The Sun.
London, England, 1838-10-26 00:00:00

NEW COURT.

CONSPIRACY.—It having been known that the case of con-
spiracy respecting the family of the Marquis of Downshire
was to come on to-day, the New Court was crowded at an
early hour.
John Teuton, a printer, and of respectable appearance, was
placed at the bar and indicted for that he, with other evil dis-
posed persons, di& on the Ist of July last, unlawfully,
wickedly, and maliciously contrive, conspire, and cause to be
printed and published, certain scandalous and malicious libels
of and concerning- the Marquis of Dawnshire, and other mem-
bers of the same Noble family, with the view of extorting
money. The indictment was very long, and varied the charge
in various counts.
At the sitting of the Court the Marquis of Downshire,
Lord Hillsborough, and Lord Marcus Hill took their seats
on the Bench along with the Recorder and Mr. Alderman
Magnay.
Mr. PHILLIPS (with whom was Mr. CLARKSON and Mr.
BODKIN) stated the case to tho Jury, as it appears from the
following facts deposed by
The Marquis of Downshire.—He came to London on the
12th of March last, when he received two papers containing a
letter and two printed placards which bore the name of Reit-
tenhoffer as printer. Reittenhoffer was employed as a courier
to the late Marchioness from 1821 to 1830. His sister, Lady
Mary, always went with her mother when Reittenhoffer was
not in her service. Lady Mary died in 1830.
Cross-examined by Mr. JONES.—Reittenhoffer was a good
looking man, but be did not know anything of his acquirements,
nor had he any means of knowing whether he had any com-
mand of money after he left the Marchioness' service.
Lord Marcus Hill was well acquainted with the hand-
writing of Reittenhoffer, and the letter which had been enclosed
to the Marquis, was in his hand- writing. The letter was read,
and was offering to give up all letters and documents in his
possession, and withdraw the pamphlet relative to the sudden
death of Lady Mary Hill, upon payment being made to him.
Lord Hillsborough, eldest son of the Noble Marquis, re-
ceived a letter in Berkshire, enclosing the first edition of the
pamphlet; also, another, saying that he (the Noble Lord)
had called in Agar-street, Strand, threatening to break every
bone in his (Reittenhoffer's) body, and threatening to open a
shop for the sale of the pamphlet. The Noble Lord had
never been in Agar-street in his life, and did not know it.
Lord Sandys was his uncle, and was in the army.
Thomas P. Miller knew the defendant at the bar, in whose
service he was in March last. He was a printer, residing at
59, Union.street, Borough. Before that he lived in Drury.
lane. Witness had seen Reittenhoffer, at Teuton's, two or
three times—only once in Drury-lane. The placards pro-
duced purporting to have been printed by Reittenhoffer, in
Chelsea, were in fact printed by Teuton, at 59, Union-street,
Borough. Teuton refused to print the b.lla with his own
name attached. Reittenhoffer was waiting in Union-street while
the large bills were being printed ; the prisoner was also there.
In May witness was walking pith Teuton, who asked him to pro-
cure men to carry boards, he wanted six and they were got.
The placards were pasted on boards, and the men were to
carry them out to Belgrave square, May-fair, the Horse-
guards, Hanover-square, and the most populous places about
London. The men were to be paid half-a-crown a day by
Reittenhoffer. On the Monday Reittenhoffer and a friend
watched in Hanover-squire, and one of the men was taken
into custody, and that Reittenhoffer intended to apply for
the liberation of the man, and the restoration of the board.
Reittenhoffer often said before the p.-isoner that he expected to
make 5,0001 by the boards, and he would follow on the annoy-
ing system until he obtained the money. Witness made the
disclosure without any cimpulsion. The placards were shewn
at the shop of Fagniot, in Agar-street, Strand. Fagniot was
a friend of Teuton's.

