The Sun.
London, England, 1849-01-23 00:00:00

CLERKENWELL.

Robert Be?grave, who was attired in the uniform of the
East India Company, was #placed at the bar before Mr.
Combe, charged with begging.
Sergeant Harvey, 118 G, stated that on Saturday
night last, about ten o'clock, be saw the prisoner in
Goswell-street, with a written paper pinned on his
breast, soliciting charity, representing that ho was a
discharged soldier in a state of distress and starvation.
He saw several persons relieve him, when he took him
to the station-house. On searching him 3s. 10d. were
found in his possession.
The prisoner, on being put to the bar, was recognised
as having been at this Court on Thursday last, on a
charge of begging under exactly similar circumstances,
when ho said he had been a private in the East India
Company's service. He had received wounds, and was
discharged at Madras, in May, 1847, without a pension,
and, although he had used efforts, he could not succeed
in obtaining one. He had served seventeen years, and
in consequence of the impaired state of his health and
his wounds he was unequal to hard labour, and his ob-
ject was to raise a trifling sum of money to enable him
to purchase some stationary to sell again, the profits upon
which would enable him to live and avoid begging in the
streets. He produced his discharge from the company's
service, and, there being nothing stated upon it to the
prejudice of his character, Mr. Combo was induced to
believe that his story was true, and ordered, Mr, Mallett,
the clerk, to give him 10s. out of the poor-box funds;
and several persons subscribed towards his assistance
before he left the court after he was discharged.
Mr. COMBE now asked the prisoner what he had to
say for himself, when he hung down his head, and said
nothing.
Mr. Mould, the clerk, said it was evident, from there
being nothing written upon his discharge, that there was
something wrong; and there was no doubt after what
had happened, that he was a thorough impostor.
It was stated that an officer belonging to the East
India Company's servive had given information at the
station-houses that a man, dressed in the regimentals of
the service, was going about begging, and had been for
a length of time imposing on the public, and that he was
a complete impostor.
Mr. CONDE regretted that such a fellow should have
imposed upon him and others as he had done, and com-
mitted him to the House of Correction, with hard labour,
for fourteen dad s, intimating that the money found in
his possession, which was no doubt the produce of his
vagrancy, would be appropriated towards his support
during his imprisonment.
THAMES.

John King, a labourer, of 70, Lambeth-street, White-
chapel, who has bet-n in custody for a fortnight, was
.brought up before Mr. Yardley for heal examination,
charged with assaulting and wounding Mr. Thomas
Heigh way, the landlord of the Crown public house, in
Ruper:-street, Whitechapel.
Mr. YARDLEY inflicted the highest penalty, 51., or two
mouths' imprisonment.
The prisoner was committed.

James Darcy, a big Irishman from Cork, attired in a
faded suit of black, and as dirty as possible, was brought
up in custody of Wigley, a police-consti:ble, 141 H,
and charged with seeking alms near the Virginia-street
Catholic Chapel, Rateliff-highway, where it was stated
that
.the congregation had been greatly annoyed by

the hordes of Irish mendicants, bogging previous to
and after the coneiwsion of the mass on each sueccediag
Sabbath.

Mr. YARDLEY asked Wigley if the prisoner was apro-
fessional btggar?
-Wigley—ire is, sir. I have sun him lying dr,v,,n on
the stones al.Tealiog in piteous accents for mercy and
charity for a p ,or cripled starvh;g man, but whenever he
see, me or ally other polic man approaching he is off
quickly enough.
The prisoner nab] had left Cork three year; ago.
Mr. YARDLEY—How many days' work have you dune
since then?

The prisoner, in a whining tone, said he had hf en at
work harvesting, hopping, and doing other work since
he had left Ireland, but now he was starving.
Mr. YARDLEY—Starving? You appear the reverse
of a starving man. Your occupation is begging. You
are big enough and strong enough to work, but you
won't do it.

Wigley said he had frequently Leen the prisoner act-
ing the part of a distressed and disabled cripple in the
streets during the last five months, and that he was an
arrant irnp,stor.

Mr. YARDLEY knew the prisoner had a great objec-
tion to work, but he would send him where he would be
made to work. He sentenced him to eight days' inapri-
sonment and hard labour, and if the prisoner was ever
brought before him again for a similar offence, his sen-
tence would be a severe one.

EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE OF
FRAUD AND FELONY.

