoner about the place.
The name of Meyer was written on the note.
Ale. Meyer said the name of Meyer written on the note was the
prisoner's writing.
.Mr. Benham, clerk in the house of Pole and Co. stated that he
received, on the 15;11 of April. 1024, the sum of 1,900/. in the name
of Mr. paid in a note for 1.0001. and three for 3001. each ;
could not say Meyer.,by whom it was paid in. The suns of 2381. Os. 3d.
was paid in on the same day.
Mr. Meyer said the 234 U. Os. 3d. did not form any part of the
transaction in quottion.
The Loan 31.eenn asked the prisoner whether he wished to
account fur not having paid the sum of fifty pounds into the bank-
ing-house?
The prisoner said—" Not at present."
The neat charge was that of having embezzled the sum of 41.
6s. 4d. under circumstances precisely similar.
The clerks of the bank were sworn, and the prisoner was re-
manded fora few days.
A young man, who calls himself Laurence Campbell, was
brought before the Lord Mayor, charged with having feloniously
obtained a landaulet, the property of Mr. Meyer.
M r. Messer, coach-maker, of Margaret-street, Cavendish-square,
stated, that the prisoner, who was now comparatively out of condi-
tion as to dress, called upon him on the 4th of September, and
expressed a desire to hire a carriage. The prisoner was dashing in
his appearance, said his name was Laurence Campbell, the son of
General Campbell. and the nephew of the Duke of Argyll, referred
the witness to his landlady, who spoke favourably of bim, and sue-
eeetlet! in getting a landaulet at the rate of 21. per week, upon con-
anion that it should be returned in a fortnight. The prisoner at
the same time said that he was worth 7011. a-year, and of course
able to afford to give some female friends a jaunt to the country.
The carriage was taken away on the sth of September, but a fort.
night and three weeks expired before it was heard of by witness,
who then began to scour the country after the Honourable" pri.
sorter and the carriage. At length he founi the carriage at Dixon's
repository, at Barbican, front whence It was removed by order of
the Lord Mayor.
A clerk at Dixon's Repository stated, that on the 9th September
the prisoner and another person called at the Repository, and said
they he a carriage to dispose of, and wished for an advance upon
it. Witness agreed to advance 311. and the carriage was marked at
1001. !for sale as soon es possible.) Witness gave hint the 341. and
hrot a receipt from him. lie had not, he eau!, the receipt about
im ; but he was positive that it was not a receipt in full, but a
receipt for the advance money. Mr. Dixon, he bad no doubt, would
produce the receipt at the next examination.
The LORD 31evon postponed the case until Mr. Dixon shall
attend, not, however, without asking the prisoner whether he had
anything to say upon the subject.
He replied, that he never intended to sell the carriage.
The Lotto 31/roa remanded hint for further examination.
BOW-STREET.
- -

Yesterday H. Brown, a boy about II or 12 years old, was Bunt.
mowed to answer the complaint of Mr. 11111, a tailor, to whom he
was apprenticed. Mr. Hill admitted that he was a very industrious
boy, and obedient in every respect, but the present application was
to enforce the youth's return to his employment, he haring stopped
away upon pretence of ill-health, at his father's residence in New-
but, (concluded BIT. 11111,) " I really have no charge to
prefer." " But I have," exclaimed a gentleman stepping forward,
who was the boy's parent, " 1 have a charge to peeler against you
and your family, fur a gross violation of the clause in my son's in-
denture—that you allowed him to take his meals in the kitchen
when the agreement WAI that he should be treated as one of the
family."
Mr. 51 twsttimit., is dismrsing the young defendant, advised the
parties to settle the affo:r without sending it to the Sessions, he
(Mr. Al.) having no jurisdiction in the Case.
Yesterday William Ki/porrirk, the young man charged with
robbing Iris master. Mr. Alscbeaih, a jeweller, in Rysier'i-court,
of jewellery to a large amount, and Junin IV:I/slier, with is charged
on suspicion of felonionaly receiving a part of the property, know-
ing it to he stolen, were brought up for another examination.
It would seem that the prisoner Kilpatrick, even before he was
apprehended, had come to a determination to wake his late em-
ployer all the mpg:whin in his power; for when COUSCIIS, the eon..
strole called at his father's house on Tuesday last, for the pur-
pose Of taking him into custody, he found hint making out it list of
articles which he had purloined, for the avowed putpose of trans-
mining it to Mr. Macbcath, witb information as to where the pro-
petty would be found.
While the officer was present, he also wrote a full confession of
his guilt upon a separate piece of paper, and desired Cousens to be
witne:s to it. He gave Mr. Dlacbcath the fullest information ; in
consequence of which, Wootten and Coosa)s were enabled to re-
cover a great portion of the stolen property. So extensive had
been the depredations of this unhappy young man, and so widely
had he distributed the produce of his dishonesty, that the officers
were (=nines] fur a whole day in going to the different pawnbrokers
and other persons to whom he had disposed of his toaster's
property.
Both the prisoners were fully committed for trial upon the pre.
sent charge., and the witnesses all bound over to prosecute.