The Sun.
London, England, 1849-01-15 00:00:00

he had worked on a railway, but was discharged
because the works were stopped. He had been
tramping the country in search of employment, but
in vain, sleeping on carts, waggons, and bye places,
starving and wretched. He had slept in a cart at
Tonbridge on the previous night, and had walked to
London, where he arrived that day in an exhausted
state, and he did not know what to do. He was only
anxious to get to his native home at Nottingham, and
he craved some assistance in order to enable him to
proceed on his journey. He was introduced to Mr.
Tyrwhitt, who listened to his " distressing tale" with
evident sympathy, and humanely ordered that imme-
diate nourishment and assistance should be afforded

him ; accordingly an excellent dinner and Is. were
given him, and he started off on his supposed journey.
On Saturday, however, he again made his appearance
in the Court, under circumstances which caused con-
siderable indignation.
An officer of the Mendicity Society said he saw
the prisoner going from house to house knocking at
the doors, and begging in a most impudent manner,
and insulting persons who refused to give him
money ; he proceeded to take him into custody, when

he resisted.
Mr. TYEWHITT remonstrated with the fellow on
his ungrateful and infamous conduct, which plainly
showed how the public and charitably disposed per-
sons were imposed on by such heartless ruffians as the
prisoner, who, it was evident, preferred begging to
anything in the shape of work.
Mr. Nesbitt was sworn, and he identified the pri-
soner as having been relieved with food and money
on Saturday, the 6th inst., when he promised to leave

London for Nottingham.
Mr. TTItsvnITT asked the prisoner what he could
possibly say to such conduct ?
The prisoner said, he met with some companions,
who induced him to remain in London to look for
work, and he spent the shilling.
Mr. TYRWHITT said, it was proved that he was
begging, and he would commit him to the House of
Correction, with hard labour, for one week ; but he
might depend upon it, if ever he was brought there
again under similar circumstances, the full penalty of
the law should be inflicted upon him.
He was then conveyed to prison.
SOUTHWARK.

