The Sun.
London, England, 1853-07-05 00:00:00

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.

(THIS D A.r)

OLD COURT.
(Before the Recorder.)
Thomas Cornell, 27, baker, was indicted for stealing a
horse and chaise, value 201., the property of Richard
Skelton.
It appeared that the prosecutor, who is a veterinary
surgeon, on the 25th of June last was driving a pony
chaise, and that he fastened up the horse near a gentle-
man's house at Forest-gate, and left it for about a quarter
of an hour, and on his return he found that both the animal
and vehicle had disappeared. He gave information of
his loss to the police, and a short time afterwards the
prisoner was overtaken on the Leystone-road with the
pony and chaise, driving at a furious rate, and he was
taken into custody.
The prisoner was undefended.
Mr. M`Murdo, the surgeon of the prison, said he had
attended the accused since his admission, and he thought
he was a man of flighty disposition, and in an unsettled
state of mind, but he considered he was capable of dis-
tinguishing between right and wrong.
The prisoner, on being called on for his defence, said
on the morning in question he had just come out of
gaol, and he took a walk in the forest, and seeing the
unhteil took fancy fsatnucpypetdo
.blyt, a apnndli
cheamdaan raindde
The Recorder having summed up,
The Jury acquitted the prisoner.
palongony
conveyedat nh de
tre (3°l aapdi prison.
o n .
BETTING-HOUSES.

William Woodward, 31, clerk, withdrew his former
plea of not guilty, and pleaded guilty to stealing a bank
note value 1001., and other property, belonging to Robert
Bell and others, his masters.

Mr. Ballantine said it was by his advice that the
prisoner had retracted his former plea. He was a young
man who had been in the service of the National Pro-
vincial Banking Company (who were now obliged, un-
willingly, to prosecute him) for six or seven years,
during which time he had conducted himself irreproach-
ably, and his honesty had remained entirely unim-
peached until the occurrence which formed the subject
of the present indictment. Previously to entering the
bank he had been in the employ of the Parcels Delivery
Company for nine or ten years, and though he held an
office of considerable trust, there was a persmi from that
company present who would state that he did not
know a better or more honest servant. He had unfor-
tunately got among that gang of robbers and swindlers
who were allowed to infest the metropolis and keep what
were called betting-offices. He was led on step by step
to commit the crime to which he had just pleaded guilty;
and it appeared that on the day before he committed it
he pawned his hat or his handkerchief in order to raise
a shilling, the whole of the money he had purloined be-
ing
swallowed up by the people to whom he alluded.
He was sure his lordship must feel the lamentable con-
sequences which ensued from such establishments, for,
encouraged to the extent they were, they opened the
door of ruin to persons in the situation of the prisoner. He
hoped an end would some time or other be put to this
growing evil, for he could state that one or two out of
every three cases of robbery in which he was engaged,
were to be attributed to the temptation held out by bet-
ting-offices, and those who became their victims were
generally persons of respectability.
Mr. Bodkin, who appeared on behalf of the company,
said the directors had found that they could not, con-
sistent with their duty, avoid instituting this prosecution;
but he was instructed by them to say, that they had no
reason to believe that the prisoner had ever committed
himself in a similar way until he became connected with
those dens of infamy, for he could call them nothing else,
which existed in different parts of the metropolis. He
would only say, that when suspicion attached to the
prisoner, an officer was appointed to watch him, in order
to see whether there was anything in his conduct to jus-
tify that suspicion, and he was traced, on an evening
shortly after the commission of the offence, to no fewer
than four betting-offices. It was impossible to repre-
sent too strongly to the public authorities the mischief
which such places created, for there were great numbers
of young men whose ruin could be clearly traced to them.
It was right he should state that the 1001. which the
prisoner was charged with stealing, was taken out of a
remittance to the bank of 2001. It was the duty of the
prisoner to open the enclosure, and he contrived to ab-
stract from it notes to the amount of 1001. At first, it
was considered to be a mistake on the part of the ma-
nagers of a branch bank, but on inquiry it was found
that the money had been purloined. Suspicion then fell
on the employs in the post-office, but they were now
completely exonerated by the confession of the prisoner.
The Recorder—Did the prisoner make any false entry ?
Mr. Bodkin replied in the negative.
The Recorder said it was impossible for any person
having experiencein that court not to concur in all the
observations made by the learned counsel, with respect
to the system of betting-houses. He believed that the
attention of those whose duty it was to watch over the
morals and good of the people was directed to the sub-
ject ; and every one who knew anything about it were
aware of the extreme difficulty of devising a remedy
which would be really effective ; and their anxiety was
not to take any false step, but still he hoped some mea-
sure would soon be passed to check the evil.
Mr. W. C. Scott, manager of the Parcels Delivery
Company, gave the prisoner an excellent character, and
intimated that it was through one of the directors of
that company, who expressed a high opinion of his
honesty, that he obtained a situation in the bank.

