The Sun.
London, England, 1822-12-26 00:00:00

FRAUD.

MARYLEBONE OFFICE.—On Tuesday Jonathan Wilson,
the man who was remanded on a charge of defrauding a very
aged Lady named Bingley of a sum of 3501. Navy 4 per Cent.
Annuities, by obtaining her signature to a power of attorney,
and withdrew the money without her consent, was brought up
for final examination. The prisoner had been previously ex-
amined on this serious charge ; he has since been brought up,
and as often at the request of either party again remaiided.
The general outline of the case is as follows t—Mrs. Bingley
the prosecutrix, being. possessed of a sum of 3501. Navy 4 per
Cents. imparted the circumstance to the prisoner, and confiding
in his honesty took him with, her once or twice to the Bank to
receive her dividend, and promised him at her decease the money
should remain for his children. Prisoner, however, thought the
old adage to be best—" A bird in the hand is worth two in the
bush." Having obtained the money by indirect means through
a power of attorney, which he got the prosecutrix to sign at a
time when she lay almost inSensible, he drew the money from
the Bank and absconded, having previously left with the old
4.,ady 20 or 25 sovereigns. The wife of the prisoner being con-
cerned at his absence, called with other persons at the Bank,
and likewise on the prosecutrix, to ascertain if the money was
taken out ; suspicions were raised, and upon an application at
this office a warrant was granted, and the prisoner the next
morning taken into custody.
Previous to the final examination taking place, the prisoner
had sent in a letter to prosecutrix, offering 100/. to settle the
matter, and intimating at the same time, he came forward.A.s44.
Man of Honour, and as such his proposal ought to be accepted;
it is almost needless to say, that such ternis of treaty were not
acceded to.

On Tuesday the prisoner was brought up for final examina-
tion, when Mr. Harmer attended as his Solicitor. _ _

The only fresh evidence adduced in addition to what has been
already stated, was that of a nurse, who attended prosecutrix :
she spoke as to the infirm state of the prosecutrix, and heard her
say the day after the prisoner had prevailed upon her to attach
her name to the power of attorney, that he had gone away with
all her money.
A gentleman named illainwaring, clerk to Messrs. Davis and
Taylor, stock brokers,
_residing in Bartholomew-lane, said, the
prisoner came to the office on the 15th August last, stating the
prosecutrix's money was to be made over to him, and wished a
power of attorney to be drawn up, intimating at the same time
prosecutrix was unable to come, on account of infirmity ; the
power was accordingly obtained, and delivered to prisoner, who
obtained the signature, and the money was taken out of the
Bank, amounting to 3131., and delivered to the prisoner. The
witness further stated, they would not have drawn up the power
on the prisoner's assertion, but that they had previously seen
him at the Bank with the prosecutrix.

The prisoner, upon being called upon, declined saying any
thing. He was therefore fully committed to Newgate for trial,
and the parties bound over to prosecute.

A SMUGGLER AND AN EXCISEMAN.—A ludi-
crous circumstance took place lately in the neighbourhood of
Lyme. A smuggler was carrying a pair of tubs at his back,
and turning a corner, came in full view of the receiver of
seized liquors. After a moment's hesitation, his ready wit
suggested the following ingenious method of escape. Al-
though he knew• the receiver, the receiver knew nothing of
him. He made up to the receiver with his kegs, and lay-
ing them down before him, said he was uncommonly glad
o have met him, as he had undertaken the hardest job he
had ever attempted in his life. " Sir, Master, the excise-
man axed me to take tlfese tubs to you, and flied me 2s. for
the job, but d—n him if I had know'd they'd been so heavy,
and would hit' cut my shoulder so (here the fellow writhed
most piteously), I'd seed um to the devil afore I'd a touched
o' em." " Well, but my good man," said the receiver,
" what can I. do with them, I want to proceed on my jour-
ney,
I hope you will carry them to my house, which is but
a quarter of a mile farther."—" I'd be glad to oblige ye,
Measter, but my shoulder be so cut that I can't do no
such thing." " Come, come, my good fellow," said the
receiver, " try what you can do, and here's 2s. more, and
when you have brought 'em my wife will give yon a cup of
drink into the bargain." 44 Well," quoth the man, 44 I'll try
what I can do ;" and putting the silver into his pocket, and the
liquor upon his back, the receiver rode off, and the smuggler
proceeded on his way, which we may naturally suppose was
in any direction rather than that of the receiver's house.—
( Exeter Gazette.) _ _ _

