The Sun.
London, England, 1858-06-15 00:00:00

C IMINAL COURT.—(This Day.)

OLD COURT.
(Before the Recorder.)
William Lewes, a respectable-looking young
man, aged 32, described as a chemist, pleaded
guilty to a charge of fraudulently obtaining 24
canvas bags, value 10s. There were several other
charges against the prisoner for a similar offence.
Mr. Bodk;n, on the patt of the Crown, elected
to receive the prisoner's confession on the first
charge, and having explained the system under
which the prisoner obtained the bags,
The Recorder sentenced the prisoner to six
months' imprisonment with hard labour.
Charles Randall, aged 40, a letter-sorter in the
General Post Office, pleaded guilty to a charge of
stealing a letter containing a gold watch. There
was also another charge of stealing a letter con-
taining money.
Mr. Bodkin, who appeared with Mr. Clarke for
the Postmaster-General, explained that the pri-
soner, it had been found, had carried on a most
extensive system of stealing letters containing
Bank notes and other monies to a large extent, but
in some instances it was recovered.
Tho Recorder asked how long the system had
been carried on ?

Mr. Bodkin—From November last up to the 6th
of June, when he was arrested.
The ecorder sentenced the prisoner to six years
penal servitude.

- Ann Stephens, aged 31, a married woman, was
indicted for feloniously uttering a forged Post-
office order for the sum of 103., well knowing the
same to be forged. The prisoner, a respectable-
looking woman, pleaded not guilty.
It appeared that a Post-office order for' 10s.
was sent by a person named Sansom from
Aldershot Camp, payable at the Camden-town-
office, to his wife, and directed for her at home,
where the prisoner lived, who was aware that the
letter was expected. She, on its being delivered,
took possession of it ; and went, accompanied with
another woman, to the Pest-office with it unsigned ;
and on its being represented by the clerk that it
must be signed by Mrs. Sansom, the prisoner went
away and soon after returned with it signed, when
the clerk at the counter at the time paid the pri-
soner the money. Soon after Mrs. Sansom called
with the letter, when it was discovered that her
signature to the order was a forgery, and the pri-
soner was given into custody.
The evidence was clear as to the prisoner's guilt
—s'.e persisted in saying she hadonly accompanied
another woman to the Post-office, and did not re-
coley° the money.

The jury found the prisoner guilty.
The Recorder said it was a very serious offence,
and sentenced the prisoner to 12 months' imprison-
ment with hard laboir.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—(This Day.)

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

SUTTLE-SHARPING. A LUCKY ESCAPE.--William
Webb, John Williams, George Smith, William Smith,
Henry White, and Thomas Welsh, well known skittle-
sharpers, were charged with conspiring together to de-
fraud Thomas Shildrake, of 13, Charlotte-street, Pimlico,
of the sum of 101. Ss.

The prosecutor, who gave his evidence in a very con-
fused manner, said he had only returned from Australia
a few weeks, and that on the previous afternoon he was
going along the Strand, when he was accosted by Geo.
Smith, who asked the way to Trafalgar-square, to which
Place he directed him. They then got into conversation,
the prisoner telling him he had just come from Oxford,
and that he had not been in London since the Exhibi-
tion. Directly after, the prisoner Webb came up and
spoke to Smith, and soon after made a bet with Smith
that he would throw a 141 b. weight 30 yards. They
then went to a public-house near Hyde-park, and asked
him (prosecutor) to go with them. When they got
there instead of throwing a weight they began playing
at sktitles and betting, as he was induced by some of
them to bet, and lost his money. When Webb began
playing, he threw the ball over the mark, but altered
his playing when bets were made.
The rest of the prosecutor's evidence was so confused
that. Mr. Bingham suggested to Mr. Lewis, senior, who
appeared for the prisoners, that the money found on
them, which they cannot deny was the prosecutor's,
should be handed over to him.

A constable hero stepped forward and said he had
seen all the prisoners together previous, and knew them
to be companions. One of them previous to joining the
others changed his hat, and another one assumed
spectacles.

After some conversation between the prisoners and
their advocate, and a hint from Mr. Bingham, that if
they did not adopt his recommendation he should remand
them, the prisoners handed over the money and were
discharge 1.