The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-29 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE--& t. 28.

GUILDHALL.—John Riky, described as a
general agent, of 3, Gipsy-terrace, Haverstock-
park, and Edward Thurgood, a surgeon, of 2,
Albert-terrace Camden-town, were placed at the
bar before Alderman Sidney, charged with con-
spiring with others not in custody to defraud
Messrs. Christie and Co., of Duke-street, Liver-
pool, of goods to the amount of £3OO by means of
false pretences.
Mr. Wontner appeared for the prosecution, and.
Mr. Sleigh defended Thurgood. Riky was un-
defended.

Mr. Wontner said—This is a case of some pecu-
liarity, but at the same time of considerable import-
ance, and we seek to prosecute the persons at the
bar for conspiracy to defraud a merchant of Liver-
pool by palming off upon him persons of beggarly
means as opulent merchants of London,to induce him
to make large consignments of Scotch whisky to them
on the same terms as he would to the most respectable

traders. I shall have some difficulty in completing
the case, inasmuch as my client resides in Liver-
pool, where he has loft all the necessary documents
to establish the present charge. But I think I shall
be able to show that this is as gross a conspiracy as
ever was concocted. Mr. Christie is a spirit mer-
chant, in an extensive way of business, and some
time ago he advertised for an agent in London, as
he had a large connection with distillers, and there-
fore required a more extensive connection to dispose
of the whisky consigned to him. Riky applied, and
was subsequently engaged as sub-agent in London,
and he, when asked for security, replied that he
could not give it, but that Mr. Christie might rely
upon his introducing none but the most respectable
wholesale merchants of London, and security would
therefore be unnecessary. This was in the early
pert of August last, and soon after an order for a
quarter cask of whisky, value £lB, was given in
Thurgood's name, which was forwarded in the ordi-
nary course, Riky having informed Mr. Christie
that Thurgood was a merchant of great respecta-
bility. Thres other orders for goods to the amount-
of ,elf,O, EVA 1280 followed in such quick sucee,ss
sion that it raised Mr. Christie's suspicions. He ac-
cordingly hurried up to London after the £2BO con-
signment, and made inquiries at the Swiiu Ga-
zette office, the result of which was that he found
Thurgood, the respectable merchant, occupying a
mean lodging at Camden-town as a surgeon. I shall
not go into other cases in which the accounts were
larger than that for £2BO, but I may state that the
purchasers were introduced by Riky, and they were
all companions and friends of Thurgood. Indepen-
dently of these circumstances it will be found that
Thurgood had pledged his watch the day these
goods arrived, and on the day previous he had been
ordered to pay a debt of £4 by small instalments.
The charge does not rest entirely on these facts, but
that which is most important is a letter found on
Thurgood in Riky's handwriting, referring to the
transactions with the prosecutor in very equivocal
terms.

