The Sun.
London, England, 1849-01-04 00:00:00

is a gentlemanly-looking young man, defended
himsolf.

The facts of the case (which occupied the Court a
considerable time in hearing, and have been recently
fully before the public) were these. Tne prisoner
(who is of good family, and has been brought up to
the medical profession) on the 7th of July called at
the shop of Mr. Springwiner, a dealer in bottles and
chemists' fittings, and having informed him that he
was about taking a chemist's business of a person
known to Mr. Spring winer, looked out a quantity of
fittings, which he requested might be put by for him.
He then produced a bill from a country union bank,
drawn upon Messrs. Spooner and Attwood, the Lon-
don bankers, for the sum of 12/. 45., and purporting to
be signed by John Williams, which he requested Mr.
Springwiner to pay into the bank for him, and give
him (prisoner) a cheque upon his banker for the
amount. This Mr. Springwiner refused to do, but said
he would obtain payment for the bill if prisoner left
it with him, which, after some hesitation, he con-
sented to do. Mr. Springwiner having sent the bill
to Messrs. Attwood, they denied having any account
in that name, but on searching through their accounts
found they had given credit to the amount of 1001. to
a Welsh clergyman of that name, imagined it to be
his, and, therefore paid it. The prisoner, however,
never expected it would be paid, for ho nevercalled
on Mr. Springwiner any more, but sent him a letter
requesting the return of the bill. This of course was
not done, and nothing more was heard of the prisoner
until he was taken in custody for a similar offence,
when leaving Winchester gaol, where he had been
imprisoned as a rogue and vagabond.
The evidence not leaving any doubt of the pri-
soner's guilt, the jury at ,once returned a verdict of
Guilty.
It was then proved that he had been convicted
in August, 1846, for uttering a forged instru-
ment for the payment of 101., and was ordered
to be transported for seven years, and which, by
the interference of his friends, was commuted to
two years' imprisonment. There was then a great
number of charges against him, and some for forging
Bank of England notes. He was, however, no sooner
out than he began again, and towards the autumn of
the past year was apprehended at Newport, Hants,
and lodged in the jail there, from whence he effected
his escape—but a description of him being telegraphd
to Hull, he was retaken, and subsequently placed
upon his trial for the offence and acquitted. The
authorities, however, down there committed him as a
rogue and vagabond, and sentenced him to two
months' imprisonment in Winchester jail for having
broken prison and which place he was leaving when
taken upon this charge.
There were several other charges against the pri-
soner, who was ordered to be transported for ten
years.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
_ MANSION-HOUSE.

John Brennan and John Cronin were charged with
having robbed a lady of her purse.
The prosecutriz, who is the wife of a gentleman in
the Bank of England, had gone round to pay her
tradesmen's bills on Saturday, and so nicely had she
provided for the occasion, that upon discharging the
demand of the last creditor, she put exactly 3d. into
her purse. In passing along Cornhill she was followed
by the two prisoners, one of whom had a coat slung
across his arm, and in an instant they whipped the
purse out of her pocket. The action was a perfect
specimen of skill; but two officers, Funnell and
Wardell, who have a very extensive knowledge of
the fraternity, and had been observing the prisoners
for some time, seized them and the lady's property
upon them.
The officers said they had known the prisoners
as common thieves for some time, and Cronin had
been lately discharged from a prison in which he
had been confined three months. They (the officers)
had seen many clever instances of sleight-of-hand, but
the neatness with which the purse had been taken
exceeded all they had before witnessed.
The prisoners were committed.
The LORD Maroc said that the generous public
were responding to the calls of distress at the present
very severe season in a manner that did honour to
their feelings. He had on that day received 51. from
" Beta," and 11. from a lady, for the poor-box.