The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-06 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HOUSE.—A young man who refused to
mention his name, but who was stated to be the son of
a Mr. Woolf, an inhabitant of Leadenhall-street, was
brought before Sir R. W. Carden, charged with having
obtained a watch, &c., value 611.. upon the false pre-
tence that he was the Earl of Dalkeith, son of the Duke
of Buccleuch.

Mr. Henry Newton, foreman and manager of the
business of Mr. Dent, watch and chronometer-maker of
the Royal Exchange, No. 34, said—ln the early part
of last week the prisoner came to the shop and in-
quired what would be the probable cost of a lady's
watch with arms and crest enamelled on the back
with an earl's coronet set in diamonds. I told him I
could not give him that without first knowing the arms
and the quantity of work, and he gave me the name
of the Duke of Buccleuch. I asked him whether he
was the Duke of Buccleuch. He said no, but he was
the son of the Duke of Buccleuch, the Earl of Dalkeith.
1 then told him I would prepare a draught of what he
required, and which would be ready in three or four
days. He assented. I then asked to give me his ad-
dress, and he accordingly wrote in my address-book,
" The Earl of Dalkeith, Mivart's Hotel, London, and
East Park, near Edinburgh. I wrote " the Duke of
Buccleuch" under the name he bad written down. He
stated at the time that he was not then staying at Mi-
vart's, but at some nobleman's residence at the West-
end, and he then left the shop. He came again on the
31st of Mrch, and asked whether Mr. Dent was there,
or to be seen in the Strand. He said he wanted a watch
for his own wear, and Mr. Dent would best know the
watch suited to his use. I told him I had every kind
of watch, and I showed him three or four, one of which
he selected, and a guard chain. As the watch required
something to be done to it, he went away, and called in
about an hour, when, in the belief that he was the Earl
of Dalkeith, I delivered to him the watch and chain.

In answer to a question from Sir R. W. Carden, the
witness said he had not all this time uttered a word
about the payment of money for the goods sold.
The witness, in continuation, said,—The prisoner
called again on Saturday, and asked whether the draw-
ing had been made. On Monday he called in the fore-
noon and handed in a list of things—viz., diamonds,
studs, ring, and gold pencil-cases, wnich he said he
should require. Yesterday morning (Tuesday) he called
again, and I told him the drawing would be ready be-
tween two and three o'clock. He said he had an en-
gagement at the East India-house at 12, and he would
return as early as convenient. He returned accord-
ingly, and I presented to him this drawing (the arms
of the Duke of Buccleuch with the earl's coronet), and
asked him whether it was right. I think the expression
used by him was " Very nice ;" and he asked me whe-
ther I would allow him to take the drawing with him to
show to his ]ady. I then gave him a letter which I had
received, and asked him whether he knew the hand-
writing. (It was a letter from the Earl of Dalkeith to
the Hon. Mr. Talbot.) He said "No," and that the
signature was not his, I said "Then you are not the
Earl of Dalkeith." I then told him that I had received
the letter from the secretary to the Carlton Club, who
had received it in my presence from the Hon. Mr. 'Talbot.
I told him that I could not part with him, and I must
take him to Montagu-house. He asked me whether it
would not do to take him to some house in the city to
have him identified, and I went with him to the count-
ing-house of a wine merchant in Mark-lane, where he
was recognized, but not as the Earl of Dalkeith. The
person to whom he took me, asked me if I had the goods
back what more would I require, to which I replied
that that would not be sufficient.
Sir R. W. Carden—Had you and the prisoner any con-
verhation on this subject on your way to Mark-lane ?
Witness—He told me, as we went along, that he was
not the Earl of Dalkeith, and he asked me, if the per-
son in .Mark-lane said be was not the Earl of Dalkeith,
what then ? to which 1 answered, that he had got the
property by personating that nobleman, and that he
must take the consequences. Soon afterwards he and
I left Mark-lane, and went in a cab to Montagu.
house, but the Earl of Dalkeith was not at home.
We then went to the Carlton Club, but, not finding
him there, I gave the prisoner into custody.
Sir R. W. Carden—Did you get back the property ?
Witness—After he read the letter of the Earl of Dal-
keith the prisoner returned me the watch, and would
have paid for the chain if he had had money enough.
The price of the chain was 13/. ] Os. I parted with the
watch and chain, believing that he was the Earl of
Dalkeith, and I would not have parted with it if I had
not believed his representation to that effect, and I had
not made a drawing, at his request, of the Duke of
Buccleueh's arms. I have seen the chain since at the
house of Mr. Russell, a pawnbroker.
A servant of Mr. Russell, of Fore-street, Cripplegate,
proved that the gold chain had been pawned by the pri"

