The Sun.
London, England, 1839-08-12 00:00:00

of money, they hired themselves of an evening to sing in
the Bergamo chorusses. As luck would have ic, Meyer,
he whose name will go down to posterity with bright
" Medea," had imagined the education and formarion of
chorusses to supply the great theatres of Italy, and estab-
lished himself at Bergamo, a little town that has produced
more great artists of song than any gigantic metropolis of
Europe. Under Meyer's fostering auspices the two first
tenors of modern times made their first steps to fortune on
the gamut scale. They next sang at fairs, which, like all
great meetings in Italy, cannot thrive without an opera.
and, from singing in a barn they have risen to thrill the
audience of the greatest theatres of the greatest ani most
civilised nations of any age. Honour unto them, who, un-
like so many others in the last agitated half century of con-
tinental history, have emerged from humble history to de-
light, and even convulse the world. —Musical World
SINGULAR CASE OE HORSE STEALING.—
A TWOFOLD ROBBERY.—Ou Ti,ursday, at the Uxbridge
petty Sessions, a man named George Welfurd, residing
at Stanwell, near Staines, was charged with the following
singular case of horse stealing :--- It appeared from the
ei
Preece,
that in the month of June last a man named
itha living at Stairwell Moor, entrusted the prisoner
w
mare to take to Hounslow Fair for sale. On his
return he stated that he had chopped it fir another horse,
which he afterwards
cutt hut that he would aork out the
lud
was
gkindered, and had colisc-
quently left behind hivalue. He, however,
did do so, and Preece, meeting
him on the Wednesday Magistrate about the tt following, threatened to apply to a
matter. On the Friday he went out
for that purpose, when, on passing through his orchard, he
was surprised at finding his
He subsequently sent her to Smithfield for
grazing there.
to Uxbridgeeld for sale, and ulti
mately, on the 31st ult.,
owned by a person named Hunt,
3atied that he bought
who stated stFair, when she was
her at Hounslow of the prisoner for , and that she
wis stolen from Old Oak Common, itZ.tono'clock on the morning of the Friday that she vc
sh about six
as re-
stored to Preece. The Bench said there could be
doubt that the prisoner, fearing he should get into trouble
no
fur his breach of trust in appropriating the produce of the
sale to his own use, had gone and stolen the mare and
restored her to her original owner. As, however, the
witness who saw the horse taken bad failed in identifying
him, they had no alternative but to discharge him. He
was accordingly discharged.
The Norfolk Chronicle says, it is unquestton.
ably true that both the wheats and barleys have sustained
some injury—the former from the high wind which occurred
at the early part of its efflorence, and both the one and the
other from the very heavy rains and tempestuous weather
which we have more recently experienced. Upon all strong
soils in a high state of cultivation the corn is lodged or
beaten down beyond the possibility of its rising again, ne-
vertheless, in our belief, the amount of injury at the pre-
sent moment is not very material. The commencement
of the harvest may probably be dated from the middle of
this week, but the work will not become general before
the 10th of this month, or perhaps even so early as that
date upon the rich soils in the eastern division of the
county bordering upon the sea-coast.

HOME CIRCUIT.—CROYDON, Auausr 10.
THE SURREY CANAL COMPANY V. HALL.
This was an action to try the right of the Company
to collect tolls at a certain bridge erected by them
over the canal.
The defendant, who is surveyor of the highways to
the parish of Camberwell, pleaded that the road be-
fore the canal was made was a public highway.
The defendant having admitted the trespass, and set
up the right, witnesses were called to prove that the
road in question was a public footpath. A number of
witnesses were called who established that fact, and Mr.
Thesiger having admitted that he had no answer to the
facts proved by the defendant, the Court directed the
Jury to find for the defendants, thus throwing open the
road to the public.
FALSE IMPRISONMENT.—JOHNSON V. REID.
This was an action for false imprisonment.
The defendant pleaded that he had tendered a suffi-
cient recompense for the injury the plaintiff had received.
Mr. Sergeant ANDREWS addressed the Jury, and said
that, in this case, the plaintiff was a calico-printer, a
person in an humble station of life, and he sought at
the hands of the defendant, who was a Magistrate for
the county of Surrey, compensation in damages for a
serious injury which he had inflicted upon him. Mr.