Thursday morning last, two men left a box at
SIMPSON'S coach-office, Rochester, to be for-
warded to London. Mr. ALDERSLY, of Strood,
who was present at the time, having before ob-
served the same persons at Strood, suspected
something improper, and called in an exciseman,
who was passing, and communicated his suspicions
that the box contained contraband goods ; it was
accordingly opened, when the body of a man was
exposed to view. The circumstance being made
known, many persons soon collected round the
office, and one of them thought it was the body
of his father, who had been buried in Strood
churchyard on the preceding day. It was ac-
cordingly taken to Rochester 'Workhouse, when
it proved to be the body. of W. HERRINGTON, an
aged man, many,years servant to the late Mr.
BOGIIIJRST, of Strood. The body was reinter-
red on Friday, the grave having been deepened to
ten feet. Three men suspected of the robbery were
in the meantime taken into custody, at Graves-
end. They were travelling in a light cart with
a good horse, and had tools, such as a spade and
pickaxe, and a wrapper similar to the one the
body was shrouded in. They underwent an
examination on Friday, at Rochester, aid were
rernanded.—(Kentish Gazettc.)

SUSSEX WINTER ASSIZES.

LEWES, DEC. 24.

James Johnson, William Pipe, and William Payne, Wee
indicted for burglariously breaking and entering, on the
night of the 4th of September, the house of Charles NewingtoS
at Ticehurst, and stealing 14 silver spoons and a prunia
knife, his property.
Mr. Newington, who IS a surgeon at Ticehurst, had, on the
night of the 4th of September, when lie retired for the night"
taken particular notice that his house was fastened in evert
direction. On the morning of the sth, the servant perceive'
that the house had been broken oped in three different' plaOes'
In the kitchen, a pane of glass had been removed from the vihv
dow, and the spoons mentioned in the indictment removed. 115
the door of the kitchen leading to the interior of the house 111,
fastened, further admittance at that part was impossible.
then appeared, that the robbers, being disappointed in these
attempts in,that place, had forced an entry into a dressiW
room. There an obstacle similar to that in the kitchen agates
opposed them. An attach had then been made on the pariot°
window, but with less success, for they had been unable t°
open it. The window of one of the lower rooms were thr-A
forced, but there the door of the chamber had been fastened'
and thus they were again frustrated in their endeavours. The
only property taken in all these attacks was the spoons before:
mentioned, and a pruning knife. When Mr. Newingttin liege
of his loss, he determined to lose n 0 opportunity of thscoverig
the thieves. Accordingly, he called a number of his neigh'
bours to his assistance, and sent them in every direction
that he thought it was possible any information could
be obtaiiied with regard to the robbery. The effect of thie
search was, that in the course of the next day, he heard that 3'
suspicious persons had passed the turnpike gate al Heathfielt
A pursuit was instantly commenced, and in about two days
after, the prisoners were found sitting on a bank near East Grin,
stead. They were seized, and the constable then assisting in the
pursuit began to search them. Pike then said, "he was not
going to stand all that time, for he -Was tired." He then throe
himself into a dry ditch, as if to rest himself ; but on search'
ing the ground where he had lain, a number of Mr. Newitig'
ton's spoons were found. Two spoons, also the property a
the prosecutor, and the pruning knife that had been lost, were
found in the pocket of Payne. On searching -Johnson' they
found a pocket knife, with the point broken ; and in theframe,
of the parlour window which had been attempted, the point of
a knife was found 'exactly tallying with the knife now dis-
covered in the pocket of the prisoner. The spoons lost were
now produced, and sworn to be worth 3/. 10s. by a silver'
smith.

The Jury found the prisoners Guilty—Death.
Thomas Purser was indicted for stealing, on the 4th of Na'
vember, a brown mare, the property of Benjamin Challen, aj
Cocking.