soner at that shop for 51. 10s., in the name of James
Johnson.

The officer who apprehended the prisoner said he had
reason to believe that there were several charges of a
similar kind against the prisoner from tradesmen at the
west-end, who had shown much credulity in their trans-
actions with him.

Sir R. W. Carden—l shall remand this case unt
Saturday next, when I dare say there will be a full al
tendance of tradesmen here.

GUILDHALL.—Georyg Garrett, a carman in the
employ of Messrs. Clark and Honeysett, 106, Fetter-
lane, was charged with the following systematic fraud :
John Honeysett said he sent the prisoner to Messrs.
Neale's wharf for two tons of the best coals, and gave
him the money to pay for them, but he brought home
only seconds, for which he charged prosecutor 4/. 8s ,
when in fact he paid only 4/. ls. at the wharf. This was
about the 24th of January, on which day another order
for two tons of coals was charged for by the prisoner in
the same way, the bills and receipts in each instance
being made out to verify the charge.
Alderman Finnis asked if he understood the prosecu-
tor to say the wharf people supplied second coals and
gave a receipt for the price of the best, when only the
seconds price was paid ?
Prosecutor said such was the fact.

James Jordan, in the employ of Messrs. Neale, of Old
Jamaica wharf, said it was customary in the trade to do
so, and it was done by Dickins, at the adjoining wharf.
Alderman Finnis said it looked very like a conspiracy
to defraud the prosecutor, and the coal-merchant was
liable to be indicted with the prisoner for a conspiracy.
James Jordan said, the prisoner represented that the
prosecutor was cut down to a price, so they (Messrs.
Neale) put a few shillings on the price to enable the
prosecutor to sell at the price he was bound by.
Alderman Finnis said, the prisoner had been guilty of
a felony, and the coal merchant had been assisting him
to commit the fraud upon his master.
Prosecutor said, he had been defrauded of two sums
of 7s. each on the same day.
Alderman Farebrother inquired if it was customary to
permit carmen to receive a fee from the coal-merchants
to whom they took their orders.
Prosecutor said, he never allowed his carmen to re-
ceive a fee, if he knew it ; but it frequently occurred
that tradespeople obtained false bills to show their cus-
tomers. Witness dealt with Dickins, but the coals were
so bad he left him to deal with Neale, whose coals were
just as bad. Dickins had also furnished false bills.
Alderman Finnis said the prosecutor was doing a great
service to the public in bringing this case forward, as
there was no knowing the extent the system might
be carried to. It was sof the greatest public importance
that the matter should be thoroughly investigated. (To
Jordan)—ls Mr. Neale aware of this system ?
James Jordan said he was.
Alderman Farebrother remarked that Mr. Neale's
signature appeared on both of the receipts produced, and
wished to know if Mr. Neale was in the habit of leaving
receipts signed in blank to be filled up as required.
James Jordan said Mr. Neale was in the office and
received the cash, and signed the receipt at the time the
money was paid in to him.

