The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-21 00:00:00

IGENCE.

MANSION-HOUSE.—John Fisher was brought be-
fore the Lord Mayor, charged -with having robbed his
master, Mr. John Mouat, wine and beer merchar of
No. 8, Cooper's-row Crutched-friars.
The prosecutor said,—The prisoner was in my employ-
ment as cellarman and general porter. For the last two
years I have been constantly robbed of wine and stout.
On Saturday last I missed 12 bottles of stout, and I took
the precaution to have the bottles counted in their bins,
and still night after night, property was missing from
the stock. On Tuesday night I missed seven more bot-
tles of stout, and yesterday I missed two bottles more
between 1 and 2 o'clock. I gave information to the
police, and acted upon their advice. The consequence
was that the prisoner, who I found had been plundering
me during the two years he had been in my employment,
was taken into custody.
Bassett (593).—At a quarter to 4 o'clock yesterday I
went to the house of the prosecutor, and concealed my-
self in the cellar, where I remained till a quarter to six
o'clock, when I heard the bolt of one of the doors which
lead into the cellar drawn. I had examined that door
before, and it had the appearance of having been nailed
up. I saw a light, and some one descended two steps
and went back again ; and about a quarter of an hour
afterwards the same door was again opened, and I saw
the prisoner descend into the cellar, take up a bottle of
stout, and return by the same way. I followed him to
the top of the stairs, and took the bottle of stout from
him. I told him I was a police-officer, and I charged
him with having stolen the bottle. He said, " Pray do
let me go, and say nothing about it." On his way to
the station-house he said, " tell you the whole truth.
I am not the only person who has been robbing my
master. We have all been acting in concert together,
and I have been robbing him every day since I have been
there, which is now two years. The others were robbing
him when I went there."

Mr. Mouat—There are, it is necessary for me to say,
two doors used for the purpose of going to and coming
from the cellar. Those doors are kept locked. The
door referred to by the officer was, I supposed, nailed
up with long nails, and had been so for the last 15
years, and I had no idea that that door could have
been opened ; but I have since examined it, and find
that the nails have been withdrawn, and that a large
nail had been put it, which could be removed and then
replaced in such a manner that, if I had tried the door,
I could not have opened. Ido not know to what ex-
tent I have been plundered, but the prisoner acknow-
ledged that there was a confederacy to rob me.
The prisoner—•l hope you won't prosecute me, Mr.
Mouat ; I have a wife and family.
Mr. Mouat—My lord, I do not wish to punish him
heavily, and you will oblige Ine by summarily disposing
of the case.
The Lord Mayor—l cannot think of such a thing.
He admits that he began to rob you the moment you
employed him, instead of telling you what he had wit-
nessed among your other servants. He must take
his trial at the Central Criminal Court. The system
has been truly dreadful, and I should be most remiss
in my duty if I did not send the man to a jury.
The prisoner was then committed for trial.

GIIILDHALL.—MiehaeI Thomas Stacey Welsh, a
draper and hosier, late of High-street, Romford, was
brought up on remand before Alderman Moon, charged
with absconding and not surrendering in the Court of
Bankruptcy after being adjudged a bankrupt.
Mr. Parry attended to prosecute on behalf of the trade
assignees, and, having briefly stated the facts of the case,
which have already appeared in our columns, the deposi-
tions taken on a former occasion were read over and con-
firmed by the witnesses. The proceedings in the Court of
Bankruptcy were then put in, and Francis Robinson
was called to prove the service of the notice declaring
the adjudication of the prisoner's bankruptcy.
Alderman Moon said, it would be desirable, as the
prisoner had been nearly two years absent, that evidence
should be given as to his identification.
Mr. Parry said he was about to call a witness for that
purpose, as Mr. Walker, to whom the trade were greatly
indebted for his indefatigable exertions in following the
prisoner half over England and ultimately effecting his
capture at Southampton, had not at any time been to
Romford.

Henry Luxford, a Rornford carrier, said he had fre-
quently carried goods from the Fountain, in Foster-lane,
to the prisoner at Romford, where he carried on the
business of a draper and hosier in the High-street. He
did not know when the prisoner left, but he remembered
missing him. The house was at present inhabited, and
the business carried on by Mr. Staines.
Mr. Walker said he thought it was only just to Mr.
Staines to state that he was a most honourable man,
and the stock he received from the prisoner was trans-
ferred to him in the most upright and straightforward
manner.

WORSHIP-STREET.—Lucy Tate, 39, a widow,
was charged with cruelly neglecting and ill-treating her
female child, aged about two years, and thereby caus-
ing its death.

