The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-15 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.-July 14.

iMANSION-HOUSE.—Cornelius Marney, a cos-
termonger, who has been in the habit of using
false weights and measures in his dealings with
people in the streets in the fruit line, was charged
before the Lord Mayor with having caused du ob-
struction in the narrow thoroughfare of Walbrook:
It was proved that th,A deffudarit 1,:,l Locii in
custody boiore upon charges of obstructing the
traffic and passengers with hs barrow ; that he paid
no attention to the directions of the police, al-
though about a week ago he had been complained
egainst for obstinacy in violating -the law in the
waY. described ; and that the officer had been obliged
to send his barrow to the greenyard because "it
was for ever in the way of coaches and carriages
and people."
The defendant, to the surprise of the persons in
constant attendance at the justice room, slid, "I
was never here before, my lord, for anything, and
I was never in custody in my life."
Inspector Harding said—The man has not only
been in custody before, but he is one of those per-
1. sons who pursue a system by which the public, in
the belief that they are getting cheap fruit, are
daily plundered to a very great extent. He uses a
pair of scales which are apparently fair enough, but
• when he was taken into custody for the obstruction,
it was found that a piece of lead had been attached
to that intended; for the fruit so as to give it a con-
siderable draught in his Savour,' while his weights
have ben tampered with to an almost incredible
extent ; thus his quarter of a pound weight, when
tested, has been found to weigh two ounces,
but the most extensive fraud is perpetrated
by means of his• half-pound weight, which
only weighs one. ounce and three-quarters.- In
fact, the imposition is so gross that it is astonishing
to see the public purchasing hf such follows at
all. • However, people continue to .buy as freely as
if they always got the full weight.... •
The scales and weighti were' then produced and
examined by
The Lord Mayor,
.who said, I remember having
had this man before me some time ago, and upon
that occasion be had false weights and measures.
This is a most impudent and villanous imposition.
The weights are all had enough, but this half-pound
weight has, I see, been bollowel oat to the thin-
ness of a wafer, and filled up with a bit of cork. (*A.
laugh.)
The defendant—l didn't know
there
was anything
wrong about them, I am sure, and as for- shovinc,
my bat row in the way, I never thought of such a
thing. /

Tiie Lord Mayor—I shall fine you, defendant,
for the obstruction the sum of 2s. 6d., and as to
the weights and scales I shall send them to the
Inspector of Weights and Measures, who will know
what to do both with them and you. At the same
time I hope the police will look after the conduct
of those costeratongers, for I am told that of those
who throng the city scarcely one gives honest
Weight. The imposition daily increases.
Richard Field, the driver of a ran belonging to
the Great Northern Company, was charged with
stealing some haddocks.
J. Th :rogood, a policeman belonging to the com-
pany, deposed that about a quarter to five in the
morning, he raw the prisoner, who was delivering
some fish in Billingsgate-market, open a package,
and take out five haddocks, which he put into
a handkerchief, and gave to a man named
Webb, also in the employ of the Great
Northern Company, who in turn geve them to a
man named Riley. Sulsscpisntly the prisoner ac-
companied Riley to a public-house, and afterwards
Riley went to hislodgiugs in Sun-street, where the
haddocks were afterwards- found. Witness had
been put on to watch the vans in consequence of
the numerous robberies of a similar character that
had taken place.
Mr. Williams, superintendent of the Great
Northern Railway, said it was not the value of the
haddocks which led to the proceedings, but recently
seoisany petty pilferages had taken place from the
vane belonging to the company, that it had become
absolutely neeseary to take steps- to protect the
proper:3r which they were employed to deliver.
Watkins, a de' ective, deposed that he found the
haddocks at Riley's lodgings, and that Riley said
he hid given prisoner a pint of beer for them.
Afterwards witness took the prisoner into custody,
when he admitted the robbery, and said he was
.very sorry for it.
The. Lord Mayor inquired why Webb had not
been given into custody as well as the prisoner ?
Mr. Williams said Webb had been for some tine
in the.employ of the company at 1.8. a-week, to
mind horses iu Billingsgate-market, but he (Mr.
Williams) did net think the evidence strong enough
to giye him into onstOcly upon. He was, however,