The Sun.
London, England, 1856-09-04 00:00:00

POLL:E IGgVCE.—Sept. 3.

MANSION-HOU6E.—Charle3 Briant and Ihomas
Banks, the former a workman, and the latter a labourer,
were brought before the Lord Mayor, charged with
having plundered a barge lying in the river of 7ilb. of
leaf tobacco.

R. F. Thomact, inspector of a division of the Thames
Police, said—About nine o'clock last night I was in my
galley off the Custom-house stairs, when I observed the
prisoner Banks row his boat alongside a barge called the
Lord Clarendon, belonging to Mr. William Alfred
Joyce, which was male fast to a hulk belonging to the
Thames Navigation Company. I ordered my men to
lie upon their oars fur a few seconds, when I heard a
whistle, immediately upon the sound of which the pri-
Honer Briant jumped into Ba,;ks's boat, and they both
pulled as bard as they could towards the Custom-house
Lower•aairs. I chased them, and they were both cap•
tured almost immediately they reached the shore.
J. Lewis, Thames police-officer, No. 74, said he Wa'
in the galley with the last witness, and that as soon a
Briant lauded he seized him, and on searching him found
the 71lbs. of leaf tobacco produced concealed between
his shirc and waistcoat.

Dell, [another ;constable, No. 12, corroborated the
evidence of the foregoing witnesses.
Banks, in answer to the charge, said he knew nothing
whatever of the other witness, whom he conveyed in his
boat as a fare.

Briant, in the most impudent manner, denied having
had the tobacco at all in his possession.
The pr;saners were remanded..
Jas. .Keating, a man of about 35 years of age, dressed
like a sailor, was charged with being concerned in steal
ing an oil-skin cape and reefing jacket belonging to a
mariner named Jeis. Fraser, a native of Sunderland.
The prosecutor having been sworn, said—l came
from Ramsgate yesterday afternoon, and on my arrival
at London-bricige proceeded with several other passen-
gers to an hotel at the corner of Fish-street-hill, for
the purpose of partaking of some refreshment. I
placed my oil-skin cape and jacket by my side, and
whilst eng iged in conversation with my friends, the
prisoner asked a man who was standing by me if he
would buy a Russian pipe. I asked him to let me see the
pipe, and upon looking at it I said it was not a Russian
pipe. He asked 3/. for it. I told him that it was only worth
It., and offered him that sum for it. He then said he
could speak the Russian language, and took a cross
from his neck which he said was a Russian coin. During
the conversation a companion of the prisoner stole my
cape and jacket, and got clear off with them, and the
prisoner tried to make hLs escape, but I stopped him,
and gave him into custody.
Moses Levi, an itinerant vendor of jewellery, corro-
borated the evidence of the last witness.
T. Beadle, constable No. 535, said the prosecutor gave
the prisoner into my custody yesterday afternoon for
"cohabiting" with another loan who stole his cape and
jacket. The prisoner gave a false address. I found
upon him a watch, which I believe to be a " duffer."
Prisoner—lt's no duffer. I bought it at Bristol last
week for 35a.

The Lord Mayor—l should be very sorry to value the
watch as the prosecutor did the prisoner's pipe, but it
certainly looks to me like one of the duffer watches which
are sometimes found in the possession cf persons who
are brought to this court. (To Partridge, the gaoler)—
Look at the watch, and tell me what you think of it.
Partridge—lt's not worth a shilling, my lord. It's a
regular duffer.. (Laughter.)
The Lord Mayor (to the prisoner) --What are you ?
Prisoner—l have been one of the Army Working
Corps, and I have just returned from the Crimea.
Prosecutor—My Lord, when the prisoner addressed
me he raid he could talk the Russian language, but what
he spoke to me was between an Irish Gaelic and a Scotch
Gaelic. (Laughter.) I have been a great deal in Russia
myself, and understand the language.
The Lord Mayor am sorry to say that Ido not. He
ape o 1.3 to have tried to impose upon you, and to have
caught a Tartar.

Tile prisoner, who failed to give a satisfactory account
of himself, was remanded.