. .
Alderman Farebrother asked Jordan if he gave only
4/. ls., and if Mr. Neale gave him a receipt for 4/. Bs.
James Jordan said that was all he paid in.
Alderman Finnis said he should adjourn the case and
direct that Mr. Neale and Mr. Dickins be summoned,
for it was highly necessary that the subject should be
inquired into.
The prisoner was then remanded, and summonses is-
sued requiring the attendance of the coal-merchants in
question, and calling upon them to produce their books.

BOW-STREET.—One of the toll-collectors at Water-
loo-bridge, named Eldridge, was summoned before Mr.
Jardine for assaulting Mr. Weymiss Jobson.
The complainant, who described himself as an author,
of 252, Strand, said that he had occasion to pass over
the bridge on the night of the 23d ult., when he tendered
the defendant sixpence, received his change, and pro•
ceeded through the gate. He had only got a few paces,
when the toll-man called him back, and declared that
the sixpence was a bad one. Witness replied that
this trick would not do for him, he knew them
too well, adding that he could swear the one he
tendered was a good one, and that he (defendant) had
changed it. The man then gave him a push, and called
a policeman, and this was the assault complained of.
Mr. Jobson went on to say, that to his knowledge the
same kind of trick was being practised to a large extent
every night, and that foreigners especially were re-
peatedly defrauded by it. He had no doubt that the
toll-collector took him for a foreigner, as he wore a beard
and moustache. He had since made complaints at the
Bridge-office, and, not being able to get any redress, he
resolved on taking out a summons against the defendant
on public grounds.
The defendant said that the bad sixpence was the one
given to him by complainant, for he had never put it
away. He called two witnesses, who swore that they
saw Mr. Jobson lay the sixpence down, and that El-
dridge, after giving the change, tried it, and found it
was a bad one.

A gentleman from the Bridge-office deposed that the
defendant Eldridge had been 11 years in the service of
the company, and was a strictly honest, sober, and well-
conducted man. With regard to the statement of Mr.
Jobson that a great cumber of foreigners had been de-
frauded in the way suggested, and that complaints upon
the subject were numerous, he begged to say that the
assertion was untrue, and that no complaint of the kind
had ever been made. Mr. Jobson called at the office
and left his address, "252, Strand," but it had been as-
certained that the gentleman did not reside there, al-
though letters were left there for him, it being a public
billiard-room. In a letter sent to the office Mr. Jobson
demanded that a sum of Si. should be paid to some
charitable institution, or else he should proceed against
the toll-collector. This proposal, however, was de-
clined, as the employees of Eldridge had every confidence
in his integrity.

Mr. Jardine could not believe that the complaints
alluded to by Mr. Jobson, were so numerous as had
been represented, for, if anything like a system of fraud
was being nightly carried on at the bridge, it was cer-
tain that the magistrates would have heard something
about it. On the contrary, he believed the servants
employed at the toll-gates Were very well-behaved men.
Although Mr. Jobson and Eldridge were equally cer-
tain, apparently, in their views of the matter, he (Mr.
Jardine) was of opinion that the sixpence had not been
changed, and as no violence had been used he would
dismiss the summons.

