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

A FALSE FRIEND.

MARLHOROnnIT-9TIIEEI.:-Via;iTii,;:janan, a Jewess and
woman of the town, was brought up on Saturday before Air. DvEa
for robbing Mrs. Gordon, whom she met ill in the street, and took
to her lodging by proffered kindness.
Ellen Gordon, 116, Alfred-place, Newington-causeway, widow,
deposed that last Sunday evening, between ten and eleven at night,
she was taken ill in Leicester-square, and was holding by the iron
rails when the prisoner, of whom she had a partial knowledge by
having seen her once about twelve months since, came up and of-
fered the accommodation of a night's lodging, which witness, hay.
ing no money to get a coach, accepted. Witness slept with her
that night, and being asked in the morning for money, witness gave
her permission to pledge her lace cap for three shillings, the pri.
soner telling her that she would get half a yard of muslin and
make up a cap that would serve tilt she got home. At this time wit.
news was in bed, still ill ; the prisonergave her some warm gin and
water, and witness went to sleep, having had little rest in the night.
In about half an hour witness awoke, found the prisoner absent,
and that her pelisse, petticoat, and bonnet, had been taken away.
Witness waited till tie evening, thinking the prisoner would re.
turn, and then went home, but saw no more of her till Tuesday
evening, winn witness met het in the street with her bonnet on her.
Witness called the watchman and gave her in custody. Witnela
valued her things at 41.
John Nichols, shopman to Messrs. Graham and Stokes, pawn.
brokers, in.Tothill-street, Westminster, produced a pelisse, cap,
and petticoat, pledged at his shop by the prisoner for Ids. on Mon-
day afternoon, in the name of Smith.
Edmund Pepper, constable of St. James's, produced the bonnet
taken by the prisoner, which she gave up in the watch-house on
Tuesday evening. On Wednesday he went to the prisoner's lodg-
ings in M'estminster, and learnt that she had not been seen there
since Monday. Returning from Tothill-fields prison, he made in.
quiries of last witness, and there ascertained she pledged the pro-
perty now produced. In the watch-house the prisoner denied any
knowledge of thelpeliase.
The priconer said Mrs. Gordon gave her leave to pledge the pe-
lisse. The bonnet she meant to bring back, but having got tipsy,
she forgot it.
Mr. DYER told the prisoner her story was a very improbable
one.

She was fully committed for trial at the Westminster Sessions.
FRAUD.
_ .

John Harper, a tailor, was brought in by Schofield, for defraud-
ing Messrs. James and John Vine, woollen-drapers, 385, Oxford-
street, of two quantities of cloth and cord by forged orders, purport-
ing to be sent lby Mr. Phillips, of Acton-street.
Mr. James Vine stated that he had bad a knowledge of the pri-
loner previous to the frauds, by his being recommended by Mr.
Phillips as a customer of theirs, who came with hint on the 18th of
August, and desired wimeas to let the prisoner have two yards and
a half of blue cloth, and place it to his account. On the 15th of
September the prisoner brought a written order as from Mr. Phillips
for blue cloth sufficient for a coat, which witness let him have. On
the 191 i the prisoner brought another order for cloth, and a yard
and three quarters of woollen cord, to be put down to Mr. Phillips,
which he also had, worth 541. Last Thursday Mr. Phillips came
fi,r some blue cloth, when witness asked him if he would have it
from the same piece as he had had on the day before. Mr. Phillips
denied the orders, and witness then found out he had been de-
frauded, and hail the prisoner apprehended.
Mr. Thomas Phillips said the prisoner had worked for him in the
spring, but not during the summer. In August he went with him
to Messrs. Vine, and told them to place a cut of cloth the prisoner
wanted to his account, but did not send the orders produced, or au-
thorize him to make use of his name.

Schofield, the officer, apprehended the prisoner at his lodgings In
'New.court, Chapel-street, Westminster. He showed the prisoner
the orders. He admitted them to be his, and said he was autho.
tired by Mr. Phillips. Witness asked what he had done with the
cloth ? the, prisoner told him he had worked it up. On searching
him witness found some duplicates, and two keys belonging to
one of the Parks.

Mr. Drew ordered the duplicate. to be given to the prisoner's
wile, and 1110 keys detained till inqull can be made as to the pro.
prlety of his possessing them. The Magistrate remarked, that the
keepers of such public places had no check against improper
persons getting copies of the keys but by changing the locks every
year.
The prisoner was fully committed for trial at Westminster.
FRAUD BY ANOTHER FORGED ORDER.
JoArs Joyce, who was committed from this office fee a month, on
the Itith of January, was detected on Saturday morning Imposing
a forged order on Messes. Brown and Son, 104, Great Titchlield.
street, bran-founders. as coining from Messrs. Everett, 32, Dorset.
street, Manchester-square.

Though the case was perfectly clear against the prisoner, he es-
caped conviction, by an ignorance on the part of the prosecutor in
not knowing that any man can apprehend a thief without bending
for an officer. He obtained the property without any suspicion of
the fraud, and left it for half an hour to call again for it. During
his absence the clerk surmised the cheat, anti:sent for an officer to
wait hie return ; he came, and the goods were given him, directly
after which Valentine the officer apprehended him in the same
street with the property on him. This second delivery was with a
suspicion in the prosecutor that the order was a forgery, and the
letting him have the things purposely to detect him defeats the
averment of an indictment, " obtaining under false pretences," as
the prosecutor cannot swear that he parted with his property be-
lieving the prisoner's representation to be true.
Mr. William Pisey, clerk to Messrs. Drown, stated, that the pri-
soner that morning presented an order for six large brass cocks,
fourteen pounds weight of block tin, and six bars of solder, for
Messrs. Everett. The goods were given to him, but instead 01'1
taking them then, the prisoner said he would call in Italian hour.
It then occurred to witness that a former order from Messrs. Everett

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