The Sun.
London, England, 1856-10-29 00:00:00

CRIMINAL COURT.—(Thi4 Day.)

OLD COURT.
(Before the Lord Chief Baron and Mr. Justice Erie.)

ROBSON'S CASE.

The case of W. J. Robson, charged with defrauding
the Crystal Palace Company, is fixed for hearing to.
morrow morning.

.Tohn, Pratt, a fashionably-dressed youth, 17 years of
age, surrendered to his bail, and pleaded guilty to an
indictment charging him with having embezzled 981.105.,
the property of the Bank of Australia, his employers.
Mr. Bodkin said he was instructed on the part of
the prosecution to recommend the prisoner to mercy,
because he had conducted himself well in their employ
until he was led away by the blandishments of some
females of notorious character with whom he became
accidentally acquainted. The facts of the case were these :
the authorities of the bank sent the prisoner to Somerset
House with 981.105. in notes and gold to purchase stamps,
but instead of doing so he defrauded the bank of the
amount. One of the notes entrusted to him had been
found, and the prisoner had rendered every assistance to
the bank in recovering it.

Mr. Robinson, who appeared with Mr. Sleigh, on
behalf of the prisoner, said he had been for some
time in the service of the bank. On the day on which
the fraud took place the prisoner was entrusted with a
check to get cashed, and for it he obtained the money
and returned it to his employers. He was then sent to
Somerset House with 981. 10s. for stamps. He was too
late to get the stamps, and on his return to the bank
the cashier had left, and he retained the money in his pos-
session for cafe custody. It unfortunately happened
that he was tempted to visit a certain house in the City-
road, where no doubt he was robbed of the money, 701.
of which had been since restored ; and although it bad
been said that he went with the proprietor of the brothel
to the Bank of England and changed a 201. note, he be-
lieved there would be some difficulty in proving that
fact, because the name of the keeper of the house was
the only one that appeared on the back of the note. He
trusted that, under the circumstances, the Court would
deal leniently with the prisoner.

Mr. Justice Erie said. he would defer sentence until
to-morrow.

FBAIID.— William Neavy, 25 years of age, clerk, re-
manded from the lase sessions, was indicted for fraud.
There were three counts in the indictment, and the sum■
charged with being defrauded were Bs. Bd., if., and
lie. Bd.

Mr. Sergeant Ballantine and Mr. Salter were counsel
for the prosecution ; Mr. Sergeant Parry, Mr. Ribton,
and Mr. Lilley for the prisoner.

It appeared from the evidence that the prisoner was
in the employ of Messrs. Walker a. • 0., iron manu-
facturers and contractors, carrying
..4: n extensive busi-
ness at Milwall, Poplar. They employed a large number
of clerks, and the prisoner bad been between five and
six years in their service as one of their confidential
clerks, at a salary of 21. per week. In 1854 be left the
prosecutors' employment, but returned again in 1855,
and remained until June, 1856, when the charges
brought against him were discovered. They consisted
of his making false entries in the wages book, and the
purchase of old metal, putting the difference into his
own pocket.
The defence was that these charges were trumped up
against the prisoner to attach a stigma to him when he
came to give evidence in favour of a person named
Fassey, who had a claim of 7,0001. against the prose-
cutor, and who was to be indicted for fraud in certain
timber transactions between him and the prosecutor,
and not for furtherence of the ends of public justice.
Several highly respectable individuals gave the pri-
soner an excellent character for his honesty and general

integrity.
The jury, shortly after three o'clock (the case having
lasted more than four hours) returned a verdict of guilty
with regard to the lead transaction, and not guilty on
the other counts. They recommended him to mercy on
the ground of his previous good character.—Sentence de•
ferred.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.— (This Day.)

THE MURDEROUS OUTRAGE IN PARLIAMENT

STREET.

