The Sun.
London, England, 1860-06-06 00:00:00

POLICE' INTELLIGENCE.—June 5.

MARY LEBONE.—EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE
OF CONCEALMENT OF BlRTH.—Sarah Gough, 30,
housekeeper and cook to Mrs. Mirehouse, Upper
Symour-strect, Portman-square, was brought up
on remand, charged with having concealed the
birth of her female infant.

The particulars of the first inquiry have already
appeared, and it will be remembered that, in conse-
quence of information received from Mr. O'Neill,
an inspector of the Berks constabulary at Clewer,
Inspector Stear, of the D division, went to the resi-
dence of Mrs. Mirchouse, and there saw the prisoner,

who admitted having recently given birth to a child,
and sending it off in a box by the Great Weste-n
Railway to the "Lady Superior of the Sisters of
Mercy," at Clewer, near Windsor. It was further
shown that, upon the box being opened, the body
was found, with several napkins, and an apron and
a shift. There was also a sheet of paper in the said
box marked " Mirehouse."

Some additional witnesses were now examined
in proof of the box being the same as that forwarded
to the Lady Superior of the institution alluded to
(it was produced by Inspector O'Neill).
The prisoner, who was in tears during the pro-
ceedings, had nothing to say, and was committed
for trial.

SHOCKING CRUELTY TO A SHEEP.—Henry
Sparkes, a rufpianlylooking young fellow, a drover,
was brought up in custody, charged with cruelty to
a sheep.
The evidence went to show that, on the previous
morning, the prisoner was driving a flock of sheep
along the Hampstead-road, when, as they did not
go on to his satisfaction, he rushed in amongst them
and inflicted upon one of them a tremendous blow
upon the head, which caused it to bleed profusely.
The poor animal fell to the ground, apparently in
an almost lifeless condition, and was carried away
in a cart. The prisoner was taken to the station-
house.
The stick, a most formidable one, was shown by
Mr. Franklin, the chief usher, to the magistrate.
Mr. Seeker, after commenting upon the brutality
of the prisoner, inflicted upon him a fine of 205., or
in default of payment, 21 days in the House of Cor-
rection.

OUTRAGE ON A TRADESMAN. AND CONSTABLES

—George Knight, late in the service of Mr. W. J,
Cook, cheesemonger, &c.,Hampstead-road, as por-
ter, was charged with e following ruffianly as.
saults

It appeared that the prisoner was dismissed from
his situation, and that on the previous day he called
for his clothes, which he had left behind, arid by
permission obtained them. On leaving the shop he
abused Mr. Cook to sxch a degree as to compel him
to thrust him out, wheu he (prisoner) grasped him
tightly by the throat and tore his waistcoat and
shirt ; a great crowd collected at the spot, and on
assistance arriving the prisoner was, after a despe-
rate struggle, captured. On the way to the station
house the prisoner attacked Madgett, 83, Kingdom,
173, and White, 290, all of the S division, two of
whom he bit and tore their clothes. He (prisoner)
was much the worse for drink.
The prisoner's answer to the charge was that he
had served as a soldier in the Crimean war. He
received a wound in his head, and that when he
took a drop too much it completely got over him.
He had no recollection of having assaulted any one.
For the various assaults proved the prisoner was
convicted, and in default of payment of the fines
inflicted, together with costs for damage he had
done to clothes, &c., he was sentenced for different
terms to imprisonment in the House of Correction.

SOUTHWARK.-EXTRAORDINARY DISCOVERY
OF EXTENSIVE FRAUDS ON CONTINENTAL MER-
CHANTS BY A GANG OF LONDON SWINDLERS.-

Cornelius Reding, 35, a fashionably-attired man,
who described himself as a leather merchant, of 6,
Southampton-terrace, Pentonville, and Pierre Har-
douire, a Frenchman, also stating himself to be a
leather merchant and commission agent, of 7, Long-
lane, Smithfield, were brought before Mr. Combe
by Sergeant llewlett, one of the officers who was on
duty at the Paris Exhibition, charged with attempt-
ing to obtain property of the value of £2OO, from
the Bricklayers' Arms Station, of the South-Eastern
Railway Company. They were also charged with
forging the name of Mr. William Stockil, tanner
and currier, 37, Long-lane, Bermondsey, to various
documents.

