The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-09-25 00:00:00

ROBBERY OF AN EMPLOYER.

POLICE.

-----
.*MANSTOTI-iiollBE.—On Saturday Frederick Joietiee Latham,
and a young man of respectable connexions, named Singleton, the
former an apprentice in the house of Mr. R. Warner, a wholesale
grocer, in Rood-lane, the latter prisoner a clerk in the Ordnance
Office, Tower, were brought up for a second examination. The
case, as made out by the several witnesses for the prosecution on
the present occasion, was in substance as follows:—The prisoner,
' Latham, had some time since become acquainted with Singleton,
who was his superior in rank, and they became companions during
the evenings after business. On Wednesday, the 13th instant, Sin-
gleton suddenly disappeared from his Ictlgings, and absented him-
self from his office in the Tower without leave. On Thursday he
was proved to have been at the French Ambassador's to procure a
pastrrt. and there was reason to suppose that Latham was with
him in the course of the same day. On Friday, at Mr. %Varner's,
it was the ditty of Latham to take a sum of money and pay some
duties with it at the Custom-house. The money wasltept in a drawer
of a desk belonging to the office, and he had access to it. He took
out the sum requisite to pay the duties, and also about 1401. beyond
that, amounting in the whole to 750/., or thereabouts. One portion of
the money consisted °fa cheque for 173/. 17s. .d. upon the Bank of
England, which he received. Ile paid no duties, and 'absconded
with the whole amount. lie took no clothes from home, and it
was proved that he and Singleton acre together that day, at the west
end of the town, making purchases of wearing apparel, of which
neither before had any stock. Singleton got a pass for France in
his own name. Latham got one in the name of Johnson that day.
In the evening, they were seen together at the Hyde Park Coffee-
house, and Singleton paid for refreshments, and at the same time
dinplayed a large roll of notes. They took a post-chaise, and set
off from thence to Dartford. At the inn where they stopped, at
the latter place, Singleton paid for some refreshments with a 101.
note, which note was proved to be the property of Mr. %Varner. In
the mean time, Mr. Warner, suspecting that Latham had abscond-
ed, promptly despatched one servant to Liverpool, another to
Dover, and concerted measures to have a watch upon other pine
where it was thought the prisoner might embark. On the Saturday
morning the servant sent to Dover was walking on the pier, when
he met with Latham, whom he immediately apprehended and
searched. He found upon him about 530/. of the money taken
from MO Warner, and brought him to town. On the same
night Singleton arrived in town, and wrote a note to a young man,
requesting to know where Mr. Warner lived ; and in the course of
Sunday went to hint and gave up to him seventy pounds, repre-
senting that he had been told by Latham that he 'wham) had re-
ceived a legacy, and was desirous of taking a trip over to France,
and wished his frierd Singleton to accompany him. The latter did
not refuse; but finding ground to suspect the truth, he had returned
to restore the money. hlr. Warner did not believe this statement,
and soon after gave him into custody as an accessary to the rob-
bery or embezzlement, whichever it might turn nut to be.
Powtn, the solicitor for the prosecution, contended that
the case was one of theft. He cited a case, in which it was decided
to be a theft, where a servant, having been entvusted to get change
fur a note, gor the change and ran off with it.
lit. ALLEY, who attended for Singleton, said the decision in
the case cited had since been overruled. As the law now stood,

.„.. -
it would be felony if a person receiving a bond to get cash for it
converted it to his own use ; hut if he got cash Am it, and then
appropriated the money to his own use, it was embezzlement. Before
the passing of Sir Thomas Plomer's Act, it was considered, in the
latter case, to be only a breach of trust. There might be Hide
doubt upon the case as regarded Latham, but as regarded his
client there was rot a tittle of evidence to prove him either an
accessary, or a principal In a second degree. To make him an
accessary it must be proved he had some knowledge of the fact,
either before or at the time of its felonious couversion by the psi
cipal. Th's had not been clone.
A Clerk of the Ordnance Office, named Henry Bayley, who
had been a companion of the two prisoners, gave evidence to prove
that Latham had represented to Singleton that he had a legacy left
to him. They used to walk home with him, and leave him at the
top of Rood.l,me.
The LORD MAYOR said, that, with respect to the law of the
case, he had consulted with the City Solicitor, and he was of opi-
nion that it was requisite to show that Singleton had cognizance of
the fact at the time it was committed, in order to prove him to have
been an accessary ; but his Lordship considered that the offence
was created, not by charging the cheque, or taking the money out
of the desk (which the prisoner was authorized to do), but in con-
verting it to his own use ; and at present his Lordship thought
there was reason to suspect that Singleton had a guilty knowledge
of the fact.
Mr. POWER asked that the case might he remanded, as he ha I
evidence coming from Dover, to show that Singleton there made
use of an assumed name, and was made aware of his companion's
apprehension before he returned.
'fhe Loan MAYOR remanded the prisoners for further examina-
tion. There was a crowd of friends in attendance on both aides.