The Sun.
London, England, 1848-01-13 00:00:00

CASE OF MR. OWEN.

We have received a long letter from Mr. Henry
Owen, of Marchmont-street (the gentleman who was
incarcerated in Warburton's asylum as a supposed
lunatic), contradicting certain statements contained
in the letter of his brother, which appeared in The Sun
a few days since. Mr. Owen says,—
" I would willingly and from my heart give my
brother credit for good feeling (any that the case is
susceptible of), but I cannot suffer his explanatory
letter, as published in The Sun, to pass unnoticed.
He therein states that finding when I was brought
up on the habeas before Mr. Justice Erle, this gen-
tleman recognised my having been confined as legal
and proper; and, again, that from the judicious
treatment to which I had been subjected I was much
improved.' Also, that when I was taken to Messrs.
Warburton's lunatic asylum the manager thereof
confirmed the decisions of the two, or four I medical
men under whose advice and authority he acted.'
" Now all this is positively absurd. Mr. Justice
Erle declined emphatically entering upon the merits
or demerits of the case. There was no occasion ;
my brother, who placed me under restraint, con-
sented to my immediate discharge. It is a fact that
his solicitor stated that appearing as he did on be-
half of Messrs. Warburton, he felt bound to say (in
justice to all parties) that I was considered by the
manager thereof to be a proper subject for their
asylum.'"
In another part of his letter Mr. Owen states that
two of the medical men who signed the certificates
authorising his incarceration as a lunatic had both been
in the habit of having their medicines made up and
prepared by him up to the very time of his incar-
ceration, and that one of them has applied to him
since his liberation to dispense for him again, which
of course Mr. Owen declined to do. The letter goes
into a variety of other matters, but as we understand
the case will probably be investigated either before a
legal or a Parliamentary tribunal, we do not feel
justified in publishing any ea parte statements.

MR. GRAY AND THE LATE PRO-
SECUTION FOR SWINDLING.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SlR,—The patriotic conduct of Mr. H. T. Gray,
of Stepney, noticed in your paper of Saturday, de-
serves something more than a favourable mention of
his persevering and successful efforts in exposing and
dispersing an extensive gang of swindlers, and prose-
cuting three of them to conviction.

I find by a statement made in the Thames Police-
court on Friday last, that the expenses of the prose-
cution cost Mr. Gray 4001., besides the sacrifice of
his time and loss of trade for three months, and the
loss of the rope of which he was defrauded, amount-
ing to 3001. more. The three culprits, Gardner,
Holliday, and Seeger, were, after a lengthened trial,
found guilty of unlawfully conspiring together to
defraud manufacturers, warehousemen, and trades-
men of their property, and obtaining their goods
under false pretences.
The prosecution will doubtless be of essential ser-
vice to the trading community of London, and of the
kingdom generally. The gang dispersed by Mr.
Gray were living upon the credulity of the public,
keeping respectable-looking offices, with all the ap-
pearance of legitimate business, in various parts of
the City, and they obtained large consignments of
goods by a systematic method of fraud.
The lot to prosecute unfortunately fell upon Mr.
Gray, an old and respectable tradesman, but not a
wealthy man. lie was plundered in the early part
of the year, and his premises were burnt down and
property to the amount of 1,0001. sacrificed in May
last, by the carelessness of some persons attending
Stepney fair, held in a field adjoining his rope ground,
and lastly he was victimised by the swindlers.
During the prosecution of Gardner, Holliday,
Seager, and Loup, 6001. were actually offered to Mr.
Gray not to proceed with the trial, which offer, with
many others of a similar nature, he rejected, prefer-
ring the benefit of the mercantile community to en-
riching himself. Mr. Gray can ill afford to bear the
heavy loss he has sustained. Let them, the merchants,
manufacturers, and warehousemen, who have been so
greatly benefited by Mr. Gray's exertions come for-
ward in a liberal spirit, and by their subscriptions
make good the great loss he has sustained. About
1501. only has already been collected towards this
object from forty respectable firms in the City, but
Mr. Gray is still minus 5601., and I do trust, for the
credit-of the City, that he will be borne harmless,
and receive, as he deserves, some lasting testimonial
for the ability, integrity, and perseverance he has ex-
hibited throughout the proceedings.—l am, Sir, your
obedient servant,
A SUFFERER BY THE SWINDLERS.
January 3, 1848.

JEWISH DISABILITIES.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SlB,—The friends of civil and religious liberty
will find themselves greatly disappointed in perusing
the provisions of the Bill for the removal of Jewish
Disabilities, by which certain offices of a purely civic
or political character are not to be granted to her
Majesty's Jewish subjects.
I venture to say that no one anticipated the mag-
nanimous mover of the Bill to blemish by such
clauses the monument which history will, no doubt,
set him for:his love for civic equality ; and I cannot but
help thinking that these exceptions will be regarded,
by friends and foes of religious liberty, as a manifest
indication of his insincerity, for they will naturally
ask why the very same principle which declares the
Jews entitled to one degree of State services, shall
notp beut htheeldgoo(l questionw hpeoninatpepdlliyedtotoLaotrzedthejorhnde, an you
l'
will soon perceive that his answer implies an incon-
sistency not at all to be expected by his previous
speeches:—" Hobe and Gluth der Seele sind ewer
sebr verschieden, aber nur in Tiereinigung bilden
sie den wahrhaft grossen Mann." If the Bill were
to pass in its present shape, it would be but a
botchwork, betraying neither the true spirit of
modern legislation, nor removing the anti-
quated principle of human inequality ; and other
countries equally inclined to emancipate their
Jewish subjects, but waiting for the result in the
British Parliament, might probably be more or less
influenced by that decision. I, at least, apprehend
it, for I have often noticed in the discussions about
this subject,;that men are but too apt to allude to bad
precedents, instead of referring to, or be guided by,
the prototype of a good action.
I hope, therefore, Mr. Editor, that the members
of the Jewish persuasion in the metropolis will ap-
point a deputation to wait upon the noble mover of
the Bill, in order to prevail upon him to rescind,
before the second reading, the clauses alluded to, and
to represent to him the mischievous effects which are
likely to accrue from their remaining inserted in the
Bill.—l am, Sir, your obedient servant,
EIN RHEINLANDER.
Manchester, Jan. 10, 1848.

MR. WAREENNE, TEE MEDICAL PRACTITIONER.—
We are requested
of Margaret Capel," &e., is rfow to state that the new novel under this
title, by the author
ready, and
psdt
and may be had at all the libraries, in 3 vols.
p
sArns OF FLAG', OFFICERS.--We have toan-
nouncence the deaths of two more flag officers:—Admiral
of the White Sir Robert Laurie, Bart., K.C.8., and
Rear-Admiral of the White Pringle Stoddart. It will
have been noticed that the 'mortality among the flag
officers has been very great lately; but this will not ap-
pear surprising when it is remembered that the average
age of the whole 150 is not under seventy years. Since
the general flag promotion in November, 1846, no less
than twenty admirals have died, and three retired rear-
admirals. Nine admirals on the active list have died
within the last three weeks.

Grocer—Well, Augustus, you have been appren-
ticed now three months, and have seen the several
departments of our trade. I wish to give you a choice of
occupation. Apprentice—Thank'ee sir. Grocer—Well.
.n6W, what part of the business do you like best ?
Augustus (with a sharpness above his years)—Shuttin'
up, sir.