The Sun.
London, England, 1860-10-05 00:00:00

POST-OFFICE _ROBBERIES IN

CARLISLE.

James Ormisten, letter-sorter in the post-office
at Carlisle, was brought before the magistrates of
that city on Wednesday, on remand, charged
with stealing a post-letter containing two half-
sovereigns and seven penny postage stamps ; also
with stealing another post letter containing 18 pieces
of jewellery. The court was crowded at an early
hour, much interest being taken in the case from
the fact that a great deal of money sent through
the Carlisle post office lately has never reached its
destination ; and much valuable property, besides
that included into the charges brought against the
prisoner, has been lost in the same way. The first
charge arose out of a " trap" which had been set by
the post office authorities to catch the prisoner, who
had before been suspected of dishonesty. On the
25th of September Mr. Jeffery, inspector of the
missing-letter department of the General Post-office,
posted a letter at Carlisle, containing two half-
sovereigns and seven penny postage stamps, all of
which he had previously marked, to Mr. Blanchard,
Southampton. The letter was posted at 1 p m., and
the prisoner was alone in the post office during part
of the afternoon. The chief clerk, before going out
at half-past 2, examined the London forward box
and saw the letter there and felt the coin ; but
when he returned about 5 the letter was missing.
Information was sent to Mr. Jeffery, who went to
the post office, took the prisoner into a private room,
and in the presence of the chief clerk requested him •
to show his money. The prisoner did so, and among
it were the two marked half sovereigns with pieces
of the adhesive paper with which they had been
strapped on a card still adhering to them. There
were also in the prisoner's purse two sovereigns and
34 penny postage stamps in five lots. The prisoner
was given into custody ; his lodgings were searched 4,
and there a gold ring, a lady's gold guard chain,
and other articles of jewellery were found. The
particulars of the second case against the prisoner
were that on the 9th of August last a packet con-
taining 18 pieces of jewellery, seven pairs of gold
ear-rings and four gold- necklet pendants, all set
with stones, were posted at Penrith by Mr. Moore,
traveller for Mr. Deakin, jeweller, Birmingham,
addressed to Messrs. "Reid and Sons, jewellers, New-
castle-on-Tyne. A letter of advice was sent by the
same post, which arrived at its destination in due
course; but Messrs. Reid and Son never received
the packet of jewellery, The packet having been
posted at Penrith about 9 o'clock in the evening,
would arrive at Carlisle Post-office in due course at
4 41, on the following morning, and should have re-
mained there till 10 o'clock, when it would be de-
spatched to Newcastle. The prisoner came on duty
at the Post-office at 4 35 that morning, as appeared.
from an entry in the attendanco-bcok in his own
handwriting, and remained till 8 o'clock. Of that
period he was alone in the office from 7 35 till 8,
during which time a packet posted at Pearith the
previous night for Newcastle would be in a box, to
which he would have access. °it'd:tat same day
the prisoner went to a dressmaker in Carlisle, who
was making a dress for hii sister to wear at the
marriage of their brother, which was to take place
on the 23d of August. He told her he wished to
make his intended sister-in-law a present of a pair
of bracelets; and drew from his pocket a packet,
containing 18 pieces of jewelry, and said he wished
part of them sewed on white silk velvet for brace-
lets for the bride. Six of the pieces, earrings and
pendants, were selected for that purpose, six more
for bracelets for his sister, and the other six he
divided equally between the dressmaker, who was
to be present at the wedding, and the brides sister.
The recipients of the prisoner's bounty, however,
being in humble though respectable circumstances,
afterwards got most of them exchanged by jewellers
in Carlisle for articles of a more useful character.
They were all recovered by the police, and were
produced in court. Mr. Moore said they were
similar in every respect to those he had posted at
Penrith to Messrs. Reid and Sons, although he
could not swear to their identity by any mark.
After hearing evidence at length, the case lasting
three hours, the magistrates committed the prisoner
to take his trial at the assizes upon both charges.
The prisoner, who is about 19 years of age, had been
two or three years in the post-office, where he had
been receiving 18s. a week.

CO UNT.RY MARKETS.

BIRMINGHAM—OcT. 4.

There was a moderate attendance to-day, with .a fair
supply of wheat. Prime dry English sorts sold at an ad-
vance of 2s to 3s per qr, and is on damp qualities. Barley
6d to is advance. Oats dull, but no cheaper in price.
Beans 6d to is per qr dearer. Peas firm.