The complainant subsequently returned with a book,
to show the magistrate who he really was, and exhibited
the titlepage, but his worship declined to look at it.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.—James Robert Ye-
men was charged with having stolen upwards of 2,000
ounces of silver from his employer, Mr. Hancock,
jeweller and silversmith, New Bond-street.
George Sharp, clerk to Mr. Hancock, said his em-
ployer had a manufactory for silver goods in Little
Bruton-street ; the prisoner had held the situation of
foreman ever since 1850. The prisoner, when he wanted
silver for the manufactory, applied to witness for a check
on the refiner, and on receiving the silver it would be
his duty to take it to some melter employed by the house,
but he would not be authorised to take the silver to any
other melter. On the 18th of March last witness pro-
ceeded to take stock of the silver, assisted by the pri-
soner, when it turned out that there was a deficiency of
2,000 ounces. The prisoner volunteered to make out
an account of the silver he had received, and the man-
ner in which he had made use of it. The prisoner made
out the account, dating it the year 1353. The se-
cond item consisted of 200 ounces, delivered to him in
January, of which he could give no account. The pri-
soner could only account for 150 ounces out of 200
ounces delivered to him in March. There were other
items in this account in the same situation, and the total
of the silver unaccounted for was 860 ounces. There
was only a small quantity of silver at the refiner's and
in the hands of the prisoner. No account had been ren-
dered of cuttings and polishings. The prisoner had no
authority to dispose of silver or goods, and he had never
informed witness he had done anything of the kind.
On cross-examination witness said that he knew that
a workman under the prisoner had been brought to that
court, and convicted of stealing 10 ounces of silver on
the evidence of the prisoner. Witness was not aware
that other work men could abstract silver given out to
the prisoner. Messrs. Collins and Co. were not em-
ployed by the house as regular refiners.
William Wood said, he was apprentice to the prisoner.
He had frequently fetched silver for him from Messrs.
Collins and Co. Had frequently received silver and
work from the prisoner to carry out of the manufactory.
On these occasions the prisoner followed him out and got
into a cab, taking away the property he had given to
him. Had taken as much silver and work as 200
ounces at one time out of the manufactory by direction
of the prisoner.
On cross-examination witness said there were about a
dozen workmen under the prisoner, who might have
taken silver in the prisoner's absence.
John Corbett. refiner, said, on one occasion the pri-
soner asked him to give him a memorandum for 200
ounces of silver, and promised to send the silver the next
day. He did not send it until the following year, which
was a period of about three weeks. The prisoner men-
tioned to him he had been guilty of some neglect in not
letting him have the work sooner.

Joii'n Hearn, refiner, No. 11, Jerusalem-passage,
Clerkenwell, had known the prisoner for some years.
Had purchased since 1851, at various times, considera-
ble quantities of cuttings and polishings from the pri-
soner. Had paid the prisoner nearly 401. for this stuff.
The prisoner had frequently brought large lumps of ster-
ling silver to him to be broken into smaller pieces.
Police-serjeant Godfrey, C 5, said when he apprehended
the prisoner he said be knew nothing about the charge.
When shown the memorandum in Mr. Corbett's book,
be said he was afraid it was true. The prisoner also ad-
mitted selling cuttings to Mr. Hearn.
The prisoner reserved his defence, and was fully com-
mitted.

SOUTHWARK.—Robert Gibson, formerly preacher
at Ebenezer-chapel, Bethnal-green, but now the owner
of a chandler shop in Gravel-lane, Southwark, charged
Mr. Samuel Kelly, a printer, of Lambeth-bill, Doctors'-
commons, and four others, with committing a murderous
assault upon him in his own house.
Mr. Binns appeared for the complainant, and Mr.
Beavitt for the defendants.

After some discussion about moving the case to the
Lambeth police•court,
Mr. Binns said he appeared for that honest and ill.
used man, Mr. Gibson. He was a licensed preacher and
a man of education, and was entitled to the protection of
the law. The complainant was a single man, and the de-
fendant, unfortunately, was married and had a wife.
The latter absented herself from her home and fled for
protection under the wings of the complainant.
Mr, Combo—What, you say he is a licensed preacher

