The Sun.
London, England, 1822-12-14 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

SWINDLING_ EXTRAORDINARY.

1301 V-STREET James Reading.--This old man,
who on Tuesday last was examined on a charge of obtaining by
false pretences a deed of assignment from a Mr. Charles, Butler
Hall, was again brought up yesterday. The office was exces-
sively crowded. When the prisoner was placed at the bar,
Sir RICHARD BIRNIE asked him bow he had spent his time
for the last four years ? Prisoner.—l have lived at Chelsea,
and paid my way like a respectable man, except during the last.
quarter.
Sir R. Birtxrc.—l mean since you left the hulks, you know.
I have a little document here which informs me that you were
transported for seven years, that you served four of the seven,
and that you were then discharged in consequence of having bad
eyes.
The prisoner bowed, but made no remark.
Sir R. BIRNIE.—Do you know Bieldulph, Cox, arrd Co., the
Bankers, at Charing-cross ? Prisoner.—l do, very well.
Sir R. BITUNIE.—One of the firm will, most probably, be
here presently. Prisoner.—l dare say it may be so, because I
owe them money. I kept an account there.
Sir R. BrnxiE.—Do you know Mr. Capper? Prisoner—
I do.

Sir R. BIRNIE.—Yes, you offered to procure him a seat in
Parliament immediately after your return from the hulks.
Prisoner.—ls Mr. Capper here ?
IF Sir R. BritxrE.—No ; but I can send for him. I believe
you had once a very.narrow escape from a punishment of two-.
ther kind—a punishment that would have saved, the necessity
of sending you to the hulks, and have deprived us of the plea-
sure of seeing you here now. The prisoner appeared not. to
hear this remark, but said he had three things to observe to
the worshipful bench : first, that he was not at present pre-
pared to meet the charge ;—secondly, that at a future day he
should be prepared to give a complete and triumphant answer
to it, and therefore he wished to be remanded ;—and thirdly,
he had to request that his Solicitor might be allowed to visit
him in prison.
He was informed that he would have the same indulgence in
that respect that other prisoners had.
A clerk to Messrs. Puget, Bainbridge, & Co. bankers, stated
that about 1,800/. had at different times passed throUgh their
hands to the prisoner, but he had- never cash there for more
than a day or two together. A bill of exchange for 2001:, ac-
cepted by the prisoner, which he had given to Mr. Hall the pro.
secutor, was sliewn to witness, and he said such a bill. would
not have been paid at their house. If witness had been asked
the question at any time, his answer would have been, there
was no probability of its being paid. There was now a aalanee
of 2s. 9d. in their hand in the prisoner's favour.
The prisoner, at this period of- the inquiry, saw Mr. .7. W.
Parkins, who had been some time on the bench, speaking in
an under tone to one of the Magistrates, and he immediately
said very sharply, " What are you whispering about, Mr.
Sheriff Parkins ? I know you, Sir, very well, and I know no
good of you, nor does any one else."
Mr. Parkins.— I have done nothing more in this affair than
bringing a document from Newgate to prove that you bad been
transported.
Prisoner.--I don't care for your whispering. You have eat
and drank, and slept at my house for a week together, and
never had a farthing of your money : you are a shabby. fellow,
and I don't care for you.=-7(A
Sir H, BIRNIE.—I do not wish to say too much about you ;
but I will just read a small portion of a trial at the Old Bailey :
it is this—" Trial of Jeremiah James Reading, the 'scape goat
of swindlers, for forgery. The Jury retired for some time, and
returned a verdict of guilty upon the second count of theiri:.
dictment, for uttering, knowing it to be forged. Sentence-7
Death."* This Sir Richard read'from a Sessions. Paper, which,
with a copy of the record of the conviction was handed to him
by an elderly gentleman who had them in 'his possession,_ and
who thought it his duty to furnish the Magistrates with, the in-
formation, in consequence of what he had seen in the public
Papers.
Prisoner.—Let the subject of former proceedings die, Sir
Richard.

Sir R. I.3flum.—l almost wish it• had, according to the
sentence.

The prisoner again observing Mr. Parkins speaking to Sir
R. Birnie, said, a Hold your. tongue, Mr. Parkins bUt. I
don't, care for you.; you are speaking to, a. gentleman, though.
you are a: bastard; Of the Duke of Nerfolli's."
Mr. 111 ixsitur.r. desired-the-prisoner not to indulge in reflec-
tions. of thiskind, or. he- would.be- removed. -
The-prisoner asked. if the Magistrates.youldtake,bail, now.?
Sir It. litaNtE.—;Not while yOuare 'uncle,/ commitment for
re-examination. 'We neier -

Prisoner—But hoai-many, tintes.arn I- to• be made.a shew. of
here ?

Sir R. is your own request you should be re-
manded.

The prosecutor said.he had, more evidence.to adduce,.
Mr. 'William Goodwin, of No. 5, OldiCayendish,street, said,
that he was applied to by the prisoner, in consequence of an

• It alipedied.fronilhe-Sesion4 paper, thttfthi ptisdher idas
tried in September, 1793, fot forging the. name of-John King to,
a bill of exchange, but the, letter? K wAs.arluThr'w4ttgal 90 as,
to resemble an It, and.the indictment, there him,
with forging the name of John Xing, Otheriise fling; and
upon this an objection in.poini of-law wa&raisedi and reserved
for the Twelve-Judges,,wilo„clecided.ittg,he,fatitl, and thg,pri-
soner of course was pirdoned.— Hi was convicted of a fraud in
the year 1813, and sentenced to seven years transportation.

