The Sun.
London, England, 1853-09-17 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HOUSE.—SINGULAR FRAUD UPON THE
BANK OF ENGLAND.—SamueI Ellin was brought up in
the custody of Webb, the detective officer, upon the
charge of having uttered a forged indorsement to a
. Bank post-bill for 301., with intent to defraud. Alder-
man Humphrey presided.
Mr. Denton, from the offices of Messrs. Freshfield,
solicitors to the Bank of England, appeared for the pro-
secution ; Mr. Wontner for the defence.
The case being one of a very unusual character, the
justice room was crowded during the investigation. The
following is the additional evidence.
Mr. Samuel Leigh, cashier in the Bank of England,
said : I recollect the application made by Mr. Hall, of
the firm of Hall and Son, shipbrokers, for a Bank post-
bill for 30g., dated 25th of August. It is the practice
of the bank, upon the application of a Bank post-bill,
for a clerk in the Post Bill office to fill up the form and
hand it to me or one of the other cashiers for signature,
and when it is in a fit state it is given to the applicant.
On the 25th of August Mr. Hall applied for the bill.
The bill produced is, I have no doubt, that which I
signed for him. It is the practice to call out the names
of the party when all is complete, if any one is waiting.
If there is no one waiting, we lay down the bill with a
lead upon it, till it is required. I gave out this bill to
some person shortly after it was completed. I do not
know to whom. The transaction is an ordinary one.
The bill was correctly applied for. We ask to whom
the bill is payable, and who paid in the money, and
these questions being satisfactorily answered, we hand
over the bill. I have no doubt the person who got the
bill said, " Hall and Son." This took place at an early
hour in the morning. I recollect Mr. Hall coming
afterwards and claiming the bill. I told him it was
already given out, and a second bill was made out and
given to him, upon the corner of which I wrote "second
bill," Some years have passed since an occurrence of
the kind took place.
Mr. Charles Cockburn, clothier, of Chatham, said—
on the 30th of August the prisoner came to my shop
between seven and eight in the evening, and asked me
if I sold clothes suitable for mourning. I said I did.
He then asked me, if he made a purchase, whether I
would take a Bank post-bill for the amount ? I told him
I would. He then selected some goods, and there was
a difficulty about a coat fitting, and I wanted him to
wait till next morning, but he was determined to have
one, and said he could not wait, as he had to attend a
funeral. In the course of my serving, he said he came
from Canterbury. I was not quite satisfied with him,
but could get no further information respecting him.
He then produced the Bank post-bill, and I asked him
to indorse it. The indorsement of " Hall and Son"
was on the bill when he produced it, and I then saw
him write "George Thompson" on the bill. In making
the flourish the pen stuck in the paper, and he lifted it
up and completed it. He did not seem flurried. When
I saw the amount of the Bank post-bill I felt more afraid
to take it. I had more doubt. The amount of my bill
was only Si. 55., and I stated to him that I had not suf-
ficient change in the house and I must send out for
change. I did so, and it was returned, and I told him
so, but if he would wait till the morning I would get it
changed at the banker's. He said then that he would
come at nine o'clock in the morning, but he did not
come again. I was informed subsequently of his ap-
prehension by an officer, who said he hart been told
about the matter by one of two women who lived with
the prisoner.
Charles Hardricks, a person in the employment of
Messrs. Moses, Oxford-street, and Aldgate, outfitters,
said—on the 31st August, I saw the prisoner at my
employer's shop in Oxford-street. I was applied to by
Mr. Lewis, a fellow-shopman, to change the Bank post-
bill produced by the prisoner. I proposed to the pri-
soner to send out the bill and get chancre. He said that
he would rather decline, as I proposed to send it to our
house in the City. He said he could get it changed close
at band, and I said I would sent a party with him to re-
ceive the amount, and he then stated that he would come
in again in about an hour. Hp said he was going to
leave by the 7 o'clock train that evening. I asked him
to endorse the bill, which he did without hesitation, in
this way—" George Thompson, Guildford, Surrey," and
I put the date and my initials to it. lie then went to
another part of the shop to select a hat, and I kept pos-
session of the Bank post-bill. The handbill produced,
describing the prisoner, was then shown to me by Mr.
Lewis, and I sent Mr. Lewis into the City with the bill
and the handbill. The prisoner, upon returning from
the hat shop, asked for the bill and the change. I told
him I had sent the Bank post-bill into the City, as I did
not wish to take the responsibility on myself without the
direction of Mr. Moses. He said, "You cannot be too
careful ;" and inquired how long the young man would
be before he returned ? I said he would be back in half-
an-hour. He then said he had to make a call, and he
would return in ten minutes, and he went away, but
never returned ; and I did not see him again till he was
in custody,

Thomas D. Erser, of 13, Church-street, Soho, lapidary,
said—l am the landlord of the house in which the prisonr
has been lodging for the last nine or ten months. He
became much indebted to me, and I was constantly ap-•
plying to him for the amount. There were two women
with him, who, he said, were his wife and daughter. He
passed under the name of Samuel Ellin. He left the
house on Saturday, the 20th of August. A child was
brought into the place, and spoken of as his child by his
wife, but I understand it is his by the younger woman,
who passed as his daughter, and who is the daughter of
the older female. I have seen the prisoner write. To
the best of my belief the indorsement, " Hall and Son,"
and the signature " George Thompson," are in his hand.
writing.

