The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-31 00:00:00

EXTENSIVE COMMERCIAL FRAUD-.

A stout, respectable-looking middle-aged man,
named W. Fairman, and described as a commission
agent, and who declined to give his address, was
placed at the bar of the Mansion-house yesterday,
before the Lord Mayor, to undergo a preliminary
examination upon a charge of conspiring, in March,
1861, with a person named Charles Frederick Hunt,
now in Whitecross-street Prison, to defraud the
Hon. Richard Cambden Bingham of £BOO, by means
of false pretences.
Mr. Sleigh appeared for the prosecution, and
briefly nate ated the facts of the ease, from which
it appeared that in the month of December,
1860, the prosecutor, the Hon. Richard Cambden
Bingham, in consequence of an advertisement
which he observed in the limes newspaper, came
in communication with a person named Charles
Frederick Hunt, and at various times advanced
him several small sums of money, to the amount
of about £BOO, and received as collateral security
for the money which he had advanced 173 tea war-
rants, which Hunt told him were worth very much
more. In March, 1861, the prosecutor wished for
his money again, and spoke to Hunt about it, and
he proposed to sell the tea, and repay the loan, and
he asked the prosecutor to let him have a few of the
warrants to test the tea. On the Ist or 2d of March
the prosecutor gave him 11 of the warrants. On the
4th March Hunt wrote to him, and stated that he
had found a purchaser for the tea, and asked the
prosecutor to meet him at the Royal Exchange, at
11 o'clock on the morning of the 6th March. The
prosecutor went to the Royal Exchange, where he
saw the man Hunt, who said he would take him
to his broker, who had purchased the tea, and took
him to the Commercial Sale-rooms, in Mincing-
lane, when the prisoner said, " Let us go and see if
he is here." They both went into the sale-rooms,
and, seated at a bench, the prosecutor saw the pri-
soner, who made a sign of recognition to Hunt,
who said, " There's my gentleman," and went up
to him, leaving the prosecutor in a passage. In
about five minutes he came back to the prosecutor,
and they passed through the luncheon-room into
an inner room, and the prisoner went in and called
Hunt away, and after some moments' conversation

together Hunt went back to Mr. Bingham and told
him he had an offer for the teas 'which suited him,
that he would lose on some of the teas, but would
would gain on others. The prisoner then came up
to them and wanted to know the answer, and they
again retired together, and after a few moments'
conversation they both returned to the table where
the prosecutor was sitting, when Hunt offered him
£1,300 or £1,400 for the teas, and proposed that the
prosecutor should take a bill from him drawn upon
and accepted by the prisoner, whom he had intro-
duced as Mr. Taos. Edwards, for the whole amount,
and when the bill came to maturity to pay to him
(Hunt) the difference between the £BOO and the
£1,300. The prosecutor said that he would not do
so. Hunt said if he drew two separate bills he
would put the parties to an extra expense. The
prosecutor objected to taking a bill, stating that he
I wanted the money, and Hunt said, " Money you
shall have then," and that he should have £lOO then,
and £3OO or £4OO on the day after the morrow, and
in the meantime the prisoner would accept a bill.
The prosecutor said he could not take a bill from a
perfect stranger; he wanted ready money. Hunt
said the prisoner was a man worth £lO,OOO, and he
himself had had dealings with him to the extent of
£20,000, and that he had chambers "upstairs,"
pointing above the sale room. Hunt also said that
it was customary in the tea trade to pay a small
deposit down, and to give a bill at four days for the
remainder. The prosecutor believed these state-
ments to be true, and ultimately consented to take

£lOO as a deposit, and a bill at four days for the
balance. Hunt then produced a bill stamp, and
drew out a bill (which was produced) for £BBO,
which he directed to Thomas Edwards, Commercial
Sale-rooms, Mincing-lane, and which he handod to
the prisoner, who accepted it as " Thomas Edwards."