' and takes possession of another man's wife. That's very
singular for a man of his cloth.
Mr. Binns said it was for her good. He was there for
justice, and nothing else. A murderous assault had been
committed on his client by the defendants, who lurked
about to take possession of his house and property.
They rushed into his house when Mrs. Kelly was offi-
ciating at the tea table, and the defendant without de-
manding his wife, rushed upon the complainant and
committed the assault complained of. Even if demanded
to quit the house she would not, as she loved Mr. Gib-
son better (laughter). Fifty persons would not take her
away, as she had previously been treated with gross
cruelty.
Robert Gibson said on Wednesday evening I saw
several persons lurking about the front of my shop. I
was sitting in the back parlour. The police were at th•it
time changing for night duty, and all at once defendant
and four others rushed into my shop. The defendant
came first, and wade use of coarse language, calling
me a rogue and a thief, and burst open my parlour
door. The others followed him, and struck in all di-
rections. The defendant then struck me several times
on the breast and face, when Mrs. Kelly rushed in be-
tween us, to protect me, and was knocked down. She
came to my rescue. The defendant did not say anything
about his wife when he struck me. I picked up Mrs. Kelly,
and received another blow from some one elSe, when
I seized up a jug in self protection, and inflicted a
blow upon one of the party's heads. I then believed that
murder was about to be committed by them. I after-
wards took up a poker, but the defendant and his
companions wrenched it from me. I then went into the
shop, and seized up a knife with one hand and some
weights with the other, and told them that if they came
near me I should defend myself to the utmost. A per-
son came in, and shortly afterwards the police ; but I
did not give any of them in charge, because I was afraid
to leave my shop.
Mr. Beavitt—Are you a licensed parson now ? Gib-
son—No, lam not. lam a grocer.
Mr. Beavitt—Did you not, six weeks ago, live with
Mrs. Kelly (the defendant's wife), in the Waterloo-road ?

Mr. Binns—l object to my client answering any such
a question. The charge is for assault.
Mr. Combe—Mr. Beavitt has a right to ask any ques-
tion that might discredit him.
Gibson—l have lived in the Waterloo-road.

Mr. Beavitt—Had you not then property belonging
to the defendant—a pair of window-curtains to your
front window ?

Mr. Binns (to complainant)—Don't answer that ques-
tion.

Gibson—Under the advice of my attorney, I decline
to answer you.

Mr. Bevitt—Had you not one of the defendant's
tables aho near the front window ?

Mr. Binns—Don't answer that question either.
(Laughter.)

Mr. -Beavitt—Have you not in your shop a quantity
of furniture that belongs to Mr. Kelly ?
Gibson—By the advice of my attorney, I decline to
answer that question.

Did you not, in December last, prefer a charge of
assault against the defendant at the Lambeth police-
court ?
Gibson—Yes ; I did.
Mr. Beavitt—Did you not swear that you did not live
with Mrs. Kelly ?
Mr. Binns—Don't answer that.

Mr. Beavitt—Did not Elizabeth Clark, a witness
against you on that occasion, swear that you were living
with Mrs. Kelly ?

Gibson—l decline, by the advice of my solicitor, to
answer that question.

Mr. Beavitt —You remember Dr. Griffith being
examined then, about a miscarriage at your house ?
Gibson—Yes, I do.
Mr. Beavitt—You also remember Emma Robinson
swearing that you then passed as Mr Kelly ?
No answer.

Mr. Beavitt —Was not Samuel Cunningham ex-
amined, and proved you were kicked out of the chapel ?
Gibson--I don't recollect that, but I was not kicked
out of the chapel. I remember Mr. Morgan, Mr. West,
and others being examined ; but that's nothing to do
with the case.

Mr. Beavitt—How long have you been in the
chandler's shop ?
Gibson—About a month. I went from the Waterloo-
road there.

Mr. Beavitt—Had you not a visit from the police
after the defendant's goods ?
Gibson—l don't know anything of the kind. I have
taken none of his goods.
Mr. Beavitt—How many sons came with defendant
to your house on the night you complain of ?
Gibson—Two ; Arthur and Samuel. I have sum-
moned them for assaulting me.
Mr. Beavitt—Did you ask their mother for their
shirts and clothes which she had taken away ?
Gibson—l did not hear any question of the kind.
At this point the case was adjourned.

MARYLEBONE.—John, Kirby was again placed at
the bar, charged with having been concerned in the corn-
mission of robberies to a considerable extent on the
London and North-Western Railway.
The prisoner was fully committed for trial upon three
charges of robbery.