The Sun.
London, England, 1836-09-01 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER l, 1836.

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.

J. P. LAPORTE'S BANKRUPTCY.

A meeting of the creditors under the fiat issued against
Mr. Laporte, formerly lessee of the Italian Opera House,
was held to-day, for the further proof of debts and the final
examination of the bankrupt.
The accounts were submitted to the Learned Commis-
sioner, and the solicitor to the fiat asked the bankrupt whe-
ther he had invested or held any sums of money in the
French funds since the date of the fiat ? He (the solici-
tor) had considered it necessary to ask this question, in or-
der to sitisfy the creditors upon the estate upon the point
just noticed. _ . .

Mr. Laporte had held French stock, but the difficulties
is which he had been placed by his theatrical engagements
had compelled him to sell out the whole amount of his in-
vestments before December, 1833. In reply to further
questions, the bankrupt had no hesitation whatever in stat-
ing that since the period he had named be had not invested
in or held French stock.

The Solicitor to the fiat said, on behalf of the creditors,
there was no ground for further postponing the final exa-
mination of Mr. Laporte, and the bankrupt passed in the
usual form. .

.„.....
It appears by the accounts that the total debts against
the estate amount to about 40,0001., and the available
assets to 1,300/. The bankrupt lost by his connection with
Covent• Garden between 13,0001. and 14,0001., with the
Italian Opera in the season of 1833 between 19,0001. and
20,0001, and 7,0001. in the season of 1834. During the
day M. Rubi, the prompter, proved for 1601., and M.
Ronzani for 2001., on behalf of some members of the
German Company. The further proceedings were then
adjourned.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HO USE.

Yesterday J. T. White, who was on Saturday charged on
suspicion of having forged the acceptance of Mr. John Peter
Zulueta, ate eminent Spanish merchant, residing in King
William- street, for 1001., was brought before Mr. Alderman
Kelly for a second examination.
Mr. BUSH, the solicitor to the Committee of bankers for
protection against forgeries and frauds, attended for the
prosecution ; and Mr. MAitoN, the barrister, attended for
the prisoner. ,
Mr. Zulueta, sen., stated that. the prisoner had been a
clerk in the house, and had been in the habit of writing the
accepting parts of the bills received by the firm ; that a
forged bill for 1001., purporting to be drawn by Jacomeo
Oneti, of Cadiz, and accepted by witness, and which was
paid at Glyn's bank, was, he believed, in the accepting part
in the hand-writing of the prisoner, and there were other
matters connected with the bill calculated to add to the
suspicion created against the prisoner. The case proceeded
thus
Mr. 6. H. Westall, of the Bank, produced a Bank of
England note, No. 337, 20th of June, 1836, for 501., for
which he gave, on the 20th of August, fifty sovereigns. The
name written on the note was William Melsom, No. 45,
Oxford-street. The names of parties receiving change were
always required, but the clerks did not always see them
written.

have'' redress for the embezzlement in a criminal Court. He
had a remedy by action. 1
Mr. Alderman BIRCH asked if the bill was due ? The
applicant said it would fall due in a few days.
The clerk read the clause which applies to this case (7
and 8 Geo. IV., cap. 29, sec. 49), which makes the de-
fendant guilty of a misdemeanour, and liable to be trans-
ported for 14 years.
The applicant said that he was not aware that he placed
himself altogether out of the protection of the Magistrate
by neglecting to give an instruction in writing, and he re-
tired, thanking the Alderman for his attention.
This case conveys a caution to persons having bills dis-
counted worthy their attention.

Daniel Forrester, the officer who apprehended the priso-
ner, inquired at the address, which was a linen-draper's
shop, with the name of Forth over it, but the people knew
nothing at all about the name on the note. Witness pro-
duced some papers, which he said he found in a portfolio
in the prisoner's lodging.
Mr. Mahon asked Mr. Zulueta whether when the pri-
soner was in the habit of writing the accepting parts of
bills, he did not use red ink? Mr. Zulueta—Yes.
Mr. Mahon—Were they not invariably written with red
ink ? Mr. Zulueta—l believe so.
Alderman KELLY—Was such an arrangement made at
Glyn's, where the bill was paid ? Mr. Zulueta—No ; there
was no arrangement to that effect.
Mr. Mahon—Have you known him to write any accep-
tance in black ink ? Mr. Zulueta—Not that I recollect.

