The Sun.
London, England, 1852-08-24 00:00:00

AUGUST 24,

not responsible in any way for the success of the
company or its losses.
Cross-examined by Mr. Dearsley—The prisoner
was to account to me or the company in France. I
had no authority to dispose of any portion of the
40,000 shares delivered to the prisoner, and the 20,000
shares disposed of to M. Damberger were a new
issue that were sent to England to receive the English
stamp, and were then returned to France and handed
over to M. Damberger. The company in France and
the branch in England are not totally distinct compa-
nies. The title of the French company is "Le
Mineur," and that of the branch in London, "le
Mineur de France et Anglice." The prisoner was
not the director of the latter, but merely an agent to
construct the branch for the French company. The
prisoner has signed shares when I have been ill, but
they have been countersigned by me. I attached the
balance now lying at the bankers in the name of
Messre. Vachon, jun., X. Van de Castelli and Co.
Sir James DUKE asked if the prisoner was not
meant to ba included in the ward "Company."
Wi'ness, after much difficulty in giving a straight-
forward answer, said he was not.
Richard Turner, 188 C of the metropolitan police,
said—On Saturday night last I went to 103, Mount-
street, Grosvenor-square, and after waiting three
hours I saw the prisoner drive up in a cab. This was
about half-past eight o'clock. I took him into cus-
tody, and then examined the house. In the third
floor front bedroom I removed the carpet and raised
three of the floor boards, and found concealed
beneath 41 packages of shares, and one package
containing a banker's account-book, in the pocket
of which some cheques, drawn by the prisoner
in his own name on behalf of the company,were discovered. I then proceeded to the front draw-
ing-room on the first floor, when I found secreted
between the spring stuffing and the webbing of the
sofa 17 other packages of shares, which I took pos-
session of as soon as I had lodged the prisoner in the
station. , I went again on Sunday morning, about
eleven o and found about 800 shares in two
packages an the drawing-room chimney, five share-
covers in a rubbish basket in the kitchen passage,
and two loose shares in a drawer in Madame Delour's
room. Madame Delour left the house on Saturday
morning, and I was told she was the woman the pri-
soner was living with.
Cross-examined—M. Vachon, jun., and another
gentleman were with me when I went to the prisoner's
house on Saturday. I received my instructions
from the acting inspector on the same afternoon.
The prisoner was not present when the property was
found.
Mr. Clarkson said the Alderman had the evidence
before him as to the shares, which for the sake of this
prosecution he should call so many pieces of paper,
having been stealthily removed from the offices and
concealed in the prisoner's apartments, he having
been the agent of the company, and refusing to give
any account of his transactions previously. It would,
therefore, rest with the Alderman to say whether a
prima facie case had been made out for a remand.
Mr. Dearsley said this was a most serious case as far
as the prisoner was concerned. It was a well-known
principle in law that no person could be charged with
felony where there was a supposed right on the part
of the eccused to detain property alleged to have been
stolen. There were documents in the possession of
the parties for the prosecution, which if they had put
in would have shown the real position of the prisoner
with regard to the company. However, it was enough
for his purpose to know that nocasehad been made out
to enable the magistrate to remand the prisoner, who,
knowing the character of M. Vachon, and that he
would take possession of this property by force, as a
matter of security removed it to his own house, where
he concealed it. He had no intention of denying that
fact ; but he thought the proceedings here were un-
necessary and harsh, as the prisoner had already been
summoned to appear at the Mansion House, and was
fully prepared to meet the case there in its proper
form.

Sir JAMES DUKE said there was nothing at all
against the prisoner as yet ; but he considered a prima
facie case had been made out to enable him to adjourn
the inquiry, but not to detain the prisoner in custody.
He would therefore take his own recognizances in
501. to appear at the next examination.
The prisoner requested permission to explain one
or two circumstances omitted in his counsel's instruc-
tions, in the course of which we understood him to
assert that the English branch of Le Mineur was
established with the view of its ultimately advancing
a loan of 40,0001. to the parent company in Paris.
Sir JAMES DUKE said that one good would cer-
tainly result from this investigation—the public would
benefit by it if no one else did.
The prisoner quite concurred with the alderman in
his last remark; and the shares, money, books, and
memorandums having been ordered to be detained in
the custody of the officer, the prisoner's racognizances
were then taken, and he was liberated, having been
locked up in the station cell from Saturday night till
Monday morning.