Mr. Charles Cook Christie was then sworn and
said—l am a spirit broker and general distillery
agent, of No. 9, Duke-street, Liverpool. I receive
large consignments from the g-feat distillers in
Scotland, and I have a general agent in London.
Messrs. Oldfield and Co., of Philpot-lane, are my
agents. In July last I wanted a sub-agent to effect
sales with the large wholesale houses in London,
and engaged Riky in that capacity. I saw him at
Anderton's Hotel, in Fleet-street, when he told me
he was connected with some of the principal whole-
sale spirit-merchants, and that he could dispose of
about 400 puncheons a year to respectable persons.
He said he would have nothing to do with the col-
lecting of the money, as I was to forward to pur-
chasers direct, and my bankers might collect the
money. I asked him for security, but he said he
could not get it then. He also said I might rely on
his being a respectable man, and that he had ex-
pectations of from £20,000 to £25,000 shortly by
the death of an old lady in very bad health who
was a relative of his wife's, and that his wife was
the nearest heir to the property. I agreed to allow
Riky a commission of 5 per cent. and one-third of
the profit upon all sales effected by him to respect-
able houses. I wished him to act under Mr. Old-
field, so that inquiries might be made into the re-
spectability of persons introduced by him, but he
objected, and said he would have nothing to do
with the business if Mr. Oldfield was allowed to
look after it. I returned to Liverpool, and the first
order I received was for a quarter-cask (30 gallons)
of whisky, valued at £lB, which I forwarded as di-
rected to Thurgood. I received three other orders.
In consequence of an order I received I consigned
20 casks of Glenlivat whisky, value £2BO, to 'I hur-
good, but before delivering them .I_ sent up and made
inquiries which induced me to come to London im-
mediately and stop the delivety of the 20 casks. I
arrived on Friday last, and saw Riky at Mr. Old-
field's office, and asked him what Thurgood's posi-
tion was and what were his means. He said, to his
certain knowledge he was worth from £3,000 to
X 4,000, and that he had large expectations which
could not be diverted from him. He said he
alluded to Thurgood's wife's connexions. He said
Thurgood married a Miss Howlett, whose father
kept the Marquis of Camden public-house in
Camden-town, which belonged to Mr. Howlett,
and had lately been sold for £3,000. I asked
Riky what was the total amount of Howlett's pro-
perty, and he said it was £15,000, and that his
daughter would have the whole of it at his death.
I asked him why Thurgood did not live with his
wife, and he Said the fact was Howlett had dis-
played a partiality for his servant, and that his
daughter resided with him to see that he did not
make over any of the property to this servant. I
went to Thurgood's lodgings, at Camden-town, but
found no appearance of business of any kind being
carried on there. I saw both prisoners yesterday,
and Thurgood asked me about the whisky lying
in bond. I told Thurgood he could not have the
whisky unless he paid cash or gave undoubted secu-
rity. He said I could not have money, and asked
give. I said I would take what security he should
either property or undoubted personal security. He
promised to think over it, and made an appoint-
ment to meet me at 47; INlZiorgatL-st-... it 23'elc,e1:.
I saw Thurgood at 47, Mooroate-street, and a per-
son whom I supposed was Wells, his solicitor, told
me that Thurgood had plenty of property, and in-
sisted on my delivering the whisky I had consigned
to him I refused, and he said he would compel me.
Riky was also present. The letter found on Thur-
good is in Riky's writing, and the Mr. Meade re-
ferred to in that letter was represented by Riky as
a New York banker, to whom I also. sold 45 pun-
cheons of whisky.
Mr. Sleigh—These are matters that do not con-
cern Thurgood, and I must therefore object to any
reference being made to them.
Mr.
,Wontner—This is a charge of general con-
spiracy, and the acts of any other persons tending

Mr. Sleigh—lt is a fact, sir, that Thurgood is a
surgeon, that he has married a lady of property,
and that he has himself good expectations ; but if
you think there is any case at present to justify a
remand, or course those matters will be the subject
of further inquiry.
Alderman Sidney said it appeared extraordinary
to him that Riky, after promising to sell to none
but wholesale spirit-merchants, should seek out a
surgeon to enter into such extensive dealings. It
was quite clear that considerable misrepresentation
had been made by Riky, and that Thurgood had
participated in it, and under these circumstances he
had no difficulty in remanding the case for further
inquiry.
Mr. Sleigh—l hope, sir, you will take moderate
bail for Thurgood.
Alderman Sidney—l never deviate from the cus-
tom of the Court in such cases, and should not
therefore make an exception in this instance, but
that I feel I should not be justified in refusing bail
at this stage of the investigation. The actual amount
of goods "obtained is not very great, but the fraud,
as alleged, is of too serious a character and too
important to the commercial world to be treated
simply as a question of amount. I shall therefore
require the prisoners to enter into their own recog-
nisances of £lOO each, and two sureties of X5O each.
The prisoners were, then remanded for a week, it
being understood that 24 hours' notice of bail should
be given.

