The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-10 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE-(THIS DAY.)

COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH.

;Sittings at Nisi Prius at Westminster, before Lord

Campbell.)

THE QUEEN V. ORCHARD AND COL-THE JUDGMENT OF

TIM COURT.

On Tuesday last, the defendants, William Henry
Orchard and George Cox, were found guilty on an in.
dictment charging them with having conspired together
to defraud a person named RackstraW, and also to de-
ceive and defraud the Court of Common Pleas, and the
Master thereof; but, on the application of their counsel,
the passing of sentence upon them was postponed until
this morning.
Some affidavits in mitigation of punishment having
been put in and read, Lord Campbell directed that the
defendants should be " called ;" but the criers of the
court, after resounding their names throughout the pas-
sages and hall, informed his lordship that they were not
in attendance.

Lord Campbell said he had now to discharge

the painful task that devolved upon him, namely,
the pronouncing of judgment on the two defendants
who had been convicted of conspiracy to defraud. They
both belonged to an honourable profession, and might
have reputably maintained themselves and their families,
had they been so disposed ; but the judgment which was
about to be pronounced would not only disgrace them,
but materially interfere with their progress in life. They
were indicted for conspiracy to defraud the defendant in
an action in which Orchard acted as the plaintiff's attor-
ney, and in which Cox assisted as Orchard's clerk ; and
the specific charge against them consisted in pretending
that they had paid to certain witnesses for their attend-
ance sums of money which they had never paid, and
which they intended to appropriate to their own uses.
That accusation was brought home to them by
the clearest possible evidence ; it was shown that
the means by which they carried their object into effect
were perjury and fraud. The affidavit stating that the
sums in question had been paid to the witnesses was
sworn to by Cox and Orchard, who well knew at the
time that the allegations it contained were entirely false.
The one, therefore, was guilty of perjury, and the other
of subornation of peijury. In some instances they suc-
ceeded in cheating witnesses of the whole of the allow-
ance made to them by the master, and in others they
pretended that the allowance of the master was smaller
than it actually was, and it appeared that it was their

intention to divide the money thus improperly obtained
among themselves. A case involving such a complica-
tion of perjury and fraud was seldom, if ever, seen in a
court of justice, and he was shocked to observe the reck-
lessness with hich the defendants had proceeded, for
it would almost seem, from their conduct, that they
were wholly unconscious of doing what was wrong.
The sentence of the Court for these offences was, that
Orchard be imprisoned in her Majesty's gaol of Newgate
for the term of six calendar months, and that Cox who
was a younger man, and only an articled clerk, be im-
prisoned in the same gaol for three calendar months.
He trusted that the punishment thus inflicted would
operate as a warning to others not to engage in similar
disgraceful proceedings.

SURREY SESSIONS.-(THIS DAY.)

TOO FOND OF MUSIC.

---
James Phillips, 34, was indicted for stealing a con-
certina, value 21., the property of Thomas Fisher, musi-
cal instrument manufacturer, Great Charlotte-street,
Blackfriars-road.

Prosecutor stated that, on Friday morning last, a little
before nine o'clock, he took down his shutters, and
shortly afterwards entered the back room to partake of
breakfast. While there, he heard a shuffling noise inside
the shop, when he looked round, and perceived the pri-
soner close to the window, and about to leave the shop.
Witness instantly rushed out of the room, and seized
hold of him, when he found under his coat a concertina,
which was, a minute or so previous, safe in the window.
The prisoner endeavoured to get away from him, but a
constable came up and secured him.
The jury found him guilty, and the Court sentenced
him to six months' hard labour at Wandsworth House
of Correction.