The Sun.
London, England, 1858-04-15 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE AGAINST A
TRADESMAN.-MISTAKEN IDENTITY.

Paid. I Pri

A IL d.

all &
18 15 0 2
50 0 0 -

6 0 0
50 0 0
35 0 0
20 0 0
all

20 0 0 21
50 0 0 -
10 0 0 21
20 0 0 t
35 0 0 -
10 0 0 -
50 0 -
22 10 0 7

15 0 0 1
25 0 0
all 6
all
all

2 10 0 -
30 0 -
10 0 0 24
50 0 0 -
50 0 0 31

Paid. 1 Prii

A s. d.

Yesterday, at the Clerkenwell Police Court, Mr.
Frederick Redford, the landlord of the Golden
Fleece public-house, 8, John-street, Old-street-
road, appeared before Mr. Tyrwhitt, in answer to
his recognisances, charged with attempting to pick
the pockets of two females in Goswell-street-road.
Mr. Wontner appeared for the defendant.
Police-constable George Harvey, 161 G, said—
On Thursday night last, about five minutes past
nine o'clock, I was on duty in Goswell-street road,
where I saw the prisoner. I noticed him for some
time following is o females on this (the right hand)
side of the road, and saw him lift their dresses and
put his hand in their pockets, but I did not per-
ceive him taking any‘bing from them. After that I
saw the prisoner turn back, when three females
passed him, and he followed them in the same way.
I saw the pris, ner lift the ladies' dresses with his
left hand, and put his right hand into their pockets,
but I did not see him take anything. I watched
him as far as Powell-street, when I took him into
custody. At the police-station I searched him, and
found upon him 21. Is. 2d. The prisoner gave a
correct address, and said he had just come from his
tubac,x) merchant's, where he had paid a small ac=
count.
Cioss-exam'ned by Mr. Wontner—Before I took
the prisoner into custody, a waggon laden with
coal passed between us. It was five minutes past
nine when I first saw him l'ft the pockets of a lady.
When I took him into custody he told me he was
' the landlord of the Golden Fleece, but I did not
- believe him, and thought it was a hoax. When I
saw his wife she said her husband was not at home,
and she believed he had gone to his club. I have
- since made inquiries, and have found that the de-
% fendant bears a most excellent character, and is a
• very respectable tradesman. I have been in the
police force about 15 months.
Inspector Cole, G division, said—l was on duty
•% at the Old-street police-station on the night in guts-
- tion when the charge was brought in. It was
brought in at 20 minutes to ten at night. I asked
the constable the nature of the charge, and he then
told me it was one of picking pockets. The con- •
- stable said he ha t seen the prisoner loitering about,
and when he went near the prisoner tried to evade
him by turning down a short street. The constable
also said he had watched him for about .half an
hour. I have ascertained that the defendant has
been a licensed victualler in the neighbourhood for
')4 some time. When the defendant was brought into
the police-station he said the charge was a false one,
but I do not know if he said the man was mad.
_ When it was found that the defendant was a trades-
man in the neighbourhood, bail was taken for his •
appearance at the police-court the next Morning. 4
e• Mr. Wontner said that this was a case which he
_ was of opinion the magistrate would discharge ;
but still he felt that it was his duty to offer some
evidence, for the defendant did not wish to leave
that bar on the plea of want of evidence. That he
was the victim of a mistake there could be no doubt,
,4 but he did not wish to say that the constable had
committed wilful and corrupt perjury, but was
mistaken in his identityof Mr. Redford. -Menolder
in the force than he was had been mistaken. The
defendant was a very respectable tradesman, and
had carried on the business of a licensed victualler .
for the last ten years. Mr. Redford wished the case
to be fully gone into, and to leave that court with-
out a stain or a slur upon his character. He then
called
Mr. Clark, who said—l am a compositor, and re-
side at 4, Wellington-street, Peotonville. I am the
chairman of a frienely society, called the Friends
yy of Labour, held at the house formerly kept by the
defendant, the Rose and Crown. The defendant is
• a member of the society, and has been so since its
commencement. I was at the society on Thursday
last. I called at the defendant's house at ten mi-
mites to nine to get him to accompany me. He was
very busy, and at nine o'clock finding that he was
still servingeustomers I left, and the church clock
then struck. The defendant is a very respectable
man.
Lucy Newman said—l am,in the service of the
defendant. At ten minutes past nine on the night
in question my master came into the kitchen for
• the purpose of having his boots cleaned. I under-
- stood that he was then going to his club.
Mr. W. H. Rebut saide-I am a tobacconist and
reside at 132, Goswell-street. The prisoner has
dealt with me for some time. On the night in ques-
ice. tion the prisoner called and purchased of me a
pound of tobacco. I look at my watch every night
at nine o'clock for the purpose of closing my ac-
-4% counts. The defendant's account is the first entered .
lyt on the next day's account. It was quite half-past
nine Nfore the defendant came, because I had to
get him, change of half a sovereign after I had closed
my till.
Mr. J. Davis said he had known the defendant
14 for two years and a half, and considered-him to be
very respectable and strictly honest. About a year
i% and a half ago be accidentally dropped a 501. note
in his bar, and when he went back Mr. Redford
had picked it up, and asked him if be had lost it.
Mr. Wontner remarked that there were several
other Retrtlemen in attendance who were ready to
give Mr. Redford a character, but
ki Mr. Tyrwhitt said there was no necessity for his
doing so. It was too much to say the constable could
not have been mistaken in the identity of the de-
' fendant. He exceedingly lamented the mistake the
constable bad made, but, like other men, a con-
; stable was just as liable to miStakes, although
some
,persons thought otherwise. One thing the de-
la fondant gained, and that was that he left the bar
without any stain or slur upon his character, as
I%
everybody must see it was a case of mistaken iden-
tity. The defendant had been locked up only a
short tinie, and had, therefore, not suffered much,
ice. for bail was taken, and that very properly sr6, for
his apppearance the next morning. One thing also
e
- was in the defendant's 'favour, and that was, that
JAI although he had been allowed to go at.large he did
16, not attempt to alter hiS di ess or appearance, which
126 a practised thief would, most assuredly have done.
no lii discharging the defendant,' he would say that
23 he left the court without a stain upcn his character.
Oi Os