Mr. Parry said Mr. Walker was desirous the magis-
trate should be informed that Mr. William White, of
the firm of White, Son, and Co., of Cheapside, rendered
every assistance in following up the prisoner's track.
Alderman Moon said this was a most important case,
as it was the first in which an absconding bankrupt had
returned to this country in fancied security ; and he
thought the creditors and the public generally ought to
feel deeply indebted to Mr. Walker for the indomitable
perseverance and sagacity he had displayed in following
the prisoner from plce to place during so long a period
as six weeks, and eventually being the means of bringing
an offender to justice.
Mr. Walker said he had received a letter from Mr.
Francis Welsh, a brewer of Southampton, and a bro-
ther of the prisoner, complaining of the impression the
report of this case might create by the statement that a
warrant had been obtained and his premises searched
by him (Mr. Walker), and he (Mr. Walker) therefore
thought it was due to that gentleman to say that, on
producing the warrant, Mr. F. Welsh behaved most
honourably, and his brother, Mr. Henry Welsh, who
was in the same brewery, was the person the prisoner
was seen in communication with while in custody ; but
he, on finding the position he had placed himself in
through his brotherly affection for the prisoner, made
every reparation in his power by giving the creditors
all the information respecting the prisoner's property he
was in possession of, and by which he (Mr. Walker)
was enabled to recover the 700/. the prisoner had trans-
mitted to London.

Alderman Moon said he was quite sure the press
would correct any erroneous impression that might
have gone forth to the injury of any respectable party,
and the only duty that then devolved upon him was to
commit the prisoner to Newgate to take his trial.

MARYLEBONE.—Francis Bowry Mason, a coach-
maker, was charged with wilfully setting fire to the
house of Mr. William Alexander, an engineer, residing
at 18, Melton-street, Euston-square.
The court was, during the investigation much crowded.
Prosecutor, on being sworn, said—The prisoner,
with his wife and family, occupied my first floor ; the
furniture therein was his own. He has not been with
me more than three weeks, and on the evening of the
first day of his occupancy I gave him a verbal notice
to leave, in consequence of a serious quarrel which
he had with his wife. He told me that it was their
first quarrel, and begged that I would allow him
to remain for a few days, as he must give notice,
in the event of removal, to a fire-office in which he
had insured for 150/. I then told him that if he would
remain quiet he might stay. He had under his bed two
boxes, which he said contained property in silks, satins,
&c., to the value of between 2001. and 3001. Ever since
he has been with me he has continually been talking
about fires. Yesterday, at half-past five, I came home,
and ascertained that the prisoner's wife and two children
had left. Prisoner had previously mentioned to me that
he had taken a lodging for them at Hampstead, and
that they had gone there. We had been talking with
respect to the performance of Mr. Brooke at Drury-
lane, and last night I and my wife went with the pri-
soner to the theatre. We got home at a quarter past
12. My wife went into the house first and got supper.
I went out to get a pot of porter, And on my return my
wife said, " Have you any matches, Mason ?" He at
first said "No," but afterwards said, " I think I have
some upstairs." He came down with some in his hand,
when he obtained a light, and sat down to supper in my
kitchen. After supper prisoner asked me if I would go
with him to Tottenham-court-road and have some
brandy, but I declined doing so. He went upstairs with
a light, and presently came down and went out. In
about six minutes he returned, and went upstairs again,
while I and my wife were in bed, exclaiming, " Mr.
Alexander, my place is all on fire." I jumped out of bed
and said, " For God's sake, where is it ?" and he said,
"It is upstairs." I and my wife ran up, and I said to'
the prisoner, " If it's on fire, you have done it yourself.'
On ascending the staircase I was almost suffocated with
amok.. Upon entering the front room T saw that the
bad in the back room was in flames. A table and chair
which were near the bed were also burning. I and my
sons and other lodgers procured a supply of water, and
after the lapse of 10 minutes the fire was extinguished.
Mr. Fell (the chief clerk) put some questions td the
prosecutor, 'who in reply said that the table and chair
were not more than a foot and a-half from the bed.
The window-shutters were partly on fire.

The prosecutor, in continuation, said that the priso-
ner, while the water was poured on the flames, was
sometimes in the front-room and at other times on the
stairs. He (prosecutor) could not say whether he made
any attempt to extinguish the fire or not, but, to the
best of his belief, he offered no aid. Some other evi-
dence of a strongly suspicious nature against the pri-
soner was gone into, and he (the prisoner), who asserted
his innocence, was remanded till Monday next.

