The Sun.
London, England, 1849-09-10 00:00:00

SO Ul'H IVARK.

Late on Saturday afternoon Henry Peeks, chief
booking clerk at the London terminus of the Brigh-
ton Railway, was brought before Mr. Seeker, from
Brighton, in the custody of Superintendent Ramsden,
of the Brighton police, charged with extensive em-
bezzlement on the directors and company of the
Brighton and South Coast Railway.
Mr. Clarkson attended on behalf of the railway
company, and Mr. Prendergast fur the prisoner.
Mr. Clarkson, in stating the case, informed the
magistrate that the prisoner had for some time held a
highly responsible and respectable situation in the.
service of the Brighton Railway Company, and the
most implicit confidence was reposed in him up to the
present occasion. It was his duty to issue tickets
for the different trains, and receive the money, which
he accounted for to the audit-office. The mode in
which the crime was committed displayed extraor-
dinary ingenuity, as would be seen from the evi-
dence. A number of tickets had been issued twice
by him, and he had only accounted for them once ; be
had also issued other tickets, and, with theconnivance
of other parties, replaced them in his drawer, pocketing
the money, and dividing it between them. A number
of tickets were issued daily to the prisoner, bearing
consecutive numbers ; and, prior to the departure of
each train, it was the prisoner's duty to fill his slide,
and take them from that place when wanted for the
passengers. They were then marked with the date
and amount of the fare. In consequence of some
suspicion, the prisoner's drawer was examined on
Sunday, and a number of tickets missed, and on
Monday they were found to be replaced, with
isue•marks on them, which clearly indicated that
they had been used. The charge was one of a
serious nature against the prisoner, and, without
making any further observations, he should proceed to
call witnesses.

Mr. John Weatherhead, superintendent at the
London terminus of the Brighton Railway, said that
the prisoner was head booking-clerk in the passenger-
office, and issued all the tickets and received the
money. From information witness received from Mr.
Francis, the second clerk, he communicated with Mr.
Slight, the accountant, and with those gentlemen he
proceeded to the drawer in which the overplus tickets
were kept, and missed about 30. About 2,000 tic-
kets were given to the prisoner from the audit-office,
from which, he filled his slide with consecutive num-
bers, and the remainder were kept in the drawer.
He had no right to take any from the latter place until
the slide became empty, which should be accounted
fur in the books. Finding that the missing tickets
were not accounted for, witness examined
the prisoner's drawer on the Monday, and found that
they had been replaced, but on close examination he
perceived that they had been issued, as certain marks
partially obliterated were discovered on them. The
prisoner was present at the examination, and, on be •
ing acquainted with the fact, he was asked for an
explanation, lie replied that it was easy to do that,
as he had issued them himself. Witness cautioned
him, and told him that other persons must have aa-
sisted him. He replied that there were others, at the
same time naming Cheeseman, the chief ticket-col-
lector at Brighton, and Springett, one of the guards ;
that be took the ticket from the drawer instead of the
slide. He was asked whether Cheeseman had had
any of the money, when the prisoner replied, "It was
not likely he would have anything to do with it un-
less he had." Witness found 30 second-clasx Brighton
tickets in the drawer issued at Bs. each, which the
prisoner had sold, and not accounted for. Conse-
quently, he took him into custody, and conveyed him
to ,Brighton, where the whole three of them were
taken before the magistrates. After a lengthy exa-
mination, Cheeseman and Springett were discharged,
but the prisoner was ordered to be taken to London,
and examined at that court, the offence having been
committed at the London terminus.

Mr. William Francis, second booking clerk in the
same department, corroborated the superintendent's
testimony respecting the finding of the tickets. The
prisoner had no right to take any tickets from the
drawer unless the slide was empty ; then he ought to
report that circumstance to the accountant or the
superintendent. Witness heard the prisoner tell the
latter, when the fraud was discovered, that it was
not the first time.

