The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-12-09 00:00:00

BOW-STREET._

Yesterday Cockerel', alias Smith, las Martin, the man who on
Monday underwent an examination, charged with defrauding a
number of tradesmen by passing false country bank notes, was
again brought before Sir Richard Birnie. As the Chief Magistrate
anticipated on Monday, a great many other persons who had been
defrauded by the prisoner were in attendance, and the office was in
fact thronged by his dupes but there appeared a strange reluc-
tance on the part of almost all of them to come forward in the cha-
racter of prosecutors.
When the evidence taken on the former occasion had been read
over, as is usual, by Mr. Woods, the clerk, Sir R. Bimie, address-
ing he closely.packed crowd below the bar, inquired if there was
any other person who had a charge to prefer against the prisoner;
and this appeal was answered by a simultaneous " Yes, )es, yes,"
and " I, I, I have," from at least two dozen voices ; but it was not
until Sir Richard had several times requested those who had charges
to make to come forward, that one person reluctantly presented
himself. He said his name was Jones, and that he was a trades-
man in Sydney's-alley, Leicester-square; that a short time ago the
prisoner obtained some goods at his house upon a note, purporting
to be of the Bath, Bristol, and Exeter bank, and payable at Sir
Edward O'Brien, Price, and Co.'s, London, and received the
change. Upon some slight objection being made to the note. the
prisoner laughed and said, "Egad, it's good enough ; I wish I had
a pocket full of them." 3lr. Jones had got thus far, when it ap-
peared that the actual uttering was to his wife, and it would be no-
ceasary for her to attend as a witness. Sir R. Bimie said she must
appear, but Mr. Jones said he had no desire to prosecute; it was
too much trouble and loss of time. _ _

The next that presented herself was a lady, the proprietor of a
lodging-house at Lisson-grove, to whom the prisoner had passed
one of his notes in payment of a deposit for a lodging which he pre-
tended to hive at her house. She, however, begged to decline pro-
secuting.
Next came a schoolmaster, living near Vauxhall-gardens, to
whose the prisoner had passed a counterfeit sovereign in payment of
a deposit of 35., by way of " binding the bargain," he having
agreed to take a lodging at complainant's house. He referred com-
plainant to 12, Vauxhall-square, where he said he was then living,
fora character ; and when he went there, the people of the house, to
his great astonishment, told him that the same man had been there
on a similar errand, had passed a bad sovereign, and had ac-
tually given a reference to him (complainant) for his clutractex ; so
that he had completely " platted the double."—(A laugh, in which
the prisoner loudl joined.) This complainant also, after proceed-
ing thus far with his evidence, said it would be very inconvenient
tor him to prosecute—though he would send his wife, who had as
received the sovereign, if it was absolutely necessary ; but
she was in a delicate state of health, and he was obliged to attend
his school.

Several other persons, who could have preferred charges, begged,
on various grouuds, to be excused ; and Sir R. /31/ME said 'hat
he could not help bestowing censure upon individuals who evinced
so much unwillingness to perform a positive duty to the public.
Here was a fellow who had been imposing upon a whole host of
tradesmen and others, in the middle class of life; and yet those who
had been defrauded would not sacrifice a little time and trouble to
rid society of him. Complaints were made almost daily of swind.
hog and robbery, and the police were often blamed for not prevent-
ing such things ; and yet, when a notorious and successful swindler
was detected, each was anxious to shift the trouble of bringing him
to justice from his own shoulders to some other person's.
An old lady, who keeps a lodginghouse at Kennington, came
forward, ar.d raid the prisoner pretended to hire a lodging at her
house, and tendered one of his notes to pay a deposit ; but she had
a mortal aversion to country notes, and said she had rather leave
the deposit out of the question, than give change. She went to the
house to which he referred her for a character, and there she found
that he had played off the same trick as be had upon the Vauxhall
schoolmaster ; for he had hired lodgings there, passed a M. note,
and given them a reference to her ! (Here the prisoner again in.
dulged in a hearty laugh.)
A master tailor said, the prisoner ordered a great coat of him,
and wanted to pass a fil. note in payment as deposit ; but he was
" not to be had." He gave an address, which witness suspected
and found to be false. " I almost with," said this tradesman,
" that I had suffered myself to be cheated, for I would have prose-
cuted him, let it cost me what it might."
Sir R. thaw lE—I wish the rest possessed something of your
spirit, Sir.
An officer said, there was a lady in the crowd who had a strong
case against the prisoner, but who was unwilling to come forward.
At this moment severs: gentlemen were seen surrounding sn elderly
lady, and evidently endeavouring to prevail upon her to present
herself before the Bench. Among them was a very respectable
churchwarden of St. Paul's, Covent-garden, who has a desperate
antipathy to swindlers, and this gentleman at length succeeded in
persuading her to allow him to hand her to the Bench.
She stated her name to be Sinclair, and that she kept a lodging_
house at Newington, Surrey. The prisoner came to her house on
Thursday last, anti expressed a wish to hire apartments for his
father, who was coming from the country for a short time for the
benefit of medical advice. The price was agreed upon, and the
prisoner said he would leave a pound deposit, to pay which he ten.
dcred a five-pound Bath note She asked him if it was payable in
London, anti he said it was. She sent it to her butcher's for
change, and gave the prisoner four sovereigns. He described
himself to be connected with a mercantile house in the City, and
gave a card, on which was written " Mr. William Martin, 96,
Cannon-street, City." The note was subsequently returned to
her as worthless. Neither he nor " his father"came to take pos-
session of the lodgings.
The prisoner was about to lie removed front the bar, when a
voice fpm the crowd called out " stop a bit," and a man came
pushing toe:ads the bench, panting for breath and in a profuse
perspiration. As he passed the bathe nodded to the prisoner, and
said, " How d'ye do? I am glad to see vou there, my tine fellow ;"
and then apologising to the Bench for not having bent sooner,
proceeded to state that he was a shoemaker, and that the prisoner
came to his shop and ordered a pair of boots and a pair of shoes.
lie said he was leaving the shop, after giving his address, " Mr.
Martin, No. 14, Bayham.street, Caraden-town," when he turned
carelessly round, and said, " You can't give me change for a five
pound note, can you ?" " I could do such a thing, 1 dare say,"
said witness, and the prisoner handed him what he supposed to be a
five pound country note. For fear of accidents, not feeling quite so
continent as he ought to do, he pretended that lie had only three
sovereigns in the house, and those he gave to the prisoner, observ-
ing to him ,that they could settle the difference when he
brought home the boots and shoes. The prisoner, as he was leav-
ing the shop, took a fancy to a pair of morocco slippers, purchased,
and offered to pay for them, hut complainant said there was no rte.
cessity, as they had an account together. Witness never saw bim
afterwards until now.