Mr. Mahon—Then, you do not know that he did? Mr.
Zulueta—l do not.

Mr. Mahon—He had been between two and three years
in your employment. Was he not in the habit of address-
ing letters to foreign correspondents on your part ? Mr.
Zulueta—He was.

Mr. Mahon—Then, he must have known that Mr. Ja-
coineo Oneti lived at Genoa, and not at Cadiz ? Mr. Zu-
lueta—No doubt he might have known it.
Mr. Mahon—Don't you knew that he copied letters ad-
dressed to Jacomco Oneti, your correspondent at Genoa ?
Mr. Zulueta—l cannot give a positive answer to that.
Mr. Mahon—This bill is drawn, as it appears, from Ca-
diz, with the name of Jacomco Oncti, and yet• you have no
such correspondent there. Mr. Zulueta—Certainly, we
have not.

Mr. Mahon then adverted to the character of the paper
on which the bill was drawn, and which was stated to be
English paper.
Mr. Zulueta, in answer to questions from the Learned
Counsel, had seen English paper in Spain often, but did
not recollect having used any ; he had a clerk who, in the
absence of the prisoner, and after his dismissal, was in the
habit of filling up the accepting parts of bills. He had
anothei• Clerk, ton, who might, on emergencies, have writ-
ten to the same effect.

Mr. Mahon, in adverting to the peculiarity mentioned
by Mr. Bush on the first; examination in the prisoner's
mode of writing on the bills, asked whether the prisoner did
not write " Glyn and C 0.," as well as " Glyn and Co.'s"
on such occasions'? Mr. Zulueta did not recollect a sin-
gle instance in which the prisoner had written in the former
way, or in which any other of his clerks had written in the
latter. _ _

Mr. Mahon—Do you think that the writing in the body
of this bill is that of a foreigner ? Mr. Zulueta—l can-
not positively assert that it is not ; but it is not written in
the way in which foreigners write. He here pointed out
characters which he said were decisive of that fact.

Mr. Bush—No Spaniard of education could have written
it. Is it not ungrammatical, and unlike what a gentleman
of the country would write ? Mr. Zulueta said that there
was no doubt of that fact. The prisoner, he added, in his
examination by Mr. Mahon, wrote the Spanish language
pretty well, but did not speak it fluently. It was wit-
ness's impression that the hand-writing in the body of the
bill was not Spanish.
Mr. Bush asked, as the subject of foreign letters had
been introduced, whether the prisoner had not been dis-
charged in consequence of something with reference to
these letters? Mr. Zulueta replied in the affirmative.
Mr. Mahon—Did he not leave you of his own accord?
Mr. Zulueta—No, he was discharged.

Mr. P. J. nineta, son to the principal of the firm, was
acquainted with the handwriting of the prisoner, and be-
lieved the accepting part of the bill to be that person's.
He had examined a vast number of bills in which the
writing of the prisoner appeared, and the peculiarities
mentioned by his father were, as far as he recollected, uni-
formly 'observable in them.
Mr. Mahon here handed two papers to the witness, and
asked him if he believed they contained the handwriting of
the prisoner, to which he replied in the negative.• It is ne-
cessary to state that his father, upon being asked the same
question, answered without hesitation in the affirmative.
Alderman KELLY was of opinion that more pointed evi-
dence should be brought, before he should think himself
justified in sending the accused to Newgate.
Mr. Bush submitted that there was a case for a jury.

Alderman KELLY—I admit that the case is not without
suspicion, but I must have evidence more to the point.
Mr. Mahon—This evidence would not stand a moment
before a jury.
Mr. Bush felt it to be his duty to press for the commit-
ment of the prisoner.
Alderman KELLY could not think of sending the young
man for trial, and discharged him, upon the promise of
his father, who Mr. Bush admitted to be a most respect-
able man, that he should be forthcoming in the event of
any revival of the accusation upon more conclusive testi-
mony.