The Sun.
London, England, 1860-04-05 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.-April 4.

SOUTHWARK.—EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE OF
HORSE-STEALING BY A CONFIDENTIAL SERVANT.—
Walter Grimstone Bond, a young man of respect-
able appearance, was brought before Mr. Burcham,
charged under the following singular circum-
stances :

Mr. Joseph Burgess Mead, general manager to
Messrs. Peek, Frean, and Co., aerated bread and
biscuit manufacturers, Mill-street, Dockhead, said
that the prisoner was the general superintendent
of their stables, and it was a part of his duty to
receive and account for return packages at the fac-
tory. Last week he heard a rumour that the pri-
soner had sold two of their horses without the
authority of the firm, and that he had converted
the proceeds to his own use.

11fr. Burcham—You charge him with stealing
them ?

Mr. Mead—Exactly so, sir. He had no authority
to dispose of them. His duty was to see that the
horses were secure and properly attended to. The
firm had twelve horses, which were kept in stables
adjoining the factory, and they were supposed to
be safe until last week. On Friday last I saw the
prisoner in the warehouse, and asked him if it was
true "that he had sold, or offered to sell, two of
their horses ?" He replied, " I have done nothing
of the sort." He also said, " I am aware that
rumours have been circulated to that effect, but
there was no foundation for them." On Monday
morning the prisoner should have attended to his
duties in the factory, but he left a •note in the
stables, stating that he was unwell, and could not
leave home ; but he would attend on Tuesday.
He, however, did not return, and on Monday
last a man, named Mitchell, came, and claimed
one of their horses which, he said, the prisoner
had sold him. I did not see Mitchell, but on
Tuesday I went to him about the horse, when
he said that he had purchased one horse of the
prisoner, and paid him £9 10s. for it, and that
Bond had sold another for the same amount. Then
I went to Bond's house, but he had left home, and
nothing more was seen of him until apprehended
by the police.
Mr. Burcham—How many horses have you
missed ?

Witness—Only one. The other horse is in our
stables, and Mr. Mitchell claims that, saying that
he gave the prisoner £9 10s. for it. We don't know
where the other horse is.

James Mitchell—l auk a dairyman, carrying on
business in George-row, Dockhead. I have known
the prisoner about two months, and a fortnight ago
he came to my shop and bought a fowl. Bond then
said that he had two horses for sale, and that I
could have them on trial. He said they were both
rather crippled, and he was authorised to have one
of them killed if he could not sell them, as they
were unfit for their work. He also told me that
two other horses were coming in, and that he
wanted to get rid of the old ones to make room for
them. A day or two afterwards I sent to the sta-
bles, and the prisoner sent me a bay horse, but I
returned that as I did not like it. I purchased the
grey horse of him, and gave him £9 10s. for it on
the 22d of March. When I paid him that money I
asked for the horse, when the prisoner said it was
not in yet, and that he would send it as soon as it
came from work. On Saturday last I saw the pri-
soner again, and told him I must have it, and on the
next morning he sent it to me. On the following
morning the prisoner came to me and asked me to

lend him the grey horse at 7s. a day. I consented,
and he took the horse away, and I have not seen
him since until in custody. The grey horse which
I purchased is still in the prosecutors' stable.
Prisoner—What I did was done openly, and
when I sold the grey horse I told Mitchell not to
say that he had purchased it when he came to our
factory until after quarter-day, as then I should
be able to replace the horses; and the reason that
I have been away is that I have been trying to get
the money. It was no robbery, or any felonious
intent on my part, as I had authority to dispose of
animals unfit for our house.
Mr. Burcham—How long has the prisoner been
in the prosecutors' employ ?
Mr. Mead—About three months. He never had
any authority either to buy or sell horses for the
firm. He also told me that he had neither sold nor
offered for sale any horse, and then he absconded.
Mr. Bircham—Where is the bay horse ?
Prisoner—l sold that to Mitchell for £9los. also.
Mitchell—l deny that. I sold it for you, in your
presence, in Covent-garden-market. I gave you
£8 10s, and retained £1 for my trouble.
Mr. Burcham—When was that ?
Mitchell—On Wednesday night last.
Prisoner—That is quite right, and I intended to
purchase two other horses to replace them. It was
no felonious intent on my part.
Mr. Burcham—lt is shown by the evidence of
Mr. Mead that you had no authority to dispose of
the horses; and as further evidence is required, I
must remand you for a week.

