The Sun.
London, England, 1830-05-17 00:00:00

LAMBETH-STREET.

The time of the Magistrates on Saturday was
almost entirely occupied by hearing paupers' appli-
cations for relief, and business connected with them.

TOWN-HALL.

The following case of alleged felony, which has
occupied a considerable portion of the Magistrate's
time for several days, bears some peculiar features.
On Saturday a young man named Rocklife, was
brought before Sir J. PERRING, for the third time,
charged with the commission of several frauds :
On the first hearing, Mr. George Wilson, of the
firm of Wilson, Hopper, and Tomkins, tobacconists,
Toeley-street, stated that the prisoner had been a
town traveller for the house from the 28th of De-
cember to the 10th of last April, when he was dis-
charged; subsequently to which it had been dis-
covered, in consequence of bills being sent to seve-
ral of their customers for goods delivered by the
prisoner, that he had been paid for them, and never
accounted for the money. A letter was then written
to him, requiring his attendance to make up his
books, to which he paid not the slightest attention.
Mr. Wilson then enumerated the several sums, and
requested that as the parties paying them were not
present, the prisoner might be remanded, and
summonses issued for their attendance, which was
done.

On the next hearing, Sarah, the wife of Mr. Wm.
Helyer, of London-street, Greenwich, deposed to
receiving from Messrs. Wilson, by the hands of the
prisoner, 21b. of tobacco, and that (what was very
unusual with him) he went away without the money;
that the next day he called, the Monday following
the 12th of April, as she believed, she inquired his
reason for so doing; he made no observation, and
she paid him two half-crowns and 2s. 7d. being the
amount of the bill.

Mr. Harmer then, on the part of Messrs. Wilson,
observed, that as there was a known feeling on the
part of the other persons summoned not to appear,
he trusted that Sir John would prevent the ends of
justice from being defeated by granting fresh sum-
monses, with a notification that further contempt
would be followed by warrants, which was granted
and productive of the appearance (on Saturday) of
a Mrs. Elizabeth Bruster, of Claremont-place,
Union-street, Greenwich ; and Thomas Sears, 23,
Church-street, Bloomsbury; the former of whom
swore that she was confined to her bed at the time
the goods were said to be left, the Bth of April, and
her shop confided to the care of her son, a boy nine
years old. If the goods were left at her house, she
was ready to pay for them. On Saturday week
the prisoner called upon her and she asked him if
she owed any thing on Wilsons' account, as they had
sent her in a bill of 6s. 2d.; and also whether he
had left the goods, and he replied to both questions
" No ;" "and, (added Mrs. Bruster) I do not think
he (the prisoner) had ever been paid."
The latter, Sears (who refused to be sworn till
threatened with committal), on his cross-examina-
tion by Mr. Harmer's clerk, was completely non mi
recordo, till at length his recollection suddenly re-
turned, and he swore positively he never had paid
the prisoner any money, whether the goods had been
left or not, for which the bill was sent in, and the
words were no sooner uttered than the prisoner
stamped with his foot several times with violence
on the floor of the dock, and extended his arms with
a grateful motion towards the witness.
Mr. Harmer's clerk (to the witness).—Will you
swear you never told any person you bad paid the
prisoner ?
Mr. Lee, the prisoner's counsel.—l object to
that ; don't answer him.

Mr. Harmer's clerk submitted that as one fraud
had been positively sworn to, the prisoner should
be held to bail, as there were other cases against
him.

Mr. Lee, in strong terms, insisted the prisoner
was entitled to acquittal ; he had been most basely
persecuted.
Sir Jolly PERRING, after communing with Mr.
Newman, the Chief Clerk, considered lie was not
justified in holding the prisoner to bail ; the charge
of embezzlement fell to the ground, the prisoner
having quitted the service of Messrs. Wilson pre-
vious to the time Mrs. Helyer swore to her having
paid him, and became a fraud as against her indivi-
dually, as she was liable to repayment ; and as,
furthermore, he was at all times to be found, being
in business, he should discharge him.

The prisoner was then liberated, and again ex-
tending his arms, uttered, " My Lord, my Counsel,
and my witnesses, I thank you."---Mr. Harmer, him-
self arrived in five minutes afterwards.