aci ,
advertisement similar to that of Mr. Hall's. He was to tag—
the prisoner 2001., and the latter offered him some documentsr;
a security, but witness could not say that the assignment, P
duced was one of them. The prisoner declined giving tfltnip
his name and address, and therefore he did not advanr4
money.
Mr. Saintsbury, of Cott--cross, ironmonger, stated, ths', th.
~
prisoner, some time in September, was introduced to him w'
neighbour, as a person who had an assignment of some
3.1
siopary property to dipose of. He produced the assign
tgr"'
which was the same now before the Magistrates, and dem
AI
1001. as the price of it. The property was said to be undue
_,'""
control of the Accountant-General of the Court of Chown
which Court being at that time closed access could not be
to it, and some necessary delay took place before the bargl
could be completed. In the interim, the prisoner atteinf,
twice to obtain money in advance, to the amount first of Anl
and then 201., but witness, by the advice of his solicitor, if,
fused to give it; and in consequence of some subsequence
quiries, he dropped the negociation altogether. The Prin
told him the assignment belonged to a young man Valli
Hall, who owed him 2001., and that was all the swirly
had for the debt. He deplored the loss he should suffer
very moving terms.
Sir R. BIRNIE said this evidence was important, as it p-1.114.0,
an attempt by the prisoner to convert the property to his °""
use, and asked Reading what he had to say to it ?
Prisoner.—l hare nothing to say. It is perfectly true. I
Saintsbury is a very honourable gentleman, and I have the
highest opinion of him. (He bowed to the ground when „
said this.) As I said before, lam not now prepared with 1431
defence. Your Worships do not know all that is in this at
but I do ; and it will come out in the sequel, and astonish 34:
perhaps. I shall be able to meet it fairly and honourably ",'
spite of Sheriff Parkins.—(A laugh.)
A gentleman, who stated himself to be a solicitor, said .
prisoner had attempted to sell the assignment to a client all!:
Prisoner.—That is true. I know you, Sir. You are"
honourable a man as ever lived, and I have the highest pass"
respect for you.
Mr. MrssituLt..—Have you any thing more to say to ell'
charge ?
Prisoner.—Not at present, but I shall hereafter, and lit
that my solicitor may be admitted at all hours, from day-liA•
to dusk, and not merely from twelve to two o'clock, accordnig
the rules of the prison.
Sir R. BIIIIIIE.—The gaoler has certain regulations 110 a.
down for him, and from them he, of course, will not depart:"
We shall give no order for any particular indulgence to you.
et,
Prisoner.—Very well, gentlemen ; I shall be able to ails%
the charge, notwithstanding the good offices of Sheriff
Mr. Parkins.—This man has said a great deal about me, 611
all I know of him is that he attempted to cheat me out (1
,),
6,000/. ; but I made inquiry respecting him, and finding ll'
character exceptionable, I gave him nothing. I believe 1 11'""
twice at his house.
moment,
Mr.
eot Flood,aod a
Sir 1 i dRd.l esß xR
NMI aEg, isat
dr adtree,s3einotge r etdh
et hperoi
soflloceers,
" Here is a worthy brother Magistrate of mine, who lives at
Chelsea, and perhaps he knows you P—Prisoner.—ls that tie
Flood ? Indeed I know Mr. Flood very well. He is a lug
honourable man (bowing low), and I have the greatest nor,
and esteem for him.—(A loud laugh.)—Do. you. know any ta"
of me, Sir ?

Mr. Flood.—lndeed I do, and I know nothing good of rtg,
Prisoner.—llo you know any harm of me ?—I do ; a gre
deal.

Sir R. BIRNIE.—Thc fact is, he offered to get my friend
seat in Parliament, but he did not like it.
Mr. Austin, of the firm of Dwerrihouse and Co., waiS, e
makers, in Berkeley-square, preferred a charge against 10,
prisoner. In the early part of the present year the prisooc4
came to their house and said he wanted two gold watclich
to show to a young nobleman, who wished to purchase 09,,„,e'
old
with knew him before, but would not have trusted ly
with the watches on his own account. He purchased a go'
watch of small value some months before, at their boil
Witness let him have two watches, one of them a repeater, vol,
together 85 guineas, and he had never seen them since.
saw the prisoner subsequently, and asked him about the weitchir
and he said the young Nobleman had chosen one, but he cg
at
'
soner) did not know which • but he was gone to attend a t
York, and would not be back again for some time. Wit
asked the name of the young Nobleman, but the prisoner re;
fused to tell it, alleging as an excuse that it was an affair of great
delicacy, and that his young friend did not wish his father
know that he was purchasing expensive watches. 'Witness 11'
not seen the prisoner since that interview until the Preicill
moment.
The prisoner declined saying any thing to this charge;
after sonic further conversation, he was re-committed, and 4?1.
dered to be brought up again on Friday next.

We are happy to find that the long-confr,.„nla-
plated plan of forming a junction between the English ,7ij.
Bristol Channels is again revived, and a meeting is to be "e• r
at Chard, on Wednesday the 18th inst. to adopt measures t°
the'
its completion, which; if effected, must essentially benefit
neighbourhood, and particularly the towns of Taunton ann
Bridgewater, by making them a thoroughfare, not only betsve,!
the Channels, but by a branch which is said to be in contemPur.
tion from the line of the canal where it approaches near to 11(07
ton, such will, at a small expense, form a direct communication
through the latter town to Eketer. By this internal connection the
population of those wealthy and extensive-districts will be Or
plied with the best Welch coal, at considerable less expel; cie;
than what is now paid for those from Sunderland, as the )17.eie„
coal, by this inland navigation, is render d
ed uty
merchants will thus save the risk and expence of sending;
their goods from all places on the Severn, round the Lou
End. It is expected the coal and iron merchants from wales,
as also the general trade of Bristol, will interest themselves 00
this occasion, to forward the undertaking.—( Exeter I1,0:A.
Post, Dee. 12.)