The Sun.
London, England, 1840-10-28 00:00:00

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.

OLD COURT.
(Before the CommoN SERGEANT.)
Two men of respectable appearance, named Lilly
and IVilson, were indicted for a conspiracy to defraud
different tradesmen, by selling and pawning articles of

spwious jewellery.
Mr. Phillips and Mr. Bodkin appeared for the pro-
secution ; and Messrs. Prendergast and Chambers for
rile defence.

Mr. PHILLIPS addressed the Jury at some long
and detailed the facts of the case, as they afterwards
appeared in evidence.
Mr. Simmons, a jeweller, in Southampton-buildings,
proved that the defendant Lilly came to his shop and
sold a ring to him, which ring he represented to he
made of Indian gold. The ring afterwards turned
out not to be of near the value represented by the
defendant. The defendant Wilson afterwards came
wi,di a ring, apparently set with precious stones,
which he cffered for sale ; but, in consequence
of what he had ascertained, he declined to pur-
chase the ring, but detained it, and told the de-
fendant that he wes a " cluffzr" (A person who
goes about defrauding tradesmen by such spurious ar-
ticles). Ho was very violent when he accused him of
being a duffer ; and Lilly, who appeared to have been
waiting outside the shop, came up, and demanded to
know why the ring was d..!taiiied, and he ultimately
eavie theta both into custody far creating a disturbance.
The witness then de2.crihcd the arti,l,s off.r,(l to him
b the defenda:;ts,•and ;LI that they w..rc ciAe ci a
metal which would stand the ordinary test of 4quafortis,
and they were, in fact, most ingenious deceptions, ell-
ciliated not only to deceive a novice, but even a jewel-
ler, unless he resorted to very minute tests.
Ile witness was cross-examitaal at some length, Lot
no material fact in favour of the defendants was elicited.
Samuel Howes deposed that he _heed in Wood-
street, and knew both the defendants, and he had been
rinployed by Lilly to pawn different articles, consist-
ing of clothes anal jewellery. The clothes and jewellery
t:•: re made up for sale and pledaing, and witness was
ai.vays desired to give an address near the shops
where he pawned the articles. The defendants knew
that the articles were not genuine. Among the articles
that were pleiged was a pretended ruby ring, which
was made up of what was cal'ed "doublets." He was
always told to represent the articles as genuine, and in
fifty or sixty instances he had been successful in pledg-
ing these spurious articles. He had pawned artic.es for
as much as 4/. The ring he referred to cost about
seventeen shillings " getting up," and it was expected
to produce 2/. Witness bad some of the money pro-
[ dueed by the pawning. He pawned an article for
41. at a shop in Houndsditeb, and Lilly waited
outside, and when he gave him the money,
Lilly returned him a shilling. The ring now
produced cost fifteen shillings, and witness was
told to get 61. upon it, and he was told to say-
that it was a ruby ring. When he got the 41., Lilly
told him that he had done it vary well. Upon one oc-
casion Lilly told him that he had made a Mr. Tomlin-
linson pay 2001. for detaining his goods. He knew that
the defendant Lilly has sold spurious articles to different
tradesmen. He never pawned any thing for Wilson.
Mr. Richard Manners deposed that he carried on
the business of a jeweller, in Regent-street, and he
knew the defendant Wilson, and he came to his shop
about three weeks ago, and brought three studs for
sale, but suspecting they were not gold he refused to
buy them, and told him if he came again he would give
him into custody. The defendant left the shop, and
witness saw another man join him, and they walked away

together.
A pawnbroker, carrying on business in Long Acre,
prayed that Lilly pawned a bar of gold at his shop,
w:lich he represented as of a certain value, but which
turned out to be of much inferior value. The bar of
go!d was never taken out of pledge.
Henry Hamilton, shopman to the last witness, proved
'fiat Lilly came to the shop and sold a ring for 11. 15s.
He represented that the ring was set with real stones,
but they subsequently proved to he spurious, or what
was termed in the trade " doublets."
Mr. Tomlinson, another pawnbroker, proved that he
k:iew both the defendants. Wilson, upon one occa-
sion, called at his shop, and produced a suit of clothes,
and asked for the loan of 2/. 10s. upon them ; and he
was asked where he lived, and he said his name wrs

Thomas Wilson, and that he Eyed at an address which
turned out to be false ; and finding this to be the case,
be told the defendant he should detain the goods. The
defendant demanded his goods back, but he refused to
give them to him, and he went away, and came back
with Lilly, and Lilly said they were his clothes, and
demanded to have them returned to him. Witness
told him he had taken them to the station-house, and it
they went there and gave a good account of the pro-
property, it would be returned to them. Lilly said he
should not do so, but would bring an action, and an ac-
tion was brought against theta, which he ultimately
compromised. The clothes were what was called
" duffers," made up for the purpose of deception.
• Cross-examined—Had to compromise the action by
paying 261. for retaining the clothes.
COMMON SERGEANT—YOU must have been a very
great goose to pay anything for compromising such an
ac' ion.
Mr. PHILLIPS—He was a goose, my Lord, and that
is the reason he was plucked.—( Laughter.)
Another jeweller proved that Wilson brought a ring
to him, and offered to sell it, but his suspicions being
excited, he tried the ring, and discovered the fraud, and
he told the defendant to take the ring back to Mr.
Walker, and told him to put some more solder on it,
and sell it to some one else. (Walker was stated to be
the person who makes up the fraudulent jewellery.)
Several other pawnbrokers were examined who had
been defrauded in a similar manner, and in one or ►tiro
cases where the " valuables" had been detained by the
pawn
brokers, actions were brought, and they were coat•
pclled to pay considerable sums of money to compro-
mise them. The clothes, it appeared, are what arc
termed " duffers," or " riggers." The jewellery was
made up of artificial stones, and the gold was of a
most inferior description, although each article did
really contain a small portion of that metal. The de-
fendants appeared to have been carrying on a most
extensive system of fraud.
Messrs. PRENDERGAST and CHAMBERS when the
case for the prosecution was concluded, made a for !ible
address to the Jury cn behalf of their resie rive
clients, commenting strongly upon the fact that the
defendants had not attempted to impose 1, ion
ignorant persons, but that they had gone to
persons of skill, jewellers, and pawnbrokers, v• ho
ought to have been acquainted with their busies, ss,
and have known that the articles were not genui .e,
and ought not to have been deceived by the mere hes
told them, as to the value of the articles by the
defendants.
The COMMON SERGEANT summed Up the evidence,
and the Jury returned a verdict of Guilty.
The LEARNED JUDGE, after remarking that the
offence of which they had been convicted was a very
s rims one, sentenced the defendants to be imprisoned
in Ore Peeiteutery far eighteen months.
1 ili4 case concluded the business of the Session, and
the Court adjourned until the 2.1 of November.

ROYAL NAVY.—Commanders to be Captains
'Tucker, J. Shephard (B), Wm. Shepbeard, Hon.
w. A... Pelham. Lieutenants to be Commanders—
W. Charlas Fi!rzerald, Hon. G. Hopz.. Mites to
Lieutonants-0. P. Knott, Robert .huiner. H. C.
11 as•ol, F. L. Barnard, John Elliott.
reffet to state that the Marquis of Nor.
,n,nt,y is detained from his official duties at Muhinive
by the cff,cts of an accident, which, though rut of
a dingerou nature, renders his Lotdship unable to travel.