The Sun.
London, England, 1869-01-09 00:00:00

THE WRECK OF 711 E HIBERNIA.

THIRTY-NINE OTHER PASSENGERS SAVED.
(CENTRAL PRESS TELEGRAM.)
_ _

The brig Hannibal, just arrived in the Mersey,
reports having spoken, on Christmas-day, the
barque Ocean Spray, for New York, which signalled
that she had on board thirty-nine passengers and
crew of the ill-fated Hibernia. She would pro-
bably run to Madeira to land them.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE—This Day.

MARLBORO UGH- STREET.
INGENIOUS FRAUD ON PAWNBROKERS.—Thomas
Little, a gilder, of No. 1, Upper Rathbone-place,
and Charles Redgrave, of No. 9, Porter-street,
Soho, chaser, were brought before Mr. Knox, on a
warrant, charged with obtaining two sums of 455.
each by false pretences from Win. Morgan, as-
sistant to Mr. Thomas A. Robinson, pawnbroker,
of No. 1, Mortimer-street, Cavendish-square.
Several pawnbrokers were in attendance.
Mr. Albert Neate, solicitor to the Pawnbroker's
Protection Society, said he appeared on the part of
the Pawnbroker's Protection Society to prosecute
the prisoners on the charge of obtaining money by •
false pretences, having been carrying on one of
the most ingenious systems, if robbery he might
call it, but at all events of fraud, that had been
brought forward for some time. The prisoners
had possessed themselves of a number of tankards
—mere white metal—and had inserted the Hall
mark taken from some genuine article on the rim
of the base metal article, and then pledged them
at different pawnbrokers. He should go into one
case that day, and then ask for a remand.
Mr. Morgan, assistant to Mr. Thos. A. Robin-
son, pawnbroker, No. 1, Mortimer-street, said that
on the 28th November Redgrave came to his em-
ployer's shop and offered in pledge the tan-
kard produced, and asked 455. on it. He re-
marked to Redgrave that it was not silver,
and Redgrave then pointed to the Hall mark, say-
ing, " Oh yes, it is," and that it weighed Boz.---
455. would be ss. Gd. per oz. He advanced the
money, but had since accertained that it was base
metal, the Hall mark, which had been let in, being
the only part of it which was silver. On the 4th
December Little came to the shop with another
tankard, produced, and asked him to lend 455. on
it. He asked him whether it was silver, and he said
it was. Not seeing the Hall mark at first, Little
pointed it out to him, and said it weighed 90z.,
and he then lent 455. on it. He told Little
he had taken one of the tankards in before, and
he said, " Oh, yes ; it's all right, it was my partner
Redgrave," and went on to say that his name was
Little ; and, in reply to a question, said it cost
Bs. Gd. an ounce to make the tankards. He had
since found that that tankard was also of spurious
metal. He went with the police to the prisoners'
workshop in Great Titchfield-street, and had them
taken into custody.
Police-constable George, 91 C, proved taking
Little into custody, when he said he was surprised,
but expected it. He found a card on him, as fol-
lows :—" T. Little and Co., French and English
mercurial gliders, eleetro-gilders, and platers, &c.,
13, Great Titchfield-street. Silver work whitened
and burnished."

Police-constable Beetlestone, 88 G, said that oil
taking Bedgrave into custody he said it was no
more than he expected, and that the mugs were
given to him by a man who came from Birmingham.
Mr. Neate said that was all the evidence he in-
tended to produce that day, and Mr. Knox re-
manded the prisoners.

There is every reason to believe that the system
pursued by the prisoners has been going on to a
very large extent. Several box articles, including
a handsome claret jug, were produced by pawn-
brokers to-day, and it was stated that about 40
cases were then brought against the prisoners at
the present time.