Cross-examined—Witness was originally a silk-mercer, but
had not done anything for six years. That was at Portsmouth,
he left that place as soon as he gave up business ; he did not
run away.
The witness refused to answer any questions relative to the
reason and manner of his leaving London. The Court ruled
that he must answer.
He left Portsmouth in debt, and had not paid any of it yet.
When he came to town he was for sometime out of business,
and then he opened a curiosity shop—_a mummy. fie did
not not invite the ladies and gentlemen to walk in—he
was a demonstrator. He paid all the rent before he
left. He then went to Covent-garden, where he was director
of the supernumeraries. He was there three months, and then
went back again to Holborn. Afterwards, he was a traveller
for a printer, and afterwards he went to Mr. Teuton also as a
traveller. He once held the appointment of a police-clerk ;
he held that six months, and then resigned of his own free will.
lie had not received any gentle hint to resign. So help him,
God, he resigned of his own accord, Was once in business in
the Strand, but it did not answer ; he did not fail, nor walk,
or run away. He first gave information upon this matter to
Lord Marcus Hill ;it was in May, and was by letter. He
did not expect any advantage from doing so ; it was entirely
from conscientious motives that lie gave the information.
He had not received a single farthing for that information.
He of course got his expenses paid. He received a sovereign
last Tuesday ; he had not received more than 51. for the whole
of his trouble and expenses. He had no reason to sup..
pose that he would get more than the usual expenses
of a witness. The placards were printed in March,
but were not sent out till May. Witness did not take any
means of preventing their being sent out: He knew Fagniot,
in Holborn ; he bad a shop there, where he sold obscene
books. Witness never had any thing to do with Fagniot in
business. Witness corrected a publication called The Liar.
He and Fagniot were not in partnership in t'aat work. He
conducted the Penny Town. He drew a little money from it,
but very little. He had something to do with the Penny Sa-
tirist, and purchased some paper for it from a person in Hol-
born. He never was in partnership with Fagniot, nor was he
ever a printer in his life.
Re-examined—Teuton printed the Secret History under
the assumed name of Henry Colburn and Co., Agar-street.
Samuel Goodchild, a policeman, A 36, was on duty in Ha-
nover-square on the 11th May last. There was a concert
there ; and about one o'clock he saw a man named Daly there
with a broken board, on which had been a placard. 'Witness
took him into custody, and then Daly told him that he had
been employed by Teuton and Fagniot, whom he pointed out.
They ran away, and witness pursued and took them into cus-
d Lord Downshire's house is close by the rooms. Teu-
ton
tYWas taken to Nlarlberough-street along with Fagniot.
Fagniot were found a number of the small pamphlets. Teu-
tonthe name of Jones, and both acknowledged
that
tthheeyn gave
had employed the man. The Magistrate held them
to bail. He had been trying to take Teuton ever since, but
had failed.
Cross-examined.—He took the men into custody because
they were supporting the men who were creating a riot.
Mr. Wino., a constable, was at the police office when Teu-
ton and Fagniot were brought up. The prisoner then gave
the name of Jones There was a bag produced, and claimed
by Teuton ; it containcd a quantity of pamphlets, the libels
on the Downshire family.
Charles Ricketts was proprietor of the house in Agar-street,
which he let to Fagniot, who referred him to Teuton, and he
got a very good character of him. Teuton said the shop was
wanted for the purpose of bringg out a very expensive work.
As soon as Fagniot got possession lie saw a large placard of
Fracas in the
eDuownton Family," and he immediately afterwards wanted the shop fo -
T
him nolice.
holler, but witness refusee.
Cross-examined.—Witness had seen Miller in the shop ;
had also seen Teuton with a blue bag in his hand.
John Kirkman, a constable, lately in the employ of the
Society for the Suppression of Vice—Knew the shop in Agar-
street, Strand, and saw the prisoner there folding up
some books in the parlour. Fagniot followed him out,
and said
if he was well paid he would give information, by
which the printer and press employed in printing the Secret'
History" could be seized and stopped.
Thomas Burke, chief turnkey of the Westminster Bride-
well, had Fagniot in custody. The letter produced was
written by him, and addressed to the Marquis of Downshire.
Lord Marcus Hill had received a letter from Miller, and he
had never had any personal interview with him.
This closed the case for the prosecution, and the trial was
adjourned for ten minutes.