The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-09 00:00:00

consider, as he should commit him for trial for re-
ceiving them knowing them to be stolen.

SOUTHWARK.—John Shackleton, a general
dealer of Bermondsey-street, was brought before
Mr. Burcham for final examination, charged with
receiving 17 raw American hides, value Z 25 108.,
well known the same to be stolen.
James Mackintosh, an inspector of the M division,
said, that a short time ago he received information
that the premises of Fish and Co., fellmongers,
Tyer's-gateway, Bermondsey, had been robbed of
a quantity of American hides. In consequence of
that he went to a warehouse in Black Swan-yard,
and there found 11 of the hides, which he took
away. The prisoner afterwards came to the sta-
tion-house and said they belonged to him. Witness
said that if such was the case he must take him
into custody for the unlawful possession of them.
The prisoner then said that he purchased the 11
hides of two seafaring men in the street, and he
thought they were all right. He (Mr. Macintosh)
told him he had attempted to sell them to Mr.
Macree for 255. each, but that gentleman would
not purchase them unless he gave a better account
of them. The prisoner replied that such was the
case, and, he afterwards sold them to Mr. Lewis
for Al 3. Witness found a memorandum on him to
that effect. He then searched the prisoner's house,
and found the six remaining hides.
Chas. Eversfield, warehouseman to Messrs. Fish
and Co., fellmongers, Tyer's-gateway, said that a
month ago he stowed away 500 salted American
hides. Shortly after that he sold 400, and 17 were
missed. He identified the hides produced, and they
were worth £25 10s.
Henry Hawes, fellmonger, 43, Bermondsey-street,
said that he let a warehouse at the rear of hishouse
to the prisoner about three weeks ago, and a week
after he saw several raw hides in his shed, and the
prisoner asked him if he could tell him where to
dispose of them. Witness told him there were
plenty of persons who purchased hides, but he did
not specify any particular name. Witness's premises
were about 40 yards from Messrs. Fish and Co.'s.
In answer to the charge the prisoner said he
bought the hides in a fair and honest manner.
Mr. Burcham told him that must be for a jury to

LAMBETH. Michael O'Brien, formerly a
labourer employed at the factory of Messrs.
Maudsley and Co. and who has been in custody
for nearly six weeks on a charge of committing
with others a very violent and serious assault on
Samuel Ecott, was placed at the bar before Mr.
Elliott, for final examination.
From the evidence in the case, which was of
considerable length, it appeared that on the night
of the Ist ult. an oyster shell was thrown into the
shop of complainant, which struck his -wife, and on
his going to his door and asking " what was their
game," the prisoner and three other men made a
violent attack on him. The prisoner was the first
to knock him down, and while on the ground he
and his companions kicked him violently. When
taken up the complainant was found to be in a very
helpless state, so much so that it was found advis-
able to remove him to Guy's Hospital, and on an
examination there it was found that his right leg
was broken in two places, and that there were seve-
ral severe contusions about his head and face.
The complainant, who came from the hospital
for the first time, identified the prisoner as the per-
son who first struck and knocked him down, and
Mr. Elliott, considering the case to be one of a
serious character, committed the prisoner for trial.

COINING TURKISH PIASTRES.