On tile night of the 4th of November, the mare in question
was placed in a stable belonging to the prosecutor, by one Of
his servants. The next morning the animal was missed. Mr.
Challen then circulated a number of hand-bills in the neigh-
bouring towns, with a full description of the mare. By the
inquiries made at Lewes, it appeared that the prisoner had gone
to that place with the mare, and booked.it for sale at the office
of the auctioneer. The next day a person named Eagles pur-
chased it. For greater security, Mr. Eagles asked the auctioneer
who was the owner. The prisoner was then pointed out to bin'.
When asked how he came, into possession of the mare, he said
he was a farmer near Arundel, and that being rather unfortir-
nate, he wished to part with her. This perfectly satisfying the
purchaser, he paid the money, and the prisoner was permitted
to depart. M7hen,Eagles heard of the prosecutor's loss, he MI•
mediately sent to inform him that a similar mare had bees
bought by him from a person at Lewes. Challen tame to Eagle,
house and identified the animal as his own. The prisoner was
pursued, and apprehended on the 20th of November.
The prisoner in his defence said, that on the night of the rob-
bery, he was sleeping at the house of his washerwoman, and
had never seen the witnesses now examined against him.--
Guilty,—Death.

Jol;t Haywood was indicted for stopping Samuel Pettit on
the highway, and feloniously taking from his person a Bank•
note, a silver watch; and other property, on the 23d of October,
at Heathfield.

The prosecutor, who is a labouring man, had on the 23d or
October gone to,a place called Burwash ; on his return he call'
'ed at a public house, for the purpose of getting some refresh'
ment. There he saw the prisoner, and remained drinking with
him for some time. He and the prisoner left the house in corn,
pany, as the latter informed the prosecutor that he was going
part of his road. When they had proceeded together abonc
three or four miles, the prisoner left him, and returned towards
the public house they had left. When the prosecutor la
walked some distance further, he turned down a lane leading
from the main road. He had not gone far before the prisonet
seized him by the collar, and by the assistance of another man
threw him on the ground. They immediately put their knee
on his breast, and took his watch, and some money then in big
pockets. This action was accompanied with so much violence
that one of the ribs of the prosecutor was broken. The person
of the prisoner's companion being unknown, no proceeding,'
were taken for his apprehension. The next, day, as the prose:
cutor knew the residence of the prisoner, he went there any,
demanded his watch. This was refused. A warrant was then
obtained, and the prisoner taken into custody.
Witnesses were called on the part of the prisoner, who swor'
that on the night in question the prosecutor had given his watch
to a woman for certain favours which she had 'granted him.
The Learned JUDGE, having summed up the evidence, re-
marked that in a case of this description, it was the peculiar
province of the jury to decide between the contradictory state•
ments made on the present occasion. If, on duly weighing the
different evidence adduced by the several witnesses, any reason'
able doubt remained in their minds of the guilt of the prisoner'
it would be proper to acquit him • and they ought not to con'.
vict him, unless they were perfectly convinced of the prisoner.'
guilt. But if they were of opinion that the story told by the
witnesses on the part of the prisoner was a fabrication, they
their verdict must depend on the evidence for the prosecution.
but if they thought that it was a sufficient contradiction to the
evidence produced by the prosecutor, they must acquit the pre'
soner.—The jury immediately acquitted the prisoner.
John Brown and Charles Stnitlywere indicted for stealing on
the 29th of August, a gold watch, from the person of Sirne°
Bates, at Brighton.
On the evening of the day in question, Mr. Bates, a respee'
table druggist at Brighton, was walking along East-street, lu
that town, when he saw the prisoners. They had approacheY
very near him, when Brown snatched the watch from his per;
son and ran away, in company with the other prisoner. As the;
proceeded down the street, he observed the watch transferre°
from Brown to Smith, and the latter put it into his pocket'
Both the Prisoners were stopped just as they were entering.°
the Cliff, and on being searched, the watch was found on Smitli'
—Guilty—Death.

DREADFUL AFFRAY.-On Saturday night last/
the 21st inst. at a late hour, a party of keepers/
on the estate of Mr. WADDINGTON, of Cavenharof
encountered in their rounds a gang of poachers'
who instantly gave the word to fire, and (Ds'
charged a volley at the keepers, three of whorl'
returned the fire, and closed upon the marauders'
There were nine of the poachers, and ten of the
keepers. A desperate conflict ensued, which
terminated by Eix of the former being secure';
and conveyed to our gaol. Some severe injurle
have been sustained on 'both sides, but non
likely to lead to fatal results.—(Bury Gazette.)