The Sun.
London, England, 1851-08-22 00:00:00

THAMES.

A host of tradesmen, consisting of slopsellers,
licensed victuallers, coffee-shop keepers, and pro-
prietors of lodging-houses in the neighbourhood of the
docks and Tower-hill, came before Mr. Ingham, the
sitting magistrate, with Mr. Edward R. Bussell, a
solicitor, to complain of the practices of a very eccen-
tric individual named Benjamin Gibbs Mitchell,
sometimes called Captain Mitchell.
Mr. Bussell said that Mitchell was a tall, thin, old
man, with grey hair and grey whiskers, who had lost
his front teeth. A few weeks since Mr. Josephs, a
slopseller of Rosemary-lane, near the Royal Mint,
was visited by Mr. Mitchell, who said he was the
agent of a party in America who was entitled to a
million and a half of dollars, unclaimed dividends in
the Bank of England, and at the same time repre-
sented that he had been recommended to Mr. Josephs
as a respectable tradesman, who could supply him
with goods of an excellent description at a moderate
price. Mr. Josephs of course expressed his readiness
to transact business with him, and Mitchell said he
required a small loan, for the purpose of clearing his
baggage in the London Docks. Mr. Josephs lent him
three shillings and a trunk. All the baggage which
Mitchell possessed was cleared and brought to Mr.
Josephs' house. The contents of it was subsequently
disposed of for is. 4d., and consisted only of an old
coat and a pair of trousers. Mitchell, however,
made a demand upon Mr. Josephs for 51., the
value he set upon the trunk and its contents,
and on Mr. Josephs refusing to pay it he took
out a summons in the Whitechapel County Court,
which was made returnable that morning. Many
gentlemen who had reason to complain of Mitchell
attended the court, and upon seeing them he beat a
hasty retreat without paying the hearing fees. There
was another tradesman present, /sir. T. A. Bishop,
of the New York Coffee and Chop-house, No. 120,
Minories, who was visited by Mitchell about two
months ago, and he represented that he had lately
arrived from Bermuda, and had been robbed of every-
thing be possessed ; that an association had been
formed in America to advance him 3001. for the pur-
pose of receiving unclaimed dividends in the Bank
belonging to British subjects settled in America,
and that he was to receive 501. on the Ist of Sept.
On the faith of these representations Mr. Bishop pro-
vided him with board and lodging, and advanced him
a small sum of money. Mr. Bishop, however, soon
presented his bill, which Captain Benjamin Gibbs
Mitchell could not pay. Snortly afterwards I‘lr.
Bishop was summoned by Mitchell to the City
Sheriffs' Court for 5/.,which he swore was the value of
the luggags he had deposited with Mr. Bishop. The
whole of the property which he had left in the house was
not worth as many shillings, and not sufficient to pay
the bill he had contracted. Many persons came forward
and proved that Mitchell had contracted debts with
them under similar circumstances. The judge indig-
nantly dismissed the case, and said Mr. Bishop had
done quite right in resisting such a demand. Mr.
Wiggins, who kept a lodging-house in Haydon-street,
Minories, was completely imposed upon by his
plausible manners, although they were dashed with a
good deal of eccentricity. After he hsd been a few
hours in the house, he asked Mrs. Wiggins for her
Christian name, and the names of her two nieces, and
a neighbour who NN as on a visit, and then wrote out a
will bequeathing 1501. to one, 5001. to another, and
1501. to the wife of George Mitchell, of Clifton-street,
Finsbury, a fictitious personage. Mitchell, after
contracting a debt for board and lodging which he
could not pay, demanded his luggage, worth only a
few shillings. The poor woman, a widow, was ad-
vised not to part with the only security she possessed
for the payment of her bill, and Mitchell gave her
into custody for breaking open his trunk, and stealing
property to the amount of 281. The case was inves-
tigated by Mr. Yardley at that court, and dismissed.
Mr. IN GRAM said if the party complained of pre-
ferred false charges, or brought actions tor debts not
owing, he could be proceeded against for false impri-
sonment in the one case, and in the other he would
have to pay the costs.
Mr. Bussell said in nine cases out of ten defendants
could not get the costs. That morning Mr. Josephs
had to bring forward numerous witnesses to prove
that the claim made upon him was fictitious, but
Mitchell bolted, and he could not recover his costs.
Mr. INGRAM said that was a matter over which be
had no jurisdiction.
Mr. Bussell—He abuses his dupes in the public
streets in the most scandalous manner.

Mr. helium—lf any of the parties who have been
an abused will apply to me I will grant a 811111M0114 or
a warrant.

Waller, an officer of the court, said that Benjamin
Gibbs Mitchell had frequently applied at that court,
and, in his opinion, was insane. The misguided man
had sued the master of the American ship who brought
him over for the value of the luggage, which he said
was retained on board.
Mr. Bussell—Everybody he has come in contact
with says he is mad, but there is method in his mad.
ness.

A host of persons here advanced towards the
bench to make similar complaints, but on Mr. Ingham
sbat he bid no control over tho Latta, Mr.