The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-07 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
COURT OF EXCHEQUER, July 6.
(Sittings at Nisi Prins.)
Special jury causes were t ried this morning, none of which
possessed any feature of public interest.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT

OLD COURT.

Richard Cutmore, aged 24, clerk, was indicted for stealing
a parcel containing some printed books, the property of the
South-Western Railway Company, his employers.
Mr. Doane prosecuted, and Mr. Clarkson defended the pri-
soner.

It appeared from the evidence that on the Ist of May, a
parcel containing books was sent by a bookseller named
Jones to the South-Western Railway, to be conveyed to Odi-
ham, and the prisoner, who was engaged as clerk in the lug-
gage department, was proved to have been in the office when
the parcel was brought there. It never came to hand, and a
few days afterwards, in consequence of some information that
was received, an officer proceeded to the prisoner's lodging,
when he found the parcel of books in a box belonging to the
prisoner, unopened, and exactly in the state when it was
sent to the railway. The prisoner, on being called upon to
account for the possession of the parcel, said that he picked it
up on the railway platform, and he took it home without
thinking of the consequences, but intending to return the
property.
The jury found the prisoner Guilty, and he was sentenced
to twelve months' hard labour.

Thomas Connor, alias O'Connor, 36, a person of gentle-
manly appearance, was indicted for feloniously inter-
marrying with Mary Carr Burt, his wife being alive.
Mr. Cooper conducted the prosecution, and Mr. Ballantine
appeared for the prisoner.
The Learned Counsel, in stating the case for the prose-
cution described it as being one of the most heartless descrip-
tion that had ever come to his notice.
Evidence was then adduced, to show that on the 11th of
April, 1839, the prisoner was married to Maria Twycross, at
the parish church of St. Andrew, Holborn, and that he mar-
ried Mary Carr Burt, at Mary-le-bone Church, on the 27th
Jane, 1843, at which time, it was shown, Maria Twycross,
the first wife, was alive.
Miss Mary Carr Burt, a very lady-like young woman, was
then examined. She deposed that she knew the prisoner,
and that the ceremony of marriage was performed between
them in June, 1843. Before the marriage she had lived with
the prisoner as his wife. When she first became acquainted
with the prisoner, she was residing with a relative, and at his
dead} he left her 2,6001. in money, and 4001. worth of plate
andAurniture. The prisoner had the whole of this money
and property.
Cress-examined.—They were together about three years.
They did not live in an extravagant manner. The prisoner
set up in business as a furrier in London, and they had a
country house and kept two'servants. Witness's sister had
heard that the prisoner was a married man, and he was taxed
with it, but denied that it was true. A woman who it was
suspected was his wife, was introduced to her, but to show
that there was no truth in the supposition, this same woman
was present at her marriage with the prisoner, and gave her
away. She was not of age when she first lived with the pri-
soner, and the marriage did not take place until she was 21,
when she came into possession of her property.
Mr. BALLANTLNE, on behalf of the prisoner, sail he did
not think his Learned Friend was quite ju-tified in describing
the present case as the most heartless that could be ima-
Oned ; and although he could not deny that the conduct of
the prisoner had been very bad, yet it appeared that he had
continued to live with the unfortunate young lady, and that
the money she was entitled to had been expended for their
joint support, and there was no proof that he had improperly
squandered away any portion of it.
The jury returned a verdict of Guilty.
Miss Burt was next called, and in answer to questions put
to her by the Common Sergeant, she said that part of the
money was invested in the business, but it turned out unsuc-
cessful, and the whole of the money was lost.
The COMMON SERGEANT asked if none of her money was
left? Miss Burt replied that there was not a single shilling
remaining.
The Commor SKRGEANT inquired what had become of the
plate and furniture? Miss Burt replied that everything was
gone. The furniture had been recently seized for debt due
by the prisoner.
The COMMON SERGEANT, in passing sentence, said that it
had long been his opinion that the offence of bigamy had
been too leniently dealt with. He knew of no crime that
was the means of inflicting more misery upon its victims,
and also upon society-at large ; and he had made up his
mind to inflict the punishment of transportation in all cases
where parties were convicted of it. There was nothing in
the present case that could at all induce him to alter his
opinion. The prisoner had obtained possession of the person
of a young, innocent girl ; he had been the means of squan-
dering the whole of her property, and left her without a
s'iilling, and in the most degraded position. Under those
circumstances, he felt it to be his duty to pass upon him a
sentence of transportation for seven years.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MANSION-HO USE.