The bill was then handed to the prosecutor, toge-
ther with a £lOO Bank of England note, and he

.old Hunt that ho had drawn the bill for £lOO too

much, and at hie (Hunt's) euggeetion he wrote a re-

ceipt of £lOO on account at the back of the bill.
At the time all this was going on the priscner was
making a great display of bank notes, and from the
careless manner in which he tossed the £lOO to the
prosecutor, apparently without selection, he thought
they were all for £lOO. The tea warrants wero
then handed to the prisoner, Mr. Bingham not
knowing at the time that he was the victim of a
well-concocted scheme. Upon the bill not being
paid, he sued Hunt for the amount, and who was at
present in Whitecross-street Prison. From infor-
mation which he had subsequently received, how-
ever, he was satisfied that there was no such person
as Thomas Edwards occupying chambers in the Com-
mercial Sale-rooms as a tea broker, and that he had
been defrauded of his money. The prisoner had not
since:been seen, or at all events all efforts to apprehend
him had been unsuccessful until the previous day. The
case, as it at present rested, was one of conspiracy ;
but it would remain to be considered whether it would
not ultimately resolve itself into a forgery, inas-
muchas the bill was accepted in the name of a non-
existing person, which in itself constitutes a forgery,
and in the uttering of which both the prisoner and
Hunt would be principals.
The Hon. Richard Cambden Bingham was called
and his evidence entirely corroborated the facts as
narrated by Mr. Sleigh.
Richard Moon, a porter at the Commercial Sale-
rooms, Mincing-lane, said that there was never such
a person as Thomas Edwards occupying chambers
in the Commercial Sale-rooms; and to his know-
ledge, there was no Thomas Edwards a tea broker.

William Keeley, police-constable 48 M, said he
took the prisoner into custody on the previous after-
noon. He gave his name as William Fairman; but
he refused his address, and described himself as a
commission agent.

The prisoner said he wished to explain that it was
out of no disrespect to his lordship or his officers
that he refused his address, but he discovered that
the person who apprehended him had no warrant
or other document signed by his lordship, and that
ho was not an officer of justice, but belonged to an
office termed a private inquiry office in the Temple,
carried on under the direction of a person named
Field; and he wished his lordship to say whether
it was right to capture a subject upon such a charge
as appeared against him upon the charge sheet
without a warrant or some document signed by a
magistrate. He was in a house in the Borough
when the party came to him, and called him by his
Christian name, which he had no doubt was a ruse
to catch him, and after a time said he was a detec-
tive officer, and said something about apprehend-
ing him upon the charge mentioned ; but he told
him he knew nothing about such a charge. He was
removed to Seething-lane station, certainly in a
respectable manner, for he was conveyed in a
cab, and he was there kept waiting two hours.
There, again, he must say he was treated
, respectfully, for he was allowed to sit be-
fore the fire instead of being locked up
in a cell, while the party who had given him in
custody upon no other document than an authority
signed by Mr. Bingham went to find some one
to make the charge against him; and the inspector
himself was doubtful whether under the circum-
stances he was justified in detaining him, and when
the person returned he said he had been looking
after Mr. Bingham.
Mr. Goodman, the chief clerk, said it was cer-
tainly rather an extraordinary proceeding to give
a person in custody without a warrant upon such a
charge; but the person who had signed the charge-
sheet was not in any way connected with that office.
The case might, however, turn out to be one of
felony, and a person would be entitled to appre-
hend another without a warrant on a charge of
felony.
The defendant said the party who apprehended
him said he had been in the Mansion-house and
had seen Mr. Goodman, who authorised him to
take such a step.

Mr. Goodman said he had certainly seen the soli-
citor in the case, but he had not seen the person
alluded to, nor should he have entrusted him with
a warrant if one had been granted, under any cir-
cumstances.

The defendant said, when the person gave him
in charge he said he lived at 23, New-street, and
when asked what he was, he said, " Oh, you can put
me down as a gentleman," and described the pro-
secutor as Mr. Rd. Bingham, a tea broker,. Cori:.
mercial Sale-rooms, Mincing-lane,
The Lord Mayor said it was an irregularity for
which no one at that court was responsible.
The defendant said it was merely that his lord-
ship might understand that it was out of no disre-
spect that he had not given his address, and he
thought that it was a matter which some one ought
to take up.

The prisoner was then remanded, his lordship
granting his application to be admitted to bail, if
he could procure two sureties of £250 each, in addi-
tion to his own recognisances in £5OO.

Mr. Ignatius Pollaky, who was formerly connected
with Mr. Field's office, was present during the
statement made by the defendant, and he wished it
to be understood that he was in no way connected
with this alleged irregularity, although he was
applied to to take the matter in hand, but refused
to do so.

Shocking Attempt of a Father to Murder

his Daughter.

