The Sun.
London, England, 1847-10-14 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
COURT OF BANKRUPTCY, Oct. 13.
(Before Mr. Commissioner EvANs.)
IN THE INSOLVENCY OF WILLIAM GROVER.

The insolvent, a tea-dealer in Deptford, came up
for his final order, supported by Mr. Bagley, and op-
posed by a solicitor. The debts were under 3001.
The ground of opposition was a discrepancy in the
accounts. It appeared that Grover had previously
filed a schedule, which was dismissed upon a technical
objection. Upon the face of that schedule the stock
in hand in December last, when the account com-
menced, was 2001. In the schedule now filed the
stock in hand at the period referred to was only 1301.
The Commissioner asked the insolvent to account for
this. Grover replied that he made up his accounts in
a great measure by guess, as he had not kept regular
books. The statement in the latter schedule he be-
lieved to be the more correct.

Mr. BAGI.EY said the objection ought, in justice to
the insolvent, to have been made on a previous occa-
sion. his client bad done all he could to satisfy his
creditors, and had given up 401. to the official assignee.
His HONOUR decided upon adjourning the case
until the liith of November, so that proper accounts
might be filed in the interim.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MAIN SION-HOUSE.

A young man, named Jonathan Moore (who as-
sumed the name of Marr), was brought before the
Lord Mayor, charged under the Vagrant Act with
having endeavoured to procure charitable contribu-
tions from Mr. John Walter, M.P.
Mr. Walter said—l live at No. 68, Russell-square,
and I also have a house in Printing-house-square, but
do not reside there. On Friday, at about twelve
o'clock, I called •at Printing-house-square. The
prisoner was at the door of the hcuse, and he asked
me if I was not Mr. Walter, and handed me a letter
and a petition. The following are copies :
" Mr. T. Hatchard, jun., presents his compliments
to Mr. J. Walter, M.P., and, at the request of Mr.
Nixon, begs to introduce the bearer to his notice, and
who will submit, for the perusal of Mr. Walter, a
memorial of his father's late misfortune, signed by
several highly respectable parishioners.
" Mr. Nixon is a native of Nottingham, and carried
on business for several years, and was intimately ac-
quainted with many of Mr. Walter's respected con-
stituents, including Mr. Enfield, solicitor and town-
clerk, Mr. Bowie v, Mr. Morley, Mr. Redgate, Messrs.
Samuel Smith, Wright, and Co., bankers, the Rev.
W. Alkmorel, the Rev. G. Wilkins, St. Mary's, Mr.
Wakefield, magistrate, &c.
" If stronger claims upon Mr. Walter do not pre-
vent him from contributing his mite to this most de-
serving case, Mr. Hatchard is certain a more deserv-
ing one could not be found ; for in his estimation it
deserves the sympathy of all good men whom Provi-
dence has given the means of rendering assistance to
the truly unfortunate, and trusts the motive which
actuates him will be deemed by Mr. Walter as an
apology for the intrusion.
" Clapham-rise, Clapham, Oct. 7th, 1547."
" Clapham, Surrey.
" These are to certify that Mr. John Nixon, book-
seller, stationer, &c., carried on business in this parish
for several years, and has hitherto supported a large
family in respectability ; but met with great losses,
owing to unsuccessful speculations in railway shares,
the failure of Messrs. Carter, Wood, and Co.,
Borough, and his becoming security for his son-in-
law to the amount of 3001., who absconded to Ame-
rica in June last, leaving his wife and family de-
pendent on Mr. Nixon for support.
" Mr. Nixon being called upon for the amount,
honourably gave up the whole of his stock in trade
and effects for the benefit of the creditors, and, so
great an effect had his altered circumstances on his
mind, that he became insane, and is now an inmate of
an asylum.
" The character of Mr. Nixon is distinguished for
integrity and high moral principle. It is earnestly
hoped that this appeal will be promptly attended to by
those whose means will enable them to contribute for
the welfare of so deserving a family.
" Clapham, Sept. 29th, 1847."
In the list of signatures appeared the name of Alder-
men Sir William Magnay, Sir John PiHe, Hum-
phery and Farncomb, and the individual contributions
varied from 21. 2s. to 101., the subscription in the
parish of Clapham by J. J. Gassiott alone being
271. 12s. 6d. The whole affair was got up, as the
Lord Mayor observed, with much skill and cleverness,
and some of the signatures bore a great resemblance
to those of the gentlemen they were intended to
represent.
Mr. Walter continued—l had been imposed upon
about a fortnight before by a paper which was brought
to me by a little girl, and the similarity excited my
suspicion. I called at Mr. Hatchard's on the following
morning, and showed the letter to some of the persons
employed in his shop, who informed me that the
writing was not his.
The Loan MAYOR.—Did you understand, from
the application of the prisoner, that he was the person
referred to in the petition ? Mr. Walter—l did.
Horsford, one of the officers of the Mendicity So-
ciety, who took the prisoner into custody, was then
called upon to state what he knew of Marr and his
connexions. He said, I have known the father-in-
law and the mother of the prisoner for many years to
be living by imposing upon the public. His mother
was committed in 1836 for a gross fraud like that
which has been attempted in Mr. Walters's case.
This young man, who was then carrying on business
as a tailor, and whose name is Moore, and not Marr,
came forward at the time, and offered to give 51. to
set up his mother in business if the magistrate would
discharge her, but she had committed frauds so re-
peatedly that it was considered by Mr. Greenwood
unjust towards the public to let her go, and she was
committed as a rogue and vagabond. His father-in-
law is one of the most notorious vagabonds in the
metropolis, and has been living by this sort of business
for a great number of years. When I told :the pri-
soner that he ought to be the last in the world to act
in such a manner, as he knew what his mother and
father-in-law had suffered for conduct of this kind,
he said that distress had compelled him. I saw him
on Friday last, in the street, with two other impos-
tors, and when I apprehended him he had about him
the following petition, which I have no doubt had
been just used : •
" This is to certify that the bearer hereof is the son
of the late Mr. James Robinson, who was on board
the Cricket steam-boat at the tune of the explosion,
and, unfortunately, lost his life by that dreadful ac-
cident; having business to transact in the City he had
considerable property with him, for the recovery of
which all inquiry has been fruitless. The widow and
family, reduced by this heartrending calamity to ex-
treme misery and distress, appeal to the humane, in
the earnest hope that by their benevolent contribu-
tions this young man may establish himself in a re-
spectable way of business, whereby he may derive a
future industrious livelihood for his afflicted surviving
parent and family.
" Any donation will be thankfully appreciated by
the bearer, who is a respectable well-conducted man.
" Millbank, Sept. 15."
Upwards of 30 signatures were attached to the
Cricket petition.
The prisoner—I do assure your Lordship that I
was never before in a prison in my life ; I have always
industry.
Sir myself by my own
Sir J. Pine said that his name attached to the peti-
tion which had been presented to Mr. Walter was not
his handwriting, nor at all like his handwriting, nor
had it been subscribed by his authority.
The LORD MAYOR—WeII, prisoner, have you any-
thing to say to this charge ? The prisoner—In re-
ference to the letter of Mr. Walter, I was certainly
led away to do what was wrong, but I declare I did
not know the crntents. If Mr. Walter had scrutinised
me he would have soon known that, for if I could not
have given him a satisfactory answer to any question he
might have asked me. lam very sorry for what I
have done; I have committed a great error, but i
will be the last time, and I hope your Lordship wil
look it over this time.

