The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-25 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS-Aug. 24.

The August adjourned General Sessions of the Peace for
the County of Middlesex commenced this morning at the
Sessions House, Clerkenwell-green, before Mr. Sergeant
Gazelee (who presided for the Assistant-Judge.)
Charles M. Kinnell, 28, described as a merchant, was
indicted for stealing 15 sewing-machines, the property of
Richard Brickwood Coltman.

Mr. Beeley conducted the prosecution; the prisoner was
defended by Mr. Metcalfe.
Mr. Besley, in opening the case, said it was one of steal-
ing a cntsiderable quantity of sewing-machines from the
prosecutor, under circumstances of a somewhat peculiar
character. The prisoner had, by false statements and re-
presentations, obtained these machines from the prosecutor,
and instead of using hem for the purposes he stated they
were for, immediately ho got them into his possession he
pawned them for a mere trifle. He then called
The prosecutor, who stated that he was a sewing-machine
maker, at 24, Brewer-street. In May last he knew the pri-
soner, and supplied him with 12 sewing-machines, the price
of which was £3O, to be paid by a bill. In June he came to
him, and expressed his surprise that his credit should be
doubted, as he had an account at the Bank of England, and
also one at the London and Westminster Bank. He said
he should not like to have two sorts of machines, and
would, therefore, prefer to have them taken from him ;
he declined the offer to supply them. On the 124th or
26th of Juno he called again, and said he was very full
of work, and had got a contract to do all Messrs. Cope-
stake, Crampton, Moor, and Co.'s work, that he had a
place of business in Bunhill-row, where he should work
for the performance of the contract, and that he had a
number of girls at work, and took them to learn the art
of working at the machines, at from 12s. 6d. each to
15s. each. He also said he had another place of work at
Kingsland, and he should require 15 more machines as the
means of carrying out his contract. Believing his statement
to be true, he said he would let h'm have them, but not
upon credit; but as he knew Messrs. Copestake and Co. to
be a very eminent firm, and he having given what seemed
to be a very good reason, that his object was legitimate, he
consented to execute the order. The machines were delivered
to him, and a day or two afterwards they were delivered at
his plaee of business, 82, Gracechurch-street, by his direc-
tion. He called at that place by appointment, but the ap•
pointment was not kept, and ho called there from time to
time, but could not find him, but at last he found him at a
publichouse and asked for payment, and ho promised to pay
the following week. He afterwards went to Messrs. Cope-
stake and Co., and then to the address in Bunhill-row. He
ascertained that the prisoner had no contract with Messrs.
Copestake and Co., and that he had no place of business in
Bunhill-row. He afterwards saw some of the machines at
Baker and Robert's, pawnbrokers, and he received about 6
out of the last 15, but never received a farthing from the
prisoner.

In cross-examination the prosecutor said he had an agent,
to whom he had paid £lOO commission for bad debts—no
commission on good debts, for he received none. He was at
home in Brewer-street on the day the prisoner called in June
and saw and spoke to the prisoner on that day. Was not
aware that Copestak e's put out their work, and that it was
sub-let to be done, as they had a factory of their own.
There was a man named Parker, but he had not said to him
that he would have his money in a criminal if not in a civil
court, Parker owed him £250. lie entertained a most deadly
hatred towards the prisoner, who in collusion with others
had so hoodwinked him, and he would admit he was to
blame for allowing them to do so, as ho had to put his affairs
in the Court of Bankruptcy.
Reexamined--blade no inquiry until the prisoner had
got the machines. He had pupils to teach them the use of the
machine about 100 a-year, and never had but one com-
plaint, and ho at once returned the money. The debts were
£1,400, and that was for bad debts contracted by his agent,
the prisoner, and other swindlers, a lot of them.
The learned Judge asked what he had previously known
of the prisoner as to induce him to enter into these dealings.
Witness said nothing, but he knew now that he had been
in prison. The machines were sold for cash, and he was
to have been paid by bill.
In further examination, the prosecutor gave his answers
in a rather confused manner, which he attributed to illness.
He never paid him anything on account of the machines
but at a public-houso he borrowed ss. to lend him to pay for a
cab, as he was short of cash. That was not on account of
the machines. Prisoner said he would pay him out of the
contract he had with Copestake and Company, and that
statement, and that about his place in Bunhill•row, alone
induced him to let him have the goods.
The wife of the prosecutor was then examined, and bore
out his evidence as to the understanding :entered into be-
tween her husband and the prisoner as to the sale of the
machines.

Helen Coltman, daughter of the prosecutor, said that on
the 29th of June the prisoner called and inquired why the
machines had not been delivered, and they were delivered
subsequently.
It was then proved that the prisoner employed a porter to
take some sewing-machines to a pawnbroker's, in Old
street, where he left them, and was paid by the prisoner;
and the witness said he could not say whether there was a
warehouse at the back of the shop.

The pawnbroker's assistants produced tickets of the
machines, which it seemed were pawned soon after they
were obtained. Three were pawned on the 7th of July for
£7 ss. The prisoner gave his real name, and the address,
82, Gracechurch••street. The other pawnings were proved.
A gentleman from the firm of Copestake and Company
proved that the prisoner never had any contract with them,
either direct or indirect, but stated that they did put work
out occasionally.

Thomas llubersty, inspector at the Vine-street Station,
took the prisoner into custody there from another officer.
Prisoner said he bad bought the things of Mr. Coltman. On
his person he found a number of duplicates relating to com-
mon trifling articles pawned for small sums, and dated about
the time these machines were obtained.

Mr. Metcalfe then addressed the jury in a very able speech,
and contended that this prosecution was one of vindictive
feeling, prompted no doubt by that feeling of deadly hatred
which the prosecutor had candidly confessed he entertained
towards the prisoner. The learned counsel pointed out dis-
crepancies in the evidence, and complained that the prosecu-
tor's agent had not been called as the other person who had
been alluded to, who could have proved that inquiries were
made before the goods were delivered. It was no uncommon
thing for a bankrupt, when called upon to explainhis debts,
to say that he had been the dupe of swindlers. They were
not called, but a prosecution was set in motion to shut their
mouths, as they could break up the whole story. The sub-
stantial answer to this was, that a contract with Messrs.
Copestake and Co. was never mentioned at the time, and
he submitted there was not a tittle of evidence to support a
charge of felony.
The learned Judge having carefully summed, the jury,
after a short deliberati( n, found the prisoner guilty.
C. Adartio, police-constable, City Police, proved a former
on which he was sen-
eteonnic,vheidee titicootnuln2a
egcd' usntdd eri Ms
months.a
burglaryti.odrthprisoner was a person
years.
Frederick White, 2, described as a tailor,was indicted for
dan-
gerous to society. He had had one warning, and must now
be kept in penal servitude for three
other securities
fsoteramlinogneay,lt2hoe iri,ariolpkprotfyEonfgjlaonhdn

The prisoner pleaded guilty.
hlr. F. H. Lewis, for the prisoner, said he would at once
admit the fact, for it was indisputable, that he had been pre-
viously convicted and sentenced, once to seven years' trans-
portation, and once to six years' penal servitude, besides
other minor punishments. On his last conviction he was
sent to Gibraltar, and while there. being a practical tailor,
he invented and made reversible trousers, for which, when
he came to England, he wished to take out a patent, but he
had not the means, and through assistance rendered to him
by the Convict Aid Society they were exhibited in the Grea
Ptul'eheiibltion, and the prisoner as an exhibitor had a free ad-
on, and While in the building he acted as an interprc-