The man, Isaac Thompson, who, for the heinous crime

of wilfully roasting his child to death at the Straits awaits

his trial at the forthcoming Stafford Assizes, has again for
the third time been at his murderous work with another
of his children. In this case, although the child has very
narrowly escaped immediate death, the particulars are no
less revolting. We may say at the outset that its recovery
is regarded by the medical men as impossible.
On Sunday night, about half-past 11, Thompson returned
home, having been carouing in a public-house up to that
hour with his wife. He appears not to have come home with
her, for on his arrival he demanded to know of his daughter
Hannah, a girl about 9 years old, " where her mother was."
Hannah is the oldest child but one, and all the other chil-
dren were in bed upstairs. She replied that she did not
know. He directed her to search for her, and the child re-
turned without finding her mother. lie at once seized a
poker, which is about 18 inches long, and worn to a sharp
point at the end, and thrust it into the head of the child to a
depth of about 31 inches. The blow penetrated above the
left ear, and, bursting through the scalp to such a depth, it
is questionable whether it did not go into the brain. Sho
bled profusely, her clothes being completely saturated with
the blood. Another daughter, Rachel, the eldest child,
hearing the noise and the groans of her sister, rushed down
stairs, and sought by her screams out of doors the assist-
ance and attendance of their only neighbour, Mrs. Sprud-
son, the house being detached and isolated from other
houses. A number of people were attracted by the cries,
and on arriving did all they could for the poor girl, and at
once fetched the police. Having put Thompson in safe
custody, Sergeant Tomlinson sent for Mr. H. Ballenden,
surgeon, of Sedgley, who attended and resorted to such
expedients to save the child as his medical skill suggested.
At the time our reporter despatched his parcel he had
just learned that the state of the poor girl was pezilous,
and scarcely the shadow of a hope remained of her
recovery.

The prisoner maintained quite a cool and indifferent de-
meanour from the time of the trmsaction to the hour he was
lodged in gaol.—l3irnaingham Gazette.

MR. THOMPSON'S FRITIT.—Mr. Thompson had
the finest crop of fruit this season that any one can
remember in all Wimbledon ; and when it was all ripe
enough for picking, the apple was the only one willing. So
Mr. Thompson picked him; but the plum, the pear, the
grapes, the peach, and the nectarine would not be picked at
all, much preferring to enjoy the fine weather, of which
they had not had too much, so they were loft hanging'
Now, the sparrow, the thrush, the blackbird, the redstart,
and the jay—indeed, all little birds from jack starling down
to jenny wren—were very glad to hear it,
and down they
came in great numbers. So what with the, hot sun shrivel-
lingy them up, and the birds eating them up, the poor fruit
soon began to laugh on the wrong side of their mouths,
and to wish with all their hearts that the
had been picked at the same time as the apple. They all
apple-pie)
; he beoaru foxe
came to miserable ends, and were of no use at all to any
one but the littl3 birds. While the jolly apple was honoured
littleb y
them
rayl, (whoe waswas made
alwaysinto
onad offi pp
fine largeie_i,ie apple-pie
sauce for the great Michaelmas goose, who would have
been nothing without it; and, best of all, they made him
into good bright cider, and in it they drank (as they always
should), "A health to Mr. Thompson, and may he have
good crops of fruit for seasons to come." "He was a sen-
sible apple, certainly; but, after all, they bad to cut him
up before they could honour him." " Yes," said Father,
"but one would rather die doing one's best, than shri-el
up with doing of nothing."—Charles 13 r 8 As'
eiinft tones told
by -tqqf 411048 00(1.00,A

Execution of FerdinandO Petreani at

Winchester.

Yesterday morning at eight o'clock the dread
finality of the law was perfected upon Ferdinand°
Petreani, on the scaffold erected over the gatewaY
of the gaol of Winchester. The remarkable fact of
an execution taking place at an inland town for
such an offence as that for which the miscreant suf.
fered drew a more than usually large crowd of per-
sons to witness the scene.