The circumstances attending this case are of a '
very singular nature, showing a novel way of rais-
ing the wind by victimising foreign merchants by
false and fictitious orders from London. Mr. Wm.
Stockil, tanner and currier, of 37, Long-lane, Ber-
mondsey, has for many years carried on business not
only in England but in all parts of the Continent,
having agents at Paris and elsewhere to transact
his business, consequently the firm is well known
in every capital of Europe. He obtained a prize
medal at the Exhibition of 1851, and a first-class
medal at the Paris Exhibition in 1855. The pri-
soner Reding was aware of his extensive transactions
abroad, and by some means he, or some of his com-
panions, had a file simile almost of his bill-
head engraved,'with the London Exhibition on the
the left and the Paris Exhibitiort medallions on the
right, making it appear as the genuine bill-head of
Mr. William Stockil, the only difference being in
the address. The genuine one being 37, Long-lane,
Bermondsey, and the fictitious one, Long-lane, E.C.
The latter have been printed on fly-sheets, on which
orders were written for goods of considerable value,
and forwarded to the Continent. It is strongly
suspected that the gang have succeeded in defraud-
ing a number of Paris and other Continental houses,
through the well known name of Mr. Wm. Stockil ;
but a few days ago it came to the knowledge of the
latter's agent at Paris, and hence the discovery of
this extraordinary attempted fraud and forgery,
and the apprehension of the prisoner.
Mr. William Stockil, on being sworn, said he was
a tanner and currier, of 37, Long-lane, Bermondsey,
and the Bermondsey New-road, and he dealt largely
with merchants at Paris and elsewhere. He had an
agent at Paris, through whom all his foreign busi-
ness was transacted. He knew the prisoner Reding,
he having been a customer to some extent, but he
knew nothing of the other prisoner, and he never
authorised either of them to order goods in his
name, or signed his name to any document. A short
time ago witness received information from his
Paris agent that he understood he was buying
goods in Paris, and he was rather surprised that
the orders were not sent through him. Witness
instantly sent him word that he had sent no orders
to Paris for goods, and if orders had reached there
in his name they must be spurious. In reply to
that his agent forwarded him ene of the fictitious
bill-head circulars, purporting to be written by
witness, inquiring about a certain quality of goods.
He then had some suspicion that a gang of
swindlers were victimising foreign houses by the
use of his well-known name, but still he could ob-
tain no further facts at that time. However. a few
days ago he accidentally heard that a case of goods
was lying at the Bricklayers' Arms Station of the
South-Eastern Railway with his usual marks on it,
from Paris, and it was to be kept till called for. He
immediately went to the railway station and saw the
case marked "W. S., Long-lane, E.C." The clerk
told him that a man had been there a day or two
before representing himself to be Mr. William
Stockil, and seeing the case he had signed an order
for its being detained until called for. That order
was signed W. Stockil, and was a forgery. The
police were communicated with on the subject, and it
was decided that a constable should watch the rail-
way station and apprehend the party who claimed
the case.

Mr. Combo asked whether any goods had actually
been obtained through those means.
Mr. Stockil replied that goods valued at £2OO
bad been obtained in his name already, and no
doubt, if publicity was given to this case, the police
would be able to find several other instances.

William Henry Foster, a clerk in the goods de-
partment of the South-Eastern Railway Company
at the Bricklayers' Arms Station, said that a week
ago a case came from Paris, marked "W. S., E.C."
and addressed to Mr. William Stockil. On the
29th ultimo the prisoner Reding came and said his
name was William Stockil, and claimed the case.
He signed an order for its detention until called for.
The order was signed "W. Stockil." On Monday
afternoon Reding came for it, and was taken into
custody.
John Marsh, police-constable 184 M, said he was
instructed to watch at the goods station, and on
Monday afternoon he saw the prisoner Reding come
there with a horse and cart and two men. He then
demanded the case. Witness went up to him and
asked him if he was William Stockil. He replied
" No, he was not, but he was Mr. Stockil's agent,
and he had employed him to take the case away,
and dispose of the goods." Witness then took him
to the police station, where he was detained.
Sergeant Hewlett, who had been specially engaged
in the case, said that from information he received
he went on the previous day to No. 7, Long.
lane, Smithfield, where he mw the prisoner Pierre
Hardouire sitting in an office writing. witness
was in private clothes, and he asked him
if his name was Stockil. He said his name
was William Stockil, and that was his office. He
also said ho received all letters for TV. Stoekil.
Witness then told him he was a police officer, and
that he apprehended him for being concerned wick
others, in obtaining goods of considerable value
under false and fraudulent pretences.
found on him a number of blank bill-heads, copied
from Mr. W. Stockil's of Bermondsey, and a num-
ber of letters showing his connexion with the
frauds. Witness believed that it would be neces-
sary to proceed to Paris and other places on the