A man of respectable appearance, forty-eight years of
age, with a bald head, and very defective articulation,
named George Merriott, alias Charles Metcalf, was
brought before the Lord Mayor, in the custody of Ser-
geant Dubois, of the Metropolitan Police Force, charged
with having conspired with others to defraud Messrs.
Neville, and Co., hosiers and warehousemen, of Gres-
ham- street West, of goods to the amount of 1341. and
upwards.
The justice room was excessively crowded during
the investigation. The prisoner had just been brought
up from Stockton, where he was apprehended on pre-
mises which he had recently taken, and which a trades-
man of that town was furnishing for him.
Mr. Humphreys appeared for the prosecution. The
prisoner, he said, called on the 6th or 7th of May last, at
the warehouse of Messrs. Neville and Jourdain, of No.
11, Gresham-street West, presented a card on which
was printed George Merriott and Son, wholesale iron-
monger, No. 16, Trinity-lane, said that he was Mr.
Merriott, and that he wished for some goods in the pro-
secutor's line, to send out to his son, or sons, in South
Australia. As he was not himself in that way of business
he requested that the firm would look out for him some
articles to the amout of 100/. or 1201., and after some
conversation, he gave a reference to a house in Austin-
friars, and stated that the goods must be ready by Tues-
day, the 12th of May, as the ship was to clear out on the
following day, and if punctuality were not observed they
could not be shipped. Application was accordingly mane
to the referees, who gave the prisoner a most unexception-
telle character,and said they were about to execute an order
for him for tea- urns and articles of that description to the
amount of 801. or 100/. By a manoeuvre the prisoner
contrived to' get away the goods in a cart hired by him-
self on the day appointed. They were not conveyed to the
London Docks, but to a house in a court, and disposed
of, and the referees disappeared from their place of
business. It was, however, ascertained that the
prisoner had gone to Stockton, and a warrant was ac-
cordingly granted for his apprehension.
Sergeant , Dubois, N 14, of the Metropolitan Police,
stated that he executed the warrant at Stockton, where
the prisoner had furnished lodgings in the name of
Charles Metcalf. Witness showed the warrant to him
in the station-house, in which he had been previously
deposited bey one of the clerks of the prosecutors, and
the prisoner said the transaction was a bona fide one,
that he had bought the goods in the regular course of
business, and when he came to the Court he would
change the face of affairs. One of the Stockton police
asked the prisoner, in witness's presence, whether his
father ever lived there, to which he replied, " Yes, thirty
years ago." The policeman then asked him whether
his name was Charles Metcalf, and he replied, "Yes,
that's my name." The prisoner had taken a house at
1001 a year, and witness believed he had also taken
another house there.
Mr. Neville stated that the prisoner had obtained the
goods, to the amount of 1341. odd, at his warehouse. He
had received no consideration whatever for the goods,
and he ascertained that the referees had absconded. The
young man who had had the original communication
with the prisoner was out of town
The prisoner (to Mr. Neville)—Are you not aware
that the goods were sold at three months credit ? Wit-
ness—No.
The prisoner—l have an invoice to show that they
were sold to me at three months credit.
The LORD MAYOR (to the prisoner)—Were they sold
to you to go to Australia? _ The prisoner—Yes, and they
were sent there.
Mr. Neville—They were taken to Oxford-court, and
never shipped for Australia.
The prisoner—I admit that they were taken to Oxford
court, but next day they were shipped. I shipped them
myself.
• •
The LORD MAyon—What ship did they go by? The
prisoner—By the Bennet.
The LORD MAYOR—Who is the owner? The pri-
soner (after some consideration)—That I do not know.
The LORD MAYOR—To whom were they consigned?
The prisoner—To my sons living in South Australia.
The LORD MAYOR—In what part of South Australia?
The prisoner said he could not recollect.
The LORD MAYOR—Let me see the invoice.
The prisoner—My attorney has it. I believe I put
it into his hands with some other papers.
The shopman of a hat manufacturer of the name of
Wilson here came forward, and stated that four days
after the transaction at Messrs. Neville and Co.'s the
prisoner obtained hats to the amount of 1121., and sent
his own cart for them.
The prisoner—Are you' not aware that they aro got
upon credit? Witness—l am not. The name was
Marriott, 16, Trinity-lane.
The prisoner was remanded till Thursday.
MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

Joseph Stott, a man of respectable a
charged with having conducted himself in anindecent way
towards a lad named George Webb. appearance, was
The complainant said he lives in the Seven Dials, and is
a 'labourer. He was in Hyde-park about 11 o'clock on
Saturday night, when he was accosted by the defendant, who
acted indecently towards him. The defendant left him, and
got over the park railings into the road. Complainant
comfol-
lowed him into a public-house, and after partaking of some
beer with him they left the public-house together, and on
meeting with a police-constable
de-
fendant into custody.
The defendant said he was entirely innocent of the scan-
dalous charge, which had been trumped up
complainant gave the
against him with
a view to extort money. He had only been a week in Lon-
don, having come up from Oldham to obtain medical advice
for, a painful complaint under which he laboured. On
Saturday evening he took a walk in Hyde-park, and having
lost his way, he went up to the complainant to ask him to
tell him when the park gate would be shut. He was imme-
diately surrounded and collared by four or five young men,
who demanded his money on a threat of charging
him with
infamous practices. He got away from the gang, and went
into a public-house and called for some beer. The com-
plainant came into the house, laid hold of the pot, and drank
about half the contents. He left the house, followed by the
complainant, and 'when he got into the street he saw three
of the e,omplainatit's companions in the park standing in
the street, and apparently watching his movements. De-
fendant was about to obtain the aid of the police, but he was
anticipated in this by-the complainant, charging
scribed. him as de-

Mr. MALTBY directed
a police-constable to make in-
quires into the character of the defendant at his lodgings.
The police-constable, on his return, reported that the
defendant's statement, as far as it could be corroborated,
was correct. He had only been a week in town, and stated
to his landlord the purpose for which he.had left o:dham.
Mr. MALTBY was informed that a respectable person had
on Saturday been robbed of 4s. by a gang of persons resem-