The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-29 00:00:00

THAMES.

AN OMNIBUS FRAUD.—Charles Emmett was brought
up on remand charged with feloniously appropriating to his
own use divers sums of money he had received for and on
account of the Mill-wall and Cubitt-town Omnibus Com-
pany.
Mr. Stoddart, solicitor, appenred for the prosecution, and
Mr. Charles Young, solicitor, defended the prisoner.
On the first examination it was proved that the prisoner
had been in the service of the omnibus company for three
months, that his receipts for some time averaged £3 per
week less than the receipts of a second omnibus be-
longing to the same company, travelling over the
same ground and making the same number of jour-
neys daily. A witness, named John Clark, watch-
man in the service of the St. Katherine Dock
Company, proved that on numerous voyages he had made
in the omnibus of which the defendant is conductor, a larger
number of passengers had been carried than the prisoner
had accounted and paid for. Sometimes the deficiency was
in one passenger only, and sometimes in seven. The. wit-
ness admitted that he dii not see all the passengers pay,
but he had no doubt they did, as there was no disturbance
or dispute on any of the journeys. On one occasion, when
there was only room for one passenger inside, he got out
and went outside to make room for two ladies. The bridge
over the lock entrance of the West India Dock was open
once only while he was going backwards and forwards be-
tween Limehouse and Cubitt-town, Poplar, but no one
came in or got out there.
Mr. Charles Young contended the case must fail, for there
was no proof that all the passengers had paid their fares.
The prisoner might have permitted some of his friends to
ride a short distance without payment. _

Mr. James Cook, the manager of the company, said the
prisoner was not allowed to give any person a ride without
payment. It was the prisoner's duty to give an account of
the passengers carried on each journey, and to return and
pay over to him all the money he received.
The Magistrate said it was in evidence that the prisoner's
receipts were £3 per week less than the receipts paid by the
conductor of the other omnibus of the company. There was
no moral doubt of the prisoner's guilt—none whatever, but
in a legal point of view the case could not be pursued. It
must fail for uncertainty of payments. The passengers who
had paid him were not present and of course they could
not be found.
Mr. Stoddart—lt is a very hard case on the company I
represent. They have been cheated of £3 per week by the
prisoner.
The Magistrate—However great the hardship, we must
act on fixed rules of law.
Mr. Stoddart—l hope, sir, you will say we were justified
in giving the prisoner into custody.
The Magistrate—Most absolutely and distinctly I say
you had very good cause for giving the prisoner into
custody. The case is void for uncertainty of payment. The
prisoner must be discharged, and I wish I could say he
leaves this court without a stain on his character.

►SOMETHING LIKE A DOLL.—A Paris corre-
spondent writes ;—Siraudin made a doll : dressed
it in blue velvet: covered it with real English point lace,
and sprinkled it with real diamonds, until it was worth
more than one thousand pounds sterling i lie planted this
precious toy upon a pedestal : the chroniqueurs went to
work—and in a few days there were mighty crowds in the
Rue do la Pais. Siraudin was in everybody's mouth—and
so were Siraudin's bonbons. The papers told the public
how many reams of paper, how many pounds of
sugar, how many yards of gold and silver cord
Siraudin consumed in the service of his thousands of
customers. On New Year's Day Madame prized the satin
bags full of sweatmeats, or diables, white or red, that were
marked " Siraudin." The Charivari poked fun at the doll,
and published drawings of little girls in the Tuileries
Gardens carrying dolls ornamented with diamonds and lace
—and escorted, for safety, by a corporal's guard of piou-
pious. In his doll, M. Siraudin showed the dramatist
rather than the cenfeetioner. He pointed his joke with
diamonds—and so c.ssured its success.