Reid admitted that he had done wrong, and he had
made a tender of 301. as a recompense, and thus showed
he was quite aware he had acted wrongly, and that a DOTY-STREET.
EXTENSIVE FORGERIES. -- A well-dressed middle
recompense was required at his hands. The facts of
the case were these :—The plaintiff was a calico- aged man, of gentlemanly appearance, who gave his
printer, and in the month of May last he was in the name James Allen„ was placed at the bar before Mr.
service of a Mr. Makepeace at Mitcham ; and while in MINSHULL, the sitting Magistrate, charged with hay-
that service some difficulty arose relative to the per- ing feloniously uttered two forged checks, respectively
formance of some work undertaken by him, and he was for 3001. and 3701. each, with intent to defraud Messrs.
taken before Mr. Reid, under an Act of Parliament John Marshall and Co., tallow-melters, of 181, High
which related to contracts between masters and ser- Holborn.
vents. The case was taken before Mr. Reid, the Mr. Bush, the solicitor to the Society for the Pre-
defendant, in his magisterial capacity ; and his deci- vention of Frauds upon Bankers, attended to support
sion was that the plaintiff had rendered himself ame- the case for the prosecution. The following evidence
nable to the law, and he sentenced him to be impri- was adduced
soned in the House of Correction for six weeks. The William Storey, of No. 12, Grafton-street, Soho, who
defendant might have delayed giving his judgment, and described himself as a messenger and porter, stated that
have taken time to consider the point submitted to on Tuesday, 2d July, he advertised in the Times news..
him ; but he declined to do so, and preferred to act paper for a situation as a porter, and on the following
upon his first impression, and he sentenced Johnson to day he received a letter by post, purporting to be signed
six weeks' imprisonment and hard labour. He re- by a person named May, and desiring him to
mained in gaol eleven days, when the Judges of the land, meet the writer on the same evening at the Gloucester
who bad been appealed tn, decided that he had been Coffee-house, Piccadilly. He proceeded there ac-
wrongfully convicted and ordered his release ; and this cording to the appointment, and, on inquiring for
decision went to the effect that he had suffered his im- Mr. May, was shown into the Coffee-room, where the
prisonment wrongfully. prisoner was pointed out to him as the person, sitting
He then called the following witnesses : in one of the boxes. He addressed him, and showed
Mr. Robert Russell stated that he was solicitor to him the letter which he had received, when
the plaintiff. He served the defendant with notice of the prisoner took it from him, and, putting it into his
the present action on the 23d of May last. Mr. Reid pocket, he never saw it afterwards. The prisoner then
is a Magistrate for the counts of Surrey. Witnesses proceeded to inquire into his character and capabilities
attended before him on behalf of Johnson. Witnesses for the situation which he sought to obtain, and said
were examined against him, and he cross-examined that he wanted a steady, trustworthy person, as he had
them. When the evidence was concluded, witness took a great deal of banking business to transact, and he
an objection to the charge made against Johnson, and must in many cases entrust the care of money to his
the matter was argued. Witness, after the conviction porter. He also said that he had lately come from
took proceedings in the Court of Queen's Bench, and the country, and was inexperienced in matters relating
obtained a writ of Habeas Corpus, and the plaintiff was to town, and that he had just opened a new concern in
dischamed. the City in the tallow trade. Witness having answered
Mr. John Sibley the Governor of the Brixton House his inquiries, and having referred him to his late master
of Correction, produced the plaintiff's commitment, in Lison-grove, the prisoner said that he would make
signed by Mr. Reid. Johnson was brought to the gaol the necessary investigation of his character, and ap-
on the 19th of May, and discharged on the 29th. He pointed him to meet him at the same place at one
was put on the treadmill for six days. o'clock on the next day. He attended the appointment,
Cross-examined—Witness attended with the plaintiff and the prisoner then told him that he had not had an
in the Bail Court before Mr. Justice Williams. He opportunity of seeing his master, and inquired what the
attended three days. Mr. Justice Williams did not de- terms were upon which he desired to be engaged. The
