The Sun.
London, England, 1871-02-18 00:00:00

WILL-O'-THE-WISP IN THE SHERIFF'S COURT.

the Sheriff's Court, Red Lion-square, judgment having #1
been allowed to go by default, a jury was called upon to \
assess the amount of clamoges sustained by Mr. John
Alfred Allsapp, a solicitor, of Great Marlborough-street,
in consequence of a satirical article which appeared in
the humorous journal 11'111-o -the- Wisp, in March, 1870,
of which paper the defendant, Mr. Alfred Sheard, was
then the publisher. The article complained of has
already been the subject of much litigation, and the
printer has sustained damages to the extent of £5O and
costs in an action at Common Pleas. Defendant said he
had no defence to make, excepting that as the plaintiff
had already obtained compensation from one source, he
thought that ought to mitigate damages in the present
case. After some discussion, his Honour said that could
not affect the present issue, because it had not been
pleaded, but no doubt the jury, having heard the fact,,
would take it into consideration. The jury returned a
verdict of £2O damages.

EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE OF CONSPIRACY. --A charge
of a very surprising nature was entered "upon at Marl-
borough-street police-court, when Mr. Robert Gordon
Hope Johnstone, lately an officer in the army, and Mr.
Smallpage, a well-known fashionable tailor, of Maddox,-
street, were charged, on summonses, with conspiring to
obtain from Mr. William Henry Vane Milbanke, a young
gentleman of large fortune, sums of £2,500 and
£B,OOO. A third charge of stealing bills of
£4,500 was mentioned as likely to be preferred
against the former defendant. Mr. Milbanke came of
age in December, 1869, and the theory of the prosecution
was that the defendants had induced him to accept certain
pieces of paper which were afterwards manufactured into
bills. Several'of these had been presented for payment,
and the prosecutor was sued upon them. The magistrate
after hearing the learned counsel's statement, doubted
whether the graver part of the charges could be sustained
and the evidence of Mr. Milbanke having been taken, the
case was adjourned, the defendants being liberated on
their own recognizances.

FORTUNE-TELLING SWINDLER.
AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE.
At the Clerkenwell Police-court, 'Thomas Finigan, alias
Burdett, aged 62, described as an undertaker, and Ellen
Finigan, his daughter, aged 30, living at 18, Drummond-
crescent, St. Pancras, were charged with unlawfully pre-
tending to tell fortunes. Elizabeth Lewis, a young woman,
living at 71, Warden-road, Kentish-town, stated that on
Monday last she and a friend, Elizabeth Moore, went to
the prisoners! house, having previously received a card on
which the following words were printed in large
letters, "Your future foretold by Mr. and Miss Burdett,
18, Driimmond-crescent, Euston-square." They saw the
female defendant, who shuffled cards, and told witness
that women Were not friendly to her, but that the men
were ; that she would have words with a woman, and if
she had not been in company of a man under peculiar cir-
cumstances she very shortly would be; that there would
shortly be a death in her family, and she would soon leave
her present address and get married. For this information
she was charged 6d. The female prisoner advised them to
consult her father, and told them if they would leave their
initials and the date of their birth they would not require
to see him. Witness asked what they would have to pay,
and the defendant replied 6d. each as a deposit for papers
they would receive, as her father would have to consult the
stars at midnight. The money was paid to her, and on
the following day witness and her friend went to the
house. When in the parlour they saw the male defendant
sitting in the shop, writing. After they had waited some
time a paper containing the following words was handed to
witness :—" Ceres is the planet which presided at your
birth. This denotes. plenty. Your own disposition is
very generous ; you would go without yourself to give
to others; but caution is necessary. Take care you do
not give yourself away without something worth having
in exchange. It appears upon this subject you are
doubtful how to act. You have, or will have, two
offers. Take the one you think you like best on ac-
count of his personal appearance ; but it is not all
gold that glitters. An honest heart is above all
price. There are many ways to try a man's love for a
woman, but one safe way is to notice if he will tell you of
any fault you may or pretend to have (in order to try him),
and shew you how to cure it. The man that does this loves
you, and is worthy of your love. Notice the following :-
1871—Two offers of marriage. Some doubts`soon dispelled.
1872—Married and in business. 1873—Some prolierty comss
to you by will. 1874 —Some law business settled in your
favour. Three children, a loving husband, and a happy
home. It is impossible to go into snore detailed particulars
in this condensed exploration of your horoscope, but it is
enough for you to know that you may be happy if you like.
The mole on your person denotes long life." She then
asked him what there was to pay, and was told 35., or
18.6 d. each. Elizabeth Moore, of 24, Langford-road, Kentish
Town, gave evidence of a similar kind. Detec-
tives Parry and Dalton, of the Y division, said that
in consequence of. the wide circulation of the defendants'
advertising cards they had been directed to watch their
house, and had seen a great many women, mostly servants,
enter, and after remaining there a short time come
away. They took the defendants into custody on the
previous evening, when the man said he had been trapped,
and the woman denied the charge. In answer to the
charge, the male prisoner said that the witnesses came
to his house and asked if a fortune-teller lived there,
and he thought he would tell them their future for a
joke. He wished to know what Detective Parry meant
by saying that the cards had been widely circulated.
Parry was called, and said that he believed upwards
of 300 cards had been found down the areas of houses in
the neighbourhood of Camden-town. Mr. Barker said
that he considered this case was fully proved. He had no
doubt that the defendants had carried on this system of
swindling poor servant girls out of their money.on a very
extensive scale. He should pass the heaviest sentence
upon the defendants that was in his power, and they
would each have to undergo three months' hard labour.

The Head Mastership of DoN,er College is an-
nounced vacant. None but graduates in honours of one
of the leading Universities are eligible for the appoint-