The Sun.
London, England, 1847-12-23 00:00:00

BOW-STREET.

Joseph Ady, who, on the Bth instant, appeared to
answer a summons taken out by the Post-office
authorities, for the purpose of recovering the sum of
11. 14s. Bd. for postage of returned letters, purporting
to come from him, and who then obtained a postpone-
ment until this day, again attended before Mr. Henry
this morning.
He said that he had, on the six days following the
hearing of the case at this court, employed a person
to examine the letters at the dead-letter office, and
that this person had on each day called at the Post-
office for the purpose, but had not been allowed to
see the letters. He (Ady) had written to Mr. Pea-
cock on the subject, and had offered " any money "
for copies of the addresses on the letters, but Mr.
Peacock had replied that he must call himself, and he
would be allowed to see them. This he had not been
able to do. He would call Mr. Peacock to prove
this statement.

Mr. lIENay observed that it was very unusual to
call the solicitor for the prosecution as a witness.
Mr. Peacock proposed to read the correspondence
between himself and Mr. Ady, which, no doubt,
would answer the purpose. This being assented
to, Mr. Peacock read several letters. In one of these
Ady said he had sent an agent to the Post-office; who
had jnot been allowed to see the letters in the dead-
letter office, and offered " any money" for a list of the
addresses. Mr. Peacock's answer to that letter was,
that he had made inquiries, and had ascertained that
no one had applied to see the letters at the dead-letter
office, and further, that if Mr. Ady would call or send
there, he or his agent might see the letters and copy
them, or any part of them.
Mr. HENRY asked the defendant if he would call
the agent he spoke of as a witness ? Ady—No, Sir ;
he is not here. I thought it unnecessary to bring him.
The defendant then proceeded to raise several
objections to the jurisdiction of the Court, and to the
form of the summons, all which Mr. Henry over-
ruled. He then said that there was no sufficient
evidence that the letters came from him.

Mr. HENRY—.It is quite sufficient that they pur-
port to come from you. The onus of proving that
they do not rests on you.
The defendant hoped the Magistrate would give
him more time, as he wished to call the persons to
whom the letters were directed, some of whom lived
a hundred miles apart.
Mr. HENRY said, the defendant had had quite suffi-
cient time already. There was nothing in any of the
objections raised that could at all influence his
decision, and he must order the defendant to pay the
sum sought to be recovered (11. 14s. Bd.), and the
costs of the summons. If he did not pay it a distress
would be issued against his goods.
Ady—But as I am a very poor man I hope your
worship will give me time to pay it.
Mr. HENRY—Certainly not.
The defendant then paid the fine and was about to
leave the court, taking the letters with him, when
Mr. Peacock observed that since the summons had
been taken out no less than 1,476 letters, the postage
on which amounted to twelve pounds, purporting to
come from him, had passed through the Post-office,
and had been returned.
Ady—l'll call upon you, Sir.
The defendant then left the court.