tide on the first day, but took time to consider. witness acquainted him with them ; and the prisoner,
Re-examined—He was taken back to the gaol each appearing to agree to them, directed him to see him
night, and did his work as usual. He bad the same again at eleven o'clock on the following Tuesday. Wit-
allowance as the other offenders in the gao!. nets attended upon him accordingly, but he again said
Mr. Russell 4'e-called—Witness acted as solicitor in that. he had made no inquiry, but added that he would
procuring Johnson's discha7ge. The expenses amounted give him a job then ; and at the same time
to 241. 44. 71a. That does not contain the statute he took a letter from his pocket, and desired him to
allowance for the notice of action. take it to Mr. Thomas, to whom it was directed, and
Cr ,ss-examined—Witness had a promissory note for to leave it at the bar of the Bell and Crown Inn,
this bill of cots. Did not state to Mr. Penfold, the Holborn. and afterwards to meet him at the Saracen's
d, fendant's solicitor, that his costs did not exceed 201. Head, on Snow-hill. He obeyed his instruction, but
What he said was, that he had made out a rough sketch on reaching the Saracen's Head found that Mr. May
of his co-is, which he showed to Mr. Penfold. The was not known there. He waited outside for a short
amounted to 22/. Would swear it was more than time, and then he saw the prisoner jump out of an om-
-201. I Is. The bill had not been taxed. There were nibus. He directly accosted him, and, going into the
four or five Magistrates present when the plaintiff was coffee-room, gave him a note
Jahn-stre o carry to
Smithfie Messrs.
convicted. Mr. Winnington, he thinks, was the chair- Browning, oil-merchants,
St,et, ld,
man. The matter was argued by counsel before Mr. and directed him to return to him at half-past two
Justice Williams, and he took one day to consider his o'clock. He received a list of prices at Mesrs. Brown-
ings, which he took back to the prisoner,s and on his
judgment.
Barkley Ellis a turnkey of Brixton House of Cor- handing it to him, the prisoner called him out into the
rection, proved that the plaintiff was put upon the tread- yard, and gave him a black covered book to keep his
wheel for six days, and he worked ten hours a day. He accounts in, and at the same time handed to him a check
appeared very well when he came into the prison, but drawn in favour of Mr. May, on Messrs. Drummonds,
on the morning he went out he complained of' a cough. of Charing-cross, for 3001., and purporting to be signed
Peter Hoy was called to prove that the plaintiff by Messrs. Jobn Marshall and Co., which he ordered
him to get cashed. He proceeded immediately to
could earn 3/, a week at his business.
Messrs. Drummond s house, and in obedience to the direc-
This was the plaintiff's case.
Mr. THENGER addressed the Jury, and said his tions which he had received, he obtained a 200/. note
Learned Friend had doneessr.
Mr. Reid no more than justice and a 1001. note, and he was proceeding to convey them
when be stated that his intentions were most honest ,to the house No. 26, Old Broad-street, where the
he felt satisfied that the Jury would give him credit for prisoner told him his offices were, when, on his way
baying 'merely acted under a mistake. The Jury would through the Strand, near the Adelphi Theatre, the pri-
recollect in what a difficult position Magistrates were soner came up to him and tapped him on the shoulder,
a aced—and for this very reason the law gate them asking him whether lie had got any gold ?He ans-
advantages when it Was proved that they had juris- wered in the negative,
must when the prisoner too
ok the
go and
notes
diction in the matter submitted to them. It, was a from him, saying he have gold, and uld
matter very much in Mr. Reid's favour, that the original get them changed ; and giving him a note to deliver at
question, upon which the conviction took Diace,appeared Gerard's Hall, Basing-lane, desired him to bring the
to have been of such an intricate nature that a Learned answer to him, and meet him at the Custom-house. He
Judge, possessed of very great experience, would not de- did so ; and the prisoner then gave him 10s. and bade
tide upon the matter at first sight but had taken time him attend him on the same spot the next day. On
to consider before he would pronounce a judgment. the 10th July, accordingly, he waited upon him ; and
The most that could then be imputed to Mr. Reid was, the prisoner sent him with a note addressed to Mr.
that he had acted from a mistaken sense of his duty. Cooke, who, he said, was his brother, at Messrs.