The Sun.
London, England, 1849-09-12 00:00:00

LAMBE TI?.

Yesterday John Perry Hening, Henry Roberts,
and Thomas Croton, who have undergone several ex-
aminations on charges of defrauding the public, by
representing themselves as belonging to the Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which
society was not in existence, were again placed at the
bar, before the lion. G. C. Norton.
Mr. Ferguson, the chief clerk to the Mendicity
Society, the members of which are the prosecutors
in the present case, informed the magistrate that
amongst the papers found in the possession of the
prisoner Hening was a document, stating that a
meeting of the committee of the Animals' Friend
Society had been held at the Duke of Clarence public
house, in the London-road, and that the financial
portion of the business could not be proceeded with,
as there were not a sufficient number of persons pre-
sent to form a quorum. To contradict such a state-
ment, he (Mr. Ferguson) should call and put into the
witness-box Mr. Fisher, the landlord of the house in
question, who would prove that no such meeting took
place at his house.
Mr. Fisher was here sworn, and deposed that an
application had been made to him some time since:
to let his room to certain persons, but he understood
they were a society of Odd Fellows. He did not,
however, let the room, and consequently there had
been no meeting at his house, nor had he ever seen
any of the prisoners, to his knowledge.
The prisoner Hening here remarked that it was
possible the circumstance might have escaped the re-
collection of Mr. Fisher, but true it was that there
had been a meeting of the committee at the Duke of
Clarence about twelve months ago.
This Mr. Eisner denied, and said that about that
time, three private societies of a certain description
were held, and he could safely swear that he had no
let a room of his for the. use of any committee or so •
ciety, as he should not, on any account, let any com-
mittee sit in a room in his house without knowing
what the business and objects of such committee were.
Mr. Ferguson here informed the magistrate that
since the last examination he had received from Mr.
Frederick Stockdale, whose name appeared in the
printed books as the treasurer to this "Animals'
Friend Society," a letter, to which he wished to
direct his Worship's attention.
Mr. NORTON replied that he had also received a
letter from Mr. Stockdale, .which he should read.
His Worship here read the following letter :
" Shaldon, Teignmouth, Sept. 10, 1848.
" Sir,—lt is impossible to describe the nature of
my surprise and the indignation I feel by finding my
name introduced on the examination of three indivi-
duals at the Lambeth Police• court. Now, Sir, 1 beg
most distinctly to state that I never authorised any
person to add.my name as treasurer to this apparent fic-
titious Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals,
neither have I ever received, either directly or indirectly,
know nothing whatever of the parties implicated,
any sums of money on account of such society. I
excepting Hening, who I accidentally met some years
since in Exeter. I accidentally met him a second time,
on leaving my late'residence, two years since, when he
said he was collecting subscriptions; but I told him
it was not in my power to become a subscriber. Some
months since a person called at my residence, and I
was not a little surprised to find that my name had
been used clandestinely, and not knowing the party
I sent a friend to expostulate on the impropriety of
his conduct ; and I most solemnly declare that I am
quite in a state of ignorance as respects such a nefa-
rious transaction. I have only this moment seen an
account of this affair in Tuesday's Times, and have
embraced the earliest opportunity of writing, to ex-
press my feelings upon such a matter, and shall be
happy to come forward, if necessary.—l beg to re-
main, Sir, your very obedient servant,
" FREDERICK W. L. STOCKDALE.
" To the Hon. G. C. Norton,
Lambeth Police Court."

Mr. NORTON, after reading the above letter, re-
marked that he thought that Mr. Stockdale would be
a most important witness on the trial of the prisoners,
and recommended Mr. Fergusson to have him in
attendance.
Hening hoped he would attend, when he had no
doubt he would give a very different version of the
affair. It was natural to expect that Mr. Stockdale,
after the ex parte statements that had gone forth to
the public, should repudiate the society, but he forgot
to mention in his letter that he (Hening) had spent a
Sunday with him just as he was about to leave town,
when the whole of the conversation related to the
business of the society.
Hodgson, a person who had been employed by
Hening to collect subscriptions, was called to prove
the fact that Hening pointed out to him the house of
Stockdale as the treasurer to the society ; and Hors-
ford, the Mendieity officer, said he had traced out one
of the members of the committee, who was dubbed
with the term esquire, and found him to be a journey-
man tailor, working in a back kitchen.
The prisoners were again remanded.
CLERKENWELL.

Yesterday William Grindley, a respectably-dressed
young man, who, said he was the son of Captain
Grindley, of the 43d Light Infantry, was placed at
the bar before Mr. Combe, charged by Mr. Isaac
Jacobson, jeweller, of Oxford street, with stealing a
valuable dressing-case under the following circum-
stances:—
_ _ _

It appeared from the evidence that on Monday
morning, about a quarter to ten o'clock, the prisoner
entered the shop of the prosecutor and requested the
shopman to show him a dressing-case. Ile produced
several, which the prisoner carefully inspected, when
he said they were inferior in quality. The shopman
then told him that he had some silver dressing cases,
and produced one ; on examining which the prisoner
said it would exactly suit, representing that he was a
dealer, and he was anxious to show it to a gentleman
on approbation, and he would be allowed something
for his trouble. Mr. Jacobson, jun., entered the shop
at the time, and on the circumstance being explained
to him, he consented to let the prisoner take it with
him, conditionally that the shopman should accom-
pany him. The prisoner said that the gentleman re-
sided at North Bank, and willingly assented to the
shopman going with him. They crossed the Re-
gent's Park together, until they arrived at North
Bank, where a board was stuck up at No. 30,
North Bank, with an inscription that the house was
"to let." The prisoner then told the shopman
that the gentleman who had deputed him to procure
him the dressing-case was going to the continent,
and was about to let the house, and requested him
(the shopman) to let him have the desk to show, and
to wait outside, whilst he (the prisoner) took it to