The Sun.
London, England, 1853-01-03 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

INSOLVENT DEBTORS COURT.-JAN., • 1.
LN THE MATTER OF BARON VON RATHEN.

This insolvept, an Hungarian baron, who had been
upwards of four years in the Queen's prison, applied to
be discharged under the act.
Mr. Cooke supported the application, to which no op-
position was made by the creditors.
The insolvent had obtained a number of patents for
fire-grates and improvements in steam. He was de-
scribed as an inventor, patentee, and engineer. The pa-
tents, with the expenses, had cost him more than 10,0001.,
and were in the hands of his creditors. He estimated
the patents and inventions as worth upwards of 20,0001.
The insolvency was attributed to the heavy expenses
connected with the patents and the want of orders for
the patent fire-grate, partially owing to the French revo-
lution, and to other causes set forth.

Mr. Commissioner Phillips referred to the schedule,
and remarked on the different names of the insolvent.
He saw that on a former occasion, in an application to
the court, the debts were 66,0001., and now they
amounted to 24,8021.

Mr. Cooke said such was the case, but many of them
were disputed.
Mr. Commissioner Phillips remarked that the debts
seemed to have been incurred in patent speculation.
Mr. Cooke said the parties who advanced the money
were quite aware that it was expended on the patent.
The insolvent appeared to be very deaf. He addressed
some observations to the learned commissioner.

Mr. Commissioner Phillips—He wishes it to be put in
the public press that he is grateful to his creditors for
not opposing.
The insolvent again addressed the learned commis-
sioner, and expressed his thanks for the kindness he had
received from all parties in this country.
Mr. Commissioner Phillips hoped the time would never
come when a foreigner would be treated in a different
manner to an Englishman. He was glad he was not
opposed. _ _

The insolvent, after his long imprisonment, was or-
dered to be discharged. •

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HOUSE.—E. J. Lamude, shopman to
Mr. Benson, of Cornhill, jeweller, was summoned for
having, as the paper expressed it, " unlawfully, know-
ingly, and by false pretences, obtained from William
Ward, 3/. 10s., with intent to cheat and defraud him."

Mr. Ward said, on Thursday last I went into Mr.
Benson's shop to buy a watch chain. I saw the defen-
dant and another person, who appeared to belong to the
concern, in the shop. The defendant showed me some
chains which he took from the window. I selected one
with a key attached, to which was affixed a ticket with
3/. 10s. marked upon it. As I was looking at it, I
asked whether it was gold. He said it was not the
best gold, not of the finest quality, but still it was
gold. I gave him a cheque for 3/. 155., and re-
ceived ss. change. I believed at the time that it
was a gold chain, or I would not have parted with the
money. The witness then stated that when he went to
Mr. Benson's house, accompanied by Scott, the Man-
sion-house officer, to serve the summons, Mr. Benson
said it was the practice of the house to give back money
if the articles purchased were not approved of, and he
offered to return the money to me, but I refused to
take it.

Mr. Thomas Wordsworth, watch and clock maker
and jeweller, at Cheshunt, said, I have tested the chain
in one link of it, and the key and swivel, with sulphu-
ric acid. The key and swivel are tolerably fair gold.
The swivel is worth about 4s. 6d. or 55., or 40s. an
ounce. I cannot tell the exact value of the key, but to
the best of my knowledge it is assuredly not worth
more than 10s. or 12s. The chain would not stand the
lowest test. It is not worth more than 7s. or Bs. The
value altogether may be 235. or 245. I have seen chains
of the kind hanging in the windows of several shops.
Mr. W. I. Thomas, assistant to Messrs. Barber and
Smith, of No. 36, Cornhill, jewellers, said : I tested the
chain produced yesterday morning. My impression at
first was, that it was not gold, but afterwards I found
that there was a small quantity of gold in it, by means
of which it was polished. I could not as a shopkeer call
it a gold chain, and I would not sell it to a customer as
a gold chain. I tested it in two distinct links.

-Cross-examined—lf it were half gold and half metal,
I should call it common gold. The lowest price for a
gold chain like this would be 71. I would expect 71.
for it. I have seen plenty of chains of the kind in Corn-
hill, Cheapside, the Strand, and Piccadilly, in the jewel-
lers' shop windows. I cannot say that I have seen
them all marked as gold chains. Sometimes chains are
gold plated. I believe this chain to be common gold
gilt with fine gold. I tested with it nitric acid. These
chains are usually made in the country. I would charge
2/. for making such a chain as this, and I would make
the key for ss. There must be alloy. The gold in the
key is not worth more than I/. an ounce.

