The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-26 00:00:00

P OLICE INTEL LIGENCE—eept. 25,

MANSION-HOUSE.—A young man who gave
the name of George Smith, but refused his address,
was yesterday brought before Sir It. W. Carden,
charged with attempting to rob a lady named
Louisa Fleet. In the course of the case an incident
occurred which showed the extraordinary mistakes
that are sometimes made with regard to the iden-
tity of individuals.
It appeared from the statement of the complain-
ant that on Monday afternoon about half-past four
o'clock she was near Crosby-hall, in Bishopsgate-
street, waiting to cross the road, when she felt a
kind of snatch at her watch chain, and she looked
down and saw the prisoner's hand upon her chain,
and he was at the same moment seized by some one
from behind. He got away, however, and was
making off, but she followed him, and he began to
run when she gave an alarm and he was taken into
custody. The complainant added that the watch
was partly drawn from her pocket, but the chain
caught in some part of her dress, and this occa-
sioned a sort of jerk, which attracted her attention
and led to the prison's attempt at robbery being
frustrated.

Mr. W. Prichard, a person who is in the service
of a mercantile firm in Bishopsgate-street, said he
saw what occurred in the first instance, and when
the prisoner ran away he followed him and told
him that he had robbed a lady. The reply ho
made was that it was quite a mistake.
Police-constable Archer, 661, said he took the
prisoner into custody, when he said his name was
George Smith, but refused to say where he lived.
Sir R. Carden asked the prisoner what reason
ho had for refusing to say where he lived.
He replied that he did not wish to disgrace his
family.
Sir R Carden—l see you have given the name of
George Smith. Is that your real name ?
Prisoner—lt is.

Mr. Prichard here stated that a person was in
court whom he believed to be an accomplice of the
prisoner. He saw him close by him, and he also
saw him try to speak to the prisoner after he was
in the custody of the policeman.
Sir R. Carden inquired if he could identify this
man, and he replied that he could, upon which
directions were given that he should be taken into
custody.
This was done, and the party referred to was
placed in front of the dock. He was a respectable-
looking young man, spoke with a strong Scotch
accent, and appeared highly indignant at the
treatment to which he was subjected.
Sir R. Carden asked Mr. Prichard whether he
was quite sure the party who had been just brought
forward was the same person who endeavoured to
communicate with the prisoner Smith.
He replied that he was. He had on a hat at
that time, and not such a cap as the one he was
now wearing.
Sir R. Carden then put the same question to the
policeman, and he gave a similar answer, and said
he was sure the person now before the court was
the same who tried to speak to the prisoner as he
was taking him to the station-house, and he pushed
him away.
Sir R. Carden asked the person referred to what
brought him to the Mansion-house ?
He said he had merely come from curiosity. He
was on a visit to London, and being accidentally
in the City, he had walked in to see what was
going on.
Sir R. Carden observed that it certainly was
ra-
ther an odd coincidence if this was really so, that
two witnesses should speak so positively to his
being the man who was in company with a person
who had attempted to commit a robbery.
The person indignantly repudiated the charge,
and gave his own name and address, and also men-
tioned the name of a clerk in a first-rate City house,
who, he said, was well acquainted with him. All
further allusion to the parties referred to is omitted
for obvious reasons.
Sir R. Carden asked the gentleman to sit down
for a short time while a communication was made to
the firm whose name had been mentioned, and he
said it would be more satisfactory for all parties
that the matter should be cleared up.
In a short time one of the clerks belonging to the
firm that had been referred to attended, and he at
once recognised the supposed culprit, and it was
evident that there had been an extraordinary mis-
take on the part of the constable and the witness.
Mr. Prichard got into the witness-box, and sail
he was now perfectlf satisfied that he was mistaken
and he begged to express his regret at what had
occurred, and apologised to the party to whom he
had caused the inconvenience.

Sir R. Carden said it was clearly a very extraor-
dinary instance of mistaken identity, and there was
no doubt that both the policeman and Mr. Prichard
were in error in supposing that the gentleman now
before the court was in any way connected with
the prisoner. He then addressed the party re-
ferred to, and said that, according to his represen-
tation, it was his first visit to the Mansion-house,
and he had no doubt he would remember it. (A
laugh.)
The gentleman replied that there was no fear of
that. He added, that he hoped his name would not
go before the public in connection with inch an
unpleasant transaction.
Sir R. Carden said there was no fear of that.
The prisoner, George Smith, was then sentenced
to three months' imprisonment and hard labour.
Bedford Lemere, a shopman to Mr. Lonsdale, a
draper and mercer in Aldgate, was charged with
robbing his master.
It appeared that the prisoner, Wile received a
good character from his last employer, had only
been 14 days in the service of the prosecutor when
it was discovered that he had stolen three silk
dresses, value £l2. One of the dresses was pawned
for £2, and the others he had packed up for a pre-
tended customer, named Captain M'Dougal. When ,
he was apprehended he admitted that he had stolen