The Recorder said he would defer passing sentence.
The prisoner was, then removed.

NEW COURT.
(Before the Common Sergeant.)
Ann Howard, a shabby genteel-looking young woman,
was indicted for passing base coin.
Mr Bodkin and Mr. Poland prosecuted.
It was proved that, on the night of the 11th of June,
the prisoner went into the shop of a milliner in the
Northern-road, at Shepherd's Bush, and in payment for
some triflng things she had bought tendered a bad crown-
piece. The prosecutrix, a Mrs. Ayshford, not having
change, sent her cousin nver to a neighbour for it, and
she brought back the crown-piece, and said it was a bad
one. She then, it appeared, tried to pass the same bad
coin at another tradesman's in the neighbourhood ; and
later in the evening, she tendered a bad half-sovereign,
which being detected, she was given in custody, when
she gave an address at a place that did not exist.
The prisoner, whose manners and language bespoke
her being far above the usual class of persons who ap-
pear here charged with this class of offence, said that
she had received the money in payment for some needle-
work which she had done for a lady who had gone
abroad.

The jury found her guilty.
Not being known as a previous offender, she was sen-
tenced to six months' imprisonment and hard labour.
George Hetherington, whose case appeared in our im-
pression of yesterday, was, after a long investigation,
found guilty, and sentenced to 12 months' imprison-
ment and hard labour.

BANKRUPTCY COURT.-(THIS DAY.)

IN la ASHTON AND SPRIGGS.

The only case before the court this morning was a
dividend meeting under the private estate of the bank-
rupt Spriggs, who, it will be remembered, absconded
with a very large sum of money, &c., and was appre-
hended at Melbourne, Australia, and the property se-
cured. The bankrupt was brought over to England and
now lies in Newgate for trial for absconding.
The business before the court was pro forma, and the
amount of the dividend will be declared in a few days.
A larger dividend will, in consequence of the appre-
hension of Spriggs and the recovery of the property, be
payable to the creditors of the joint estate.

THE THAMES EMBANKMENT.—Yesterday this commit-
tee, consisting of flight Hon. Sir W. Molesworth (chair.
man), Mr. Hayter, Mr. Williams, and other members,
met and passed the preamble of a bill to give to her
Majesty's Commissioners of Public Works and Buildings
extended time and further powers for completing the
embankment of the Thames between Vauxhall and Bat-
tersea-bridges, and a new street from Lower Sloane-
street in connection therewith. The extended time is
four years from the passing of the act, and from the
statements of Mr. Page, engineer to the commissioners,
it appears that of the total embankment of nearly
two miles to be constructed between Battersea and
Vauxhall-bridges, more than half a mile is already
formed from Vauxhall-bridge to 400 feet above the
Belgrave-dock, and that on the passing of the act,, the
remainder will be actively prosecuted. The new street
is to be carried out in connection with the Chelsea
suspension-bridge, now constructing, the works in con-
nection with the foundations and abutments of which
have been resumed, and the suspension chains and
towers for which are in a forward state. The height of
the embankment is to be continuously four feet above
Trinity datum, and 70 feet wide in the roadway. Its
general character will consist of brick wall, with granite
coping. and its estimated cost is 100,0001. ; and it is
understood to be ultimately the intention of the Com-
missioners of Works to extend the embankment as far
below bridge as the London Docks, and to have a similar
embankment on the Surrey side, which will tend to
render the width of the river uniform and prevent the
formation of shoals ; with the further object in view—
provision being made for the wharfs and river traffic—of
furnishing a continuous river promenade, of which the
portion in front of the new houses of Parliament will
eventually form part.
PLYMOUTH, MONDAY EVENING.—The Margaret
Evans, Pratt master, 23 days from New York, passed
up channel this afternoon with nearly ninety passen-
gers, among whom is the Hon. George Vail, member of
Congress ; she landed a small mail here. The Elizabeth
Buckingham, J. Bewlay master, from Port Philip, 26th
of February, was spoken with in the channel this after-
noon, and landed here in the Perseverance pilot boat a
small box of letters from Geelong. She had three pas-
sengers, and was worked home by a crew of gold dig-
gers at 451. for the run home. The Sarah Annie, of
London, from Launceston, Australia, 118 days out, was
spoken with in the channel on the Ist of July ; she had
a mail, but refused to give it to the master of a pilot
boat here. The Marlborough was to leave the day after
the Elizabeth Buckingham.
THE WAGES MOVEMENT.—Last night a public meet-
ing of journeymen bricklayers took place at the National
Hall, Holborn, to consider their position with regard to
the wages movement, and to take steps to secure au ad-
vance of wages in their branch of the building trade.
Mr..W. Fisk occupied the chair, and introduced the
objects of the meeting, justifying a demand for increased
wages upon the ground of the great advance which has
lately taken place in the price of provisions. A resolu-
tion was unanimously carried, claiming an advance of
6d. per day upon this ground, and a deputation was ap-
pointed to confer with the masters upon the subject.