The Sun.
London, England, 1848-11-03 00:00:00

/ Custom-house. They remained a few days, and ran up
a bill to the extent of between 61. and 71.

Sir PETER LAURIE—How did they live? Witness—
Ou the best of everything. The wine and all they called
for was of first-rate quality. On one occasion they
brought another gentleman and his holy, when their
chief drink was wine, and after dinner they enjoyed
themselves with a first-rate dessert.

Christophe—Ah, I recollect. We did not have the bes
wine.

The Wife—We only called for the best ale, not for
wine.

Sir PETER LAURIE—Are there any more unfortunate
innkeepers who have been swindled? Mr. Whitmarsh
said he believed not, although he had been round to many.
Sir PETER LAURIE—I suppose they are ashamed to
come forward? Mr. Whitmarsh thought it most pro-
bable, they had been so completely done.
Sir PETER LAURIE observed that he was much as-
tonished that so many persons should suffer themselves
to be` so imposed upon.
The Wife—We do not wish to stay in this country,
only it is the money that detains us. Seymour is our
countryman, and only arrived about three weeks ago.
Sir PETER LAURIE—WeII, we will Fettle that ques-
tion, for here is a gentleman who will give some infor-
mation so as to place the public on its guard against
your systematic impositions.
Mr. James Dingwell Fordyce, of the firm of Reid,
Irving, and Co., said that he knew nothing of the pri-
soner beyond what lie intended stating, which was that
about twenty-five years ago, Christophe, King of Hayti,
entered into a correspondence with one of their houses,
and invested a large sum of money. He died a few
years after, and his widow and her two daughters came
came to Engl.ind, and the former having taken out let-
ters of administration in due form, the money Ras paid
to her. Shortly after the prisoner Christophe called at
the bank, when he was informed of what had been done,
whereupon he became most abusive, and was eventually
turned out of the bank. He still continued his annoy-
ance, and at last threatened to shoot Sir John Reid,
when he was given into custody; but that gentleman did
not appear against him, and he was discharged. A few
months after he was sent for by Alderman Gibbs, in
consequence of more complaints, when ho showed him
the letters of administration, and explained to him that
he had no claim.

The Chief Clerk said he perfectly recollected the cir-
cumstance of the widow of the King of Hayti coming
here to take out letters of administration, as she and her
daughters were introduced to him by Mr. Allen, the phi-
lanthropist, and it was by his advice she pursued the
course she did, and the money was paid to her in his
presence. Since the prisoner was remanded, a gentle
man, who held for many years an official situation in
Hayti, had called and obtained an order for seeing him
at the Compter. After conversing with him that gen-
tleman returned and informed him (the Chief Clerk)
that the King of Hayti never had a brother, and that
the prisoner himself had never been at Hayti. The fact
was that the King hed two sons, one whom was killed
iu battle, and the other died of fever.

The wife here said that there were papers at a solici-
tor's, which would put all to rights.
Mr. Whitmarsh said he had been to the party, who
admitted having some papers, but was most anxious that
they should be out of his possession, in consequence of
the annoyance he was subjected to by the numerous re-
ference to his offices.

Sir PETER LAURIE said that, as that wag the case,
he should remand the prisoners for the production of
those documents, as they might throw ;some light on
the matter.

ChristophQ—Ah! the. papers—they will show who
I am.

Sir PETER LAURIE—You do not understand I see.—
(Much laughter, in which both prisoners joined.)
Sir PETER LAURIE to ChriSlOphe—There is no doubt
you are a very designing man, and this system of
swindling must be put a stop to. I hope that the publi-
city of this case will also make innkeepers more cautious
as to wbona they take in, particularly alter the exposure
of to-day.—Remanded accordingly.
BOW-STREET,

EXTZNSIVR ROBBERY OF PICT URE B.—Yesterday
Susan Cook, a servant, was placed at the bar for final
examination, charged with stealing about 150 pictures,
the property of Mr. Richard Gale, picture-dealer, 47,
High Holborn, her master, and 'I hontas Miers, a Ger-
man Jew, with receiving them, well knowing them to
have been stolen.

A man named Joseph Roland, carrying on business
as a picture• dealer in St. Mary-axe, who attended to
produce a portion of the property, and to give evidence,
was also placed at the bar, charged with having pur-
chased pictures from the male prisoner for much less
than their value. _ _ _

It appeared from the evidence, which occupied the
court a considerable time, that the prisoner Miers con-
tracted an acquaintance with the female prisoner when
she was only a short time in the prosecutor's service, and
was frequently observed by the neighbours loitering
about the door, and leaving the house before the shop
was open for business in the morning. The prosecutor
kept a picture gallery on his second floor, to which there
was an entrance from the rear of the house, to which
cook had always access, from which he had no reason
to suspect any property had been removed, until he saw
two pictures exhibited at the door of a cigar shop for
sale, which induced him to inquire how they had been
obtained ; and having ascertained that they had been
purchased from Idlers at a fair price, the stock was
looked over, and the remainder of the property was
missed. Information was immediately given to the po-
lice, and on the prosecutor accompanying the officer to
the shop in St. Mary-axe, a vast quantity of pictures
were discovered, respecting which the prisoner Roland
gave a very equivocating account, declining to
give the name of the person ft orn whom he
had obtained them, and pretending that he did
not know his address, although he had dealt with
him several times. The prosecutor informed him that
a great number of pictures in his possession had been
stolen from him, and gave him notice that he would be
required to give evidence, there being persons in custody
for the robbry; and on a subsequent visit ho paid, the
greater number of pictures had been stripped of the
frames, at the same time ho admitted that he had pur-
chased 50 pictures at various times from Miers, (only 22
being produced), which was very different from the ac-
count he gave on the first occasion.
Mr. IlEbnav having ascertained that other portions of
the property had been disposed of in other parts of the
town and at Birmingham, upon the application of the
prosecutor, consented to remand the prisoners, and to
hold the prisoner Roland to bail, himself in the sum of
801., and two sureties in 40/. each, to answer the charge
at a future day.