The Sun.
London, England, 1865-09-19 00:00:00

rim SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 19,. I.E€6

CRIMINAL COURT.—This Day.

OLD COURT.
(Before the Recorder.)

MR. E. T. SMITH, OF CREMORNE, AND HIS SERVANTS.
- ..... .

Aaron Fisher, a respectable looking man, aged 31, de-
scribed as a clerk in tho employment of Mr. E. T. Smith,
of Cremorne-gardens, was indicted for feloniously forging
an endorsement to a cheque of Mr. Smith, for the payment
of £25 4s. 6d., with intent to defraud. He was also in-
dicted on two charges of feloniously forging an endorse-
ment of two several cheques of Mr. Smith for the payment
of £l2 10s. and £8 4s.

Mr. Hemp, the Clerk of the Court, read the several in-
dictments to the prisoner, who pleaded guilty to them all.
The prisoner was then ordered to be put bick for a time,

A young man named Barnes, a member of Mr. Edward
Tyrrell Smith's band at Cremorne, was then indicted for
stealing certain lustres, the property of his employer.
Mr. Pearce again prosecuted, and stated that the lustres
were of foreign manufacture, and could not be matched in
England.
Mr. Pearce, the counsel for the prosecution, wished to
call Fisher as a witness, but this was objected to.
The Recorder said it was useless to go on with the case
any further.

The jury readily acquiesced in this suggestion, and re-
turned a verdict of " Not Guilty."
Aaron Fisher was again placed in the dock, and
Mr. Montague Williams, in an earnest and impressive
speech, pleaded for mitigation of punishment. Mr. Smith
they had been told was anxious not to press heavily upon
him, and although he could not perhaps take him back into
his service he would readily pay the expenses of his journey
to some country where he might retrieve his character and
enter upon a new course of life. He believed that when
th'e prisoner signed the names of the tradesmen to the bills
he was instructed to pay, he was not aware of the enormity
of the offence he was committing. During the season im-
mense sums of money passed through his hands, and there
were no previous cases of breach of trust against him. Ho
had a wife and two children, and he (Mr. Williams) im-
plored the merciful consideration of the Court on his behalf.

Mr. Pearce said that Mr. Smith had no doubt a high
opinion of the prisoner, and was most anxious that the
Court should deal with him leniently. Large sums of money
had been entrusted to him, and the cases which had come
-before the ,Court were the only ones against him. Mr.
Smith was willing to pay the prisoner's expenses to America
if he could be allowed to go there.
The RECORDER said that must be a question for the
Home-office. He had no discretion in the matter. Ad-
dressing the prisoner, he had been convicted of very seri-
ous offences, and he could not understand how a person
who had 'arrived at his age could plead that he did not un-
derstand the enormity of the offence. He had been strongly
recommended to mercy, but there were no circumstances
of mitigation in evidence. The fact that he had been
entrusted with large sums of money was rather an aggra-
vation of the offence. Mr. Smith had strongly recom-
mended him to mercy, and if it had not been for that re-
commendation he (the Recorder) should have sentenced
him to penal servitude for several years. The sentence
of the Court was that he be imprisoned and kept to hard
labour for a period of 18 calendar months.

The Alleged Case of Child Murder at a
Ladies' seminary.

--..--

At eleven o'clock in the forenoon, Mr. William Carter,
the coroner for East Surrey, resumed in the board-room of
Camberwell workhouse the adjourned inquest respecting
the circumstances attending the death of a newly born
female child, the illegitimate offspring of Annie Booth, a
servant employed by Miss Graffrey, the proprietress of a
ladies' seminary at 487, Old Kent-road.
The jury, after-hearing the evidence, returned a verdict
of accidental death.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—This Day.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

ROBBERY FROM A LAUNDRESS'S CART—Charles Edwards,
a young man, who has several times been in custody for
felony, was charged before Mr. Knox with stealing a pair
of moreen curtains from the cart of Mrs. Jane Forder,
carrying on the business of a laundress at Dorset-place,
Kensal-green.

Mrs. Forder stated that while returning home in the
cart last night with several baskets containing linen and
other articles, some persons called out that the cart was
being robbed, and on looking into the cart she missed a
pair of moreen curtains, which she had fetched from
Craven jlill-gardens at an earlier part of the evening.
Shortly afterwards she saw the prisoner in the custody of
a constable, and the curtains were given to her by a female
who saw the prisoner take them horn the cart and picked
them up.

Police-constable 29 E proved seeing the prisoner take the
curtains from the cart. The prisoner then started off and
ran into his (the constable's) arms, at the same time throw-
ing away the curtains.

Mr. Knox remanded the prisoner that any previous con
victions might bo proved.

SOUTHWARK.

