The Sun.
London, England, 1865-10-31 00:00:00

POLICE IN'

BOW-STREET.

A SUSPICIOUS CUSTOMER.—Thomas Lawson was placed
before Mr. Flowers, charged with being found on the pre-
mises of. Mr. Petter, the wine merchant and hotel keeper,
with intent, &c.
Ellen Wiggins said she was in the service of. Mr. Fetter
as chambermaid. This morning, as she was going up
stairs, she met the prisoner coming down the first floor
stairs, and as she knew he had no right on the premises,
and suspecting him called out, and the prisoner run out of
the house.
Arthur Martin said ho was barman to Mr. Fetter. He
hoard the previous witness call out, and he ran to the door
and saw the prisoner hastily quitting the premises. He
went after him, and found he had concealed himself in one
of the doorways in Garrick-street.
Police-constable 76 F -said he took the prisoner into
custody, and on searching-him he found a pocket-book,
which contained teu receipt stamps. When the prisoner
was asked what was in the book ho said "Eight receipt
stamps:"
In his defence the prisoner said he was not on the
first floor at all.
Mr. Flowers remanded the prisoner for further inquiry.
SERIOUS CHARGE AGAINST A BEERSHOP KEEPER.— Charles
Childs, landlord of the White Swan beershop, Little St-
Andrew-street, Seven-dials, was placed at the bar charged
with having a large quantity of counterfeit coin in his pos-
session.

From the evidence it appeared that Inspector West, In-
spector Brennan, and Sergeant Ackrill, of the F division,
and Sergeant Elliott, of the E division, in company with
Mr. Brennan, the officer attached to the Mint, entered tho
prisoner's house, and told him the charge against him,
which he most strenuously denied. The officers proceeded
to search the place, and on a shelf in the bar they found a
packet from which four counterfeit shillings dropped. The
defendant's daughter produced somo othei broken counter-
feit coin, and said the whole of that which had been found

by the police had been taken in the course of biness, and
had been placed on the shelf for safety. Inspector West,
however, in searching the out-house, found seven packets
wrapped up in paper, which, on being opened, were found
each to contain 10 counterfeit shillings, which corresponded
in date with those found in the bar. The defendant de-
clared he knew nothing of the matter, but he was taken
into custody, and the law officers of the Crown were com-
municated with.

Mr. Pater, who defended Childs, said it was a most
malicious prosecution on the part of the police, who had
acted throughout in a manner that deserved severe cen-
sure. He did not mean to impute unworthy motives to
the police, but ho should have thought it would have been
well if they had ascertained whether the defendant had
placed the counterfeit money where it was found before
they took him into custody and charged him with the
offence. The place where the base coin was found was
open to every customer using the house, and nothing could
be easier than for some vindictive person to have placed the
counterfeit coin where it was found by the police ,
leading to the inference that it had been secreted there by
the defendant. He had also to complain of the conduct of
the police in refusing to receive bail for the defendant,
actually superseded the orders of the magistrates, and ob-
jected to take the surety of two persons who offered to
become bail for the prisoner in the sum of £lOO without
they inquired into their stability, although nothing had
been said on the inquiry when the amount was fixed beyond
the fact that if the bail obtained was only two persons in £5O
each, then an enquiry was to be made respecting them.
He thought that after a magistrate had decided to accept
bail without inquiry, it was not the province of the police
to object to such a proceeding.
Mr. Flowers said there might have been matters
connected with the case which raised a doubt whether
the defendant would surrender. He thought it was
the duty of the police to keep the magistrate well in-
formed. However, in the present case he should commit
the prisoner for trial, but he would accept two sureties for
his appearance at the sessions, provided 48 hours' notice
was given to allow inquiries into the position of the persons
offering themselves as bail for the prisoner.