The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-19 00:00:00

WESTMINSTER.

AN APPARENTLY OLD AND PRACTISED SIFIASHER.—Geo.
Wilson, a middle-aged man, well known to.the police, was
charged with uttering a bad shilling and tendering another
well knowing them to be counterfeit coin.
Mr. John Barratt, a cheesemonger, residing at 1, Little
Chapel-street, Westminster, said that the prisoner came
into his shop last night and asked for a rasher of bacon.
Witness served him and asked for 4d. for the bacon, pri-
soner looked suspicious, and when he quietly put a shilling
on the counter, witness immediately observed that it was
bad. He bent it and cut it, and gave it back to prisoner,
who paid 4d. and left the shop. Witness followed him.
Mr. Mills, landlord of the Castle public-house, said the
prisoner came into his house about 7 o'clock and asked for
a pint of beer. He was served, and selected from a hand-
ful of halfpence a bad shilling and tendered it. Witness
was about to give him change when Mr. Barratt and another
person spoke to him, and he found the shilling was bad.
He returned it to the prisoner, who paid for the beer, and
then putting the shilling in his mouth swallowed it. He
was given into custody.
The other bad shilling was found nearly broken in two
outside the public-house.

Prisoner was remanded for a week. He admitted the
facts.

THAMES.

DARING HIGHWAY ROBBERY WITH VIOLENCE.-George
Bains, a notorious and desperate thief, was brought before
Mr. Partridge charged with assaulting Mr. Andrew Wear,
of Love-lane, Shadwell, shipwright, and stealing a watch,
valued at £4, from his person.
The prosecutor was passing along the Commercial-road
East last night, at 12 o'clock, when ho met the prisoner
and another man. They intercepted his progress, and in
endeavouring to pass them one of the villains shoved the
prisoner upon him. The prisoner immediately snatched
Mr. Wear's watch, and broke a ring connecting the swivel
with the watch. Mr. Wear immediately collared the pri-
soner, who struck him with his fist, kicked him, and tripped
him up. Mr. Wear dragged the. prisoner down with him and
called out "Police!" and "Murder!" Henry Townsend,
No. 313 K, was soon on the spot, and found the prosecutor
on his back, and the prisoner standing over him. Mr
Wear said " This fellow has stolen my watch." Town-
send immediately secured the prisoner. The prosecutor's
chain was hanging loosely before him, and the watch was
gone. - _

_
Mrs. Eliza Bishop, wife of Mr. Thomas Bishop, an artist,
saw the whole occurrence from her window, and confirmed
the statement of the prosecutor in every particular.

The prisoner made no defence, and Mr. Partridge com-
mitted him for trial, and requested Mr. Allison, an inspec-
tor of the K Division, to ascertain if there were any previ-
ous convictions against him. He knew ho had seen the
prisoner before.
Inspector Allison—Men from the different divisions of
police will go to the prison and look at him.
Roche, the gaoler of the court, said the prisoner was a
well-known thief, and had been tried and convicted several
times.

Mr. Partridge—Then I will remand him until to-morrow
week, Dec. 27, for the police to come here and prove the
former convictions.

ANOTHER HIGHWAY ROBBERY WITH VIOLBSCE.—AIbert
Wright, aged 19, of 17, Salisbury-street, packing-case
maker, was charged with being -concerned with others in
assaulting and robbing Mr. Charles Perry, distiller's clerk,
of 9, Patriot-square, Cambridge-road.
The prosecutor was passing along the Mile-end-road at
a few minutes past 12 o'clock on Saturday night last, and
lencountered eight or nine young men, among whom was
the prisoner. He was hustled and shoved from one to the
other. One of the young men seized him behind, and others
turned his pockets inside out and took from them a knife,
a half-crown, fourpence, and a pocket-book containing
receipts, pawn tickets, and letters. He estimated his loss
at £2O. One man " bonneted" him (struck the top of his
hat), and another attempted to strangle him. He was used
with considerable violence. He could positively identify
the prisoner, and saw him pick up one of the coins which
fell from his pocket when it was turned Inside out.
The prisoner said he was innocent, and called George
Jones, Charles Bowers, and Joseph Day, young men, who
said they were with him on Saturday night in the Mile-
end-road, and he was not concerned in the robbery. Iu
some points their evidence was very conflicting.
The prisoner was committed for trial.