ILLEGALLY TAKING INTO CUSTODY.—Henry Moore, a
labouring man, was charged before Mr. Burcham t ith an
assault on Henry Haycock, a ticket collector at the South-
Eastern terminus, London-bridge.
The complainant said that about a quarter past six last
evening the prisoner and five or six men on the platform
at the terminus, and ascertaining that they had no tickets,
he desired them to leave. They refused to do so, and com-
menced making a noise, and when he endeavoured to re-
move the prisoner ho struck him on the head, after which
he took him into custody.
Mr. Burcham—What right had you to take him into
custody ? You should have called a policeman. It was
an illegal act, and I discharge the prisoner.
The complainant, who had no idea that he had exceeded
his functions, -appeared greatly astonished at the decision
of the worthy magistrate.
ASSAULT BY A WomAN.--LJohannah Sullivan, a middle-
aged woman, with a determined expression of countenance,
was charged with assaulting Daniel Long.
From the statement of complainant it appeared that he

lived at Allen-court, Bermondsey, and the prisoner and
her husband next door. About half-past 8 this morning,
as he was going to his work, the prisoner came up to him
with her husband, followed him, and struck him a violent
blow in the mouth.

The prisoner made a rambling statement, to the effect
that the complainant and her husband had a fight last
Saturday night, and that the complainant struck her last
evening. She had not an opportunity of revenging herself
upon him then. His wife was in the habit of tormenting
her, and had done so very lately.

Police constable 283 M deposed to having witnessed the
assault on the complainant, and the magistrate sentenced
her to pay a fine of 2s. Gd.

BREAKING GLASS, &C.—William Parker, a working man,
was placed at the bar under the following circumstances:—
William Mitchell said that he was barman at a public-
house in the Old Kent-road, and yesterday evening the
prisoner, accompanied by some other men, wanted to be
served with liquor, which he refused. The prisoner then
dashed his hand through a pane of glass.

Police-constable, 35 M, said that when he attempted to
remove the prisoner from the house he knocked him down
and kicked him several times.

The prisoner said that he had received a severe injury
from a piece of wood falling on his head, and when he
took a drop of drink he did not know what he did. He
would never get drunk again.

Mr. Burchain said he hoped he would keep his promise.
He sentenced him to pay a fine of 12s. 6d. for what he had
done at the public-house, or seven days, and for the
assault on the policeman 205., or 21 days.

WANDSWORTH.

ALLEGED INFANTICIDE AND BURNING OF THE BODY.

Fanny Knight, a genteel-looking young woman, was
placed in the dock, before Mr. Ingham, charged with con-
cealing the birth of her illegitimate child.
Police-constable Sapphill, 342 V, said,—From informa-
tion I received I went to No. 3, Penton-road, Nine Elms-
lane, yesterday, between 12 and 1 o'clock. I saw Mr.
Knight, and I asked him if he had a female there. He
said, " Yes, a daughter." I saw her, the prisoner, in the
shop, and I questioned her as to whether she had ever
given birth to a child, and she said "No." I asked herif there
were any female lodgers in the house, and she said "Yes."
I went upstairs, and from what I heard, I came down and
told the prisoner she would have to go to the police-station
with me and be examined by a doctor. She said, " Very
well ; I'll do so." After we got outside the house she said,
" I certainly gave birth to a child, and I would have told
you in the first place if my father had not been present." I
took her to Dr. Edmunds, in the Wandsworth-road, and
he asked her how long ago.. She said, " About afortnight."
Dr. Edmunds then said it was of no use to examine her, as
it occurred so long ago, and he asked her the size of the
child. She could not tell him, or whether the child was
dead or alive. He asked her what she, had done with the
body, and she said she had burnt it. She meant that she
could not tell whether the child was born dead or alive.
She said she had frights in the house on several occa-
sions, and she supposed they brought it on. I asked
her whether she called in any one, and she said, " No, that
she never let a medical man know about it." I asked her
if any one was present, and she said, "No," and that she
did not let a doctor or any one else know about it. I took
her to the station.

Mr. Ingham—Have you any question to ask the wii
ness ?

Prisoner (in a low voice)—No, sir.
Mr. Ingham—ls there any other witness ?
Constable—No, sir.
_ _

The brother who was in court was appealed to by tho
magistrate, but he had no evidence to give.
Mr. Ingham remanded the prisoner until next Tuesday.
The prisoner was removed crying.

The Oxford and Canterbury Hall Company.

The second half-yearly meeting of the directors and
shareholders in this company was held yesterday at the
Oxford. The chairman of the company, Mr. Evan D.
Jones, presided.
Mr. PYNE, the secretary, having read the report, which
has already appeared in The Sun,
The CHAIRMAN rose to move its adoption by the meet-
ing. Ho said he could well congratulate the shareholders
when the directors could show such a satisfactory report
and balance-sheet as that now submitted for their
approval. In taking charge of two such large estab-
lishments as the Oxford and Canterbury there
would have been the greatest difficulty had it not
been that for years prior to the property coming into their
possession it had been so extremely well managed. The
dividend that had been paid for the first half-year they (the
directors) could well and conscientiously advise the meeting
to again declare, viz., 10 per cent. per annum,
with a bonus of 2s. per share, free of income tax .

