The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-15 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 15, 1867.

COLCHESTER ELECTION---This Day.

At 12 o'clock Mr. Karslake, the Conservative
candidate, had obtained a majority of 63. Bribery,
it is said, is going on very extensively.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE—This Day.

MARLBOROUGLI-STREET.

STEALING BANK NOTES AND GOLD.—William Edwards,
a young man, porter to. M. Marcel Masse, agent for French
manufacturers, 4, -Chap.l-place, Cavendish-square, was
charged before Mr. Knox With stealing a .£5 bank note and
sovereign, belonging to his employer, and ho was further
charged with stealing a £5 bank note, £5 in gold, and Ms.
in silver, belonging to Madame Vigniard and another,
Maddox-street.

It appeared from the evidence that on the 3d December
Mr. Masse called on Madame Vigniard, when she askOd
hint if he was going into the city, as she wished to pay a
bi:l. Mr. Masse said that he was not, but that he wanted
to send himself, and, after sonic further conversation, left
a £5 note and a sovereign with Mm.Vigniard, promising to
send his porter to Madame Vigniard for it, and for any
money she wished to send into the city. Mr. Masse sub-
sequently sent the prisoner his porter— to Madame
Vigniard, and elle gave the prisoner Mr. Masse's
money, and also a £5 note, £5 in gold, and 16s.
iit silver,
her money, telling the prisoner that he was
to pay a bill for Mr. Masse, and one for her, but the pri-
soner never did so, and never returned. The matter was
then placed in the hands of Police-constable King, 7G D,
who apprehended the prisoner last night at No. 50, Upper
George-street, Bryanston-square, and on his telling the
prisoner the charge he said that he had not paid the bills,
but that if Mr. Masse would wait, he (prisoner) would see
his father and see that he was paid. King told the prisoner
that he know nothing about it, and took the prisoner to the
station. The prisoner further told King that Mr. Masse
would have been paid before but be (prisoner) had been
robbed of all his money and clothes.
The prisoner asked Mr. Masse whether he had not
written hint a hitter promising to pgy him ?

Mr.Masse said he had received t 1 letter which he hollered
was in the prisoner's handwriting to that effect.
Mr. Knox remanded the prisoner.

THAMES.

ALLEGED KLEPTOMANIA.—Mathew Wilson, -allas Chris-
' tian, aged 46, was brought up on remand before Mr. Par-
tridge, charged with :stealing one book, Lady Flavia,"
valued st 25., the pr,operify of Messrs W. H. Smith, the
publishers, booksellers, and newspaper agents, from, their
stall at the Bow station on the North London Railway.
The case was a very singular ono. The prfsoner is a
very respectable, steady-looking man, and he gave his
address, No. 10., Alumni-street, Bromley. He has been
a shepherd in ;Australia, and it was represented by Mr.
Stoddart, solicitor, on the first examination that the pri-
soner had amassed some riches in the colony, and
that he came to the country in May last,
and had been " living much respected in Bromley,
and paid for his passage back to Australia on

____--- --
the very day he took the book from Smith- and
Son's book-stall, that ho was partially intoxicated at
the time, and that the prisoner was a man in good circum-
stances, not likely to steal a book. It was a decided case
of kleptomania under the influence of inebriation.

Mr. Partridge could not look upon the case as anything
else than theft. A felony had been committed, and he
should remand the prisoner.

Mr. Stoddart then asked that bail should be taken, and
said the prisoner was Tory respectable, and had lived for
five months in ono house in Bromley.

Mr. Partridge said he should treat the prisoner as he
would tho poorest individual, and refused to accept bail.
Mr. Stoddart said the prisoner intended to pay for the
book.

Partridge did not believe anything of the kind, and
remanded the prisoner.

This day the evidence given on last occasion was road.
In consequence of information, Joshua Aburn, book-stall
keeper, went t6'tho prisoner, who was holding a book in
his hand some distance from the stall. The prisoner said
he was very sorry for taking the book, awl offered to pay
for it; ho also implored him not to give him in charge.
J. A. Smithf railway messenger, said he saw the priso-
ner go to the book-stall while the last witness was attend-
ing to a gentleman, and take a book from the stall and put
it in his outside coat pocket. The prisoner walked back to
the passage leading from the platform. Ho (witness)
followed him to the end of it, whoa tho prisoner turned
round, and asked the way to Shoreditch, to which
he replied "You don't want Shoreditch; you have stolen
a bcok." The prisoner immediately took the book from
his pocket and offered to pay for it.
Joseph Simmons, police-constable 427 K, said that since
the last examination he had made inquiries and ascertained
that his representations were correct, that he had been .a
shephord in South Australia, and had paid his passage
money for Australia on the very day ho was captured.
Mr. Partridge asked if it was intended to press the case
against the prisoner. •
Mr. J. B. H. Taylor, from the establishment of W. H.
Smith and Son, 186, Strand, 'replied in the affirmative.
The young men at the railway station book-stalls tbrdugh,
out the kingdom. were responsible for all the property in-
trusted to them tho grin, and in justice to them he hilt
bound to ask for a conviction.
The prisoner said he was very sorry for what he had
done. He would elect to be tried by the magistrate.
Mr. Partridge had no doubt the prisoner stole the book,
that he knew what ho was about, and that ho intended to
take the book away. He had nothing to do with klepto-
mania, and should treat the prisoner like any other person
charged with crime. He sentenced the prisoner to ono-
raonth's imprisonment and hard labour. He thought
Messrs. W. H. Smith and Son had acted quite right in the
matter, and ought to protect'their servants.