Since his condemnation the wretched man 110
behaved himself with calmness and propriety, never
having entertained any hope that his life would be
spared after it was intimated to him that the only
doubt on the subject was solved by the decision of
Mr. Justice Byles that the point of law raised 11
the learned counsel for the defence was not tenable,
The Rev. Father Pacificou, of the order of cap'
chins, visited the hapless man on Saturday, the
13th inst., and has been in daily attendance upon
him. On Monday he visited him at the usual hour,
and at the culprit's request remained with nil°
throughout the night, which was passed in con'
stant prayer. What statement he made to the rev;
father is, of course, secret, under the confessions'
vow, but through the kindness of Dr. Sanders, erle
of the regimental surgeons in the garrison, we are
able to state that the criminal fully acknowledge'
his guilt, but attributed the commission of his crime
to the woman, who desired to cohabit with 'lira'
and constantly importuned him. Her desires, her/'
ever, he rejected; and on account of that sbe Wag
always setting the captain and the first mate against
him, causing him constant annoyance and ill treat'
ment. Ho averred that he never should have cos'
templated his crime but for the manner in which
he was treated—not with violence, but as to the
difference with which he was used, even compared
to the most menial of the crew, particularly instani;
ing the fact that when they were abbe to buy se.'
bread they were allowed to do so, while he was rei
stricted to ordinary ship's biscuit. He expressed
himself in the most grateful terms of the mannered
which he had been treated by the governor and
the other officials whilst in confinement, and con,:
trasted it in most emphatic words with t• at to which
he would have been subjected if he had been ill 4
carcerated in his own country, wher a he wet
have been loaded with irons and subj(!cted to the
utmost indignity. At a quarter be fore eight
o'clock the under-sheriff, Mr. W. Broolr.s ; the gel
vernor, Mr. Henry Barber; the surgeon, D:
Lyford, with the other prison officiales, visited til°
unhappy convict in his cell, and Calcraft, the exeewe
tioner, proceeded with the rites of his office. The
culprit expressed an earnest desire to be a1m056
stripped of his clothing, an anxiety which scil
humanely acceded to as far as consistent with Pre;
priety by the governor, and the wretched man r,
therefore without his coat and waistcoat, having e.
a very finely-worked fronted shirt. Father PO.;
ficos, who was dressed in the full vestments of 111,
order, continued the repetition of the prescribel;
formularies of the creed of his Church with !to
utmost vehemence, and the repetition of
prayers by the culprit was distinctly heard by the
persons in the lanes opposite the gaol long befoid,
the dread procession was visible upon the scaff°l,o
On reaching the drop the father confessor, lv",,
waved the crucifix in front of the criminal, el
horted him to repentance, and the wretched culpri,,:
who then trembled violently, joined earnestly 4'
the prayers with apparently deep contrition. .1'
the midst of the prayers the drop fell, and the con
fessor, kneeling by the side of the pendant bodifr
prayed with great fervour. The father confosuji
continued on the scaffold repeating prayers until
half-past eight, when he descended and thawed
the governor for his exceeding kindness to the nn
fortunate man who had paid the penalty of Per
crimes with his life. The body was cut down if
hanging the usual time, and the crowd ran'
dispersed.

COUNTRY MARKETS.

-

LEEDS—TUESDAY.
To-day at our market the show of grain is not 11;
The best samples of wheat brought about is per qr aciftt,
on this day week, but inferior samples mostly remain;s7i
sold. Fine barleys at rather better prices, and second
sorts dull. Oats and beans unaltered.

LIVERPOOL—TUESDAY.
f
At our market to-day there was a fair attendance 0-a
town and country trade, with a good consumptive denst,,o
for wheat, and an advance of Id to 2d per 100 lb took leio
on American red winter and spring, but other descriptTop
were not dearer. Flour neglected. Oats and oatmeal
,540
of sale, and barely brought late rates. Bar!ey and '"„e,-35,
unchanged, but there was an easier business doing in r'
Indian corn in demand.

MARKET HARBOROUGH—TUESDAY. „ea
White wheat, 48s to 53s ; red, 45s to 49s per 36 SO%
Barley at 35s to 40s per qr., grinding 28s to 30s per 3.9 toOats, 28s to 325; new, 20s to 24s per 24 st. ; beans, 318
43s per qr.

SHEFFIELD—TUESDAY.
IVO
The supply of wheat was small. For the best qua.- I
vaa isitOaturday's rates were fully maintained, and in 50 s
PREfances an advance of 6d per load of three bushels cv`"
given. Flour and other articles changed hands at itb°° ,
previous rates. Ocl
Iced wheat, per load of 3 imperial bushels...2os Od to 2150 a
White 97 , ...22s Od to 2354 j
New red , . , ...I6s 6d to 185 `6,1
New white „
9, ...20s Od to 2156 a
Beans ** 5, ...16s Od to 185 ~a
Peas, per qr s6s Od to 60s .t
Grinding barley, per qr
Malting ditto, ~
Oats
**
Flour, is 9d to 2s Id per stone233.ososss°°°add tttooo
331:5
v°l\ida

MELTON MOWBRAY—TuEsDAY.
The following wore the currencies :—New white Wmf ;
50s Od to 54s Od ; new red, 44s Od to 48s per 36 afoot, ;
beans, 48s for old ; new sorts, 34s to 38s per 3S for
barley, 36s to 40s for malting, and 30s to 32s per cll.'
grinding; oats, 20s to 30s Od per 24 stone.