Mr. Frederick Slight, accountant to the company,
said that the prisoner had been nine months in charge
of the issue office, and it was his duty to account to
witness every evening for all money and tickets. He
went with the last witness and examined the prisoner's
drawer on Sunday, when thirty tickets were missed,
and on the following day he found they had been re•
placed ; but on examining them he ascertained that
they had been used. They bore the date of Saturday,
the Ist of September, and the numbers were correct,
which clearly showed that they had been issued from
that office. The dates were partially erased, so that
they could be easily stamped again and reissued. The
value of each ticket was Bs., which sum the prisoner
must have received and converted to his own use.

At this stage of the proceedings Mr. Clarkson said
that he had other important evidence to produce
which would implicate the prisoner to a serious
extent. Those witnesses were not present ; therefore
he should ask for a remand.

Mr. Prendergast said he did not object to a remand,
but, as the charge was merely one of suspicion, he
hoped his Worship wouldtake bail for the prisoner's
future appearance. His family were highly respect-
able, and substantial bail could be procured.
Mr. SECKER said that he should remand the pri..
goner until Wednesday next, but he should most
decidedly object to admitting him to bail.
The prisoner was accordingly committed to the
county gaol.

REPRESENTATION OF WEST SURREY.—On Satur-
day a meeting of the Conservatives of West Surrey was
held at the White Hart Hotel, Guildford, for the pur-
pose of hearing the sentiments of Mr. Evelyn on the
subject of protection, to which rumour had described
him as unfaithful. Colonel Llolme Summer presided,
and on his invitation Mr. Evelyn publicly contradicted
the reports which were current, declaring at the same
time that he was in favour of a reduction of equalisa-
tion of the burdens which placed the agricultural interest
at a disadvantage in competing with foreign producers,
and that he was prepared to advocate a duty on th,, im-
portation of foreign corn. lie declared his opinion that
is the present state of England it was unadvisable on the
part of the Government to withdraw protection sud-
denly, and he thought that the agricultural interest was
not ripe for the experiment of free trade, which had
been made with undue haste and precipitancy. There
were many abuses which he desired to get rid of, but he
wanted the changes to be made on conservative and not
on destructive principles. Mr. Evelyn concluded by
declaring that if he was elected he would not pledge
himself through thick and thin to any party; but he
would always do what he considered most beneficial to
his constituency and the country. Some dissatisfaction
was expressed by Mr. Robertson at the explanations
which Mr. Evelyn had offered, but a vote of confidence
in him was passed, and the meeting separated after
pledging himself to support him.
ATROCIOUS CONDUCT.—It is incredible to what
lengths the blind passions even of great public com-
panies will lead them. The public narrowly escaped a
frightful catastrophe on Tuesday, in tho opening of
the Great Northern line, when the trains were about
to run from Doncaster to Leed,. The superinten-
dent at Doncaster, having heard it whispered that
something was going on at the junction of the D
caster line with the Midland Railway at Methley,
sent over a special engine before the trains, and
found the servants of the Midland Company had
removed the points at the junction, so that had
the train proceeded thither it would have inevitably run
off the road. This, we understand, was done without
any notice, in consequence of some dispute between the
two companies, for which the Midland Company would
have made the lives of her Majesty's subjects pay. Such
an outrage must surely meet with its duo punishment.—
Doncaster Chronicle.

FORT WILLIAM.—EMIGRATION.-011 the evening
of Tuesday, the 28th ult., upwards of 150 individuals
left here as emigrants to Australia. They were chiefly
tenants of Maclean of Ardgour, with a few families
from the lands of Lochiel. A large proportion of them
were young, unmarried people. The scene of parting was
extremely painful. The village presented the same
appearance as on the most crowded market days, almost
the whole of the tenantry of Lochiel and Ardgour
having assembled to bid a last farewell to friends and
relatives, whom they expected never again to see.—
Inverness Paper.

THE EARLY CLOSING MOVEMENT.—In a commu-
nication received by Mr. Lilwall, the secretary of the
Early Cloiug Association, from Gwydyr House White-
hall, and bearing date the 7th inst., it is stated, " That
the Board of Ilealth are fully satisfied that the late hour
system, especially in close, ill-ventilated shops, has a
tendency to predispose those who are subject to it to
epidemic disease.'