rADVIIRTISIMENT,F- fiIORT AND 'TEARING SPECTACLES-.•
POWERFIII. TELRECOPES OPERA, RACE, AND fluusrnortys
GLASSER. —S. and 13. Solomons, opticians, 39, Albemarle-
street, Piccadilly. Obs3rve—opposite the -York ildtel, W.
By her Majesty's Royal Letters Patent for valuable and eX-
traordina,y improvements in the most powerful and brilliant
Telescopes, Camp, Race-course, Opera, and Perspective
Glasses, to know the distances. These' Telescopes possess
such extraordinary power that some, three and a-half inches,
with an extra eye-piece will show distinctly Jupiter's moons;
Saturn's ring, and the double stars ; with the same telescope
can be seen a person's countenance three-and-a-half mike
distant and an object from 16 to 20 miles. For the wahit- •
coat-pocket, and are of larger, 'and all sizes, with increasing
powers accordingly. The Royal Exhibition, 1851. -A vain- -
able, able, newly-invented, very small, powerful, Waistcoat-pocket
Glass, the size of a walnut, by which a person can be seen and
known ono and a-half mile distant. They answer every put'
pose on the Race-course and at the Opera-houses. Country
scenery and ships are clearly seen at 12 to 14 miles. They
are invaluable for shooting, deer-stalking, yachting, to
sportsmen, gentlemen, gamekeepers, and tourists. Opera)
Camp, Perspective, and Race-course Glasses, with wonderful r
powers. - Invaluable preserving Spectacle Lenses of the
greatest transparent power. The great advantage derived
from . this invention is, that vision impaired Waimea .pre-
served and strengthtned and very aged persons- are enabled
to employ their sight at the most minute oecupation—ean see
with those lenses of a much_ less magnifying powair—and
they do not require the frequent changes to the dim•
gerous effects of further powerful assistance. Persons
can be suited at the most remote part of the world by send-
ing one of the glasses out of their spectacles in a letter, and •
stating the distance from the eye they can read small print
with it, and those who have not made use of spectacles by
stating their age. Deafness.—New Discovery.—The Chiral&
Vibrator, an extraordivarily powerful, small, newly-invented •
instrument for deafnege, entirely different from ail of ners, -
surpassing anything of the kind that has been, or prob ably
can be, produced. Being of the same colour as the skin, 15
not perceptible. It enables deaf persons to hear distiiet ly at
church and at public assemblies; the iupleasant sensation of
Singing noises in the eta is eiitirelV removed, and it afiurde
all the assistance that possibly could be desired.-39. Ike.
taarle-street, Piccadilly—qppokito the York Hotel, W, ')

BIRTHS.
HALKEYT —On the 13th inst., the wife of Sir Arthur
Halkett, of Pitfirrane, Bart., Captain 3d Light Drs-:
goons, of a daughter.
KENT—On the 13th inst., at Lndford-park, near Ludlow,
the wife of the Rev. Charles Kent, of a daughter.
LEARY—On the 13th inst., at Clapham-common, Mrs. C. "
Leary, of a son.