This witness was bound over to preset-toe, and the prisoner was
remanded till this day at eleven o'clock, when he will be fully
committed. As he was being removed, he said. " this is a bail-
able case, Sir Richard."
Sir it. BIRNIe.—How do yon know that ?
Prisoner—My Solicitor told me so. You will take bail, of course.
What amount do you require?
Sir R. Iliuwiw—,Two sureties in 501. on each case, and they
must be very responsible people.
Prisoner—Why, the amoutt said to be obtained is not much
more than MI.

_
Sir R. BIRNIE—Never mind ; I shall have security for your
appearance, and not merely for the amount obtained.
The prisoner was then taken away.

UNION-HALL.
Yesterday Robert Sidney, • Sheriff's Officer, was brought bet
fore the sitting Magistrate, charged with intermarrying with Jane
Philpot, his former wife being still olive. Sidney has been for
some time a prisoner in the King's Bench, and from his appearance
at the office, seemed to be labouring under severe
Both the wives were in attendance.

The fact of his first martaze having been fully p-oved by the
testimony of his daughtet-in-law, Mrs. Sarah Sidney, and others,
his wife was ushered into the roan. She was apparently wasted by
sickness, yet, notwithstanding, traces of faded beauty were still
visible. Upon casting her eyes towards the prisoner upon her
entrance, she ran to him, but he immediately turned his back upon
her, and refused to hail any communication with her, ejaculating,

"I do not know you—you area stranger tome." 'nee mat ormaits woman was completely overpowered by her feelings on the
and fell into violenthysterms. She was obliged to be retnaZ4'..,
of the office, after Isgving been identified by Mrs. Sarah Sidne,:'"
William Hurst, a private soldier belonging to the Bth 11
0.,
Veteran Battalion, stated that the father of the prisoner's tirst 11,74
was a Lieutenant named Brimmer, in that regiment, but that
Its
was now dead. He had by accident met her in the tz
when she was ragged and starving, and knowing her to te7l',
daughter of his officer, he had affinded her an asylum with Ins wte and family.
Mrs. Jane Philpot, the prisoner's second wife, was here aged
on to give evidence. She stated she was married to tuts
goner about three years ago at Newington church. About -
month ago the certificate of Mary Anne Brimmer's marriage
put into her hands.
Mr. ALLEN asked the prisoner whether he wished to ask,
questions of his first wife ?
Prisoner—l have been brought here to-day rather unexpected',
and therefore ant not prepared with Counsel. On Tues 4, 1.. e.
ceived a letter from the son of the person who is called my ste,,,j
wife, in which he assured me that it I consented to give up cap
ventory of my property, no further proceedings in the waiter
ws
be taken against me. Upon these conditions I complied with 1
request, never dreaming that after such a promise it would h.,
been broken. However it has, and in consequence I ant heresies.
out a legal adviser.
At the conclusion of the investigation, the prisoner's setorj
wife, hearing that he was in want of money,'ptssented 111 m wet
sovereign, upon receiving which In instantly fell into a violet!

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