(From the Birmingham Daily Post)
On Wednesday night the Greek, Antonio Calvo-
coressi, who is already committed for trial at the
Borough Sessions, charged with the above offence,
was liberated on bail ; and the same evening wit-
nessed the capture, by Superintendent Glossop, of
another Manchester merchant, charged with being
concerned with Calvocoressi in causing the piastres
to be made. The name of the second accused per-
son is Thomas Moss, aged 66, a merchant in exten-
sive business at Heathfield, Manchester. From
information Mr. Glossop received he thought it his
duty to secure Moss, who, he had been informed,
had arrived in Birmingham. After a search occcu-
pying nearly the whole of Wednesday, the prisoner
was apprehended at the Wool Pack Inn, Moor-
street, while at dinner. He at first denied that he
was the person sought for, but his identity was
afterwards proved beyond doubt.
On Thursday the prisoner was taken before
Messrs. T. C. Kynnersley and W. Wills, at the
Public-office, Moor-street, when the charge was
partially gone into. Mr. J. Mottram, barrister of
the Oxford Circuit, instructed by Mr. A. Walter,
the public prosecutor, and assisted by Mr. G. R.
Collis, Turkish Consul in Birmingham, conducted
the prosecution ; the defence being intrusted to
Mr. T. Harding, solicitor. The court was crowded
during the evening by a respectable auditory.
Mr. Mottram, in opening the case, said he was
instructed on the present occasion, as he had been
on a former one, to conduct the prosecution on a
charge of coining Turkish piastres. The charge
on this occasion was preferred against a Man-
chester merchant named Thomas Moss, and was
brought under the same Act of Parliament
as the one against Calvocoressi—the 43d of
George 111., chap. 139. At that time he (Mr:
Mottram) statedthaf the evidence would to a certain
extent implicate a gentleman occupying a good po-
sition in this town. That gentleman, whose name
he then forbore to mention, and to whom the evi-
dence pointed, was Mr. Wood, of the firm of Wood
and Sons, who carry on business in Bath-street as
merchants. After giving the evidence already ad-
duced the most careful consideration, he (Mr. Mot-
tram) felt bound to say that, though there might
be some difficulty in fixing a criminal charge on
Mr. Wood, his conduct in the whole case had been
extremely negligent and culpable. They had not
been able as yet to reach all the parties who had
originated the transaction, but Mr. Wood, through
his solicitor, Mr. Wright, placed in the hands of
the prosecution all Ins letters, books, and papers
referring to it, by the means of which they would,
at least, reach one of the parties who had been en-
gaged throughout the transaction. That person
was the prisoner Moss, of the firm of Otho, Han-
son, and Co.' of Manchester. The evidence already
taken would be again laid before the Bench, and
would be further strengthened by_the testimony of
Mr. Wood himself, who would tell the Bench the
part he had taken in the matter. He (Mr. Mot-
tram) felt bound to repeat that Mr. Wood's con-
duct had been most negligent, culpable, and indis-
creet ; but he had been informed that Mr. Wood
would tell the Bench that the supply of copper had
been forwarded to Dipple after he had been led to
believe that the authority of the Turkish Govern-
ment had been received for the manufacture of the
piastres. Mr. Mottram then called the following
witnesses :
Mr. Heaton M'Neill, clerk to Messrs. George
Wood and Sons, was the first witness. He said—
Otho, Hanson, and Co., of Manchester, corres-
ponded with our firm. The defendant has called
upon us with members of that firm, and without,
to order goods. About the 2d of March I remem-
ber the defendant and Calvocoressi coming to
Messrs. Woods' warehouse. I saw them, and Moss
asked me if tokens were made in Birmingham. I
replied that they were ; and in order to satisfy
them that such was the case, I produced an
ordinary token. Calvocoressi then produced
what I have since learnt to be a Turkish piastre.
Both took part in the conversation, and I was re-
quested to accompany them to some of the manu-
facturers. I went first to Messrs. Heaton's, and
saw Mr. George Heaton. They produced the coin
again to him, and asked for Messrs. Heaton's prices.
Mr. George Heaton weighed the piastre, and gave
a rough estimate of the cost of a bulk. Mr. Heaton
also said that before they could be made the autho-
rity of the Government or Finance Minister of the
country where it circulated would have to be pro-
cured. One of them said such an authority was
not necessary. Very little passed beyond that ; we
then left, and all three went to Mr. George Dow-
ler's, in Great Charles-street. I introduced -the sub-
ject to Dowler, and began the conversation by say-
ing that we were come to see if he could make any
of those coins, the piastre being again produced.
cannot positively say who produced it. Mr. Dowler
said he could make them ' • there would no difficulty
about that. I then told him the conversation we
had had with Mr. Heaton as to its illegality. Mr.
Dowler then said, " Oh, if there is anything of that
kind, I'll have nothing to do with it.' One of them
asked Mr. Dowler if the coins could not be made
without its being known. Mr. Dowler said " No,
seeing that it would have to pass through so many
different hands." Nothing further was said, and we
then left. We then all three went to our warehouse
in Bath-street, by which time Mr. G. Wood was
there. After some further conversation with Mr.
Wood, to whom what had taken place had been ex-
plained, the defendant and Calvocoressi still seemed
to think it could. be done, and asked Mr. Wood to
accompany them again to the same persons.
Mr. G. Wood was next Called. He said, on the
2d of March I saw Calvocoressi and Moss at my
warehouse. My clerk said they had been to Messrs.
Heaton's and to Mr. Dowler. As far as I can re-
member, I was told that they had been to Heaton's
to ascertain the price of some copper coin. I believe
a written estimate was seat for 9s. 6d. per gross.
Mr. Harding here pointed out that there cer-
tainly was a mistake in the evidence.
Mr. Wood went on to say—l believe I saw the
estimate. I think it was sent to my warehouse.
The prisoner Calvocoressi said they could give an
order at 9s. 6d., for which purpose we went down
to Mr. Heaton again. We first saw Mr. George
Heaton, and Mr. Ralph Heaton, jun., also came
into the room. I said we would order at the price
named. One of the Messrs. Heaton asked if we
had a proper authority ? Calvocoressi said he did
not think we wanted any authority. A little argu-
ment then took place as to the necessity of the
authority, which ended in the production of Messrs.
Heaton of the Act of Parliament, and it was read
to us. When that was read I said to them " You
see it can't be done. I wash my hands of the matter
altogether." We then left. On the way to their
hotel, at the bottom of Snow-hill, one of them said
he should like to see Mr. Dowler again. I said,
" Very well, we'll go and see him." We did go,
and saw him. I again introduced the subject. Mr.
Dowler said he could make any quantity. I told
him what had taken place at Messrs. Heaton's as
to the necessity for the authority, and he said, if
Messrs. Heaton could not make them he could not.
He was urged to make them by Calvocoressi. The
latter asked if it need be known that they were
being made ? Mr. Dowler said that, in a manu-
factory like his, it was impossible for them to be
made without its being known. We then left, and
I said, " You see it is impossible to get them done
without authority you must get authority." They
said they could easily do so. After that I went
with them to their hotel, where I found my clerk,
Mr. Neill, waiting outside the door with a parcel
of inkstands which they had bought at Mr. Dow-
ler's. Nothing further took place with me, and I
left my clerk with them. That was about the 2d
of March, and I did not see either the defendant or
Calvocoressi from then until now. On the 10th of
March I received a letter from Mr. Moss. It is in
the handwriting of the letters I usually received
from Manchester, signed Moss, upon which I have
acted for Otho, Hanson, and Co.
Mr. Harding objected that such identification
was not sufficient.
Mr. Mottram said he could not produce better
identification that day.
Mr. Harding then said, with the exception of the
letter, the Bench had heard the whole case against
Mr. oss. He did not come again to Birmingham.
A witness from ;Vianchwiter being necessary to