The Sun.
London, England, 1841-03-18 00:00:00

OXFORD CI RCUI7'—STAFFoRD, Menem 15

THE QUEEN V. CALDECOTC AND WYNN.
This was an indictment against the defendants, as proprie-
tor anti publisher of the Staffordshire Kiaminer, for a libel,
which the indictment alleged was published with an intent to
excite divers persons to assault Lord Ingestre and otherS.
There were other counts charging the intent to be to excite a
breach of e.e peace, &c.

Mr. Sergeant TALFOURD, in opening the case to the Jury,
stated that the libel set out. in the indictment appeared in the
Steordshire Examiner of the Ist of August, 11340, and re-
ferred to the Conservative dinner which it was at that time
intended should take place on the 7th of the same month,
and which did take place accordingly at-Bilston, at which
dir.ner Lord -Ingestre and a large number of Conservatives
were present. The libel eomilained of was as follows :
—" With regard to the Bilston dinner, its object is, no
doubt, to display to the astonished eyes of the people of
that town the wonderful intimacy subsisting between Lord In-
gestre and Mr. Baldwin, who will, we dare say, hobnob at
each other with astonishing cordiality. We hope our friends
will do nothing to disturb the equanimity of Mr. Baldwin's
disposition, or to detract from his gratifying anticipations of a
display so calculated to enhance his importance in the eyes of
his neighbours. If, however, they should by any chance meet
the man-starving Ingestre next Fa iday, as he sneaks into the
town by some back way ; if, we say, they should by any chance
meet him, let them peacefully, and with due regard to the fact
that the Tories are very apt at swearing in special consta-
bles; let them, we say, peacefully, if not quietly, mark their
disapprobation of the conduct of a man who assisted in Parliament
to cry down Mr. Villiers, and all those who tried to plead for more
f rod for the starving artisans of Bilston. Let them at such a time
bear in mind that Ingest re is going to gorge the bread he denied
to them, and that, as he has more of it than he wants, his ap-
petite may require a sharpener." '1 he dinner took place in
a large enclosed market-place at Bilston, within which a la,ge
marquee was pitched foe the purpose. In the evening of the
day, before the whole of the company had separated, the mob
.broke through the gates of the market-place, and several of the
party were violently assaulted.
The publication and proprietorship of the newspaper having
been proved in the usual way, and evidence of the riot adduced,*
Sergeant Ludlow and Mr. C. Phillips addressed the Jury for
the defendants.

Air. Baron GURNEY left it to the Jury to say whether they
thought the intention of the writer of the article complained of
was to incite the people at Bilston to a breach of the recce.
The Jury, after more than an hour's deliberation, returned
a verdict of Guilty, with a recommendation to mercy.
.111 r. Baron GURNEY sentenced Wynn, the proprietor, to
pay a fine of 50/. and Caldicott, the publisher, of 201. to ti,e
Queen, and to be imprisoned till the fines were paid.
The fines were immediately paid, and the parties discharged.
Air. Baron GURNEY concluded the business on the civil
side this afternoon.

Mr. Justice COLERIDGE has been engaged &wing the
whole day in trying three cases of rape. In the first case
seven men were convicted of an assault only upon the prosecu-
trix, in the streets of Wolverhampton, and sentenced to
eighteen months' imprisonment each. In the two latter cases
the prisoners were found guilty of the charge ; and Mr. Jus-
tice Coleridge, after ordering sentence of death to be recorded
against them, intimated that they would undoubtedly be trans-
ported for life, and stated his fixed intention, since the crime
appears (especially in this county) to be so greatly on the: in-
crease, in all cases to inflict the *everest secondary punish-
ment, in the hope that the certainty of the punishment
might assist the experiment making of ceasing to carry into
effect the extreme penalty which the law imposesfor this crime.

POI ICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HO USE.