IDENTIFICATION OF TOE PRISONER BY
THE INJURED MAN.
About seven o'clock last evening the unfortunate man
Richard Cope, who had not previously articulated a single
word, was heard by one of the nurses in the ward
where he was lying to whisper his ability to eat some-
thing. Immediate information was given to Mr. Mar-
shall, the house surgeon, who, after seeing the patient,
and consulting with Mr. Barnard Holt, the senior sur-
geon, felt it his duty to communicate with Mr. Walker,
chieisuperintendent of the metropolitan police at the
King-street station, with a view to obtain the attendance
of a magistrate at the bedside of the injured man. Mr.
Walker at once put himself into communication with Mr.
Burnaby, chief clerk at Dow-street Police court, who, on
learning that there was a probability of Cope identifying
his assailant, promptly despatched Inspector Bradstock to
the House of Detention for the prisoner, himself under-
taking to see Mr. Jardine, and personally explain the
circumstances to that learned magistrate.
Mr. Jardine, on learning the facts, at once accom-
panied Mr. Burnaby to the hospital, where they arrived
at nine o'clock, and awaited the coming of the prisoner,
who was brought in a cab in charge of one of the warders
of the prison, accompanied by Inspector Bradsteck
and another police officer, very shortly afterwards.
On being told by one of the warders that he was about
to be taken to Westminster Hospital the prisoner nei-
ther said anything nor manifested the slightest emotion.
He was securely handcuffed before entering the cab, and
during his transit through London be made no remark
to either of the officers.
Upon the prisoner's arrival at the hospital, Mr. Mar-
shall having first satisfied himself that Cope was in a
perfectly rational state, and able to articulate, allowed
Mr. Jardine and the other officials to be introduced.
Mr. Burnaby took a position close to the bedside of the
injured man, to whom he explained in a soothing manner
the occasion of the visit, introducing to him Mr. Jardine,
who stood on the other side of the patient's bed. All be- I
ing in readiness the prisoner was brought in between two
officers and placed at the foot of Cope's bed, in a position
allowing full observation of his features. The prisoner bore
this trying ordeal with remarkable nerve, looking down
sternly and unmoved upon the emaciated and pallid form
of his victim, whose personal appearance was rendered
more haggard than it would otherwise have been by a
grisly beard and moustachios, which nearly covered his
face.

The first question addressed to Mr. Cope by Mr.
Burnaby was—" Do you know the man standing at the
foot of your bed ?"
Cope surveyed him with penetrating glance for some
few moments, and then faintly ejaculated, " Yes."
Mr. Burnaby pursued the question by inquiring how
he knew the prisoner, upon which Cope replied in a
tremulous voice, "That is the man who struck me."
Mr. Burnaby next asked Cope whether he could tell
what it was he struck with ? Cope looked anxiously
towards the prisoner, and articulated in a thick guttural
voice, " A life preserver."
Mr. Burnaby tben asked the sufferer whether he could
tell how many blows had been given to him by the pri-
soner ? Cope appeared anxious to reply more fully to
this inquiry, but after an effort was only able to articu-
late a simple " No."
Mr. Burnaby, after a short pause, next asked Cope
whether the prisoner had spoken to him before commen-
cing to attack him. The unfortunate man, whose utter-
ance up to this point had been gradually becoming more
imperfect, appeared excited by the last question, and in
reply muttered some inarticulate sounds, from which
nothing could be gleaned.
Mr. Burnaby looked towards Mr. Marshall, who all
this time stood at the bedside watching the effect of the
examination on his patient, and on gathering from him
that a continuation of this mode of examination might
probably be very prejudicial to Cope, Mr. Burnaby said
be had got quite enough, and that if the patient would
affix his mark to the depositiOn he should not be troubled
any further.
Upon this intimation Cope stretched out his hand, and
tremblingly affixed his attestation, upon which the pri-
soner wa-s removed, and the few present retired, pain-
fully affected with the scene they had witnessed.
After the magistrate had retired, Mr. Marshall in-
formed Mr. Jardine that the hesitation exhibited by the
patient in replying to the last question occasioned a dread
of increased paralysis, and therefore it was that he bad
felt it advisable to stop the examination when all that
was legally necessary had been obtained.
The prisoner was conveyed back to the House of De-
tention in a cab, accompanied by the officers who bad '
brought him to the hospital. His exit from the hospi-
tal was watched by a great crowd of spectators.
After Mr. Jardine had retired Mr. Walker, chief sup-
intendent, and Mr. Thornton, principal officer of the
London detective police, expressed a desire to put one
other question to Cope if his condition would allow it,
in order to assist them in the inquiries they were en-
gaged in relative to the prisoner's accomplice. They
were desirous to ascertain whether Cope had any pre-
vious knowledge of his assailant ; and as they considered
it highly important to the ends of justice that they should
ascertain this fact, Mr. Burnaby, with the sanction of
Mr. Marshall, undertook to make the inquiry. It was
done with all due care, and the patient having had half
an hour's repose replied by a distinct negative. He
had never seen his assailant before.