The Sun.
London, England, 1848-02-29 00:00:00

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.
OLD COURT.

fienry Bishop and Joseph Arnold yesterday sur-
rendered to talse their trial upon a charge of obtain-
ing money by false pretences, from Messrs. Barclay
and Co., the brewers.
Mr. Bodkin prosecuted, and Mr. Metcalfe appeared
for the defendant Bishop.
From the evidence adduced, it appeared that the
fraud imputed to the defendants was one of rather a
singular character, and evinced considerable inge-
nuity. It appeared that it was the custom of the
firm who prosecuted to make a charge upon their
customers for the casks in which their beer was sup-
plied, and when they were restored the sum so
charged was refunded—the amount being 11. for a
barrel and 13s. for a kilderkin ; and it seemed that a
good many of the country customers were in the
habit of sending their empty casks back through the
medium of the Talbot and the New Inn booking-
offices, Old Change and the Borough, where the de-
fendant Arnold had been employed as porter, and he,
conselueetly, was well acquainted with the mo le of
oarryiNg on this branch of the business of
Messrs. Barclay. It seemed that in August last,
Bishop upon two occasions brought three casks
to the brewery, and he at the same time pro-
duced a printed ticket, purporting to come from
the booking offices mentioned, on which a charge was
made for porterage, and the casks were represented to
have been sent by three customers, named Phillips,
Ottornay, and Elliott, and upon these representations
a sum of 21. 13s. was given to this defendant. It
turned out that the casks were not sent by the persons
named, and there was no evidence as to how the de-
fendants got possession of the tasks, but it was sug-
gested that as the prosecutors lost a great number
every year, and by reason of these being branded with
their name, it would be a dangerous experiment to
endeavour to dispose of them in the ordinary manner,
that the ingenious expedient had been resorted to in
the manner mentioned, of making the prosecutors
pay for those casks, of the possession of which some
dishonest persons had, in the first instance, improperly
deprived them. In order to connect the other defen-
dant Arnold with the transaction, it was shown that
his writing was upon the ticket, and that he had given
it to Bishop, and he acknowledged that he afterwards
received part of the money.
The jury, acting upon the impression that Bishop
had been made the dupe of the other defendant, Ac-
quitted him, and returned a verdict of Guilty against
Arnold.

He was sentenced to be imprisoned for one year.
NEW COURT.

(Before Mr. Commissioner BuLLocK and Aldermen
CHALLIS and FINNIS.)

William Hodges surrendered in court to answer a
charge of embezzling three sums of money, amounting
to 31. 28. 61., the moneys of two persons named
Fancoate and Mayes, who were laid in theindict-
ment as his masters.
Mr. Payne prosecuted, and Mr.Ballantine defended.
It appeared from the evidence of the two chief
witnesses, Fancoate and Mayes, that the prisoner for
some time carried on business in Kingsgate-street,
Holborn, as a cloth dresser and scourer. In 1846 he
became bankrupt, and Mr. Fancoate became the pur•
chaser of the trade implements and machinery, on a
portion of which he had a lien. Mr. Mayes was the
prisoner's lmdlord, and being a creditor to some ex-
tent, he entered into a kind of partnership with Fan-
coate, and they carried on the business, Hodges'
name being over the door. The case for the prose-
cution was, that Fancoate and Mayes having pur-
chased the materials and trade from the official as-
signees., they hired the prisoner to superintend the
carrying on of the business, paying him for his ser-
vices thirty shillings per week, house-rent and coals ;
clod that, as their servant, he received and rppro-
priated to his own use the several sums specified in
the indictment. It was proved that the money had
bean paid to the prisoner, who gave receipts in his
own name.

After hearing witnesses,
The Learned COMMISSIONER said he thought the
case depended entirely upon what the jury, from the
evidence, believed the understanding was between
the prisoner and the prosecutors when they became
connected with the business.

The jury found the prisoner Guilty, but strongly
recommended him to mercy.
The Learned JUDGIII sentenced him to two months'
hard labour.

The prisoner said he 'f9 1111 as innocent as the Judge
himself,

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
TVE,STMINSTER.

John Hendrich, alias Marshall, alias Downey, a
footman out of place, was finally examined, charged
with stealing a silver teapot and waiter, from the
residence of Mrs. C. C. Russell, 18, Lowndes-street,
Lowndes-square, whose service he had entered by
means of a false character.

The circumstances of the case, which have not been
before detailed, are briefly these :—On Saturday the
15th ult., the prisoner entered the service of Mrs.
Russell upon trial for a week, her son, Mr. F. S.
Russell, having received an excellent character of the
accused from a Mrs. Thomas, of 40, Keppel-street,
Russell-square. On the following Monday, Mr.
Russell finding that he was totally unacquainted with
the duties of his situation, requested him to leave,
and tendered him his week's wages. Prisoner refused
to take the money, and became extremely insolent.
Mr. Russell then went with the prisoner to look over
the plate, part of which was in a cupboard, and the
remainder on a table in the pantry. It was found to
be correct, with the exeption of a dessert-spoon, sub-
sequently found, and the accused then removed, as
Mr. Russell supposed, the silver which had
been on the table into the cupboard, and the
gentleman locked the door, without again ex-
amining whether it was correct. The prisoner
again had his wages offered him, but he refused to
receive them, repeated his insolence, and refused to
leave the house. Mr. Russell came to this court, and
having procured a police-constable, returned in about
an hour and a half to the house, when he found the
prisoner had absconded, and shortly afterwards the
teapot and waiter were missed. It was subsequently
ascertained that the prisoner had entered the service
by means of a false character, and Mrs. Thomas was
taken before the magistrates at Bow-street Police-
court, fined 201., or two months' imprisonment, and
has since died, while under confinement. The pri-
soner was apprehended a few nights ago in Cleveland-
street, Marylebone.
Mr. George Thompson, of Frederick-street, Hamp-
stead-road, pawnbroker, proved that the prisoner
pledged the silver teapot at his shop for 51., on the
17th ult. (the day it was missed). After receiving
the mosey and ticket, he produced a silver waiter,
upon which he asked 8/. Witness suspecting that
something might be wrong, said to his shopman that
he thought they had better stop the man, and witness
jumped over the counter for the purpose of doing so,
when prisoner suddenly seized the waiter and darted
out of the shop. Witness and one of his assistants
followed into the street, and the police pursued the
prisoner for a considerable distance, but the fellow
contrived at last to give him the slip.
Prisoner, who made no defence, was committed by
Mr. Bsoderip for trial.