THE WEST MIDDLESEX AND INDEPENDENT ASSURANCE
COMPANY.-Mr. Connell, of the house of Richardson
and Connell, Scotch Parliamentary agents, of Fludyer-
st-eet, made a statement yesterday before Sir Peter
Laurie respecting the atrocious system of robbery carne
on by the West Middlesex and Independent Assurance
Company. Mr. Connell attended at the request of Sir
Peter ',aide, who mentioned that he bad received a vast
number of communications on the subject of the plunder
carded on by the persons who called themselves the Ma-
naging Directors of the Company, and whose f rmer
condition be was prepared t) represent particularly, in
order to show the public how necessary it was to inquire
into the etiaracter of every conccrn in which pecuni try
matters were transomed, and to show to Parliment chat
an investigation ought to be at once commenced into t;.e
conduct of the Company especially alluded to.

.
Mr. Connell stated the ease of which he bad to speak
regarded the department of insurance upon lives. He had
received a letter from Scotland, datA the 24th of 13,e. last,
inclo.diog a letter of credit for 137/. 10d. 3d., with instruc-
tions to pay that sum as premiums on those policies of in-
surance of the Independent and West Middlesex Life and
Fire Assurance Company, numbered 3,365, 3 366, and
3,367, for 499/. each, and to receive the receipt. He
was anxious to see the people of the concern, and he went
himself to the office in Baker-street, and asked to see Mr
Knowles, the resident manager. A person of tall stature,
who said that he was Mr. Thomas Knowles, and seemed
to be about 60 years of age, made his appearance; and he
( Mr. Connell) paid over to bias the money of his clients,
and rem i%ed the receipt. It was certainly with reluctance
that the money was paid, but the instructions were positive.
Sir PETER LAURIE--.A few dqs,' delay would have been
sufficient to justify your refusal to a t.nd to the instruc-:
tions. Did you see anybody else ?
Mr. Connell—Several odd-looking people came to the-
door and looked in while I was in the room. I Lad doubts
about paying the money.
Sir PETER LAURIE—Were there any clerks in the
office ?

Mr. Connell—There were two or Ore.! in t!le room
be I.gv ; but I went up stairs to what was called th. 3 M.:-
nagers' ronm; one cf the. persons who looked in was, as
Mr. Knowles said, his son.

Sir PETER LAURIE—There has been nothing so flagrant
as this system of villany for a great number of years,
and the whole scheme was got up by those fellolw, Knowles
a•id Hole. I have here an authenticated Hit of !he
viduals who,*.in comequenee of reliance upon this Company,
are now-in workhouse,. I Face givial merely the initials
of a few whose relatives requested ih,t their names should
not appear :

..
X. £. s. d.
Ann Tyson, Gloucester 3OO
T. S., Edinburgh 2,000 . .
Joanna Austin, Exeter BOO
Miss White, Notti,gham 2CO
Emily Barbcr, London ' 495
Mary Scani,ll, W.l!shire
Grace Hateham, Suffolk ... 160
Sarah Back, Birmingham... 400
M ria Smith, Newbury lOO
Samuel Craig, Armagh ... 200
L. 13 , Plyrnowb
W. L. Lai agan, Way erford 330
Miss Tylden, Dover 2OO
J. S. M., KiddertaLaster
A. 8., ditto
Capt. Hari i,, , Weymouth 550
John Haiison, Pockliagton 200

