The Sun.
London, England, 1853-01-21 00:00:00

POLIO_

'ENCE.

MANSION-HOUSE.—John Stephenson, alias James
Stewart, with a great variety of other names, supplied
from the list of the Society for the Protection of Trade,
was brought up for re-examination upon charges of
fraud.

Mr. Edwin Petitt, of 145, Upper Thames-street, che-
mist, said—On the 25th of November the prisoner called
upon me, and said he had made a great discovery in the
means of extracting oil, of which he produced what he
called a sample, from London clay. Being a chemist
myself, I asked him some questions as to his mode of
operating, and he then took out a paper and gave it to
me to read. The paper contained what was pretended to
be the process, and. he threatened to shoot me if I di-
vulged it. (Laughter.) When I read it I was just as
wise as I was before. He then took a sample of oil out
of his pocket, and said it had been produced in a pipkin
out of London clay. In answer to his threat, I said he
might depend upon my secrecy, for I knew nothing at
all about it. I told him that if he would bring his pipkin
and produce oil upon his experiment, I would go to the
expense of the apparatus for the working. He pro-
mised to do as I wished, and left me. The moment he
was gone, having some suspicion of him, I sent a clerk
to make inquiry about him. He got no money from
me. Next morning a quantity of expensive goods,
such as air-pumps and medical galvanic batteries, were
brought to me from Messsrs. Thornthwaite and Wood,
of Newgate-street, opticians, together with the invoice
and a stamped receipt. I knew nothing at all about the
things, and did not take them in. I went next day to
the house of Messrs. Thornthwaite and Wood, and
heard from them that they were in the habit of paying
commission. Ido not know whether they had paid any
in my case. Prisoner never returned to 2 me to make
the experiment.
The solicitor for the prisoner submitted that, even if

it were proved that his client had received money under
such circumstances, the case could not come under the
cognisance of a magistrate.
Alderman Wire remarked that there was such an
offence now as an attempt to commit fraud, although the
attempt might be unsuccessful. He thought, too, that
what had been stated very nearly approached that exact
offence ; but, perhaps, a stronger case might appear
amongst the multitude of complaints.
Mr. Henry Dirks, of 32, Mo•rgate-street, patent agent,
said—The prisoner first called upon me twelve months
ago. We had several interviews previously to Novem-
ber. He stated to me that he had made a very extra-
ordinary discovery, and he described himself as an artist,
and in the habit of making chemical experiments, in the
course of which he had extracted oil from London clay.
He wished me to go to the expense of the apparatus for
making experiments. I positively declined the proposi-
tion at several interviews ; but on his producing a sam-
ple of oil in a bottle, and representing that he would
bring his apparatus, I said I would complete the appa-
ratus by paying for a part of what was necessary. Next
day a parcel, wrapped in common brown paper, was
brought to me from Messrs. Thornthwaite and Co.'s, of
Newgate-street. Having promised the prisoner to pay
for what was to be brought upon his order to the amount
of five guineas, I paid that sum for the parcel. It re-
mained closed for three or four days. On the Saturday
following he came and asked whether the things he
had ordered had come ? I said they had, and been
paid for. He said that was fortunate, and we would
now make the experiment. He then affected to be much
distressed at a charge which he said had been made upon
him for the remainder of the apparatus, for which he
declared they had charged him the sum of 2/. 10s.,
which was twice as much as could fairly be demanded ;
and as he had but 1/. ss. about him, he begged me to
to lend him 1/. ss. more to settle the business. I ob-
served that there was a good deal of confusion and hesi-
tation about the prisoner, and I refused to advance him
the money. On the following Monday he sent me a
letter, requesting me to advance that sum, but I refused
to do so.

Alderman Wire—Did you ascertain whether Messrs.
Thornthwaite and Wood paid him commission upon the
articles they had sent in to you ?
Witness—l did. They paid him commission upon the
goods sent to me, but not upon those sent to Mr. Petitt.
They took the apparatus back, at a loss to me of a couple
of guineas.

Cross-examined—There was no written agreement be-
tween us. He merely asked me to take out a patent
for him.

The solicitor to the prisoner—On the Saturday he
called upon you did he not express himself willing' to
make the experiment ?

Witness—:He said so, but he said he wanted the addi
,ional apparatus.

Alderman Wire—He can try it now—we shall afford
him the opportunity. (Laughter.)
The solicitor to the prisoner—Was there not an ar-
rangement between you that you should advance the
money for bringing out the invention ?
Witness—No. He said the apparatus would cost ten
guineas, and that the part he still wanted to complete it
would cost five or six guineas. I consented to pay as
much as five guineas, and I did so.

Alderman Wire (to the solicitor to the prisoner)--
Your client shall have an opportunity of performing
here. Can he produce the oil from the London clay ?
The solicitor to the prisoner—l would rather not
answer that question. (A laugh.)
Witness—l never agreed to go shares in the machi-
nery. I believed the prisoner to be sincere.
The prisoner's solicitor said that he could not see that
there was any case against his client.

Alderman Wire—t see quite enough to justify a re-
mand for a week, when I understand Mr. Thornthwaite
will be able to attend, N and I shall remand the prisoner
for that term.

Mr. Goddard, solicitor to the London Traders Asso-
ciation, said—l attend to watch the case, the prisoner
having been well known to the association in a great
variety of names and swindling transactions during the
last three years.
The prisoner was then remanded for a week.
Tl illiam Hawkins Adams, a clerk in the Post-office,
was charged with having embezzled the amounts of
postage paid on packages delivered to him as a clerk in
the General Post-office, at St. Martin's-le-Grand.

Mr. Peacock, the solicitor to the establishment, stated
that the prisoner had been for many years a clerk in the
Post-office, and lately had been the clerk appointed to
receive bankers' parcels and the postage put upon them,
and it was his duty to account for the moneys so re-
ceived by him.
The prisoner was remanded.

RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS.

LIVERPOOL, JAN. 20.

STOCK EXCHANGE.—Prices have continued to decline,
and at the reduced rates the transactions have been numer-
ous. The quotations of the day are as follows :—Caledo-
nian, 32i; Chester and Holyhead, 23 ; Eastern Coun-
ties, 12i ; Great Southern and Western, 52; Lancashire and
Yorkshire, 80i ; Leeds Northern, 16 ; London and North-
Western, 12,i ; Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincoln, 29i ;
Midland, 77i ; North British, 8i ; South-Eastern and
Dover, 236 ; York, Newcastle, and Berwick, 17i ; York
and North Midland, 27i ; Manchester, Sheffield, and Lin-
coln (101. shares), 10g.

BIRMINGHAM, JAN. 20.

STOCK EXCHANGE.—The business done in this market
was to-day confined to transactions in local stocks, which
were firm.

MANCHESTER, JAN. 20.

STOCK EXCHANGR.—There has been a good business,
and prices have fluctuated considerably, closing lower :
Blackburn Pref., 25a ; Leeds, 80 ; Sheffields 28;4; ditto,
New Pref., 746 ; Dovers 23 9-16 ; Eastern Counties, 12j;
London Stock, 1201 ; Midland, 77A ; Caledonians, 32 ;
East Lancashire, 18$ ; Dublin and Drogheda, 60 ; Kendal
and Windermere, 14$ ; Manchester and Birmingham Con-
solidated Qrs., 1 ; Cheshire Junction, 6id. ; Blackburns,
74 p. ; Leeds Fifths, 4d.