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

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION -HOUSE. William, Mason, a well-
dressed, clever-looking man, upon black crutches, wa4
brought before the Lord Mayor, upon several charges-,of
forgery.
George Robins, warehouseman to Mr. Townend,
hatter, of Bread-street, Cheapside, said--On Thursday,
the Bth of September, the prisoner came to our ware-
house and asked for a hat, and purchased one for 6s. 6d.
I never saw him before that time to my knowledge. He
offered me the 51. note I produce. I tendered it to Mr.
F. Townend, who wrote on the back of it, in my pre-
sence, "Win. Mason, 4, Kennington-terrace," by the
prisoner's direction. The note purports to be the issue
of the Branch Bank of England, at Newcastle-upon-
Tyne.
Charles Locke, warehouseman to Messrs. Grisbook
and Co., woollen drapers, of Woolwich, said—The pri-
soner came, on Wednesday, the 14th of September, to
our warehouse, and purchased goods to the amount of
11s. or 125., for which he paid me with the forged 101.
note 1 produce. I presented the note to our cashier, and
the change was handed to the prisoner, who wrote, in
my presence, upon it, in pencil, " Wm. Jarvis." The
note purported to be the issue of the Leicester Branch
of the Bank of England.
William Creighton, assistant to Mr. C. W. Abbott, of
No. 357, Oxford-street, woollen draper, said—l remem-
ber the prisoner coming to our warehouse, on the evening
of the 15th of September, between six and seven o'clock.
He was served by another person of the establishment
with goods of the value of 15s. or 165., and he tendered
me the forged 51. note I produce. He wrote on the
back of it, "Wm. Mason, 48, Upper Charlton-street,
Fitzroy-square." It purports to be the issue of the
Newcastle-on-Tyne Branch of the Bank of England. I
have known the prisoner as a customer for eight or nine
years, and always considered him to be a respectable man.
Henry Heckscher, watchmaker and jeweller, was the
next witness called. The witness said—l carry on busi-
ness in Thames-street, Windsor. The prisoner came,
on the 15th of September, between 5 and 6 o'clock in
the evening, to my shop. He was standing for five or
ten minutes looking at my shop front, and he then came
in, and asked me to shew him a silver watch which was
hanging in the window. He said he had been robbed
of his watch and 71. at some races in Kent, and that he
could not afford to exceed 21. I showed the watch he
wanted to look at, but 3/. was the priee, and he said he
could not afford that amount. I then showed him ano-
ther, and he asked me if I could recommend it, and I
told him I could not recommend it so much as the first
watch. I then showed him a watch for 2/. 155., which
I could recommend, and I told him he should have it
for 21. 10s., for I really felt for him. (Laughter, in
which the prisoner very heartily joined.)
The Lord Mayor (to the witness)—You mean, that
you sympathised with him so much on account of the
robbery from which he had suffered, that you were de-
termined to let him have a bargain ?
Witness—That was it, my lord. Well, he said he
would have a silver chain too, the price of which was
10s. 6d., so I said that I would take 6d. off the chain,
and I did so.
The Lord Mayor—That was more sympathy, I
suppose.
Witness—Yes, my lord. I did feel very much for
him, so the whole came to 31. He then said he had no
change, and offered me this 101. note in payment, and
wrote his name John William Mason, 3, Mount-place,
Oxford," on the back of it. I then went and got
change, and handed it the prisoner, together with his
purchase. I believe his watch is now in Hull, and I
wish to talk to your lordship about it. (A laugh.)
The Lord Mayor—You must talk to the police about
that.

The 101. note purported to be the issue of the Leices-
ter branch of the Bank of England.
Mr. William Wyburd, the inspector of bank notes in
the Bank of England said—l have been 12 years in-
spector, and 24 years in the establishment. I have
examined the four notes produced, purporting to be
notes of the Bank of England. They are all forgeries.
The policeman who had the prisoner in custody said
he had reason to believe that if the prisoner was re-
manded, numerous other cases would be brought for-
ward against him.
The Lord Mayor—l shall commit the prisoner upon
the charges which are perfect and complete ; and I shall
have him brought up again, in order to ascertain what
effect the publication of this examination may have in
bringing forward other cases.