WORSHIP-STREET. Anne Williams, a
swarthy middle-aged woman, who refused to give
any address, was charged before Mr. Hammill with
the following fraud :
Jeannette Myers, a pretty young woman, who
gave her evidence with an ingenuous style and can-
dour which showed her to be just such a subject as
a person like the prisoner would wish to deal with,
said-1 am in the service of a gentleman named
Collyer, residing in the Rectory-road, West Hack-
ney, and while at the street door between 9 and 10
this morning was accosted by this woman (the
prisoner), who came up and asked me if there was
any china wanted mending ; I told her there was
not, so far as I knew, and then she said, " Well,
would you like to have your fortune told ; it's worth
hearing ?" I thought I should like to have that,
but did n•t know what to do, as there was one of
the young gentlemen at home, and, as I did not
like to take her into the front p usage, I asked her
to go round to the back gate, and I would there let
her into the kitchen.

Mr. Hammill—You are a country girl, are you
not ? Did she ask you where you came from ?
Witness—Oh, yes, shc asked me where I belonged
to, and I said I came from Poole, in Dorsetshire ;
and she said, " La, how singular ! why, I was mar-
ried there.'

Mr. Hammill—And that gave you confidence in
her, and you became acquainted directly ?
Witness—Yes, sir, we did. I asked her if she was
a gipsv, and she said. that she.was not, but was the
seventh' daughter of a seventh daughter, and would
truthfully tell me my destiny if I crossed her hand
with threepence.
Mr. Hammill—And what was your destiny—arc
you to marry an emperor ?
Witness—Oh dear no, Sir, not that ; she said
I was born to be very lucky, be a wife and a mother
in less than two years, have a sovereign given to
me on the 24th of next month, and have an excel-
lent situation.

Mr. Hammill-L-Ah, I thought that marriage was
coming. And have you not a good situation now ?
Witness—Oh, yes, sir, it is a very good one.
Mr. Hammill—Well, then, you see she was wrong
at starting. And what else did she do ? I suppose
she went through some mysterious ceremony?
Witness—Oh, yes, sir ; she put a small bottle
into my hand and told me to squeeze it as hard as
I could while she unfolded my destiny ; and I did
squeeze it. I asked what was in the bottle, and she
said dragon's blood; and after I had squeezed if
she took the bottle from me and dropped one single
drop into the fire, and I saw it fall. It did not
blaze up, and she said. " That's one good sign, for if
you were a good-for-nothing girl it would be sure
to blaze." She then carefully corked the bottle and
put it in her pocket, and said the next thing to be
done was to get together a sovereign's worth or
clothes, as near as possible, and wrap them up into
a bundle, either in paper or an old rag—the heavier
the bundle was the better—and that she must take
it into the churchyard, throw some grave mould
over it, and bless it, and that I must watch her into
the churchyard, where she sat for hours reading
and studying every night, and that I should then
see her come back with the bundle. I accordingly
went upstairs, picked out two of my dresses, a
shawl, and two pairs of boots, which I thought
must be worth pore than a pound, and after
wrapping them up in a tablecloth I handed them to
her to take to the churchyard; but on running up-
stairs and looking out of the -window, I saw her
turning away from West Hackney Church, instead
of going to it, which surprised me, but she looked
up and saw me, I think, and then she turned to-
wards the church. I watched after her, but she did
not go into the churchyard, or I must have seen
her ; but somehow she disappeared all of a sudden.
and I then became frightened that I should not get
my things back. I therefore ran out of the house
as fast as I could, and asked some people I met if
they had seen a woman go by with a bundle, and
one man advised me to go to the Kingsland Police-
station, and tell the police immediately. I accord-
ingly went to the station and told the gentleman
there, and after I had got home some time the
police came and told me they had got the woman
in custody, and that I must go there.
Mr. Hammill (to the prisoner)—Well, what have
you to say to all this ?
Prisontr—Why, that she hat me a few old
clothes, that's all ; I had no bottle in my hand ; it's

A Police-sergeant—Numerous complaints have
been made against some woman for frauds of this
kind, and the prisoner exactly answers the de-
scription given of that won. an.
Mr. Hammill—Very well ; I shall remand her.

