The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-26 00:00:00

CRIMINAL COURT.-(THIS DAY.)

OLD COURT.
(Before the Recorder.)

CARD SHARPING.

William Thomas, a respectably dressed man, aged 45,
was indicted for obtaining, by false and fraudulent pre-
tences, a gold watch and chain from William North. The
prisoner was also indicted for conspiracy.
Mr. Ribton appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Met-
calfe defended the prisoner.
Mr. Ribton, in addressing the jury, said the prisoner was
indicted under the provisions of 8 and 9 Vic., cap. 109, sec.
17. The prosecutor was a gentleman residing at Cardiff,
and while visiting London he took a trip to Woolwich on
board one of the steamboats, when he was accosted by a man
on board the boat, and a lively conversation ensued. The
result was Mr. North was invited to partake of a glass of
ale, and for this purpose on leaving the boat they both
went to the Pier Hotel. When there the prisoner followed
by another man entered, and cards were produced and
shuffled. Three cards were produced, two black and one
red. The feat was to discover the red card after the three
had been shuffled. The prosecutor was induced to stake his
watch for a bet of ten pounds, which, it was needless to say,
was lost, and from various circumstances that occurred he
believed he had been the victim of a conspiracy, in which
the prisoner had taken part.
The following witnesses were then called
Mr. Augustus North said—l am a brewer residing at
Cardiff, and in July last I was in London. I went from
thence to Woolwich on board the steamboat, where I met a
person to whom I spoke. After we had been in conversa-
tion for some time, he asked me to have some ale. I even-

tually went with him to the Pier Hotel, and we had some
ale. After we had been there a short time the prisoner and
another man came in and began talk about a ring, which
they wanted me to purchase. I said I did not want it, and
then the cards were introduced, and they began to bet about
finding the red card. I told one of the men in the room I
knew where the red card was, and they said to me,
" Why don't you bet ?" I said, " I have left my
purse in London," and they then said, " Why don't
you stake your watch ?" I closely observed the
cards, and feeling confident I knew which was the red
card I staked my watch as a security for a bet of £lO. I
turned up the card, and instead of the red card it turned
out to be a black one. The watch was taken up, and after
some arrangement it passed into the prisoner's possession,
who told me if I came to his residence, in High-street,
Paddington, and gave him £2 I could have the watch, and
he would rely upon my honour for receiving the remaining
£8 when I returned to Cardiff. I went to my uncle's—
(laughter)—immediately after I lost my watch, and after
that I went to the place mentioned by the prisoner with
the £2, but I could not find him. I have no doubt, while I
was taking off my watch the cards were changed. I value
my watch at £l5, and the chain at £3 10s.
Mr. Metcalfe—What should you have done with the £lO
note, supposing you had turned up the red instead of the
black card ? Would you not have picked up both it and
your watch, and put them in your pocket ?
Prosecutor—Yes, no doubt I should. (Laughter.)
The Recorder—As I said before, we must have some
proof that the game was unfair. At present there is not
the slightest. The prosecutor makes the bet, thinking he
had the advantage, as he had seen the cards.
Mr. Ribton—The cards were changed.

The Recorder—There is no evidence of that. We may
all of us have our suspicions, but you must produce evi-
dence. The prosecutor thought' he had chosen the right
card, but it turned out he was mistaken. If people will be
so foolish as to bet under such circumstances, they must
put up with the consequences.

_ -
The jury, without hearing the counsel for the prisoner,
returned a verdict of Not Guilty.

The prisoner was then again indicted, charged with ob-
taining money by false pretences, and also with conspiracy.
Thomas Haywood said—l live at Leicester, and am an
engineer in the Royal Navy. On the 26th of August I met
a man on board of one of the Woolwich boats who entered
into conversation with me. On our arrival at Woolwich
we, at his suggestion, went to the Pier Hotel. We had
some ale, and in a short time after the prisoner and another
man came in. A conversation then arose respecting some
rings, but the cards were introduced, and he asked me if I
would have a cut at the cards. The prisoner and the card-
man began cutting the cards for a ring. The game was
changed, and three cards were introduced. I was then
asked to bet. The person I met on board the boat pressed
me to bet. I never had a chance of winning. (Laughter.)
The prisoner asked me to play. We began betting 55., and i
the bets rose to £5. I continued playing until I had lost
£l5. I then said I should go and fetch a policeman, as I

believed there had been cheating. The prisoner said he
would go with me. We went as far as the pier and were

unable-to find a constable. The prisoner, while we were
waiting on the pier, said, "There's a policeman," and run

away, but the constable broughthim back. When we re-
turned to the public-house, the other two men had gone.
Mr. Metcalfe—Supposing you had won, you would have
put the money in your pocket, and said nothing about it ?
Witness—l suppose I should ; but I never had the
chance ? (Laughter.)