Mr. Clarkson said he would not call witnesses, as from
all that had been stated there was not the slightest
ground for charging the gentleman accused of having
intended to cheat and defraud the complainant. He be-
lieved that the trade of goldsmiths required, and would
receive, the reform which was bestowed upon other re-
forms in the great system ; but he could not help saying
that, under the existing circumstances of that trade, his
client had been harshly dealt with. It was quite evi-
dent that the chain was composed of what was called
jewellers' gold, which it was impossible to work without a
mixture ,of alloy, and that the chain, and key, and
swivel were worth the money which had been given for
them, and which Mr. Benson had offered to return, ac-
cording to the practice of the house. He submitted-that,
in matters of the kind, the good sense of the people had
a great deal to do, and that if the defendant were to be
charged with having, under such circumstances as had
been stated, intended to cheat and defraud, there was no
trader in London who might not be brought before that
tribunal upon charges calculated to destroy them.
The Lord Mayor said the question was one of too im-
portant a nature to be decided at once. He considered
that it was due to the employers of the defendants, who,
he had every reason to believe, were respectable trades.
men, to pursue the investigation with greater strictness,
and, he should therefore, postpone his decision for a few
days.
The Lord Mayor requested that the press would ac-
knowledge his receipt of 1/. in postage stamps from
A. A. M., and 12s 3d from R. A., the amount of ex-
penses incurred, owing to a late train on the London and
North-Western Railroad, and since reimbursed by the
company.

GUILDHALL. —John Gorrod, of 77, Tower-street,
Waterloo-road, was summoned by Emma Maria Laidler,
for neglecting to contribute towards the support of his
alleged illegitimate male child.
The complainant stated that the defendant's first wife
was her sister, and had been dead two years when she
(complainant) married him, not knowing that, under the
existing state of the law in that respect, the contract was
illegal. The defendant had subsequently repudiated his
liability to support her, and she now applied that an
order might be made to compel him to support his child.
The defendant admitted the paternity of the child, and
expressed his willingness to contribute any amount the
magistrate might order towards its support.
Mr. Alderman Finnjs said this was a very distressing
ease. The complainant, who appeared a very respectable
young woman, had been seduced by the defendant under
circumstances of a peculiar nature, and he considered the
defendant's conduct, in taking advantage of the com-
plainant's ignorance as to the validity of the marriage,
extremely disgraceful.
The usual order for 2s. 6d. per week and costs was
then made.

BOW-STREET.—Mary Ann Fisk, aged 73, was
charged before Mr. Henry with stealing Queen's beads.
Mr. Peacock, the Post-office solicitor, appeared for
the prosecution.
It appeared from the evidence of Mr. R. Sculthorpe,
president of the London District Department, that the
prisoner resided at 10, Providence-place, Kentish-town,
and for thirty years had kept the Post-office receiving
house for the district. She also carried on business as a
milliner. There had been many complaints lately from
inhabitants in the neighbourhood respecting the removal
of postage stamps from letters posted at her office, which
letters were delivered as unpaid, and in many cases re-
jected on that account. With the view, therefore, of test-
ing the office, six letters were made up, and addressed to
persons in the country, and privately marked penny
stamps were affixed to each. These letters were posted at
the prisoner's office on Friday, and dispatched with the two
o'clock delivery to St. Martin's-le-Grand, where they were
examined by Mr. Sculthorpe, in the presence of other
officers of the establishment. It was found that the
stamps had been removed from three of the letters, which
were consequently marked as unpaid. Stamps had also
been taken from several other letters in the same collec-
tion ; while upon one of the paid letters Mr. Sculthorpe
recognised one of his marked stamps. The prisoner,
upon being subsequently examined with regard to the
two o'clock collection, stated that she dispatched the
letters herself, and that no one ever assisted her in the
post-office business. She was asked if she had any loose
stamps in her possession, upon which she produced two
from a drawer, which were both identified as having been
taken from the test letters.

It was stated that although money was not received
now in payment of postage, people were continually in
the habit of asking for a single stamp, to put on at the
time of posting a letter, and it was supposed that the
stamps were removed from the letters in question to
supply these demands.

The prisoner, who fainted during the investigation,
and was understood to be in reduced circumstances,
pleaded guilty.
Mr. Henry inflicted the full penalty of 201. upon one
of the cases, and told the prisoner she was liable to the
same penalty for each head removed.

CLERKENWELL. —William Titnwuse, a stout-
built young fellow, was placed at the bar, charged with
stealing three loads of straw, the property of Mr. Thos.
Dawson, of No. 6, Prospect-place, Ball's-pond.
The extraordinary features of this affair were detailed
by Mr. Wakeling, the solicitor, who had been profes-
sionally employed in connection therewith since March
last, a system of plunder having been carried on to a
serious extent by vagabonds assuming the character of
hay-salesmen, many of whom have been harassed and
put to considerable expense in consequence of being per-
sonated; one influential and extensive tradesman in par-
ticular, Mr. Blagden, corn-chandler, of Goswell-street,
who was sued for a load of hay, alleged to have been pur-
chased by him on the 24th of the before-mentioned
month, from a son of Mr. Halliman, a farmer and
brewer at Berkhampstead, when the learned judge
decided against him, and the debt and costs were paid
under a protest. Other gentlemen had suffered in a
like manner to Mr. Blagden, whose son accidentally
met the prisoner and . gave him into custody, know-