The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-15 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SBSSIONS.

BRITTLE ■IAZPIX6.

Samuel Stiff, 36, was indicted for having unlawfully
conspired with other persons to defraud Joseph Green of
divers moneys.

Mr. Payne prosecuted ; Mr. Duncan appeared for the
prisoner.

- The proeqp,ptor said, I am a butcher, and live at No.
7, Howard's-place, Hackney-road, On the sth of Novem-
ber last a man came to me and entered into a conversa-
tion with me about sonic pigs which ho said a friend of
his had for sale, in consequence of which I went
to Laburnhatn-terrace. We there met the prisoner, and
the man said to him, " I have brought this butcher to
buy those pigs." The prisoner said he had just sold
them, but invited me to a public-house opposite. I went
with him and the man there. The prisoner called for a
pot of ale. and paid for it, and we drank it in the parlour.
The prisoner gave the man half-a-crown for his trouble
in fetching me. After I had been there a few minutes, a
respectable-looking man came in and called for a glass of
ate, and inquired if we had seen a lady with a green bon•
net on. We told him we bad not, and he then said be had
given the lady Si., and she bad promised to meet him
there that morning. The prisoner heard all this. The re-
sFectable-looking man then said he had had 10,000/, left
him by an uncle, and should have more soon, and did
not care what he did with it. He then pulled out some
gold and a roil of notes resembling bank notes. The pri-
soner asked hiru if he could play at kuock-'em-downs.
He answered he did not know what that was, but if it
was fighting he could not fight. The prisoner ex-
plained to him what the game of knock-'em-downs
was, and we all then went into the skittle-ground. The
prisoner asked me if I could play at skittles, and I
said I could play a little. He then said how much
money have you brought with you. I said I had only
2s. 103., and he asked me if 1 could get any more, and
mentioned 501., which I said I bal. I then played at
skittrss with the stranger and lost my 2s. 10J. The pri-
soner thou lent me a sovereign to play, and I lost that
with the stranger. The prisoner said he had no more
money, and said his wife and family were starving. The
man who at first took me to the prisoner about the pigs
accompanied me towards home, but on the way I sax
a friend and borrowed 31. We then went back towards
the same house, when we met the prisoner and tl e
stranger I bad played with, and we then went to the
Royal Oak, in the Hackney-road, kept by Mr. Sharpe.
We all had something to drink over the bar, and then
went into the skittle ground. I told the prisoner what
I had borrowed, and that was all the money I had, upon
which he said I will go you halves, and you play him for
61. I then put my three sovereigns into his hand, but I
did not see him put three to them. I then agreed to
play the stranger for 61. a side. We played at skittles,
and I lest. I did not see the prisoner pay the money
over to the winner. The prisoner then said to me if you
can go and fetch 201. I will hack you for 501. I told
bins 1 would go and fetch it. I then went home, accom-
panied by a man who came into the skittle ground while
we were playing. I furnished myself with 201., and
went back with the man to the skittle ground. The
prisoner and the stranger were still there, and i played
again with the stranger for SI , the prisoner holding the
money, and I lost. The prisoner did not, as Isaw,pay
the money over to him. We then had
whose
eme brandyoamew
and water brought in by the waiter, w
of
it,
and,s
stheii l pri -
Pluckrose, in one tumbler. I drank somed thate Iwent I
put
my
spount er downtook ftihveemmourpn. s olv ert
be iegon sb
otooa
lop
el ayo
ofnofro,
and
e, a
nt'im
into re-
member
the
parlour.i s that
ea
ri I
beingca me
thereabout a me,
short
and found my remaining ten pounds
all hand
gore.
n y
The man
I first saw was the only one of the
party who was then there. I went away pretending to
go home for more money, but returned with a policeman,
but they were all gone except the man who fetched me
about the pigs. I should know him and the stranger
again if I saw them. I next saw the prisoner and ano-
ther man in custody on another charge, and then I ac-
cused him of this. The prisoner said if I did not press
the charge I should have every farthing of my money
back again. I lost altogether 231. 2s, 10d. When the
man went away the potinan locked me in the place.
In cross-examination nothing was elicited to alter the
above statement. It comprised the whole case.
Alderman, an officer of the Worship-street Police-
court, deposed to having beard the prisoner tell the
prosecutor that if he would not press the charge the
whole of the money should be returned.
Mr. Duncan having made an address to the jury on
behalf of the prisoner, urging that he did not take the
money.
The Assistant-Judge summed up, and told the jury
that if they were satisfied that there had been a common
design among them to cheat the prosecutor, it mattered
not which of them had the money—the same as if ten
men agreed to kill one by firing a gun at him, and a
piece of string were tied to the trigger,
and they all
pulled it, they would be all equally guilty.
The jury immediately found the prisoner guilty.
The prisoner was then arraigned upon another charge,
and having been found guilty the Assistant Judge sen-
tenced him to fifteen months' hard labour.

DESTRUCTITE
Yoe'cloek, a fire broke out on
---*erdtty morning, between
the hours of two and throefe
Mr.
Yerbury, linendraper,
the extensive premises.epnito-groa_cl. In consequence of the in-
belonging to the Rent tensewater-
Henry
This delayed the supply for a quarter
works was frozen. _
On Mr. Engineer Henderson breaking
of an hour.
the door the shop was discovered to be in flames
open mazes, and after great exertions on the part of the
ifinretmweor,P it was subdued ; but not until the shop and
frost place, hOeldfi
contents were destroyed, and the rest of the house con
eiderably damaged. Cause unknown. Insured in thie
phoenix Fire-office. Another fire broke out on the pre:
mises of Mr. W. Ilayday, boot and shoemaker, Kings-
land-road, when the shop and contents were burnt out
and the upper part of the house. Cause unknown.
Insured in the Phoenix. Also another at Mr. J. Le-
pard's, baker, Vernon-place, Bagnigge Wells-road,
which destroyed the back part of the dwelling. Cause
from oven flue. Insured in the Globe Fire-offie
The balance standing in the names of the 0
depositors
at the Newcastle Savings Bank is upwards of
.r-being the highest amount which has yet been entered
jsreraw.
on the books of the institution.--Sunderland