The Sun.
London, England, 1848-03-07 00:00:00

SOUTHWARK.

Robert Douglas appeared upon his recognizances
before Mr. Cottingham for re-examination, charged
with stealing a quantity of plate, linen, a horse, and
dog cart, the property of Captain Caron Smith, and
also a saddle and bridle belonging to a Mr. Chew, a
horse-dealer in the City.
Mr. Parry, the barrister, attended on behalf of the
prisoner.
Previously to the above charges being entered into,
Captain Smith, one of the prosecutors, was charged
with stealing several documents having reference to
the cases.

A young man, named Kirby, an attorney's clerk,
stated, that while he was in attendance that morning,
in the hall of the Court, with a bundle of documents
respecting the above charges, Captain Smith came
behind him, struck him on the side of the head with
one hand, while with the other he snatched the papers
from him. He (complainant) however, called a po-
liceman, and gave his assailant into custody. The
witness, however, admitted that the Judge before
whom the proceedings to which the papers had re-
ference took place, said that Captain Smith was en•
titled to them, when he paid the costs of the action.
He,.however, had not since paid the costs, and the
documents still remained in the possession of wit-
ness's employer.
In reply to the charge, Captain Smith said, that
he had no intention of committing a felony, with
which he was charged, but that he only wanted to
regain possession of documents which he was fairly
entitled to.

Mr. COTTINGHAM said he should acquit the ac-
cused of the charge of felony, but should either
punish him for the assault, or hold him to bail.
Mr. Roberts said, that it was the wish of his client
to take the case to the sessions, and Captain Smith
was therefore held to bail.

The charges against Mr. Douglas were then gone
into, and Mr. Chew, from whom he had the saddle
and bridle, gave similar evidence to that which he
gave on the former occasion, and added, that since
that transaction, which occurred on the 10th of
January, 1844, he had not seen the prisoner, until
the newspapers gave him information that he was in
custody at that Court, en the alleged charge of rob
bery under a bill of sale. He added, that a Mr.
Wells, a solicitor, of George-street, City, was the
person to whom the prisoner referred as to his cha-
racter, and that that individual gave such a favour-
able one, that he (witness) was induced to part with
his three horses to him ; the bridle and saddle were
taken by the prisoner, who promised to send them
back the following day, but had not done so.
Mr. Parry here produced an account between the
complainant and prisoner, by which it appeared that
they had a transaction subsequently to the date at
hich it was. alleged the saddle and bridle w ere
stolen, a circumstance which was remarked upon by
the Magistrate, who said that Mr. Chew had then an
opportunity of giving the accused into custody if he
thought proper.
Mr. Chew, however, now said that he had not seen
the prisoneion the occasion alluded to, but it was the
referee of the latter who had come forward to settle
the account.

The MAGISTRATE, addressing Captain Smith,
asked him if Mr. Garbut was in attendance, to prove
his signature to the bill of sale, which was given to
him when he advanced the prisoner the 1501. ?
The reply was that that gentleman had promised to
be in attendance, but was not then in Court.
Captain Smith was then cross-examined by Mr.
Parry, and he said that he gave the 1501. to a Mrs.
Twogood, on account of the prisoner, who handed
him the bill of sale on his property in the country as
security for the money. Mrs. Tvt•ogood was now at
Boulogne.
Mr. Parry—Will you swear that Mrs. Twogood
is not now in the Queen's Bench Prison, and that she
is not the same person who is now plaintiff in an action
pending against Mr. Douglas ?
Captain Smith replied that the lady he had given
the 1501. for the prisoner was in the place he had al-
ready described.
Mr. Parry said that it would be proved that the
Mrs. Twogood adverted to was a prisoner in the
Queen's Bench, and that Captain Smith was frequently
in the habit of seeing her there. The Learned
Counsel then called two of the turnkeys of the above
prison, who proved that a Mrs. Elizabeth Twogood
was an inmate, and that Captain Smith was fre-
quently with her there.
Captain Smith still declared that the Mrs. Two-
good he paid the money to was at Boulogne, for he
had seen her there a short time since, and that the
female in the prison was quite a different person, and
went by the name of Nelson.
Mr. COTTINGHAIL said that if it was proved to his
satisfaction that the female in the prison was the per-
son represented by the counsel for the defence, it
would put an end to Captain Smith's case, for no jury
would convict ; indeed, it was quite certain that his
evidence would be discredited. The Magistrate then
inquired if there were any other persons in court whe
had charges to prefer against the prisoner.—Two
tradesmen stepped forward, from whom it was
alleged he had had goods to a considerable amount ;
but upon a representation of their respective cases,
the magistrate was of opinion, although the pro-
perty had been obtained, yet that they were not the
subject for a criminal but a civil proceeding against
him.

Mr. COTTINGITAM said he had received innume-
rable letters on the subject of the prisoner's apprehen-
sion, from persons of whom he had obtained goods of
various descriptions, and some of them, he regretted
to say, from foreigners, who had complained of the
scandalous manner in which they had been swin-
dlPri not of their pr“pPrty by o'lo nrotic...4 Thnt th•
conduct of the accused in these transactions tarnished
the name of an Englishman, and that it was high
time some member of the Legislature should bring
forward a motion on the subject, in order that an
Act might be passed for the purpose of awarding
punishment to persons who obtained goods with no
intention of paying for them, which was evidently the
case in many instances in which the prisoner was
engaged. The Magistrate added, that as Captain
Smith hal in his possession the document already al-
luded to, and had sworn the articles enumerated in
the bill of sale had been stolen by the prisoner, he
shoull, therefore, hold him to bail, himself in 2001.,
and two sureties of 1001. each, to appear there prior
to the next sessions of the Central Criminal Court,
and the magistrate desired Captain Smith to be pre-
pared with his evidence on that occasion.

;LAMBETH.
Thomas Evans was placed at the bar before Mr.
Elliott on a charge of being found on the premises of
Messrs. Walker and Co., shot-manufacturers, Belvi-
dere-road, Lambeth, with intent to commit a felony.
From the evidence, it appeared that on Saturday
night, between the hours of eleven and twelve o'clock,
the watchman on the premises of Messrs. Walker
and Co. heard a noise on the roof of one of the build.,
ings, and on ascending the building saw the prisoner
on the roof. On observing the watchman the prisoner
instantly jumped from off the roof to a pile of timber
on the adjoining wharf, and was instantly followed by
the watchman, who grappled with him. The top of
the pile where the struggle took place was only four
feet square, while the height was nearly 40 feet, so
that it was almost a miracle that one or both had not
tilted over. The watchman, who behaved with the most
heroic determination, drew out a pistol and told the
prisoner he must return with him on the roof of the
premises he had jumped off. This he complied with,
but in returning both ran a considerable risk for had
they not succeeded in effecting a landing on the roof
oner or the other must have been dashed to pieces.
The prisoner upon being secured, was recognised as
a person who had been dismissed from the service of
Messrs. Walker and Co., in October last for dis-
honesty, and since that time various petty robberies
have been committed on the premises. It was also
found that a quantity of lead had been removed from
the_gutter of the building on which the prisoners lad