The Sun.
London, England, 1848-11-11 00:00:00

GUILDIIALL.

George Brown, a well•known impostor, was brought
up for final examination on the ct.arge of obtaininff''
sovereign from the Rev. Samuel Wicks, chaplain to St
Bartholomew's Hospital, under false pretences. The.
circumstances of the case were fully stated upon a former
occasion.

William Florsford. an officer of the Mendicity Society,
entered the witness box, when

The prisoner's solicitor (whose name did not transpire)
said that he must object to Honford's evidence being
received as to any prior transactions.
Alderman LAWRENCE—Then I am not to learn any-
thing at all about the prisoner? I shall certainly hear
what the officer has to say, and it will not make me de-
cide either way without having sufficient grounds.
Horsford said that he had known the prisoner from a
year and a half to two years, as connected with begging.
letter impostors. On the 18th of March, 1848, he was
sentenced to three months' imprisonment from Marlbo-
rough-street-office for obtaining money from Lady de
Dunstanville. He had the prisoner in custody on the
11th of June, 1848, for obtaining money from the Duke
of Cambridge under false pretences, and he was then
sentenced to three months' imprisonment. The prisoner
was in the habit •f using various disguises, and on the
first occasion when he was in custody he wore a smock
frock and leggings, and was to all appearance a country-
man. He was tried and convicted at the Chelmsford
Sessions, and had afterwards presented a petition to a
Mr. Ed4erton, in which he set firth that his brother had
absconded to America, taking all his books and money,
leaving him entirely destitute.
The prisoner's solicitor protested that all Horsford
was stated could not be evidence against his client on
the present charge.
Horsford—lf he is discharged now, I shall take him
into custody for obtaining half a sovereign in Chancery-
lane, under similar eircumstaaces, on Wednesday week
last.

The Rev. Mr. Wicks said he wished to make one ob-
servation, and that was he had no ill-feeling towards the
prisoner, for the money that had been obtained from
him, but be should leave it entirely in the worthy Alder-
man's hands to deal with the case on public grounds.
Alderman LAWRENCE said it was quite evident the
prisoner had been in town for a long period
carrying on this game, and getting a:: living in a
most dishonourable way. He was only sorry that the
law did not give him power to punish him more severely,
but as it was, he should commit him as a rogue and
vagabond fur the space of three months.
MARLBORO UGH-STREET.
William Milner, watch-maker, of No. 4, Greek-street,
Soho, was brought up for final examination, charged
with having pawned an enormous number of watches
left with him to repair.

When the prisoner was first apprehended he gave up
four or five duplicates to the officer who took him into
custody. At a later stage of the proceedings the
police
received between fifty and sixty more duplicates, all of
which related to watches and other valuable property en-
trusted to the prisoner either to repair or to dispose of.
The amount of money received from the pawnbrokers as
exhibited by these duplicates, was very little less than
3001. The value of the property so pledged is estimated
at about 1,0001. From the dates on the duplicates, it
was evident:that the prisoner had carried on the system
of pawning for some time, a number of duplicates being
out of time. Since the apprehension of the prisoner,
the police have endeavoured to trace out the owners of
the property to which the sixty-two duplicates referred.
They have succeeded in getting
a twenty and thirty cases, and applicationsclitoarbeetbwzneng
made daily.
Eighteen separate cases of illegally pawning had been
already proved against the prisoner.
John Peake, of 18, Frith-street, clerk to George
Nock, jeweller, stated that, on the Bth of August, the
defendant applied for some gold chains to show to a cus-
tomer. He was entrusted with six gold chains, value
151., and witness soon afterwards ascertained they had
been pawned.
The depositions in twenty cases having been taken
against the prisoner, evidence was offered of his previous
good character.
The majority of the complainants appeared disposed
to deal leniently with the prisoner, and one party offered
to take the prisoner into his employ immediately, as he
was one of the best workmen in the trade.
In two cases the prisoner was fined 20s. for illegally
pawning, and ordered to pay the value of the property,
or to undergo one month's imprisonment for each offence.
In the other cases he was fined 10s. each, in addition to
the value of the property, or together, two months' im-
prisonment. The whole of the punishment in imprison-
ment will be four months.
The pawnbrokers considered, as they would be large
losers, that they ought to receive one-half the amount
they advanced on the watches before they sere required
to restore the property.
Mr. BIN atLim thought under the circumstances this
was but a f-ir proposition, and ought to be accepted.
James 11:arris was brou.rlit before Mr. _Hardwick,
charged with having robbed M. Maurice ()Libel, a
French gentleman, residing at the Sablionere Hotel, of
his watch, value 50 guineas.
fiozr,d tiht,e
and n. u r Le sy main of
4i telling
Oubel stated, that about eleven o'clock the previous
evening, he was standing in the Haymarket waiting for
a friend, when the prisoner came up to him and re-
quest?tl t) know what o'clock it was. Prosecutor took
out his
watch s e
chain, and ran off. Prosecutor
followed, and called for
assistance, and the prisoner was stopped by a constable
LOlrleile)gto hriem it whentrom the
he
immediately
tin Pall-mall, with the watch in his hand.