NEWCASTLE-UNDER -LYME—MONDAY.
Cel
The supply of wheat was limited, and a fair attendanere
There was a better feeling in the trade, and prices
fully Is per qr advance on last week's prices. BarieJ
scarce, with a good demand, at is dearer. Oats br°,,,,,11t
z,q,
quite as much money as of late. Beans in limited o,"'

Foreign Mail Packet List.

MAILS DUE.
AuKralia and Mauriti

Dec.'"

via Southampton....... -12.
via Marseilles ......... Jan. 4.
Brazil and Cape Verds, by British packet. ....... Je.l.
Cape of Good Hope, Ascension, and St. Helena.. Feb.l
China, Penang, and Singapore, via Southampton.pec' 12,
Falkland Islands
via Marseilles ...Jell' 4.
..
Gibraltar, via Southampton
...... Jan'„
India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Southampton..ie„°'
via l‘larseilles....Je'''' 10,
India (Bombay), via Southampton
...... 4.
via Marseilles JO'
Portugal Jta.a.
Malta, Egypt, and Aden, via Southampton oath 4,
via Marseilles
Newfoundland ..
Oporto and Vigo
u. S. and British N. America, by Brit. packet.. • •Tan
by U.S. packet.. • • 2.
by Canadian packet. J 3 10,
W. C. of Africa, Madeira, and Teneriffe .......... Ja!'. 15.
Bahamas, via New York .... 29.
Mexico .. • • Deo.
9,
All parts of West Indies, including Chili, Peru, } Deo. -
2
California, and British Columbia.

SINIOM
COLONEL PATRICK STEWART.—One day L °ra
Clyde received a message from the Viceroy, runa be,
thus—" Do not let Pat Stewart be killed. He cannot eS'
replaced." Raising his eyes, he saw the object of the
as a volunteliet
r
sage snea king out of the camp, rifle in hand,
broil 'co
on a particularly dangerous expedition. He was
back. " Confound you, sir," said the chief ; "what
7.12: t
you to do there ? If you're killed, sir, by George, li—cs
you I"

Births.
MA cthtraon.—On the 30th inst., at 17, rembridge-gIW
dens, the wife of Major It. G. MacGregor, of a soli. ,11
MACNEAL.—On the 27th inst., at Stafford-street, ,4;
burgh, the wife of Captain Macneal, of Ugadale, .0f P'
and heir.
RUSSELL.•—On the 29th inst., at 10, Fitzwilliam-sqll3l
Dublin, the Lady Katharine Hamilton Russell, of
daughter.
TRIBE,—On the 28th inst ,at Kennington, the wife of gr'
Arthur D. Tribe, of a son.

Marriages.
Fie'
pAmmt..--R OsE .—On the 29th inst., at St. Jareesbetlf
Fotiri:yo,llCl
yhadrluesg
latPacker,erof vmo f. IIF ea grre nit -osster,e o
Esq., to jl, i °lit e 5 t.
square, Southwark.
Chou;
jjEv''BlNa.n—keoBnltohmeli3nOthEingst at Trinity
If orl- •
Teterboro', late Captain Ist I') - '4'Guards. to Dragoon Esq.,
eldest daughter of the late Goon, , Herbert Lewin, -'-''
of Gloucester-crescent, Hyde-park.
' f Westgate lipt,
T omLft
Paddington,—
Deaths, Allelift,
ALLNUTT.—On the 29th inst George Stevens ,d,
Esq., of 30, Chancery-lane, and 2-2, Lansdowne."'
Notting -hill, aged 47. VdiVArti
FANE.—On the 28th inst ,a"
at Fulbeck, the Rev. •
Fane, aged 79. . L
tile GottuoN.--On Christmas-day, at Orton Long„eville,
Edith Blanche Gordon, youngest twin daughter of
Marquis Huntly, aged 13 months. a 00111
MADDEN.—On the 30th inst. Alfred Cape], ager esdely
son of Mr. Jas. Madden, O'ri ntal publisher, of -'-'
hall-street.

gr. 17'

MARES.—Ou the 29th inst., at Lower Edmonton,
Mares, aged 62. ,
VYsE.—ln Albemarle-street, after three days " vise?
Julia Agnes, wifo of Colonel Richard Howl
aged 28.

sys,
London: Printed and Published by WILLIAM AN1914-
of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at Trek ‘"
SUN 011ief,o.
u Y
112, Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the "
of AUMUCNV,24—WcductirlAyi DeoluPor I°3'