WESTMINSTER.—Mon She Shantinalla, a native
of Benares, was charged with the following determined
attempt at suicide :
Benjamin Debbage, 75 A, stated, that about 12
o'clock on the previous night he observed the defendant
loitering about Westminster-bridge, and his attention
being particularly called to him through some ejacula-
tions which he had uttered in broken English, he was
induced to keep an eye upon him, and saw him suddenly
jump upon the parapet of the bridge, and instantly
throw himself into the river, there being at that time,
owing to the lowness of the water, a fall of no less than
50 or 60 feet. Witness, who knew that there was a
waterman employed as a private watchman at the Surrey
side, immediately hailed him, and by his timely aid the
defendant was rescued.

The waterman proved that the defendant, who was in
the middle of the river, resisted his attempt to save his
life for some time, but he ultimately succeeded in drag-
ging him into his boat. He was then taken to a doctor's
and restoratives applied.
Mr. Broderip inquired whether anything had been
ascertained about the defendant ?

Mr. D'Eyncourt (to the prisoner).—Can you find
bail ?

Prisoner—l have no one to whom I can refer now,
but shall doubtless be able when my relatives are awara
of its being required.

Mr. D'Eyncourt—Then I must remand you till Satur-
day, at which time, if you can procure bail, I will re-
ceive it.

The prisoner was accordingly removed.

HAMMERSMITH.--Mr. A'Beckett, one of the
presiding magistrates at the Southwark police-court,
attended before Mr. Arnold, who sat for Mr. Paynter,
to prefer a complaint against a cab-driver named Tho-
mas Giles, badge 88, for having committed several
offences durilig his employment, both under the old and
new Cab Acts.

Mr. A'Beckett deposed, that he resided at 10, Hyde-
park-gate South, near Kensington turnpike-gate, and
about half-past six o'clock the previous evening his
daughter and sister, whom he had been expecting home,
drove up to the door in a cab, and directly afterwards
he heard some very loud language, and, thinking that
there was some dispute with the cabman, he went out
for the purpose of hearing what was the matter. He
found the cabman still using some language in a very
loud tone as the ladies were entering the house, but he
could not distinctly hear what it was he said. He then
went out and desired the driver to stop and give him
his ticket. He made no answer, but turned round,
whipped his horse violently, and gallopped off as fast as
he possibly could. Witness followed the cab, but lost
sight of it for a short time, and upon coming up to
about the entrance into Prince's-gate opposite the park,
he saw the defendant with his cab standing in the road,
as if he had just pulled up. He was positive that no
cab had passed him while he was running, and upon see-
ing the defendant witness said to a little boy with a
broom, who had been running with him, "That is the
fellow who set the ladies down at Hyde-park-gate."
Witness got inside the defendant's cab and told him to
drive him back. The defendant refused to do so, and
then drove off in the direction of town. Witness put
his head out of the window and insisted upon his
driving to Hyde-park-gate South, but he still refused,
and then witness told him to give him one of his tickets,
and he replied that he would not. Witness told him
that he happened to be a magistrate, and that if he con-
ducted himself in that manner he would get himself
into trouble. The defendant then very reluctantly
turned his horse round and drove him to his residence,
where he was identified by the ladies and witness's ser-
vant as being the man who had set them down. Wit-
ness again demanded one of his tickets, and he again
refused. Witness then desired the defendant to drive
him to the nearest police-station, and he was accord-
ingly taken to the station in Kensington-lane where he
entered the charge.
Jesse Elliman, footman in the service of the com-
plainant, said, he remembered the ladies coming home,
and he paid the defendant, who was the driver, 6d, for
his fare. The defendant said, "Is this all ? they ought
to be ashamed of themselves." He said that in a loud
tone as the ladies were entering the house. He was
quite satisfied the defendant was the man. The witness
then corroborated what the complainant had stated in
his evidence.

Miss Margaret Tyrrell was next sworn, and she also
identified the defendant as being the cabman who had
set them down at the complainant's door. They had
hired him off the stand at Knightsbridge, and when they
got out the defendant was handed 6d. for his fare, and
he then said was that all that he was going to have ?
and that they ought to be ashamed of themselves. He
made use of the language in a very impudent tone.
Mr. Dickson, solicitor, who attendant for the defen-
dant, urged that all the witnesses were mistaken in his
identity. He then stated, in answer to the charge, that
the defendant generally plied about the Eastern Coun-
ties Railway, and that on the previous evening he was
hired and took a fare to No. 5, Kensington-terrace,
where he received ss. for his fare. He was returning
home along the road, and, when opposite to where the
Exhibition stood, he saw a little boy running with a
broom, followed by the complainant. The defendant
thought the .boy had stolen the broom, and he stopped
to see if the boy was caught. Directly he stopped the
complainant came up to him, and said he was the vaga-
bond and scoundrel that bad set the ladies down.