Mr. Wontner declined to ask the witnesses any questions.
The prisoner, upon being asked whether he wished to
say anything, stated that he would reserve his defence
fur the day of his trial.---He was then committed for trial.

WORSHIP-STREET. —J ohn, Welsh, an Irishman,
was charged with being concerned in working a private
still at No. 1, Victoria-place, Bethnal-green.
James Faith, a revenue officer, said he went to the
house yesterday morning, and having effected an en-
trance through a window, found in an upper room a still
at work, and in the place a large quantity of molasses
wash, with all the requisites for distillation. The only
person in the house was the prisoner, whom he found in
a cupboard in a lower room, and his bands and clothes
were impregneted with the wash, emitting such a smell
that he was readily led to his place of concealment.
The prisoner asserted that he had nothing to do with
the still, but another man, he said, had asked him to
mind the place, and when the officer came he was fright-
enedjand hid himself in the cupboard.
Mr. Tyrwhitt sentenced him to pay the usual 301.
penalty, and in default committed him to three months'
hard labour in the House of Correction.

CLERKEN WELL. —THE LATE CHARGE AGAINST A
ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST. —Mrs. Jemima Dowries, who
made the charge against Pierre Paulzenntti, the Italian
Roman Catholic priest, applied to Mr. Broughton, who
sat for Mr. Corrie, for advice and protection under the
following circumstances :

Applicant, whose head was bound up with adhesive
plaster, and who exhibited other severe injuries, made
the following statement :—Prior and subsequently to
the examination of the party who was charged with hav-
ing indecently exposed his person, she had been threat-
ened with violence to such a degree, that she went in
danger of her life. On the day before the final exami-
nation of the prisoner a gentleman, an Italian, called
at her residence, and offered her a sum of money not to
appear to give her evidence against him (the priest),
saying that if she dared to appear, not only the Italians,
but also the Irish would be down upon her, and have
her life for prosecuting their priest. She declined re-
ceiving his money or having anything to do with him,
when he told her to beware. She appeared and gave
her evidence, and the prisoner was discharged. She
beard no more of the matter until Monday night last,
when she went out on an errand, and as the was return-
ing home a stout Irishwoman rushed upon her, and
made an attack with great violence, striking her on the
temple with some instrument or stone, which inflicted a
deep and severe wound. She was immediately sur-
rounded by several other low Irish, who ill-used her.
She received a dreadful injury on the arm in endeavour-
jing to defend herself, and her peson was otherwise in-
ured. She at length made her escape from them, and
ran away bleeding, and the party made off. She pro-
cured medical assistance,
Mr. Broughton askedif ' and her wounds were dressed.
she could identify any of the
persons who atta,eked her, and why she did not apply
there before ?—Applin'her,hat she could identify
the woman who first attacked
had but she did not know
her name or address. She
who informed her that she must haveapplied to the police,
party who assaulted her, or
she could
the name of the
Id not take out a
warrant. This was the cause of the delay.
Mr. Broughton suggested that
i ht
into the custody of the police for such an Ltragive her
Mrs. Downes said she went about in fear that life
would be taken, and she was obliged to be very cautious,
Mr. Broughton suggested that shete should exert her
best efforts to get the name of the woman
who first
assaulted her, and a warrant would be granted for her
apprehension, and she would be properly punished. The
police would afford her every assistance in their power.
Mrs. d the worthy magistrate; and lei
Mrs. Downes thane t
the court to pursue the magistrate 's directions.

HAMMERSMITH.— ROBBERY BY A FOOTMAN.—
James Hands, footman, in the service of Dr. Paris, of
No. 27, Dover-street, Piccadilly, was brought up on
remand before Mr. Paynter, charged with stealing a
leather telescope, and 1/. 15s. 6d. in gold and silver,
from the residence of Sir James South, the astronomer
royal, of the Observatory, Camden-hill, Kensington.
There was a second charge against the prisoner of
stealing three gold mourning rings, the property of
Dr. Paris.
Sir James South deposed that on the 21st ult. he had
been using a telescope in his garden, adjoining his resi-
dence, and upon his friend, Dr. Paris, coming to see
him, he placed it upon one of the seats in the grounds,
and left it there. He remembered seeing the prisoner,
came with his master's carriage, loitering and prowling
about the grounds, near the place where he had left the
telescope, but at that time he had no suspicion of his
dishonesty. Dr. Paris stayed to dinner, and soon after-
wards the prisoner left with the carriage. On the Tues-
day following witness had occasion to use the telescope,
but upon looking
forcould not be found it
he was unable to find it, and it
anywhere although a strict search was
made for it. Witness suspected the prisoner, and subse-
quently saw Dr. Paris it was arranged that Dr. Paris
should visit him on Sunda 11th instant, and that the
the
of Witness ac-
prisoner should accom
cordingly marked a parry the
.b he placed in a purse
4,/. 2s. 3d. in gold and linyer I,Xcroney amounting to
side of a hat.
and laid it on a table in the' hall
`b
after he had left
The prisoner came with his inasputerrs
the house witness went to the
and discovered that ,