Mr. Metcalfe—Two black and one red suit cards were
placed on the table, and you thought your eyes were quick
enough to watch the red one. You then bet and turn up
the card you imagine to be the red, and it turns out to be
the black one.

Witness—Yes ; but I believe the card I wanted vanished
before I had the chance of picking it up. (Laughter.)

The Recorder—Did you see what became of the remain-
der of the pack
"Witness—After the three cards were selected I never saw
the pack again.

The Recorder—Were the remaining two cards turned up
after you had made your choice to show you that the red

one was there ?

Witness—No, never. The other cards were never shown

to me.
The Recorder—Never turned up ?
Witness—Never. They were taken up and shuffled again.
The Recorder—How many times did you bet ?
Witness—About ten or a dozen times.
Mr. Ribton—How many times did you Win ?
Witness—Not once.
William Wilkinson, a police-constable, said—l took the
prisoner into custody on the 26th August. I asked him if
he had been playing at cards, but he said ,4 No." The
prosecutor identified him as the man. The watch that be-
longed to Mr. North was found upon him.
Mr. Netcalfe—Said there was no evidence of conspiracy.
The Recorder—l think there is. I don't say how much,
but I think there is enough to go to the jury.
Mr. Metcalfe then addressed the jury on the part of the
prisoner, and contended that no case of fraud had been
proved against the prisoner ; the evidence showed that
the prosecutor had been deceived by slight of hand.
The Recorder, in summing up the evidence, dwelt strongly
upon the circumstance that the three cards were never once
turned up to prove that the red one was amongst them.
If such had been the case, it was not too much to expect
that when the police were threatened to be sent for,
as there was reason to believe that cheating had
been going on, the prosecutor would have been shown
the cards to convince him the red card was there, and that
he had made a blunder in not discovering it.
The jury found the prisoner guilty of conspiracy.
The Recorder asked if the prisoner was known.
A City police-constable said he knew the poisoner as a
card-sharper. He,
in company with three others, were
constantly to be seen in the neighbourhood of Tower-hill.
Mr. Metcalfe—l have just been informed, my lord, that
so far from the trick being one of fraud, and impossible of
being honestly performed, there is a person in court who
can go through the performance, if the jury wish it.
(Laughter.)
The man was not required to perform the trick.
The Recorder, in passing sentence, said he had no doubt
the prisoner had for a long time been carrying on his dis-
honest practices; he should therefore sentence him to 18
months' imprisonment with hard labour.;
Mr. Ribton—l suppose, mj, lord, Mr. North can have
his watch and chain ?

The Recorder—l have no power to make such an order.
remains with the police.

There is no doubt about its being the property of Mr.
North. I don't object to the police retaining it for the
present, as they know what to do with it.

NEW COURT.
(Before the Common Sergeant.)
PASSING COUNTERFEIT COIN.

Two boys named Wiliam Cork and William Thomas
Duff were indicted for uttering a counterfeit half-crown
with intent to defraud, &c.

Mr. Barber said he kept the Dover Castle, in the Broad-
way, Deptford. About a month ago the two boys came in
front of the bar and asked for a pint of porter, for which
they tendered a half-crown. Upon putting the coin into
the detector it was discovered to be bad, and the boys were
told so. Duff said he didn't know that it was bad, and gave
a good shilling in payment for the porter, but from subse-
quent circumstances both prisoners were taken to the
station-house. Duff said he had no more money, and
Cork said the same, but upon searching them a number
good sixpences were found. Upon taking off Cork's trou-
sers, a counterfeit half-crown dropped from underneath his
shirt, wrapped up in paper. He attempted to conceal it
with his foot, but was unable to do so, before the constable
picked it up.

The jury found both prisoners guilty, and the Common
Serjeant sentenced them to nine months' imprisonment,
with hard labour.

Mary earthy, 30, was indicted for uttering counterfeit
coin, well knowing the same to be counterfeit.
Mr. Hagger, a licensed victualler, said—On the 18th of
September the prisoner came into my house and asked for
some porter, for which she tendered a bad shilling. She
was told the coin was bad, and as she said she had no more
money she left the house.

The money-taker of the New-cross Railway Station
proved that the prisoner also attempted to pass a bad shil-
ling there in payment of her fare to London.
Mr. King, the station-master, said he happened to know
that the prisoner had attempted to pass bad money, and he
gave her into custody. On her being taken to the Green-
wieb, Police-604A the bad tenclead at the atation