The complainant denied that he called the defendant
by such names.
The defendant said be followed the complainant along
the road, who was running in his slippers, and was with-
out his hat.
The complainant said he was positive that no cab
passed him.
Mr. Dickson said, a man who had been repairing the

.
road opposite to the complainant's house followed the
cab that did set the ladies down, and found out where it
belonged. That man had left his work to come to the
court, but he had not made his appearance.
Mr. Arnold said, if the defendant had any witnesses
that had not attended, his professional adviser should
have applied for a postponement of the case before it
came on, and he then would have listened to his appli-
cation. He thought the case had been clearly esta-
blished, and also the identity of the defendant distinctly
proved. The defendant had committed three offences,
and he did not know how many more, as other cases
would branch out of them. In the first instance, he
had neglected to deliver a ticket to the ladies, which he
was bound to do under the new act ; then he had re-
fused to deliver a ticket to the complainant ; and,
thirdly, he had been guilty of insolent behaviour to the
ladies, which he considered was the worst part of the
case. He should punish him for the latter offence, and
the sentence would be, that he should be committed
to the House of Correction for one month, with hard
labour.

Mr. Dickson said the case would not end there, and
that Mr. A'Beckett would hear more of the matter.
He then asked his worship to put a fine upon the de-
fendant.

Mr. Arnold refused to do so, and the defendant was
locked up.

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The constable replied, that he had informed him he
Was a servant to the Rajah of Coorg, at his establish-
ment in Euston-square, but, as he had onlyjust stated
that, there had been no time to make inquiries.
Defendant said he was ill, and did not like the niedi•

cine that had been given him, but he was sorry for j SOUTH EASTERN AND CONTINENTAL STEAM
what he had done. PACKET COMPANY.
Mr. Broderip feelingly pointed out to him that he I
had been guilty of a very wicked act, and hoped that
he truly repented it.
Defendant repeated that he was very sorry, and at
the same time hoped that he should be put somewhere,
to cure him of a malady under which he was labouring.
Mr. Broderip directed the constable, whose vigilance
he eulogised, to take the defendant to his master's, and
ascertained whether, proper care would be taken of him
there ; but, if he found any difficulty, to bring him
back, and he would remand him for a few days.
Just before the rising of the Court, the constable re-
turned, and, having intimated that the Rajah refused
to receive the defendant on the ground of drunkenness
and other misconduct.
The accused was remanded.

An extraordinary general meeting of the shareholders
of this company was held at the Bridge House Hotel,
London-bridge, yesterday, for the purpose of resolving
on the expediency of a dissolution of this company, if
the shareholders, or such competent and requisite num-
ber and proportion of them as required by the deed of
settlement of the company, should so resolve.
JAMES MACGREGOR, Esq., the chairman of the di-
rectors, on takinc, the chair, said, the business which
the directors had° to submit to this meeting was very
short in its description. It amounted simply to
the proposal of a resolution that a dissolution of
the company, such dissolution having been recom-
mended by the directors, was expedient. It appeared
that the capital of the company could not be divided
amongst the proprietors except at the dissolution of
the company. The present meeting, and a subsequent
extraordinary general meeting, would be required to
bring about the result. If the proprietors pleased to
accept this resolution it would be the duty of the direc-
tors to summon another extraordinary general meeting,
to be held on the 3d of November, and if the proceed-
ings of this meeting were then confirmed the assets
would be divided on the 4th of November. At the last
half-yearly meeting it was stated that the assets of the
company amounted to somewhat above 12/. a share. He
now moved that a dissolution of the company is expe-
dient.

The motion having been seconddd.
Mr. HAMILTON rose, and was about to read a speech
from a printed paper, when
The CHAIRMAN said the hon. proprietor was out of
order.

Mr. HAMILTON said, then he would use the speech as.
notes, and he proceeded to read the speech, which con-
sisted principally of complaints about the description of
engines in the boats, and personal attacks on the chair-
man and directors.

The CHAIRMAN vindicated the engine-makers from the
attacks made on them and the directors from any im-
proper conduct in reference thereto. The engines, he
said, had done their work as well and at as little ex-
pense, according to the mileage, as the engines of any
other company. He did not think the hon. proprietor
had much reason to complain, seeing that ever since the
company had been established they had divided about 6
per cent., and were now going to divide all their capital
with an addition of 20 per cent.

The resolution was then put and carried nem,. dis.,
and the meeting thereupon separated.