WORSHIP-STREET.—AN INQUIRING THIEF.
—James Carter, an agile young fellow, was charged
before Mr. Mansfield with stealing from the person.
Mary Davison, the wife of a tailor, at Homerton,
said that this morning she was proceeding along
the Casland-road, when the prisoner met her and
inquired the nearest way to Bow ; she pointed out
the path, during which time he leaned towards
her, then thanked her and ran off. She suspected
from this that he was a thief, and found immedi-
ately that her purse, containing her only half-crown,
had disappeared, and mentioned the circumstance
to a labouring man who came up at the instant.
George Cutler deposed to having seen prisoner
running at the top of his speed while the poor
woman was mourning her lass ; to pursuing and
capturing him after a lengthened chase, during
which he threw something from him, and to tak-
ing him without the aid of a policeman to the
station-house, but not before searching for and finding
the purse and money, which was what he had flung
from him.

Prisoner was recognised by Haynes, the warrant
officer, as a notorious " inquiring" thief.
Mr. Mansfield ordered a remand, at the same time
complimenting the witness, Cutler, on his resolute
conduct, adding, " You have done good service; but
for the prompt pursuit of this wretch he would
have escaped; and I shall order you to receive half-
a-crown."

The prosecutrix begged her money might be
given up, and this was allowed, she promising not
to fail in attendance at the next examination, to
insure which, however, the purse was retained.

THAMES.—A LOW STATE OF MORALITY IN A
GENTLEMAN'S FAMILY.—Mr, Wm. Christy, an
elderly, bald-headed gentleman, and described as a
master lighterman, general agent, and barge owner,
of No. 20, Beer-lane, Tower-street, appeared before
Mr. Yardley to answer a summons which charged
him with being the putative father of a male bastard
child, and calling upon him to show cause why he
should not be ordered to pay 2s. 6d, per week for
its support.

Mr. :Neale, solicitor, appeared for the prosecu-
tion ; Mr. Orridge, barrister, defended Mr. Christy.
The complainant, Betsy Bushell, dwelling at
Bow, is a stout and somewhat attractive servant
woman. She stated that she was hired as a do-
mestic servant in the defendant's family about two
years before the birth of her child, which took
place on the 24th of March, 1859. She was a little
over ten months in her place before any " tender
intercourse" took place between her and her mas-
ter. The intercourse between them was very fre-
quent. He gave her £2 in gold before the child
was born, and 10s. after it was born. On Christmas-
day, 1859, tha defendant sent her a message and she
waited upon him, and saw Mrs. Christy in his pre-
sence. The defendant said, if she was not com-
fortable in the situation she was in she could re-
turn to his service, and Mrs. Christy assented to the
proposition. She did not return to the defendant's
house,

The complainant underwent a long cross-exami-
nation by Mr. Orridge, and the suggestion of
learned counsel was that she was a common woman,
who had been on terms of intimacy with a great
many men. This was denied, but she admitted that
she attempted to affiliate another illegitimate child
on a man at Margate, five years ago, and failed be-
cause she had no witness. She admitted, after con-
siderable hesitation and denials, that she had kept
company with George Rowe, the defendant's fore-
man, and had been intimate with him. She knew
Mr. Wm. Osborne Christy, the defendant's son.
She denied having any improper intercourse with
him. The question was pressed by the learned
counsel, and repeated several times, without an
answer being elicited, when
Mr. Yardley interposed, and said every one must
infer that the son, as well as the father, had in-
dulged in a familiar intercourse with her, or she
would have answered it long since.
Mr. Orridge once more repeated his question,
and'shc said, " Yes, sir," in a low tone.
She was
then asked if she had been intimate with 00 Tom,
the carman," in the defendant's eml3l°Y, to which
she gave a distinct atd emphatic denial.
In re-examination by Mr. Neale, the witness said
the intercourse with Rowe and Mr.eve
Christy,s
of jun.,her
ceased before she submitted to the overtures
master. Mr. Christy, sen., repeatedly told her