The Sun.
London, England, 1807-01-15 00:00:00

OLD BAILEY.

~~

Y•esterdayathe Sessions commenced, before the.
Recosnee of LONDON, the Lord Chief .Baron MAC
-
DONALD; the Hon. Sir SOULDEN LAWEBNCE, and the
Hon. Sir ALAN CIIAMBRE.
After the Grand Jury was swotn, Frederick Smith'
'was tried on a capital indiament, for it conspiracy to
cheat J. Bartletteand for feloniously stealing from his
person" various Bank of England notes,' amounting-
to nearly 6001. in Peter-street, • near Soho-square, in
July, last.
From the evidence in this case, it appeared that
`the Prosecutor, Mr. Bartlett, in consequence of
some family dispute, had been for same time separat-
ed from his wife, who quitted his -house, and went
downe6 Ramsgate, where -she resided, and from
whence she refused to return, notwithstanding the
repeated solicitations of her husband. That, pendiug
this disagreement, the Prisoner was introduced as a
Military Gentleman to the Prosiitor, by an Attora
ney named Davis; and said he knew the Prosecutor's
wife at Ramsgate, and was intimate in the house
Where site lived. On hearing the Proscutur's story,:
be advised him to endeavour to obtain a reconcilia-
tion with his wife, more especially as he had heard
that her friends were about to take out a statute
of lunacy against him, and had suborned persons
to give testimony for this purpose ; by which means
he would be deprived of some funded property he
held in his own name in the three per cents. He
therefore advised him to sell out, and convert his fund-
ed property into money, whereby he might secure
the possession ; and he offered to accompany him to
Ramsgate, and become a mediates-between him and
• his wife; to this the• Prosecutor acceded. He employ,
ed Mr. Arnell, a stock-broker, to dispose of this fund-
ed property, and the Prosecutor received for it a check
upon the banking-house of Bolden) and Co. for
6191. 7s. 6d. the aenount of which was paid to him in
presence of the Prisoner, in a 3001. Bank of England
note, and other notes for' lesSer sums. The Prosecu-
tor then -set out with the Prisoner for Ramsgate up-
on the business of a reconciliation with his wife ; but
the Prisoner either failed, or pretended to have tali-
ed, in his endeavours to persuade the Lady ; and he
with the Prosecutor again returned to town. All this
time t he travelling charges were defrayed by the Peo-
secuaor ; and, on their arrival in town, the Prisoner
advised the Prosecutor to take away his son, who was
' a great favourite with his mother, from the house of
a friend at Fulham, when: the lad was; and, as a fur-
ther inducement for his wile to return, that he
should threaten to taki away this boy to America,
unless she consented to a reconciliation. They call-
ed together at Fulham for the purpose ; but the
friend where the boy was being from home, they re-
turned for the present to town, without bringing the
child, and came to the Welsh Harp, in Peter-street,
Soho. - The Prisoner, on this last excursion, as well
as on that to Ramsgate, continually endeavoured to
induce the Prosecutor to drink to excess. On their
arrival in Peter-street, he cailed for some brandy,
end endeavoured to persuade the Prosecutor to drink,
but the latter declined, said he had drank enough ala
ready, was fatigued, and wished to go to bed. After
they sat some time, he took his pocket-book from his
breeches pocket to pAy for the brandy, but the Pri-
soner told him, " he need not search there, for there
was nothing in that." He searched the pocket-book,
perceived that all his notes were gone, and he imme-
diately charged the Prisoner with halving taken them.
The Prisoner started up in apparent rage, clenched
his fist, called the-Prosecutor a rascal ; said if he had
not considered him as a friend, he would knock. him
down for daring to charge him with such an impu-
tation, and he immediately left the room in company
with some other persons with whom he had been pre-
viously conversing. The landlord,of the Welch Harp
.proved that he saw the pocket-boOk in the hands of
the Prisoner, in his room, shortly before the Prosecu-
Mr discovered his loss, and saw him sitting close to the
Prosecutor. On the Prisoner's disappearance, the
.Prosecutor gave information at the Police Offices, and
a strict inquiry was set ort foot. The numbers of the
notes paid at Messrs. Buldero's for the 6191. check
were obtained,' and through that means it was dis-
covered that the 3001. note had been paid into: the
banking-house of Haywood and Co. at Mancheater,
by a person who gave in his name as Mr. St. John,
but that in the course of a few hours the amount \Vas,
drawn out by small drafti; all but a trifling balance.
This faCi was discovered through the attivity and
gilance of Mr. Hanson, an Attorney, who was em-
•ployed by the Prosecutor? and Who not only traced
- the deposit in the name of St. John, but found that
the personal description of the Gentleman so called
answered precisely to that of Smith, the Prisoner=
The latter; some time afterwards, returned to- town, ,
and having written to the house of Haywodd and Co.
at Manchester, for a remittance of the balance in hie
favour, he received an answer, referring him to- Mr.
Hanson, as their agent, who was authorized to settle
the, business. He called accordingly at Mr. Hanson's,
, do the 3 tst of Odtobcr, to receive the balance due to
him at Messrs. Haywood's. Mr. Hanson asked
him-if he was net the Gentleman who made the de-
posit in the name of St. John ? He answered in the
afEsotative. Mr. Hanson requested hint to write an
authority for him to receive of Messrs. Haywood the
.amount of his demand, and he would pay him.
The Prisoner took up a pen for the purpose, and
after some little hesitation said he did not know the •
form, but desired Mr. Hanson to write, and lie
woold sign it. This was accordingly done; and Mr.
Hanson, on taking the order clown stairs, found the
hand-writing in the name of St. John exactly to
correspond with the same name in several of the
drafts on the House of Messrs. Haywood, then in.
his possession, and also his personal description with
that of Smith : he immediately sent his Clerk for a
Police-officer, and returned up stairs, on a pretence
of sending' to his Banker, to detain the Prisoner.
The Prisoner, however, became very impatient ;
said he could not stay, as there was ksiek lady
waiting for him in a carriage ; but requested Mr.
Hauton to send the money to his inn. The Poa
lice Officer soon arrived, and he was 'taken into
custody, brought before a Magistrate, and identi-
fied by the Prosecutor; also by a Clerk from the
house of Messrs. Haywood, as the person who de-
posited the 3001. note there, in the name of St. John,
on the 7th of August last; which mite was proved by
a- lerk from the house of Bolden) to have been the

