The Sun.
London, England, 1839-08-01 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

B 0 TV- S TREE T.
A youne. man, of respectable appearance, named John
Standert Dab ymple , who seemed to be in a delicate state
of health, was yesterday brought up, on a warrant, by
Keys, the officer, charged with falsely assuming, the name
and character of persons for the purpose of feloniously
obtaining certain prize-money from the Lords and other
Commissioners of her Majesty's Hospital at Chelsea.
'Mr. Bicknell, Solicitor to the Hospital, conducted the
prosecution, and Mr. Dignum attended on behalf of the
prisoner.

- Mr. R. Bellamy, Chief Clerk in the Secretary's Office,
being sworn and examined by Mr. Bicknell, said, I super-
intend the private business of the Hospital under the direc-
tion of the Secretary, and the lists of forfeitures and un-
claimed shares are kept in the office to which I belong,
,containing the names of officers who have shares due to
them, with their respective ranks, and the amounts due to
them. After a lapse of six years the unclaimed shares be come
forfeited and go to the funds of the hospital, but in case
a claimant ahesuld demand a forfeiture, he was obliged to
petition the Commissioners stating why he did not claim
at an earlier period, and when the amount is under 501.
the Comraississners have a power to pay it without letters
of administration being exhibited, and then a certificate of
identity of the party applying is required, the nature of
which is a declaration before a Magistrate as to the rela-
tionship, and a confirmatory certificate of the Minister of
the parish and the Churchwarden, but the public have no
access to such prize lists. The prisoner had been clerk in
the Treasurer's office, but left about the year 1833, and his
duty was to answer letters on prize claims. The prize
lists VIM kept in the office where he had been employed
with other clerks, several of whom have since left the
establishment. There are among others the prize lists for
the capture in Holland, and Lieutenant Swan was one
who via entitled to prize-money which bad been paid in
the early part of the present year. An application had been
made for it which amounted to 351. Bs. 10d. and several letters
produced had been receivecLin the name of Maria Wightman,
late Swan, but I required that she would send a certificate
to show her identity, and I sent answers to that effect to
Windsor-street, Uxbridge, from whence the application
was directed, enclosing a certificate produced as a form,
which was returned filled up as it appears ; acting upon it
as if it was a genuine document, and in consequence of
the certificate, a form of a bill was also sent, upon which
she was to draw the amount. The bill produced came
back, mid upon it the prize money was paid to the agents,
the bill being purported to be drawn by Maria Wightman.
The prize list for the Saldanah Bay money was also in
the office, and Capt. James Welsh was entitled to a part of
that capture to f,he amount of 491., for which I received
an application from a person representing himself to be
J. H. Wels4, and in consequence of the correspondence I
sent down the form of the certificate produced to that
person, at St. Alban's, which was returned filled up as it
appedes, and believing it to be a genuine document I sent
>down a form of the bill produced, which was presented in
the usual way, and the money paid by an order on the
Paymaster- General.
Mr. Thomas Man Lake, a bookseller, residing at Ux-
bridge, proved that the Post-office was kept at his house of
business, his father being the Post aster. Witness re-
collected a letter coming to the offidre with the Chelsea
Hospital Frank, addressed to the care of Mr. Charles
Wightman, for As. Wightman, of Windsor-street, and it
being sent by mistake to a Mrs. Wrightman, it was re-
turned by her when she had opened it. The letter was
opened in the presence of witness, and it was found not to
be for that lady. A man, who appeared to be the person
for whom the letter was, applied to witness to know why
the letter had been opened. Witness believed the prisoner
to be the man who had made the application, and being
informed under what circumstances it had been opened,
he appeared to be satisfied, and he took the letter away
with him. He thought the occurrence took place about
the month of March last, and he had sufficient conversation
with the person, to be certain of his identity. Witness
subsequently made inquiries if a person named Wightman
resided in Windsor-street, and he was told that no person
at present lived there, although a person of that name used
to call there occasionally about the time in question. No
Magistrate named George Clarke, resided at Uxbridge at
that time, nor was a R 4. Mr. Wiseman, minister of Ux-
bridge, nor was Mr. John Moss, the churchwarden, and the
several names on the certificate produced were all ficti-
tious ; nor did a Mr. Wilder, the endorser of the bill, re-
side there.

In answer to questions by Mr. Dignum, the witness
said the prisoner was only once in his shop to speak to
him, although he often taw him with his back turned in
the streets, and he was not aware that any person heard the
conversation ; but on seeing the prisoner in a house in the
liampstead-road, on Tuesday last, he believed him to be
the person, and he was told by the postman that he was an
Occasional resident at Uxbridge at the time in question.
Mr. TWYFORD-Have you any doubt of his identity at
Pooserit ? Witness—l believe him to be the person.