7,825
Now most of the annu!ttnts were poor peopl who had
given all they had and could gather together in the
world, to Messrs. Knowles, and Hole, and Company, in
the full he'ief that they would receive the full per courage
which the prospectus promised. The two coneoctors and
founders of the Company are natives of Hythe, in Kent.
llo'c's father was a policeman, and his mother was a
washerwoman. After having livid as a shop-boy to a
at 113 the, he came to London, and
grocer, now sesiding
opened a shop, but f:i!el in several attempts to establish
himself. About twelve years ego, he kept an lichen
warehouse in the Edgware-road, and at lest joined
Knowles in the West Middlesex. The father of Knowles
isas a servant in the brewery at Ilythe, and Ilia mother
was a washerwoman. When young, the manager,
Knoa les, was u foot-boy. He afterwards became a foot •
men in London, and about 12 years ago, he was usher at
an academy in the neighbourhood of Chelsea ; and is
will presently appear, he cut a figure as an insolvent and a
bankrupt before he started upon the speculation which so
completely answered his pu-pose sad has caused such Ca-
lamity. I perceive in the Worcester Journal an account
of an inquest held upon a poor fellow named Thomas
Higgs, whose death, by his own hands, was accounted fur
by the death of his wife. and the loss of 100/. which he sus
tained in the West Middlesex Assurance Company.
oaksr Connell- said -fa-appeared, if their item were
light, that they had issued upwards of 3,000 policies ; but
perhaps the numbers imitated those of many of the watch..
makers.
Sir PETER LAURIE was of opinion that the large per
tentage and the dash which tho Company cut with their
equipages must have brought to the:n an immense number
of customers. He had heard from several who were anxiou:,
to have the delinquents punished, but were ashamed to
appear.
Mr. Barrett, the Governor of Whitecross-street Prison,
stated that Thomas Knowles, the Managing Director of
the Independent and Wcet Middlesex Assurat:ce Com.
pany, was mminuitted to that prison on the 18th of Aprl,
1829, at the suit of George Vincent for 401., E. M.
Peatt, plaintiff's attorney, and was discha•ged under the
Insolvent Act in the following August, but did not leav •
the prison until the 2d of November, 1829, which
the term of his imprisonment upwards of six mohtirs.
Knowles, who had been steward cf one of the wards, asked
to see him (Mr. Barrett) on the day of his &nal discharge,
and with tears in his eyes, requested the louts of scene
money to redeem a suit of clothes which were in. pledg•:,
and without which he was ashamed to return home. The
sum of 4/. 9.3. was accordingly lent to him, for which he
handed to the Governer a written edit owiegment, since
placed in tide hands of Sir Peter Laurie, aid made the
most solemn assurances that the money should be most
grat:fully repaid.
Sir PETER LAURIE—I havethe acknowledgement ; anti,
of course, the money was Lever pad.
Mr. Barrett—Never. Some months after his dis-
charge I met him in the streets better dressed than I was,
and I reminded him of his obligation. He repeated his
promise, but he acted as several others have acted, and
when I met him frequently afterwards I took no notice of
him. When, however, I heard that he was a Director of
the Indeprne.ent and West Middlesex Lire and Fire As-
surance Company, I sect Mr. Douglas, my pri,.6pal as.
sistant, to the office cf the Company. Mr. Douglas
pressed him fur the money, but not a farthing was got
from him either then or at any subsequent period, although
several applications were made to him by letter and in
other ways.
Sir P.:l,auete.—Has any search been made in the books
far the name of this Managing Director of the Company
Mr. Barrett—lt appears from a ,earth which was
yesterday mule at the Court for the Relief of Insolvent
Delitors—when Thomas Knowles's last Fclielule was in,
specteil, in which he is described as of No. 2, Lion-tie.
race, Edgeware-road, out of buiinev,—that he had take;,
the benefit of the Insolvent Act twice, viz,, in 1619 and

in 1829, and that be was a bankrupt in 1825, and obtained
his certificate in 1826.

Sir PETER LAURIE. —And now he is possessed of an
enormous fortune. I understand tl.at he and Hole hlve
houses in Hythe, and in Edwird-street. 13(1nm-in-square.
These ought to be at once taken possession of for the be-
reft of the creditc;rs.
Mr. Barrett expressed his surprise that the book at the
Insolvent Debtors' Conrt was not frequently examined.
For one th hir.g in ti:e examination thousands might be
saved, for the Echeclule told a w eat many things which
would put people on their guard. Now if any body saw
what ho had stated about'Thomas Knowles on the books of
the Court was it possible that thowands would be depo-
sited in the hands of such a person as that insolvent and
bankrupt ?

Sir P. LAUKIE thanked Mr. Connell and Mr. Barrett
for having coma forward on this occasion, and said tLat
he should call upon those who had been plundered, to
apply to the repiesenta,i‘es of the places in which they
resided, to demand, in the most stringent manner, a Par-
liamentary investigation into the whole of the riefarious
transactions of the Company. He consider.,d that nothing
wouli become a representative so well ai a firm and ener-
getic effort to punish such systeqibtie villany, and to pre-
vent by a legirdative enactment the perpetration of future
robbery by Assurance Companies.