GUILDHALL.—George Johnson was charged with
the following cruel highway robbery :
Caroline Oliver said she was a poor servant-girl out
of place, and had been on the day previous to ask her
late mistress to give her a character, and was returning
through Little Moorfields, when three men seized her
and thrust her against the wall. Two of them held her
there, while the other removed her hands from her dress,
which she was holding up, and thus protecting her
pocket, and drew out her purse, containing half a sove-
reign, twelve shillings, four sixpences, and twopence in
copper money, which he showed to his accomplices, and
they all three made off together. Complainant followed
calling out "Stop thief," but they separated, and the
prisoner was the only one captured, and he was the one
that took her purse from her pocket.
Thomas Bell said he heard the cries of " Stop thief,"
and seeing the prisoner running, he gave chase, and
overtook him in Milton-street, and detained him until
the prosecutrix came up and identified him. On the way
to the station-house, a man came behind witness and
caught hold of him round the neck, as if with the inten-
tion of releasing the prisoner, but witness having his
right hand at liberty, struck at him, and so got rid of
his assailant. Nothing was found on the prisoner when
searched.

Alderman Muggeridge asked the prosecutrix how
much money she had lost ?
Prosecutrix appeared greatly troubled at her logs, and
said she had 1/. 4s. 6d. in her purse, and it was every
farthing she had in the world.
Aldermen Muggeridge inquired where she was going,
as she was out of a situation?

Prosecutrix said she wa a stranger, and had no
friends in London. She had made arrangements to go
to Bristol to join her brother, who had returned from •r
was going to sea. _ _ _

Alderman Muggeridge asked how she intended to go ?
Prosecutrix said—By the excursion train on Sunday
morning.

Alderman Muggeridge said she should not be pre-
vented from going to her friends, and he then awarded
her IL from the poor-box, and as it would be necessary
to remand the prisoner to ascertain if he was known, she
would be required to attend again, and he should there-
fore order her expenses to be paid by the court to enable
her to do so.

The prosecutrix thanked the alderman, and
The prisoner was remanded.

CLERKENWELL.— William Allen and Ann Davies
were examined on the charge of uttering counterfeit

coin.

Mr. Jarman, from the office of the solicitor to the
Treasury, prosecuted the case, which excited some
amusement.

A few days ago the female prisoner, who is a woman of
good address, made a trifling purchase at the shop of Mr.
Smith, a butcher, in Whitecross-street, and tendered a
counterfeit shilling in payment. The prisoner, being
told that it was a bad one, expressed much surprise, and
immediately put down a good one, saying she was
aware from whom she had taken it. Before departing
from the premises, she, in very severe terms, denounced
the traders in counterfeit money, remarking that
offences of such a description operated exceedingly
cruelly ou shopkeepers. With such observations Mr.
Smith and his wife, of course, perfectly coincided ; but
the former suspected, to use his own terms, that she
was " a 'wolf in sheep's clothing," and determining to
be convinced, followed her at a distance, and saw her
immediately join the other prisoner, whom lie had no-
ticed on the opposite side of the street in front of his
house, while his lady customer was making her lamen-
tations. He dodged them about, until he saw them
enter the St. Paulpublic-house, in Chiswell-street, when
he pounced upon them just as they had put down
another bad shilling, for a quartern of gin. When first
brought to this court, they denied all knowledge of
each other, but it was now satisfactorily proved that
they had cohabited together at 92, Shaftesbury-street,
Hoxton, where, after they had been in gaol 24 hours,
their child, 4 years of age, was found, by Sergeant
Busain, N division, who also discovered in the same
apartment other counterfeit money.
Mr. Tyrwhitt committed them for trial.