The Sun.
London, England, 1855-10-31 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE—Oct. 30.

MANSION-HOUSE.---Mr. J. S. Lister, jun., of
Laurence Pountney-hill, Cannon-street, merchant, was
summoned before the Lord Mayor, for that, being the
proprietor of a certain building used for the manufac-
ture of wood naptba, in Suffolk-lane, he did unlawfully
and knowingly have and permit to be and remain in
the said building and manufactory 3,000 gallons of the
said wood naptba, to the great terror, danger, and com-
mon nuisance of the neighbourhood, &c.
_ _ _

Mr. Bodkin, instructed by Mr. Law, of the firm of
Law, Vandercom, and Comajor, appeared for the pro-
secution ; Mr. Parry the defence.

The case excited much interest.

The Rev. J. Hessey, master of the Merchant Tailors'
School ; the Rev. J. A. Airey, mathematical master ;
Mr. Robinson, storekeeper to Messrs. Calvert, the
brewers ; and Miss Richards, all residents near defen-
dant's premises, testified to the injurious nature of the
smells and exhalations arising from the large quantity of
wood naptha stored therein, which produced nausea, loss
of appetite, &c., and made the vicinity of the premises
unbearable.
Mr. A. S. Taylor, professor of chemistry at Guy's
Hospital, was also examined in support of the informa-
tion.

Mr. Parry submitted that the evidence ought not to
influence the Lord Mayor's judgment against the defen-
dant. For 30 years in Laurence Pountney-lane and
Suffolk•lane a naptha factory had been carried on with-
out accident and without annoyance of any kind to the
inhabitants ; but he believed, notwithstanding the state-
ment of so eminent a man as Professor Taylor, that the
prosecution had grown out of a tendency to interfere
with the mercantile and manufacturing interests of the
community, and he was convinced that if the decision
were given against his client a vast number of estab-
lishments which were carried on in the City of London

with perfect safety to the inhabitants and- the public,
would be subjected to the most serious loss in conse-
quence of the exaggerated representations which had
been made. In the event of the success of the prosecu-
tion before the Lord Mayer, it would be necessary to
produce before the higher tribunal evidence in contradic-
tion to that which had just been given, as the defendant
could not easily submit to a verdict calculated to inter-
fere so essentially with a business which had been
hitherto carried on with as little offence to the public
taste and security as any other. _ _

The Lord Mayor said that quite enough had been
shown in evidence to induce him to bind over the defend-
ant to meet the case elsewhere. He considered that the
danger and annoyance to the public arising from the fac-
tory completely justified him in sending it for trial.

GUILDHALL.—WiIIiam Radley, who described
himself as a civil engineer, was charged with forging the
name of Lord Colvin, and obtaining goods from Messrs.
Milner and Son, of Moorgate-street, without the eaid
Lord Colvill's consent.

Mr. George Marshall, of Sion College Gardens, Lon-
don-wall, defended the pi isoner.
Radley—l have been grossly deceived by Colvill. He
represented himself to me as Lord Colvill, and gave me
a power of attorney to act for him, and I thought I was
dealing with a person of respectability ; instead of that
it turned out that, in 1848, the House of Lords had de-
cided against his claim to the title of Lord Colvill, and
that his name had been struck off the list of peers at
Holyrood Palace. I supposed I was authorised by a
most respectable man to do what I have done.
Sir Peter Laurie (to a Mr. Garnett)—Do you know
anything of these parties ?
Mr. Garnett—l have known Lord Colvill some time.
I am an agent to the Encumbered Estates Court of Ire-
land, in London, and from my connexion with it the
prosecutor was sent to me as understanding matters re-,
lating to property and titles. I have examined Lord
Colvill's papers, and from what I have seen I believe
him to be the rightful heir to the title and estates of Col-
vill. A respectable solicitor has taken up the case, and
no doubt will prosecute his claim to the title.
Sir !Peter Laurie—l know Lord Colvill, but this is
not the man. _

Mr. Garnett—No, sir ; that is Lord Colvill, of Cul-
roes, and this is Lord Colvill, of Oehiltree.
adley--I have been given into custody merely to pre-
vent me giving evidence in an action that was to have
been tried this day. The action was to recover a book
which has been printed respecting Lord Colvill's claim
to the title.

Mr. Hopley, the manager to Messrs. Milner,
received this letter, purporting to come from Lord Col-
vill, in the beginning of 1854.
10, Grove-hill-terrace, Camberwell, Jan. 30.

"Gentlemen,—Having` pressing occasion for a fire
proof and strong safe of about two feet six inches in
height, two feet wide, and two feet deep, as also a strong
box to be deposited therein, and admit of being taken
out, to be used as a separate depository for jewels and
articles of value, will you make such a selection for me
as the case requires t The address given is not my resi-
dence, but my baronial place of business, where also I
amuse myself with philosophical researches.—l am, &c.,
" CoLvILL.

" Messrs. Milner and Co., Moorgate-street."
This safe was sent by our porter, who delivered it, I be•
lieve, to the prisoner at the bar. He would not receive it
at the front door, but sent it round to the back of the pre
mises. A few days after I received this second letter :
"Camberwell, Feb. 4.

"Lord Colvill thanks Messrs. Milner for their atten.
tion to his requirements, and for the pamphlet on safes,
which ho has taken some time to peruse, whence _
perceives that a selection of a No. 4 fire-proof safe and
box E will suit his purpose well. The sooner these are
forwarded to No. 10, Grove-hill-terrace, Grove-lane,
Catnberwell, the better, as the workmen to fix them in
the wall will be waiting for them. Query—Have you
such things as the ordinary sized counting-house cash-
boxes, say 12in. by 6in. and by 4in. deep, but of strong
materials, with good lock, as if you have, one may be
sent also. He will be out of town very likely when they
are delivered, but will forward a cheque for the amount
in due course."
I sent the two safes and the cash-box at the same time.
I thought it was the real Lord Colvill, for there is the
crest of that lord on the seal.
Sir Peter Laurie- —lt is astonishing the credulity of
tradesmen. I have been hero sitting for 30 years, and I
cannot put them on their guard.
Hopley—l asked the man what sort of a place it was
when he returned, and his answer, in conjunction with
the assertion in the letters that it was for philosophical
researches satisfied me, as I did not expect him to live
in a large house fur such a purpose. These letters are all
Eadley's handwriting.
Lord Culvill I never gave him authority to write my
name ; he did it on his own account. I never had any
sath:Lahtirmdelaenttse.r
t
about the latter end
°off
11:-
February,
euo!aoicl?Gh:r:rseoegfve:ei•hoeb till I-terrace, Grove-lane, Camberwell,
Feb. 25.

" Lord Colvill, finding :that the !interior capacity of
the No. 4 safe is insufficient for his purpose at his labera.
tory, No. 10, Grove-hill-terrace, Camberwell, in conse-
quence of the space occupied by the fire-resisting medium,
requests Messrs. Milner and Son to furnish an addi-
tienal safe, say No. 1 at the bead of list No. 3 (holdfast
and fireproof), with drawers at the bottom, which, by
the bye, the one sent should have had also.
"This will preclude the necessity of taking the safe