The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-15 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—May 14.

WORSHIP-STREET.—Yesterday Charles Costa,
a well-built good-looking man of colour, was charged
on re-examination before Mr. Cooke with the follow-
ing frauds.
Doughty, the officer who took the prisoner into
custody, had ascertained since the last examination
that in the January of last year the prisoner had
been charged with fraud at the Thames Police-court
and sentenced to three months' hard labour, and that
in October last he had been charged with a similar
offence at the Greenwich Court, and sentenced to
other three months' incarceration. He now called a
third complainant, in the person of a poor married
woman named Susannah llacosta, of Hope-street,
Whitechapel, who stated that about seven months
ago, but the exact date she could not recollect, the
prisoner called upon her and her husband, and said
he was steward of a ship just arrived in the docks
from the West Indies. He said he had been com-
missioned by her husband's mother to take charge
of a letter and box of clothing and miscellaneous
articles for them. How the prisoner had learnt that
her mother-in-law was in the West Indies she could
not tell, but it was a fact, and her husband was so
delighted at hearing about his mother that, as they
had no money in the house, he sent her out to pledge
some articles to raise money. A comfortable dinner,
tea, and supper were provided for the prisoner, who
talked a very long time about their family, of which
he displayed a surprising knowledge. He at length
told them it was too late for him to go on board his
ship that night, and he should therefore be obliged
to them if they would advance him a trifle to pay
for lodging and refreshment that night, and he
would return the next morning with the letter and
property he had been intrusted with for them. Her
husband gave him 25., which was all they had left
out of the money they had borrowed. The prisoner
did not make his appearance next day, and on men-
tioning the matter afterwards among her neighbours
she found that he had spent part of the next day at
a house two doors off hers, and the day after that at
the house next door to her, where he had imposed
on the families in the same way.
The fourth complaint was at the instance of Laura
Schreiber, the wife of a German stick-maker in
King's Arms-court, Whitechapel. Upon her the
prisoner called on the 19th April. He asked her if
she had any relations at Hamburg. Witness said
that she had not. To this the prisoner answered
that he was surprised at that, as her daughter
Martha, at Havannah, to whom he was to be mar-
ried when he returned to Cuba, had given him to
understand that they had relatives there. Her
daughter had gone to Havannah four years ago,
and she was so overjoyed at hearing from her that
that alone, irrespective of the fact of the approach-
ing marriage with the prisoner and his saying that
he had on board his ship in the Victoria Docks a
chest of valuables from her daughter, which he
should cart there the next day, induced her to board
and lodge him sumptuously the whole of that day
at an expense she could ill afford. He did not
of
re-
turn the next day, and she saw nothing in
him till she found him in custody upon the°orteher
charges.
The prisoner heard the evideneeoff.
The fifth complaint was similar towtihteh others.
The
of
ring any de_
him to be much eompbxoonoy, and aoolil
fence ; and Mr. Cooke ordered
com-
mitted for trial on all the charges.

WANDSWORTH.—John Cotterell, aged 21,
---- _
.-----
labourer, was charged with setting fire to the finish-
ing-room a
at the Royal Paper-mills, Garrett-lane,Wandsworth.
Mr, James IVl'Murray, .
said the prisoner was dischargedAthlf from the works
about four months ugo. the manager of the mills,
-
morning a fire broke out ina the p a
finishing-rooms t tw o on
Sun-
day
by which some paper and
a portion of the wood-
workurn of the wall were burnt.
Inspector Ayres, of
tht.
e V division, said—My at-
tention was called to the fire on Sunday morning.
I found that the prisoner
was the first to discover
it. He rang the bell at the premises and gave in-
formation to the watchman. In consequence of

LONDON : Printed and Published by JOHN CHAPLIN,
of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at THE SUN Office, N 0.112,
Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the County of
Niddlot3ex,--nuriday, Nay 15, 1862,