The gross receipts for the year had been £16,488,
from 421,217 persons admitted, besides which there were
other receipts of a sundry nature to the amount of £4OB
lls. 6d., rent from sub-tenants, £137 18s., and £lOO for
the rent of the entrance hall of the Canterbury. He
thought it would be satisfactory for the meeting to know
that they had paid £40,227 to Mr. Morton out of the origi-
nal sum agreed upon for the property, £2,000 of that
amount having been taken out of their profits. (Hear, hear.)
The balance available for appropriation is £4,240 Bs. 11d.,
which the directors recommended should be disposed of
in the following manner ; the dividend would take £2,100
of the amount, it was then proposed to set aside £l,OOO
towards the establishment of a reserve fund—(hear, hear)
—and to carry the remaining £1,140 over to the next
account. Their balances of cash were at the London and
County Bank, £595 7s. ld. ; at ditto, Oxford-street, £1,060
is. id. ; total, £1,655 14s. 2d. Then the stock in hand

was stated at £6,106 13s. Bd., but they had doubled the
value of the stock in the cellars ; it was taken
at cost price, and had been valued much too
low. But this stock valued at £6,106 would produce
an immense deal more when distributed in the hall

for consumption ; it would then be worth nearly £12,000.

The business done had been wonderfully good, but that,
of course, was because the entertainment was good, as he
felt certain there was no place in London that could equal
the amusements presented every evening at the Oxford.
They had vocalists of the highest order, an elegant and
exquisite ballet, a talented musical conductor, and, above
all and beyond all, an energetic and untiring general
manager—these materials banded together produced an
entertainment that could not be met with but at the Ox-

ford. In proof of this he could safely assert that the
Oxford was the resort of men of refined taste ; but, while
he was so eulogistic on the west-end establishment, he
must not forget the Canterbury, which was the great focus
from which all the music halls in the metropolis emanated.
The attendance there nightly was extraordinary, and on
the evening of Saturday last, with the thermometer stand-
ing above summer heat, they had in that hall at least 1,100
persona. That spoke most satisfactorily for the entertain-
ments offered to the public there. The directors were
quite alive to the important fact of keeping up the style of

the amusement, which he felt satisfied all would at once
concede to be elevating, improving, and proper. No exertion,
he could assure the shareholders, would be spared to in-
crease their attractions, and thus a continued flow of novelty
would be kept up, which could but result in the most pro-
fitable manner to the company. Reverting to the Oxford,
there were certain improvements the directors intended to
carry out. They intended to adorn the promenade,
which had lately been added to that establishment,.
with some beautiful paintings which Mr. Morton
had most generously placed at their disposal. He
could hardly trust himself to speak of Mr. Morton, fearing
that he might be accused of fulsome flattery, but this he
would say that Mr. Morton had met them in the most
genorous spirit, and that kindly feeling for which he was
so remarkable existed without the slightest abatement.
He (the chairman) felt that his greatest desire and earnest
wish was for the success and prosperity of the company.
(Hear, hear.)

Mr. WHITMORE had great pleasure in seconding the
adoption of the report.
The motion was carried unanimously.

On the motion of Mr. ANDERSON, seconded by Mr. MArr.
LAND, a dividend was declared at the rate of 10 per teat
per annum for the half-year, with a bonus of 2s. per share
free of income tax.

The directors retiring by rotation were severally re-
elected, Messrs. Evan B. Jones and Mr. G. F. Anderson.
The auditors were re-elected, and the remuneration of
thirty guineas awarded them for their past services.

The CHAIRMAN said there were officials connected with
the company, to whom he wished the meeting to
award their thanks—first of all, Mr. Charles Morton, the
head and principal, he might say the very soul of the busi-
ness. In fact, no words could express the value of his ser-
vices, which never flagged, but, on the contrary, were
much increased since the formation of the company. He
was a man per se, and it was not probable that his like
would be seen again. (Hear, hear.) Their secretary, Mr.
Pyne, also was worthy of all confidence. He was most
assiduous in the discharge of his duties—he possessed a
clear head, and his accounts were faithfully kept, and he
brought all matters carefully before the board—(hear,
hear) ; and Mr. William Morton, the manager of the Can-
terbury Hall, was animated with but one desire, the success
of the company. He, as chairman of the company, had
great pleasure in moving a vote of thanks to those gentle-
men.

Mr. ANDERSON felt the greatest pleasure in seconding
such a proposal.
The resolution was carried in a very enthusiastic man-
ner ; and a similar compliment having been paid to the
chairman, the proceedings terminated.