An amount of excitement almost unparalleled has pre-
vailed i❑ the city of Bath, in consequence of the appre-
hension and examination of Messrs. Warren and Fuller,
two of the largest gold and silversmiths in that city,
upon a charge of forging the hall mark of the Gold
smiths' Company upon various articles of plate. The
arrest is understood to have been made in consequence of
information given to the Goldsmiths' Company by a man
named Brattington, who had formerly been an appren-
tice of a principal workman of the firm, and the previous
high respectability and known wealth of the parties
charged have invested the affair with a peculiar degree
of interest. An examination of the accused took place
yesterday, at the Guildhall, which building and all the
approached to it were crowded by the gentry
and tradesmen of the city, anxious to be
present at the investigation. The prisoners were
brought to the Guildhall in custody of the officers, the
magistrate having refused bail to the amount of 10,000/.,
which, it is understood, has been tendered by their
bankers. The examinations were private, and Samuel
Henry Fuller and Horatio Warren were charged with
having, on the 9th of January, feloniously, and without
excuse, had in their possession two silver ladles, having
thereon the marks of the Goldsmiths' Company, London,
which marks have been removed or transferred thereto
from some other wares of silver, they knowing the same
to have been so transferred contrary to the statute.
The first witness examined was Mr. Thomas Hough,
a weigher in the Assay-office of the Goldsmiths' Com-
pany, who deposed that on the 30th of December, in
consequence of information he received, ho went to Bath
by direction of the wardens of the company. Went to
the shop of Messrs. Warren and Fuller, silversmiths,
in Westgate-street, and saw the prisoner Fuller in the
shop. Parches( d eleven articles of silver ware which
bore no stamp or mark of any description. Went
again on the 6th of January, and purchased thirty-
four articles not stamped as required by law.
On that occasion saw a silver soup ladle, which was
pointed out by Mr. Warren. Also saw a great quantity
of articles not marked as required by law. Saw at once
that the mark on the soup ladle had been transposed.
Saw also another article on which he believed that the
mark had been transposed. Reported the facts to the
wardens, and on the 9th of January, went to the shop
under the authority of a search warrant ; and, on that
occasion, took away the silver soup ladle and gilt ser-
vice spoon produced. Found a quantity of plate amount-
ing to 120 ounces, which he seized and took away.
There was a great quantity of plate there—some 3,000
or 4,000 ounces—which was regularly marked. The
plate taken away was all unmarked except the
two pieces upon which the marks had been tran-
sposed. Took the service spoon to Goldsmiths' Hall,
and then ascertained the mark to have been transposed
and soldered on. The date of the mark was 1774
An assay was made in witness's presence of the
spoon. The bowl was four pennyweights worse than
the standard, and the handle one pennyweight better
than the standard. The loss of duty to the Government
on the soup ladle and serving spoon was 1/. 7s. 9d. Had
also ascertained that the mark on the soup ladle had
been soldered in; about three inches of the shank had
ken spliced. Should say that any person in the trade
would see where the joinings were made. The bowl was
half a pennyweight worse than the standard, and the
upper part of the handle a pennyweight and a half better;
the shank next the bowl was barely a pennyweight bet-
ter than the standard.

The witness was cross-examined at some length. He
knew that the marks had been transposed by his obser-
vations as a workman, having (as bis office in the Assay-
effice required) been brought up as a silvennift, and
being versed in the trade. Had seen the transposition of
the marks on articles purporting to be silver before this.
Saw them about six months ago in London. Meant by
transposition the removing of the mark from one article
of plate and affixing it to another.
John Ralph, an apprentice to Mr. Cousins, jeweller,
who worked for the tradesmen of that city, and among
others for Messrs. Warren and Fuller, de; osed that he
had seen the gilt service spoon produced. When it was
first brought io Mr. Cousins's shop the bowl was not
joined o❑ to the shank nor was the figure. There was
a piece put on the shank to make it stiuter. When
witness first saw it the shank was in two pieces; there
was a mark upon one piece but none upon the other.
Believed that the Apostle's figure was made by Mr.
Cousins, but was not certain. This might be a twelve-
month ago.
Hulbert Sawyer Cousins, son of Mr. Cousins, and
who assists his father in his business, proved that they
had worked for the prisoners for six or seven years. Had
seen the gilt spoon now produced before, and recognised
it as having been manufactured for Messrs. Warren and
Fuller. The piece which contained the mark was
brought to the workshop as a skewer, for the purpose of
being made thicker, so as to form the handle of a spoon.
I see on the spoon a line, which I suppose to be the
place where it was soldered in. I believe that the mark
has been soldered on. I saw the figure before I saw the
skewer. The bowl I saw separate, and it was added
eterwards. Believe it was Mr. Fuller who directed Mr.
Cousins to put the pieces together.
The examination was proceeding when the last train
left.