The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-09 00:00:00

CRIMINAL COURT.-(THIS DAY).

OLD COURT.
(Before the Recorder.
John Woolf, 21, a respectable-looking young man,
pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with ob-
taining a gold watch by falsely pretending that he was the
Earl of Dalkeith.
Mr. Ballantine urged on behalf of the prisoner that he
was very respectably connected, and up to the time of the
transaction in question there had not been the slightest
imputation upon his character.
The Recorder sentenced the prisoner to be kept to hard
labour for six months.
Moses Moses, 45, pleaded guilty to thirteen indictments,
charging him with receiving stolen property.
It will be recollected that this prisoner carried on busi-
ness as a general dealer in Houndsditch ; but, on the pre-
mises being searched by the police, there appeared to be
no doubt that he was engaged in a wholesale system of
receiving stolen property, the produce of various robberies
being found upon the premises.
Mr. Ballantine, who with Mr. Parry appeared on behalf
of the prisoner, addressed the Court in mitigation of punish-
ment, and said that he believed he should be in a condition
to show that he had not been engaged in these transactions
longer than a few months, and that it was in consequence
of his having hired a portion of some premises which
were occupied by a notorious receiver of stolen pro-
perty, who had since absconded, that he had been led into
the commission of the offences. The learned counsel also
stated that it was a very erroneous impression that had
gone abroad, that the prisoner was a rich man, for, on the
contrary, he was in a destitute condition, and his wife
and family were left without any means of support. He
might also remind the court that a great deal of property
had been removed, and he believed that since the prisoner
had been in custody he had given some information to the
police which was likely to be of service to the public in-
terest.
Two witnesses were called, who spoke to the character
of the prisoner.
Thornton, the detective officer, informed the Court that
he had reason to believe that the prisoner was engaged in
transactions of this character as long back as 14 years ago,
and he had apprehended him at that period with a quantity
of stolen property in his possession.
The Recorder, on passing sentence, remarked upon the
very serious and mischievous character of the offence im-
puted to the prisoner, and he said that it was one which
in every instance incurred severe punishment. The pre-
sent case was one of a most aggravated character, and he
did not see that anything that had been stated in his be-
half ought to have any weight upon the court so far as re-
garded a mitigation of punishment. He felt that he should
fail in his duty to the public on the present occasion if he
did not mark his sense of the enormity of the crime ; and
the sentence, therefore, he felt called upon to pronounce
was that he be transported for 14 years.
The whole of the property that was identified was
ordered to be delivered up to the owners.

NEW COURT.
Russell Gurney, Esq., Q.C., sat in this court during the
morning, trying prisoners for passing base coin. There
are twenty prisoners committed for trial for this class of
offence, and all the offences are of the usual character, the
coin in circulation being chiefly half-crowns, shillings, and
sixpences.

THE NEW SOCIETY OF PAINTERS IN WATER CO.
.CaptH. Diseßßoyoasi
LOURS.--His Royal Highness Prince Albert, attended
yesterday. H
on
onetihisßsiodcdiuetlyphwitahnda
visit
et
Highness was pleased to express his great satisfaction
at the steady progress of this society.
ROIJEN.—The letters from Rouen state that the
by
honoured Col
market for manufactures was inactive, but that some
revival was anticipated, owing to the approaching fair
at Beaucaire.
THE PROPOSED 2,000,000/. OF EXCHEQUER-BONDS.
It was understood that at the hour for closing the sub-
scription lists at the Bank of England for the proposed
2,000,0001. of Exchequer-bonds at 98i, the full amount
had not been quite made up. There was considerable
ease in the money market yesterday, but the discount
houses offer 41 per cent, for deposits for fixed periods.
OPORTO.---Advices from Oporto again bring bad ac-
counts of the vine disease, which last year did not mani-
fest itself till July. Specimens of the new shoots had
been received, it is said, from every part of the wine
country, confirming the signs of its progress.
STAR CLUB.—The members of this Club have resolved
to invite his Excellency the Count Walewsky, the French
Minister, to an entertainment during the month of June.
The meeting will be made special to enable the mem-
bers to invite as large a number of the corps diplo-
matique, members of Parliament, and gentlemen con-
nected with the elty'pt London, and the provincial
towns as possible • thus to give effect to the sympathy
and satisfaction felt at the union between France and
England, so worthily supported by his Excellency.