The Sun.
London, England, 1865-08-30 00:00:00

THE SEN, LONDON WEDNESDAY EVEN

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—This Day.

BOW-STREET.

ROBBERY BY A POTMAN.—llenry William Sledge, a
potman, lately in the employ of Mr. Vass, landlord of the
Goat Tavern, Chenie-street, Tottenham-court-road, was
placed at the bar charged-with stealing a cheque for £25.
Mr. Vass said the prisoner was a potman, in his service,
and the end of last month he sent him out to get cash for a
cheque for £25 on the London and Westminster Bank.
He never returned, and ho had not seen him since that
time until he was in custody of the police.

John E. Morris said prisoner came into Mr.Hazlewood's
shop, in Tottenham-court-road; on July '29, and asked for
change of the cheque in question for Mr. Vass. He asked
for as much silver as could be spared. Witness gave him
£5 in silver and £2O in gold. The cheque was afterwards
paid into the London and County Bank iu. the ordi-
nary way of business.
Police-constable 217 G said—About half-past 11 on
Friday night last he heard the prisoner was in Old-street,
and he went there and apprehended him. He told him
he should take him into custody for stealing £2O from Mr.
Vass, his master. He said he was very sorry, and that it
was the first dishonest act he had ever committed. Ho
further told him that when he had succeeded in getting the
cheque changed into coin, he had a fit in the street, and
afterwards he went into a public-house to get a glass of
brandy as a restorative. While there he discovered that
he had lost all his money except £2 3s. 6d. He took
him to the station, and on searching him he only found one
halfpenny.

Mr. Vaughan asked whether the cheque was ready to be
produced.
Mr. Vass said he had not got it with him. It had, doubt-
less, gone back to Messrs. Eagles and Travers. He would,
however, get it if it was required.
Mr. Vaughan said it was the subject of the larceny, and
it was of importance that it should be in court.
Mr. Vass said he would have it in Court on Friday.
Mr. Vaughan then remanded the prisoner until that day.

Caution to Cigar Purchasers.

At Bow-street Police-court, this morning, a man, named
Thomas Kennedy, a paper-stainer, residing at 26, Hadfield-
street, St. Luke's, was placed before Mr. Vaughan charged
with endeavouring to obtitin money by false pretences from
several persons, by offering spurious cigars for sale, repre-
senting them to be genuine.

Edward Gray, waiter at the Crown Tavern, Rupert-
street, said about twenty minutes to 1 o'clock this morning
he met the prisoner in Oxford-street. He spoke to him, and
shortly afterwards he produced something which bad the
appearance of Bengal cheroots in bundles of ten
each, which ho asked witness to purchase, saying that ho
should have them for sixpence a bundle. He eventually
offered three bundles for a shilling, and witness, thinking
they must either have been stolen, or that the prisoner was
attempting a fraud upon him, purchased the cigars for the
puipose of giving information to the police, and imme-
diately afterwards he took ohe and broke in half, when he
observed that they were made up of dried leaves, and brown
paper. He at once told the prisoner ho ought to be
ashamed of himself to offer such things for sale, when he,
finding that the prosecutor had discovered the nature of
the fictitious cigars, gave him his money back again and
walked away. He (witness) then met a constable and told
him what the prisoner was about.

Police-constable Moorcraft, 165 E, who wore the Eng-
lish, French, and Turkish Crimean medals, said that in
consequence of what the last witness told him he watched
the prisoner, whom he saw go up to three or four gentle-
men, and asked them to purchase cigars. He went up to
him and took him into custody, and then found he had a
lot of bundles of paper cigars in his possession. He heard
the prisoner say to one of the persons to whom he offered
the cigars that they were very good ones, and that they
could not be produced in the shops for double the price.
The prisoner said he was very sorry, but he did not
think he was doing wrong in offering the things for sale.
Mr. Vaughan said he did not believe him. He had
some doubts about a jury convicting for "endeavouring"
to obtain money by false pretences, and as the charge of
actually obtaining the money had been condoned by the
return of the shilling to the witness Gray, he should dis-
charge the prisoner, but he cautioned him against coming
to that court again, for if he had escaped bringing himself
within the pale of the law on the present occasion he
might not be so successful the next. The fictitious cigars
he should order to be retained and destroyed.
The prisoner then left the dock in a remarkably speedy
manner.