The LORD MAvon—You cannot plead ignorance in
this case, for you have had the constant example of
your mother and father•in-law before you, and you
have witnessed the penalty to which they have been
subjected for the practice into which you have fallen.
The deception upon which you have been acting is
one calculated to impose upon those who are led away
by the mere force of signatures, and do not think it
necessary to make inquiry. lam glad that you have
been detected in this attempt, and, as it is my deter-
mination to punish such barefaced forgeries to the
utmost extent sanctioned by the law, I sentence you
to imprisonment and hard labour in Bridewell for
three calendar months.

The prisoner was then committed to Bridewell.
Horsford stated to his Lordship that John and
Sarah Stewart, alias Moore, alias Thompson, alias
Brown, alias Pattson, had been committed from every
police-court in the metropolis, and that since the year
1836 they had been punished by imprisonment and
hard labour, as common impostors, 27 times.
GUILDHALL.
Mr. Alderman MUSGROVE, on taking his seat,
called the attention of the Inspector of Newgate-
market to the fact that, since he had given'such in-
structions to the police who attend Smithfield-market
as had prevented the further sending up of sheep
affected with the smallpox, a practice had arisen of
killing them in the country and sending them up by
carts to the dead meat markets. This was an attempt
to evade the law which would not be permitted.
There could not be a doubt that such meat was unfit
for human food. Knowingly to send meat unfit for
that purpose to a public market to be sold for food
was a serious offence, quite as much so as sending the
!
living animal infected with a contagious disease into
a place where thousands of sound sheep were collected.
Ile desired the inspector to be vigilant in looking
after such diseased meat, and taking such steps as
would lead to the detection of the persons who crimi.
nally sent it to market,