The Sun.
London, England, 1864-12-09 00:00:00

MANSION-HOUSE.

TILE ALLEGED FRAUD IN THE PICKLE TRADE.—
This morning Rob Ext and Henry Feist were again placed
at the bar, before the Lord Mayor, charged with having
defrauded Mr R. Landoll, of Austin Friars, of a large sum
of money.

Mr Humphries, jun., who attended for the prosecution,
said a new feature had arisen in the case. It appeared
that when the prisoners obtained the advance from Mr
Landau! in reference to the shipment by the Matheldas, a
wharf note was produced, purporting to be from the Suf-
ferance Wharf, and signed •' J. Smith." Now there was
no such person.at the wharf, and the note itself was purely
fictitious.

Mr Sidney, who appeared for the prisoners, asked what
charge was to be preferred against the prisoners.
Mr Humphries said he did not exactly know. This
branch of the case involved a charge of forgery, but at all
events it was pretty clear that there was a charge of con-
spiracy. The present charge against the prisoners was that
they obtained an advance from Mr Landall upon a consign-
ment of pickles, representing that each of the cases contained
3 doz., but on the arrival of the ship at Australia the cases
were found to contain one dozen only.
A witness from Sufferance-wharf said there was no such
person as J. Smith, in the employ of the wharf owners.
Witness did not recognise the signature to the wharf receipt
at all.

James Stevens said he was in the employ of the prisoners
until a few months ago as warehouseman, at Tottenham-
row, Kingsland. Ile had been in their service about eight
years. Mr Henry Fesit attended to that portion of the
business.
,He superintended the packing, sorting, and
caeing the goods. The case produced was of the same de-
scription as those used in the firm. It would hold one
dozen pint bottles. There were larger siz3s used for three
dozen packages. Robert Feist attended to the counting
house part of the business. He (witness) marked the cases.
In the early part of the year he (witness) received orders
from Mr Henry Feist to go to the East India Dock and
repair some cases on board the Mathilda. Mr Henry told
him he would meet Mr Robert on bard. Mr Robert asked
him, after he had examined the cases, in what condition
they were. The eases wero ont,-dozen cases. He (witness)
was told to go to the mate of the Mathilda and get a receipt
for the cases, but the master refused to give him one, as
some of the cases were damaged. Witness went
on board with Mr Funnel, and opened some of
the cases. All of them contained but ono dozen of pickles.
Witness went to the ship the next day and took away the
wet cases. All the cases loft in the ship were one dozen
cases.

James Watson, also lately in the employ of the prisoners,
said ho remembered packing a number of dozen cases of
pickles.

Charles Swinyard said he remembered taking 195 cases
of pickles to Mr Pannel's wharf. They were one dozen
cases. Ho took them by direction of Mr Henry Feist. A
paper similar to that now placed in his hand accompanied
the goods. Ha got a receipt note from the people at the
wharf for 193, because two of the cases were out of con-
dition. Two oases were taken to the wharf to make up the
number. He took the wharfinger's receipt for the goods
back to Kingsland, and gave it to some one at the wale.
house, but he did not recollect to whom. He recollected
afterwards going to the ship Mathilda, in the East India
Dock, and getting 40 cases, which he took to the warehouse
in Kingsland, but he afterwards returned them again to the
ship.

Charles Lazenby said be was in the employ of the defen-
dants as general superintendent of the warehouse work. He
recollected going with Stevens to the Mathilda bydirection o
the prisoner, Henry Feist. He was told to get the damaged
cases away. He saw Robert Feist on the quay. The cases
on board the Mathilda were all holding but one dozen
bottles. They got about 40 damaged cases. They were
taken back to the warehouse, repacked, and sent to the ship.
The Lord Mayor said the consignment, by the invoice,
appeared to be oil, sauces, and pickles.
_ _

Mr Humphries said that was so, but, in fact, the whole
shipment was solely of pickles. He did not intend to pro-
ceed further with the can that day, but he hoped to be able
to proceed on Thursday next. The illnes of Sergeant
Haydon prevented him going forward.
The Lord Mayor remanded the prisoners until to-morrow
week.