On Friday afternoon, at a late hour, several gen-
tlemen connected with the North-Western Railway
Company, attended by Mr. Clarkson, the barrister,
applied for a warrant, at this court, to apprehend
three persons residing in Bermondsey, for conspiring
to extort money from the railway company by pre-
tending that they had received injuries on the above
railway at Leighton Buzzard on the sth of Sep-
temer last. Warrants were immediately issued and
placed in the hands of Wright and Murray, two
officers of the M division, and just before the court
closed on Saturday two of the parties were placed at
the bar before Mr. Cottingham. They gave their
names as Robert Duncan and Mary Duncan, man
and wife, residing in a miserable abode in George-
street, Bermondsey. The third person has not yet
been apprehended. The male prisoner seemed to
treat the charge with the utmost indifference, but his
wife was suffering severely, so much so that she was
accommodated with a chair.
Mr. Clarkson again attended for the prosecution,
and Mr. Buchanan for the prisoners.
Mary Linfield, who said that she was the wife of a
ship's steward, then in China. On the 4th of Sep-
tember she went to Duncan's house and took lodgings
there, when she saw both the prisoners. On the
same evening she carried some glass to her rooms,
when she again saw Mrs. Duncan, who appeared
quite well. On the morning of he sth she took
possession of her lodgings, when she saw them both
again, and neither of them appeared to be suffering
from any illness. She lived in the house for several
weeks afterwards, and was positive that the female
prisoner had never been confined to her bed, or had
been the least unwell. On the Thursday before she
left, the male prisoner told her that his wife had un-
dergone a surgical operation, but she believed such
could not have taken place.
Susanna Young, of 7, Maddocks place, Bermond-
sey, said, that she entered the prisoner's service in
August last, and remained some time after the last wits
ness hired apartments in the house. Neither her master
nor mistress left the house on the 4th or sth of Sep-
tember. A week after witness had been in their
service Mrs. Duncan told her that she had a dreadful
pain in her side from having been thrown down
stairs by her husband.
On cross-examination by Mr. Buchanan, witness
said that she never had any words with either of the
prisoners, and she was certain that neither of them
slept from home on the 4th or sth of September.
Mr. Thomas Porter, surgeon, of Euston-square,
said that the company received applications from the
prisoners and another for compensation, alleging that
they were seriously injured at Leighton Buzzard on
the morning of the sth of September. An accident
having occurred at four o'clock that morning, he was
directed to call upon the parties and examine them.
On the 28th of October he accordingly went to Dun-
can's lodgings, when he saw the male prisoner, to
whom he told his errrand. Duncan replied that he
did not want to see a medical man ; he expected a
lawyer to call upon him and settle for the injuries
inflicted upon himself and wife. He also said that
the latter had miscarried through the accident, and
that she was suffering from a prolapsus of the uterus.
Witness questioned him further, when he said that
they were both in a second-class carriage when the
accident occurred, and that they had both been se-
riously ill for some time. Witness asked him the
name of the medical man who attended them, when
he mentioned a Mr. Hunt, .of Queen-street, Ber-
mondsey, and afterwards he said he lived in the Black-
friars-road. Witness went into a back room, where
he saw the female prisoner on a bed. She said that
she had miscarried through the accident, and that she
was unable to get up. She did not appear to be suf-
fering from the complaint alluded to. She made a
statement similar to that of her husband.
In answer to Mr. COTTINGHAM, the witness said
that the prisoners and a man named O'Brien wanted
to extort the sum of 601. each as compensation.
Mr. Harrison, solicitor, of the New-road, said, that
he was employed by the male prisoner to apply to the
railway company for compensation. He did so, and
received an answer that inquiries should be instituted.
Witness would not have taken the case up at all had
he not received a letter from a person named Dark,
recommending them to his notice as respectable per-
sons. The male prisoner wanted him to bring an
action against the railway company immediately, but
he refused to do so until the company was satisfied
with the examination. He produced several letters
from the prisoner Duncan relative to the affair, also
one from a man named Dark. In cross-examination
by Mr. Buchanan, witness stated that he never saw
Duncan with O'Brien. The action against the com-
pany was brought by another solicitor.
Mr. Clarkson informed the magistrate that he could
not go much further with the case until the man
Dark was in attendance. He had been a party to the
transaction, and would be in attendance on a future
day ; consequently he should call for a remand.
There was at present sufficient evidence to prove that
the prisoners had conspired together to extort money
from the railway company, and had not extraordinary
precaution been used they would have succeeded. it
was, in fact, a public question, and the whole of the
facts required to be sifted thoroughly. He would,
however, put another question to Mr. Porter, by ask-
ing him whether he did not hear a shuffling noise in-
side the back room before he entered, similar to a per-
son getting into bed ?
Mr. Porter replied, that such appeared to be the
case, although he could not distinctly swear to it.
Mr. James Berridge, a greengrocer, residing in
Bermondsey, New Town, said that he had supplied
the prisoners with goods for some time. On the
4th and sth of September last he took some green's
to their house, and he believed he then saw both the
prisoners.
Mr. COTTINGHAM inquired whether there were any
more witnesses that day ?
Mr. Clarkson replied in the negative. He should
be able to produce Dark on a future day and other
witnesses, and he had no doubt the officer would be
able to apprehend O'Brien.
Mr. COTTINGHAM observed that, under these cir-
cumstances, he should remand them until Tuesday
next. In addressing the prisoners the worthy Magi-
strate said that it was a very serious offence, as all
parties had acted designedly together to extort
money from the railway company. It was a bailable
offence, and he should have no objection of their
taking advantage of such by finding two sureties each
in 1001., and the male prisoner's recognizance in 2001.,
to appear at that court on a future day.
The prisoners were accordingly remanded.
Mr. COTTINGHAM told Mr. Harrison that, for his
own sake, he had better attend on the next examina-
tion, as circumstances required some explanation on
his part. He did not mean to say that he was con-
nected with the parties in custody, but still he was in
a position to throw further light on the subject.
Mr. Harrison informed the magistrate that he
should be happy to attend and to do anything in his
power to bring the guilty parties to justice.

BELGIUM LOCOMOTITES, AND THE FRENCH CUs-
TOMS.—One of the French railway companies recently
ordered some engines to be built at a Belgian factory, at
the price of 40,000 f. and on the completion of one it
seas sent to the frontier, on its way to the line for which
it was built; but on its arrival at the custom-house it
was refused admission. Tho reason given for the re.
fusal by the authorities was that engines cost 50,000 F.
in France, therefore the Belgian article should pay duty
at that rate. Protestations were made, pre-emption was
demanded, but to no purpose; the authorities were in-
flexible, and the engine remains in the possession of the
custom-house authorities, awaiting the decision of the
French Government.
The other day a Frenchman was apprehended at
Plymouth, who instantly stabbed himself in the bosom,
by which he cut a bladder containing half a gallon of
smuggled brandy.