Same. that was.p4id to tilt tiosecutor an the 7th of
July, as part of the 61p1. and•consequentiv part of
the sum in his pocket=book at the time he was robbed.
rt alsh appeared from the Prosecutor's evidence, that
be called on the Prisoner since lie was taken into cus-
tody, and asked him how much of his Money he had
remaining unspent ?—to which the Prisoner an-
swered, he had 4:4.1'81. which he would return to him
it' he would drop the.prosecutiou, but that he would
get nothing if he persisted.
The Prisoner's defence was an utter denial of the
charge, and a positive declaration that the principal,
witnesses were perjured, and particularly the Clerk of
Messrs. Haywood and -Mr. Hanson ; tor be said he
had told the latter gentleman, that he was not the
person calling himself' St. John ; but that the person
so stiled was then along with the Lady in tbe.colch
.that Waited for him,"and that if he would come to
the coach lie would find that person, and have an
opportunity of doing full.justice, for that he had only
signed the name of 'St. John by that person's per.
mission and request.
The Learnel Judge summed up the evidence for
the. Jury, who found the Prisoner Gyilty—Deitth.
The Prisoner was a' daShing tall young fellow,'
about 29, fashionably attired, and of gentlemanly
address, manner; and appearance, much the stamp
of a Military Officer: t-fe• made 'his defence, such
as it was, with great firmness, recolleaion, and pro-
priety of diaion ; but, at the same time, with very
indignant, feelings towards his Prosecutors, and ap.,
parent disappointment at the result.