GUILDHALL.—Mr. Gen. Middleton, secretary to
the sSociety for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals,
attended to day before Sir P. Laurie, to state that in
consequence of the charges that had been made against
some of the officers of the society, in the course of the
investigation which took place at the court yesterday,
he had deemed it to be his duty to suspend four of
them until the meeting of the committee, when the
matter would be thorAighly invest sited.
Mrs. Jones, the wife of a soldier, who last week ap-
pealed to the benevolence of the sitting magistrate, Al-
derman Finnis, to assist her in completing the amount
of 201. in order to purchase her husband's discharge, ap-
peared before Alderman Lawrence under the following
circumstances :

Mr. Martin, the chief clerk, informed the worthy
alderman that this poor woman had been for a long time
working hard and saving her money to effect the pur-
chase of her husband's di.charge from the 28th Regiment
of Foot, and succeeded in accumulating the sum of 181.
104. She then found herself unable to complete the
other 30,., ant applied to Alderman Finnis for assist-
ance. Alderman Finnis gave her the 30s. out of the
fundi of the poor-box, and last Saturday took the 201. to
the Isle of Wight for the purpose of purchasing the
man's discharge. Her case was reported in the news-
papers, and a benevolent gentleman sent through the
proprietors of the Times the sum of 21., which she had
duly received. She now attended for the purpose of re-
funding to the poor-box the money that Alderman Finnis
had given her, and it would rest with him (Alderman
Lawrence) whether it would be accepted from her.
Alderman Lawrence said he certainly would not take
it from her.

Mr. Martin said the money would be most serviceable
to her, for, to make up the 181., she had borrowed 5/.
from a loan society, which she was now repaying by
weekly instalments, and it would no doubt be a great
assistanze to her.

Alderman Laser,nce expressed the gratification he felt
in assisting sa deserving an object.
Mrs. Jones tendered her grateful thanks to the worthy
Alderman for his,kiodness, and withdrew.
Mr. Martin said he had received a letter from Alder-
man Minnie containing Mrs. Jones's papers, and stating
that he paid the 20/., and that her husband would re-
ceive his discharge in a few days.
Mrs. Susanna Chipp applied to Sir Chapman Mar-
shall for his advice and assistance. She said her hus-
band had been captain of the Id', belonging to Messrs.
Linklater and Green, who failed some short time since,
and on the 28th of June last he sailed from Jamaica for
Liverpool in perfect health. Yesterday she got a tele-
graphic message from Queenstown stating that her hus-
band had died on the passage home, leaving her a widow
with two children—nne 15 months, and the other 5
weeks old. To-day she went to the Royal British )3ank,
and drew out 3201. which she had deposited there in
December last. It was the amount of a bequest she had
received on the death of her father, and it was all she
had in the world to support herself and her children.
One of her brothers who was with her, and who has
3001. similarly- deposited there,- told the manager of
the circumstances of her misfortune, and that she
wished to deposit the money for safety. The man-
ager assured her it would be peifecty safe, and
telvisc.l her to leave it. She had received the
money in two notes, one for 300/, and one for 20.,
but upon that assurance she gave them up and re-
ceived the usual deposit note about twelve o'clock.
They left the bank, but from a rumour they heard they
returned in about a quarter of an hour, and their asto-
nishment was extreme when they found the door closed,
and a placard on it stating that the bank had "suspended
payment during negotiations." She was now utterly
ruined, havin,. lost her husband, and, with the tirsney,
every other means of support.
Sir Chapman Manshall, after consulting with Mr.
Martin,. the ehief clerk, said he did nit know that ho
conl I interfere, but as it was a case of the greatest hard-
s'iip he would send Mr. Roe, the officer of the coin',
with thorn to the bank.

Mrs. chipp said she did not think it would be of any
use, for there was a crowd round the door knocking and
ringing, but no answer was given to them.
Sr Chapman' Marshall said that if anybody could get
in Mr. Uoe c:mld, and they had better go with him.
They ace •rdingly accompanied him,and on their return,

Mr. Roe stand that he had been admitted to the bank,
and had seen a clerk who took the deposit note to the
directors who were then sitting, and laid the applicant's
ease before them. When he returned ha the direc•
t.,rs dare not pay the money now, but they had nodoubt
bill that eyeryb,r,iy would be paid i.i fall.
With this assurance the por widow was obl.ged to be
satisfied for the present, and having thanked the court
for the trouble they had taken in her afFaire, she retired
with her brother secs cely able to support herself under
thie series of reisfortu::
Joshua Broughton, a youni man of gentlemanly ap-
pearance and address, was placed at the bar before Ald.
Lawrence, charged with taking spirits into Whitecross-
street prison.
A ld. Lawrence said the prisoner bad acted very im-
properly, but as he might not be aware of the rules of
the prison be would fine him in the mitigatOpenalty of
t
20.5., or seven days' imprisonment.