The Sun.
London, England, 1839-07-29 00:00:00

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

Mr. Thorn, jun., one of the partners in the Westmin-
ster Brewery, attended before Mr. Conant, to explain the
circumstances under which a stolen 201. bank-note came
into his possession.
Mr. James Isaacs, who appeared on behalf of the com-
plaining party, stated that n lady, while riding in an om-
nibus a short time ago, had her pocket cut, and upwards
of 701. in notes and money stolen fro.n her. One of the
notes, for 201., was recently paid into the Bank of Eng-
land, and, on making search, the note was traced back to
Messrs. Thorn and Co., but nothing further could be
ascertained.

Mr. Thorn told the Magistrate that he was totally un-
able to give any. information w hich would suffice to point
out the party from whom the note had been received. On
the day when the note had b.!en taken the firm had four
collecting clerks out, and the money they collectively paid
in amounted to upwards of 1,2001. He had drawn out a
list of all those customers who had paid money on that
day, but he could not, nor could his collectors, say with
certainty which customer had paid the 20/. in question.
Mr. CONANT asked Mr. Thorn if he did not endorse the
bank notes he received ?
Mr. Thorn said be never endorsed or marked a note
which he received from a customer; in fact he did not even
weigh a sovereign.
Mr. CONANT—Then, pray, what would be the con-
sequence if your collector paid to you a forged note which
he had taken from a customer ?

Mr. Thorn—We should be at the loss of the money.
Mr. CONANT—I must say that your way of business ap-
pears to be of a very careless character.
Mr. Isaacs—But I beg your NN orship to observe what a
wide door for improper practices such a system leaves open.
It is only necessary for a thief to get possession of stolen
notes, have them changed at a publican'.—the notes are
paid to the brewer, who takes no account of the person
from whom he receives them, by which process all possi-
bility of tracing the stolen property is destroyed.
Mr. Tborn—No persons are more careful in taking
notes than publicans. It would be impossible to get stolen
notes changed in such a quarter.
Mr. Isaacs—And I assert that the reverse is the truth.
There are a class of publicans who keep flash-houses, from
whom no difficulty in obtaining change for any amount of
stolen notes would be experienced.
Mr. CONANT—I think that the opinion of Mr. Isaacs, as
he speaks from professional experience, must have the
greatest weight in that matter.
Mr. Thorn—l am willing to render all the assistance in
my power to trace the note. I have made out a list of the
persons from whom money was received on the day the
stolen note was taken ; and I am quite ready to furnish
Mr. Isaacs with the list.

Mr. CONANT—I think you are bound to do all in your
power to assist the inquiry. Suppose, now, that Mr.
Isaacs chose to make a charge against you? Ido not be-
lieve he means to take such a course ; but if he were to
charge you with having stolen property in your possession,
you would, in justice to your own character, be bound to
bring forward these parties to clear yourself.
Mr. Isaccs—l believe Mr. Thorn to be a most respect-
able man, otherwise I should ask your Worship to require
him to put in bail to answer the charge of having a stolen
I'note in his possession, without being able to give a satis-
factory account of the way he came by it.
Mr. Thorn having assured the Bench that he would
afford every facility in his power to trace out the party
from whom the note was taken, the affair ended.