The Sun.
London, England, 1849-01-03 00:00:00

GUILDHALL.

Yesterday, Michael Leary, &well-known impostor,
who has been brought up to this court an innumer-
able number of times for begging and exciting the
sympathies of the :public by pretended illness, &c.,
was charged before Alderman Lawrence with a simi-
lar offence.
The prisoner, who was allowed to stay in the ante-
room instead of being locked up in the cells, continued
groaning all the time, declaring that he was dying
from rheumatic pains, and when helped into the
court he redoubled his cries of " Oh, my back, my
back," and clung to the railings of the dock, in which
position he continued moaning at times, and to all
appearance suffering great pain, while the evidence
was being taken down.
John Snellgrove, 267, of the City police, said that
about eight o'clock the previous evening he was on
duty in Holborn, when he observed the prisoner walk
from house to house begging, after which he went
into several public houses, and obtained a quartern
of gin, which he drank, and at last became rather
intoxicated.
The prisoner, forgetting all his pain, exclaimed in
a firm tone of voice, quite different to the whine he
had kept up, " Oh, he would actually swear my life
away.
Alderman LAWRENCE—Do not say anything yet
awhile ; you will be heard presently.
Snellgrove then went on to say that the prisoner
then went into a coffee-shop, but did not get anything,
and on his coming out he took him into custody,
knowing him to be a rank impostor. He made a
most determined resistance, and kicked him several
times, but finding his efforts ineffectual, he went on
another tack, and suddenly dropped down on the
pavement, declaring that he had got a rheumatic
attack and could not walk, in consequence of which
a stretcher was sent for, on which he was conveyed
to the station-house. On attempting to search him,
the prisoner said that he had only lid. about him.
Prisoner, again forgetting his assumed character,
said—That is false. I said I had Is. sd.
The officer proceeded to state that he found Id. in
the prisoner's jacket pocket, and Is. sd. wrapped up
in a paper, and tied in his shirt.
Prisoner—l only had that amount altogether.
Alderman LAWIENCE asked the officer how the
prisoner walked when he first observed him ? Snell-
grove replied that he was walking as well as any per-
son from Hatton-garden to Leather• lane. That he
had got a union jacket on, and was the worse of
liquor. . _ _

Prisoner—What a falsehood—am I drunk now ? I
was no more intoxicated then than now.
Alderman LAWRENCE asked the prisoner what he
had to say ? The prisoner said he had only been
turned out of the workhouse the previous day, where
he had been ill for the last eight days, and that he
went to Hatton-garden to see one of the overseers,
but he did not succeed. He then went to the coffee-
shop to get a pennyworth of tea, which they would
not serve him with, and on coming out he was taken
into custody. He was much ill used by the officers
at the station-house, although so very bad.
Alderman LAWRENCE—That will not do ; you are
too well known to make me believe you were ill at
all, and it is all sham now. When were you last in
prison ? Leary—l had six months at the sessions
for an assault on the police, but I was in good health
then.

Alderman LAWRENCE—And you had a knife in
your possession fur th• purpose of stabbing them ?
Leary—No, I had not.
David Sutherland said the prisoner had been twice
committed from this court for similar assaults.

Alderman 'JANI'2E/ICE—There is no doubt you are
one of the greatest impostors in London, and are well
known. Prisoner (with great frankness)—Well, I
will not tell a falsehood, but admit that I am a little
known—(Laughter)--but I wish you would send me
to the workhouse, to keep me out of the streets.
Alderman LAwRsNcE—I shall send you some-
where else before you go there, and that is to prison
for fourteen days on bread and water.
The prisoner was then carried out by the officer,
he having suddenly remembered that he was suffering
severely from the rheumatics, and therefore cried out
most lustily about his back.