The Sun.
London, England, 1848-01-04 00:00:00

Vir INTEtLIGENCE.
COURT OF BANKRUPTCY, Jan. 3.
(Before Mr. Commissioner SHEPHERD.)
IN RE J. GAISFORD.
This bankrupt, who was a baker, of Gravel-lane,
Southwark, came up to pass his last examination.
He was supported by Mr. Duncan and Mr.
Buchanan (Basinghall-street), and opposed by the
assignees, on the grounds that there was no cash
account, that there had been no regular books kept,
and that there was an incorrect return of profits
made by the bankrupt, he stating that he only had
3s. per sack.
Mr. Duscax submitted that the accounts furnished
by his client (the bankrupt) were perfectly correct,
and with respect to his having kept no books, it was
not the practice of the trade in which he was en-
gaged, so to do. The hard pressure of times and
circumstances had taken great effect upon him, more
particularly because he was an ignorant man. A
further adjournment would not benefit the estate in
any way, and under such circumstances he (Mr.
Duncan) hoped that the Court would now allow the
bankrupt to pass his last examination.
The Learned COMMISSIONER adjourned the case
sine die, with protection for three months.
Adjourned accordingly.
The other cases heard before his Honour were dis-
posed of by an early hour, but they possessed no fea-
ture of the slightest public importance.
(Before Mr. Commissioner GouLBURN.)
IN RE HEATH AND DANN.
These bankrupts carried on the business of drapers
at Canterbury, and to- day Heath applied to pass his
last examination.
No opposition was offered, and the bankrupt then
passed.

INSOLVENT DEBTORS' COURT, Jan. 3.
(Before Mr. Commissioner PHILLIPS.)
IN RE JAMES TURNER POWELL.
This insolvent, a clerk in the Paymaster-General's
Office, Whitehall, was unopposed by his creditors
under the new Act.
Mr. Nichols supported.
The aggregate debts were 10,6951., of which 5,018/.
were entered more than once on bill transactions.
Ihe debts for which consideration had been received
were 3,941/.
His HONOUR thought it was an enormous mass of
debt for a person in his situation.
Mr. NICHOLS said he had got into the hands of
money-lenders, and hence his appearance. There
were ten solicitors on the schedule and five discount
agents.
Mr. Commissioner PHILLIPS asked how it came
that he got into such hands ? his wife had an income
and he had a good salary.
Mr. NICHOLS answered that the insolvent had not
been free from such persons for years.
Mr. Commissioner PHILLIPS observed that the in-
solvent should have lived within his income.
Mr. NicnoLs said the insolvent proposed to give up
1201. a year out of his income, and had given up
property to the amount of 7001.
The COURT said that appeared to be the best answer
to the case. Although creditors did not appear, a man
was not to pass scot free under the indulgent Act on
which the application was made.
The Court named a day for the final order.
IN RE JAMES LAVEY.
In this case Mr. Plitnmer, a brewer, opposed, and
the insolvent admitted that on the last occasion he
had made a false statement respecting the payment
of rent.
The Court dismissed the petition.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.
OLD COURT.

John Brown, 34, labourer, and James Rice, 32, hair-
dresser, were indicted yesterday, with ..'ames Nicholls
and James Brown, who were out on bail, and did nut
surrender, for a con; piracy to obtain goods by false
pretences.
Mr. Bodkin, with Mr. Ballantine, conducted the
prosecution ; and Mr. Parry and Mr. 'lorry appeared
for the defence.

Mr. BODKIN, in opening the case to the jury, said
he apprehended that when they had heard the evi-
dence he should lay before them, they would have no
doubt that the prisoners at the bar and the other per.
sons who had thought proper not to surrender to take
their trial, were part of that numerous gang of swin-
dlers with which the metropolis was infested, and who
were banded together to plunder tradesmen of their
property. The Learned Counsel then proceeded to
state that the prosecutors of the present indictment
were Messrs. Cottam and Hallen, manufacturing
ironmongers, in Oxford-street, and he went on to
detail the circumstances under which they had
been plundered of their property. On the 4th of
November Nicholls called at the prosecutors' ware-
house, and represented himself as a miller, occupying
the Pigeon mills at Stratford, in Essex, and he
said he wanted a corn-crushing machine, a kitchen-
range, and some other articles. The kitchen-range
was sent by his order to the Bell Inn, Holborn,
where James Brown received it, and signed a receipt,
and the nex day John Brown went to the prosecutors
and obtained the crushing machine, representing that
he was going to take it to Stratford, to Mr. Nicholls.
Upon the occasion when Mr. Nicholls purchased these
articles, he ordered a weighing-machine, which was
!-e) be got ready in about a week, and on the 15th
John Brown brought a letter from Nicholls applying
for this article, which was given to him, also under
the supposition that it was to be conveyed to Strat-
ford, and Nicholls, in that letter, promised to call on
the following Friday and settle the amount. Upon
the 17th the prisoner Rice made his appearance, and
produced another letter signed by Nicholls, and dated
from Stratford-mills, in which he acknowledged the
receipt of the former articles, and requested that
some other fenders and fire-irons might be given
.o his " friend," the bearer of the letter, who would
look them out, and that he had an errand-cart at
the Bell, Holborn, in which he would take the
things to Stratford. At this time, it appeared,
the prosecutors had some suspicion of the character
of the parties they were dealing with, and
they detained Rice in conversation, while an
officer in plain clothes was employed to watch him.
Some fenders were packed up and given to Rice, who
left the warehouse and got upon an omnibus, and
when he arrived at the corner of Farringdon-street
he alighted, and after looking about for some time, he
got into a cab, and proceeded to a house in Charlton-
street, Fitzroy-square, where he went in with the
property. The house was watched by the officer, and
the next morning Rice came out and walked to King's-
cross, where he met John Brown, and they went to
several public-houses, and were at length taken into
custody. Upon further inquiry being made, the story
told by Nicholls, with regard to his being a miller at
Stratford, turned out to have no foundation, and it
appeared that some portion of the property obtained
from the prosecutors was found in the house in Charl-
ton-street, and the weighing-machine was traced to
the house of a person in Brewer-street, Somers-town,
who, it appeared, had purchased it of Nicholls.
The prisoners were found Guilty, and sentenced to
be imprisoned for six months.