The Sun.
London, England, 1825-08-12 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

Bow-STREET.--Last evening, Mr. William
'Christmas, the late clerk of Messrs. Hoare, the bankers, in
Fleet-street, who has been several weeks in custody on charges
of embezzling-Exchequer bills to the amount of 1,000/. and
upwards, the property of his emplbyers wasbrought fromthe
House of Correction, and underwent a final examination. •

Mr. LAW attended for the prosecution last evening; and Mr.
HAttmun.appearedaA the prisoner's Solicitor. -
'lt appeared .from the evidence of Mr. William.Watfield. a
paymaster of Exchequer bills; that it is the custom' every year,
upon a new issue of those bills, to call in. the old ones, and per-
sons presenting thqatter have the option either to take the new
bills in exchange, or money. In September,.lB24, the bills
paid ifx SePtenther,lB23, Were called in and new bills given in
exchange. -This witness produced a list of Exchequer bills of
1823, to the amount of 475,400 d., brought into the Pay-office to
be exchanged for' the'same amount of bills bf .1824, with inte-
rest, on account of Messrs—Hoare. The witness next produced
a receipt for the bills, signed on the back, Wm. Christmas,
for
,Messrs. William Hoare and C 0.," and a draft for the
amount of the-interest upon the bills. Mr. Watfield further
stated, in answer to a question from. Mr. Law, ,that there were
never two ExChequer bills of the same number issued in the
.same year. The issue of each year commences at No. 1, and
went on.

- .Mr. Robert-Cotton, -of the house of Messrs. Hoares, deposed
that the memorandum' and signature on the receipt produced
by Mr. Watfield, were the hand-writing of the prisoner.
Mr. John Turner Watts, a stock-broker, stated, that on the
22d of June he received-from, and sold for Mr. W. Christmas
(the prisoner), Exchequer bills, Nos-3,534, 5, and 6, each for
100/. and paid the produce, with.the usual deductions, to him.
They, were' bills.of. the last new issue of-1824. On the 25th of
June witness received-from the prisoner three more Exchequer
bills for 1001. each, NoS. 8,527, 8, and 9, which he also sold.—
On the 14th of Jul!" he received and sold .four other bills of the
sameissue, for 100/. each, Nos. 10,530, 1,2, and 3, makipg al-
together 1,000/. IVitness received drafts for the amounts of
these bills from Mr. Harman, and paid over the money to the
prisoner. The witness
.was never concerned for. Hoare and Co.
Mr. Meyrick Hoare was called to prove the. name of the seve-
ralyartners of the firm. _ _ _

.Other evidence was then called to prove that the prisoner had
brought to account 1,0901. less than he had received in the Ex-
chequer bills mentioned. •
•Sir R.-tint:cm havinc, understood that this was the whole of
the evidence intended to be offered on this charge, asked the
prisoner if he had any remark to make • at the same time cau-
tioning him that it was not absolutely necessary for him to
speak. ' '
The prisoner said he should have an observation or two to
make before the close of the examination.

A second charge was then preferred against the prisoner, arid
substantiated by evidence, for embezzling a 301. note, part of
the interest upon the bills, which was paid to him in money at
the Bank of England. •
31r. LAW said this was the close of his case against the pri.:
soner, and he presumed Sir R. Birnie would think there was
sufficient to warrant a full committal.
• fir R. Biiiier.E. replied in the affirmative.
31r. Harmer said he had one request to make on behalf of the
prisoner. He had been in an ill state of health almost from the
moment of his apprehension on these charges, and had indeed
been in the infirmary the greater part of the time of his con-
finementin the House of Correction, and it would be a very
great indulgence to him to be permitted to go back there till the
Sessions; instead, of being sent to Newgate. His comforts
would be greater, and he would
.have. the benefit of the attend-
ance of the winte medical gentleman. Mr. Harmer added, that
he believed it was the wish of the prisoner to make an ob-
servation himself on a subject of co.usiderable delicacy.
The prisoner, advancing to the table, said, " it has gone
abroad that my present unhappy situation is owing to my ac-
quaintance with a certain lady (Mrs. Chatterley is the person
here alluded to), and I wish to take this opportunity of de-
claring publicly hat there is no foundation whatever for such a
supposition. I solemnly 'declare that it is not true, and that
my present predicament is owing entirely to unfortunate specu-
lations on the Stock Exchange." (The prisoner here produced
a written account, in which it was made to appear that he had
lost upwards of 6,0001. by speculations in the funds, or in Joint
Stock Shares.)
Sir 11. BialerE—You had better have said nothing. You
don't know what you are doing. I cautioned you before, but
if yOu will talk 1 must \hear you.
Prisoner—My only object was. to clear the character of a lady
who has been most unjustly calumniated.
Mr. LAW said this was all extraneous 'matter. He had to ,
apply to the Alagistfate on another subject: He understood
that Air. Vickery, the Governor of the House of. Correction,
had seized 1,3001., and upwards from the prisoner, and as it
was already proved that he had embezzled more than 1,0001.,
belonging to Messrs. Hoare, it was more than probable that
part of this money was the produce of that embezzlement, and
he(i%ir. Law) had to request that the 1,3001. might be impound..
ed; to be dealt with hereafter as the Judge should direct.
In a conversation which folloived upon this, it was explained
that after the prisoner was first sent to the House of Correction,.
some friends sent him about 1,300/., in the hope that he would
be permitted to make up his deficiencies. Mr. Vickery took it
from him, from a fear that some fellows in the prison might rob
him of it, but gave it up again upon his Counsel's demand.
The prisoner was fully committed, with permission to go to
the House of Correction till trial. 1

•
THE THEAD-MILLs.—At Lewes,each prisoner
walks at the rate of 6600 feet in ascent per day; at Ipswich,
7450 ; at St. Alban's, 8000 ; at Bury, 8950 ; at Cambridge,
10,175; at Durham, 1,000; at Brixton, Guildford, and Read-
ing, the summer rate exceeds 13,000; while at Warwick, tLe
summer will be 17,000 feet in ten hours.