SOUTHWARK.--After the usual night charges
had. been disposed of, William Hill, 33, a tick -
porter attached to the Borough Market, and resid-
ing at No. 2, Little Suffolk-street, was brought
before Mr. Burcham, charged with causing the
death of Maria Hill, his mother, by striking her
on the head with his fist.

Thomas Tee, a boiler-maker, residing at No. 34,
Lant-street, Southwark, said that on Saturday night
last, between 7 and 8 o'clock, he keard a disturb-
ance close to where he lived, and on proceeding to
the spot to see what was the matter he perceived
the prisoner and his mother quarrelling, and they
were both drunk. The prisoner struck her on tho
head with his fist, and she fell down insensible, and
almost immediately afterwards expired. Mr. Lle-
wellyn arrived a moment after that, but his assist-
ance was not required, as she was quite &al
M.. a.tked whether the prisoner had
anything in his hind at the time ?
'Witness replied in the negative. The blow wtv:
inflicted WithiliS fist.
Police-constable 68 M said his attention was
called to the spot, and there he saw the woman
lying dead. There was a black mark on the fore-
head, evidently caused by a blow.
Mr. Burchlim asked whether the coroner had
held the inquest on the body ?
The constable replied in the negative. Cook, the
coroner's officer, had summoned a jury to sit that
afternoon.

In answer to the charge, the prisoner said it was
quite an accident.
Mr. Burch= remanded him until Monday next.

Total Organic
Impurity Impurity
per gal. per gal.
Grs., Gr0.,0r2.
Distilled water 0•0 0.0
Clyde, present supply at Glasgow
Loch Katrine, new supply to Glasgow 2.1.1 0•80
Thames Companies :—Chelsea
Southwark l6-00 Ftai -
Lambeth- IZ-40 1 lin
Grand Junction
West Middlesex
Other Companies:—East I, 11111011
New River
Kent GO 1•88
This table exhibits the amount of foreign matter con-
tained in each gallon of water expressedin degrees or grains.
The samples were all taken from main pipes.
'-At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean height
of the barometer in the week was 29.942 in. On four days
the mean daily average was above 30 in. The readings
varied from 29.49 to 30.42. in. The mean temperature of
the week was 58.6 deg., which is 3.2 deg. above the ave-
rage of the same week in 43 years. The highest point of the
thermometer in the shade was attained on Wednesday, and
was 72.2 deg. ; the lowest was 41.5 deg., and was observed
on Saturday ; the range of the week was therefore 301 deg.
and the mean daily range was 16 deg. The difference be-
tween the mean dew-point temperature and air temperature
was 6 deg. The mean degree of humidity of the air was 82.
The mean temperature of the water of the Thames wa562.6.
On the first four days the wind blew generally from the
N.E. On Thursday, when it was in the south, the pre:sure
on the square foot rose to 91b. and the amount of horizon-
tal movement was 215 miles The rain, nearly all of which
fell on Sunday, the 19th, amounted to o'2o in. •

COUNTRY MARKETS.

LIVERPOOL-SEPT. 28.

There was a fair attendance of dealers, and rather more
inquiry for fine old wheat at the prices current on Tuesday
last, but for inferior descriptions the sale was very slow, at
a decline of Id to 2d per bushel, while new Irish was quite
neglected, and 2d to 3d lower. Flour was very difficult to
quit, and we quote a decline of is per sack and barrel. New
oats and oatmeal were quite unsaleable, although freely
offered at a reduction of Id to 2d per 451 b and 2s to 2s 6cl
per load. Old oats very scarce, at late rates, but oatmeal
could.have been bought at is per load decline. Beans 6d
to is per qr cheaper, with a slow sale - Indian corn met
w
ith but very little inquiry, and we reiuce our quotations
fully 6d per qr.