The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-26 00:00:00

GUILDHALL

A sailor, about 24 years of age, named Thomas Bingley,
was brouga before Sir Peter Laurie charged with forging
and uttering a cheque for 12/. on Messrs. Freed, purporting
to be drawn by the Hon. Mr. Grey, of Charles-street,
Berkeley-square.
Mr. Weldon, on behalf of the banking house, stated that
the Hon. Mr. Grey kept an account with the firm, but the
cheque was so unlike his writing that nobody could mistake
it for a genuine document. The prisoner was the son of a
bailiff, who was for a time in Mr. Grey's service, and he
had been relieved several times upon writing that he was in
distress. The last of these donations was made In a letter
which had been partly copied in the forged document. The
genuine letter, dated Jan. 14, ran thus:—
" I fear. from your letter of this morning, that you are
very idle and discontented. I have nothing more to say to
von, and send you my last assistance of 11.
The forged letter, dated the 21st of January, began :
" I fear, from your letter of this morning that you are
very wilds and discontented, and I send yoti my last
assistance of 121., hoping it may do you more good than the
last."

It had an order on Messrs. Praed for 121., written at the
foot, was dated from 43, Charles-street, Berkeley square,
and had passed through the post, addressed Thomas
Bingley, 101, New Grivel-lane, Shadwell." The com-
plainant said the prisoner was toe ignorant to do any mis-
chief, and he was not disposed to press the case to trial if the
prisoner could give a reasonable account of the matter. Ile
produced a letter written by the prisoner since he had been
in custody, and the writing appeared to be dissimilar to the
forgery.
Sir PETER LAURIE said it showed great art if the pri-
soner bad caused this letter to be written and sent to himself
by post.
The prisoner said he knew nothing of the letter, except
that he received it by post, and supposed it to be genuine.
Sir PETER LAURIE thought the examination should not be
proceeded with till further inquiries had been made about
the prisoner. It was of importance to all bankers and their
customers, as well as tb the public, that no attempt to utter
forged cheques should go unpunished. The severity of the
law had been relaxed to increase the certainty of prosecu-
tion ; and, without adverting to the result of that ameliora-
tion of the law, he would say that every act of forgery should
be rigidly prosecuted. Whether the imitation of the signa-
ture was good or the prisoner intended to cheat hlessrs.
Praed of 121.

The prisoner was remanded.
A man who had the look of an artisan, but who refused to
give his name or any particulars whatever, was charged with
attempting to commit suicide.
John Eve, a City policeman, said he was informed about
eleven o'clock the previous night that a man had leaped
from Blackfriars bridge into the Thames. About th ee
hours after he met the prisoner in Chatham-place. His
clothes were thoroughly wet, and as he would not an-
swer any questions he detained him.
Sir PETER LAURIE asked him his name and occupation.
The prisoner declined mentioning either. He was, he
said, a little excited.
Sir PETER said, he took care to swim on shore. He might
be trusted with the care of himself; it was a trick to excite
compassion. _ _

The prisoner was immediately liberated.
__ CITY POLICE COMMITTEE.

Yesterday Mr. Bradley, of No. 9, Parsonage-
row, Newington-butts, was summoned before Aldermen
Hooper and Musgrove, at the instance of George
Fletcher, the City toll-collector at Moorgate, for unlaw-
fully using a chaise cart, on the 15th instant, without
the owner's Christian and surname painted thereon.

The defendant did not deny the truth of the complaint,
but the vehicle being only used by him as a chaise, for
which he paid the regular duty, he did not think that he
was bound to have his name painted on the back of it.

Mr. Alderman Musgrove told him that he was very
much mistaken. All chaise-carts, like the defendant',
travelling within five miles of London, in accordance
with the Metropolitan Stage and Carriage Act were
bound to have the owner's name upon them, although
the usual duty of chaises might be paid for them. The
defendant evidently had no wilful intention of infringing
the Act ; his neglect was apparently the result of igno•
ranee, and he should dismiss the summons on payment
of costs ; but he trusted that the press would take notice
of the case, as it might prove of the greatest importance
is cautioning the country people travelling near London,
in having their chaise-carts in accordance with the Act,
when within the five mile circle of the metropolis.
BOW-STREET.

A man of respectable appearance, named Edward
Bryant Garey, aged fifty-one, a solicitor, residing in
Southampton-buildings' was charged on a warrant be-
fore Mr. Twyford, with forging and uttering a certificate,
purporting to be an office copy of a certificate of the
Accountant-General of the Court of Chancery, and also
a cashier's receipt of the Bank of England.
Mr. Clerk, the barrister, attended for the prosecution,
and stated the facts of the case.

It appeared that Mr. Bellamy, of Montpellier-row,
Brighton, and Mr. Foster, of Stone-buildings, Lincoln's
Inn, had been co-trustees of the Rev. Edward Franks, a
lunatic, deceased, and the prisoner was employed by
them as solicitor. Mr. Bellamy was required to pay
into the hands of the Accountant-General of the Court
of Chancery a sum of 2,596/. 175., and the defendant in
June last inclosed to him checks for this amount, which
he (Mr. Bellamy) signed, and forwarded to Mr. Foster,
his co-trustee, for his signature. The check was drawn
on Messrs. Coutts and Co., and was crossed by Mr.
Bellamy to the account of the Accountant-General ;
that crossing was afterwards struck out, and Mr. Goth-
ing's name inserted instead. Mr. Bellamy hearing after-
wards that the money bad not been paid, wrote to the
defendant to ascertain the cause, when Garey inclosed
to him papers purporting to be a certificate from the
Accountant-General, and the cashier's receipt for the
amount, dated June 24, 1844. It was afterwards proved
by the clerk in the Accountant-General's office, that
there had been no original certificate and receipt in that
office, but that the papers produced were believed to be
forgeries.
The prisoner, who made no defence, was remanded till
Wednesday.
MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
On Saturday Stephen Melsfead, a journeyman wheel-
right, was charged by his employer, Mr. H. Snell, wheel-
right, No. 1, Dean-street Soho, with having neglected to
perform a job of work within
-the stipulated time.
Mr. Snell proved that he gave the defendant an order
to make a pair of wheels, and contracted that the order
should be finished within a particular time. The de-
fendant obtained money on account ; but complainant
had never got the wheels, nor had he been able to trace
out the prisoner, except by using great perseverance.
Mr. HARDWICK sent the defendant to prison for 2
days.