The Sun.
London, England, 1840-11-07 00:00:00

BOW-STREET.

Henry Mien, an errand-boy in the service of Mr.
Hollis, who keeps a receiving-house for the postage of
letters, in Mount-street, Grosvenor-square, was yester-
day brought before Mr. Jardine by Sergeant Otway, A
division, charged with stealing a letter containing a gold
diamond ring.
Mr. Peacock conducted the prosecution.
Mr. INP Arthur, residing at 17, Mount-street, stated
that on Monday the 26th October he wrote a letter to
Miss Eliza Russell, 40, Lower-street, Deal, enclosing a
diamond ring in a small box, which having sealed and
directed, he took 'to the receiving-office kept by Mr.
Hollis, in Mount-street. It was then about half-past
four o'clock in the afternoon ; and having waited for a
length of time without hearing anything of it, he wrote,
but received no answer ; which caused him to write a
second time on Tuesday night last, and he received an
answer on Thursday morning, that neither his former
communication, nor the contents, had ever come to
hand. The ring, box, and envelope were the same he
had sent.

Charles Otway took the prisoner into custody at the
house of his master, and he received the property pro-
duced from the prisoner's father, who voluntarily gave
them up. The prisoner then said that he had stolen
the letter suspecting it contained money, and finding
that it only contained a ring, he tore it in pieces, and
threw it away as he went along the street, but the ring
he gave to his taother, telling her that he ,found it in
the Park.

Mr. Hollis proved that the prisoner was usually em-
ployed in his shop, but he was never suffered to have
anything to do with the letters, which were never
entrusted to him, and he must have taken the letter
produced surreptitiously, either off the counter or from
the bag. A letter posted at four o'clock in the after-
noon, ought in the regular course to be forwarded at five
o'clock to the General Post-office. The box in which
the letters were kept was usually locked, but the key
might have remained in it, and it would be possible for
the prisoner to have taken a letter from it, or from the
counter, during the time of sorting. On Thursday wit-
ness mentioned the less of the ring to the prisoner's
father, in his (prisoner's) presence, and on saying that
a gentleman had been inquiring about it, he charged the
prisoner with having taken it, when he admitted the fact.
The prisoner being cautioned, said a little before
twelve o'clock I went to the box to empty it for delivery,
and ,}n taking the letters to rTiy n11"r, me
for so doing, The letter produced was amen them,

and supposing that it contained money, I took it.
Shortly after I went home to dinner, and on passing
through Hyde Park I opened the letter and tore it up,
and seeing the !mall box and ring, I brought it to my
mother, and told her that I picked them up in the Park.
After dinner I returned to Mount-street, and my mother
told me she would show what I told her I had found.
Tile prisoner having signed his declaration, the wit-
nesses were bound over, and he was fully committed

for trial.
He was again charged with stealing a letter contain-
ing a 5/. Bank of England note, the property of Mrs.
Herbert, of Leeds.
Win. Cockerham, house-painter, residing at 8, John-
street, Grosvenor-mews, stated that on the 10th of
October, he wrote a letter to Leeds, enclosing a 5/.
Bank of England note, No. 40,6:21, June 2d, 1840,
which he wafered and directed " Mrs. Herbert, 36,
Upper Head-row, Leeds." Having done so, he took
it to the shop of Mr. Hollis, in Mount-street, and tell-
ing him what it contained, he asked it it would go
safe. There was a lad in the shop at the time, and
Mr. Hollis said if the witness wished to risk it, he
' might drop the letter in the box. Witness immediately
went outside, and dropped it in the box ; and on the
16th October be received a letter, intimating that his
letter had never been received. The note produced was
the same he had inclosed.
Mr. Wm. Porter, foreman to Mr. Sweet, law book-
seller of Chancery-lane, proved that on the 13th Oc-
tober he received a 5/. note, in payment for " Sugden's
Law of Vendors and Purchasers," the price of which
was 21. 14s. 6d. He asked the person who bought it
what name he should put on it, and he said, " White,
bookseller, Piccadilly." Witness believed that the
prisoner was the person from whom he had received

the note.
Mr. Hollis proved that he carried on the business of
bookseller at his house, and he recollected on the 13th
October sending the prisoner to purchase a new edition
of the book mentioned by the last witness, to pay for
which he gave him gold, and not a note. On the 12th
October the witness Cockerham came to his shop while
the prisoner was present, saying that he had a money-
letter to send to Leeds, and making inquiries if it would
go safe, but he did not produce the letter. Witness
told him that it would not be sate to send notes, as there
had been so many losses of late through the Post-office,
and strongly recommended him not to send the money
by post. The prisoner might have heard the conversa-
tion, and Mr. Cockerham went away, but witness did
not know if he had put the letter in the box. On
Thursday the prisoner was charged with stealing the
letter, which he at first made no reply to, but subse-
quently he admitted it. Witness said to him " where
was I then," and he replied you had gone up stairs.
Previous to his confession he said he had got 4/. 10s. (3(1.
belonging to his mother, and on searching him, witness
found that amount upon him.
Sergeant Otway, on taking the prisoner into custody.
received the sums in question from the last witness ;
and, in answer to questions put by the prisoner, he said
it was the produce of the note which was then shown
to him. When at the Post-office, he said he took the
note from the letter in the absence of his master, which
he afterwards changed at the house of Mr. Sweet, in
Chancery-lane.
Mr. Hollis said that the prisoner had formerly lived
with him, and had left to enter the service of Mr. White,
bookseller, Piccadilly, and having had a second trial of
him, he never had reason to suspect him for dishonesty.
In answer to the charge, the prisoner made a full
confession of having stolen the letter, confirming the ac-
count given by each of the witnesses.
Mr. JARDINE ordered hira to be fully committed for