The Sun.
London, England, 1851-01-07 00:00:00

MARYLEBONE.

A rospectablr-dressed young man, who gave his
name Henry Williams, and who at the station-house
said that be lived et 26, Kingsgate-street, Holborn,
was placed at the bar before Mr. Broughton on the
charge of having uttered a counterfeit sovereign at the
house of Mr. Best, the George, Queen Anne•street,
Clvelidish-Equire. A great many spurious pieces
purporting to be of the denomination of coin alluded
to have recently been passed to tradesmen in the dis-
trict of this court in payment for goods purchased of
them, and there is every reason to suppose that a
well•organized gang of "smashers" are pursuing
their ntf,rious practices in various parts of the town
to a considerable extent.

Anne Price, barmaid to Mr. Best, said that on Sa-
turday afternoon last the prisoner came to the counter
and a'ked for a bottle of pale brandy, ss hich he stated
he was going to take to Wimpole-street. She placed
it before him on the bar, when he threw down a sove-
reign, which she weighed, and, finding that it was
genuine, she put before him the change, amounting
to 14s. 101. (2d. being deducted for the bottle), He
then remarked that he was directed to pay no more
than 4i. 6J, but that he would go back and see if
the price would do. She gave him back his sove-
reign and took possession of the brandy and change;
upon which he remarked, " Well, I think I'll take
the brandy after all, and chance it," at the same
time putting on the counter another piece having
the same appearance as the former. She (the
barmaid) ascertained by weighing that this second
piece was sadly deficient, and, being quite satisfied
that the prisoner's object was of a fraudulent nature,
she took the latter coin, which was a counterfeit one,
to her master, who was then in Wimpole-street, and
the prisoner, who had iu the meantime left the house,
without obtaining anything, was soon afterwards ob•
served by witness to pass along the street last named.
She pointed him out to her master, by whom he was
detained until the arrival of a constable ; he was then
conveyed to the station-house and locked up.
Regan, 18 D, by whom the prisoner was taken into
custody, slid that he had been to the address given by
him (prisdher), and found that he was not known to
any one on the premises.
The barmaid was cross-examined with much
shrewdness by the prisoner, but he did not in the
slightest degree benefit himself thereby.
The spurious coin was handA to the magistrate ;
the impression on either side was well executed, but
no doubt could exist with regard to the worthless
character of the piece ; the exterior of which, how-
ever, to a casual observer, would be very likely to
deceive.

The prisoner was remanded till Thursday next for
;he attendance of the Mint solicitor. _ _

Mr. Edward Smith, who, when captured by Lock-
erby, an officer of the S division, No. 189, said that
he was a chemist, residing in Seymour-street,
Euston-square, was placed at the bar before Mr.
Broughton for further examination, on the charge of
having forged and uttered two bills of exchange, one
for 1001., and the other for 961. 165., with intent to
defraud Mr. Thomas Ilickin, of Droitwich.
The particulars of what previously transpired have
already appeared, and it will be remembered that the
bills alluded to purported to bear the acceptance of
Mr. William Hadley, of Peterchurch, near Hereford.
Since the commencement of the inquiry two re-
remands have taken place, and yesterday Mr. Bal-
lantine appeared, as upon the last occasion, for
the prosecution. Mr. Huddlestone attended for the
prisoner, whose relations are, it is said, highly re-
spectable.

- Mr. Hadley was sworn, and he stated that the ac-
ceptances to the bills were not in his handwriting,
neither had he at any time authorised the prisoner, of
whom he had some knowledge, to affix any signature
to a bill in his name.

The two Learned Gentlemen engaged in the
case examined and cross-examined at some length,
and as

Lockerbv was of opinion that he should be able to
show in the course of a few days that the prisoner had
committed other forgeries in Herefordshire and
Gloucestershire, he (the prisoner), who, acting under
the advice of his counsel, had nothing to say, was
committed to Newgato to await his trial at the
February sessions.