The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-31 00:00:00

the prisoner are of the Jewish persuasion, and that they
knew each other on the Continent. About 12 weeks age

the prisoner came to England, and waited on the pro-
secutor, stating that it was his intention to pursue his for-
tune here, and the prosecutor kindly said that he would do
all in his power to asist him. The prisoner continued to
pay "friendly visits" to the prosecutor almost daily, and
he had access to any room in his house or manufactory, and
also to the kitchen, where it appears the prosecutor
kept his keys, and among them the key of the
warehouse where the stock in trade was depo-
sited. A few days since the prosecutor missed a great
number of boots, shoes, and slippers, and a mysterious dis-
appearance of his stock was going on almost daily. Mr.
Barnett consulted with the police, and Savage, a detec-
tive officer, No. 212 H, was employed to trace the thief.
llis suspicions were soon directed towards the prisoner, and
he found three pairs of boots belonging to Mr. Barnett in
the prisoner's lodgings. Savage also traced 2SO pairs of
boots and shoes to the possession of pawnbrokers in various
parts of the metropolis. They had been pawned by the pri-
soner, who had lived since he had been in England by plun-

dering Mr. Barnett.
In answer to questions by Mr. Selfe, the prosecutor said
the prisoner must have obtained the keys from his kitchen
and opened his warehouse. He was enabled to identify 280
pairs of boots found by Savage in pawnbrokers' houses.
There were about 290 pairs still missing.
The prisoner, who treated the charge sullenly and indif-
ferently, said he was guilty, and he wished the magistrate
to dispose of the case summarily.
Mr. Selfe should like to hear some account of the pri-
soner.
Mr. Barnett—He was born at Posen. He came from
Berlin last. He has not been in England before, I believe.
He was formerly a schoolfellow of mine. I allowed him to
come to my house as a friend, and little thought he would
rob me to this extent, or that he would rob me at all.
Mr. Selfe convicted the prisoner of larceny, on which
several pawnbrokers in attendance said there ought to he
a compromise in the matter, and that Mr. Barnett ought to
pay a portion of the money for which the goods were
pawned before he received them.
Mr. Selfe—What ! pay for his own goods which have been
stolen from him? _

A pawnbroker's assistant thought Mr. Barnett had no
used sufficient care and caution.
Mr. Selfe—He locked up his warehouse in which he kep
his goods, and did not expose them at his shop door, outside
his shop, or in his shop for sale. There has been no want fif
care or caution on the part of Mr. Barnett. He took
the prisoner to be a respectable man, and allowed him to
visit him as a friend. The pawnbrokers should not have
dealt so largely without making inquiries.
Another pawnbroker's assistant—l only took in two pairs
of the prisoner, and I gave them up without duplicates being
produced.
Savage—l found a dozen pairs in one pawnbroker's house,
and two in another.
Mr. Selfe gave directions for the goods to be restored to
the prosecutor unconditionally, and, after observing that
th• prisoner had been guilty of a very grave offence, sen-
tenced him to six months' imprisonment and hard labour.
He also recommended him to leave England when his sen-
tence expired.
EXTRAORDINARY CREDULITY OF TRADESMEN.—
James de Blumessen, alias Mossman, alias Joseph Gibson,
was brought up on remand before Mr. Selfe, charged with
obtaining goods, money, board, and lodging of various
outfitters, coffeeshop-keepers, and boardinghouse-keepers,
under false pretences.
There were upwards of 20 cases against the prisoner, and
the investigation exhibited a vast amount of credulity on
the part of tradesmen and others who have dealings with
seamen. The prisoner had been in the practice for several
weeks past of calling upon outfitters, an representing
himself in some instances as Capt. James Gibson, master of
the American ship Lima, or Mr. Joseph Gibson, mate of
the Liverpool ship Esmeralda, who had just landed
after a long voyage, and that his ship was on her
way to London. He also stated that he had a row with a
seaman on board, and threw a marlinespike at his head and
knocked his eye out, and that he had been compelled to
leave his ship in the Channel is prevent being arrested for
the assault, which would be compromised by the owners of
the ship. On these representations he had no difficulty in
obtaining clothes, money, board and lodging of his (tapes to
a large amount, varying from 30s. to £2O in each case. He
was to discharge his debts when his ship was paid off, a
period which is never likely to arrive. In some instances he
gave orders upon Ogilvie and Moore, and other respectable
shipbrokers, who knew nothing of him, for payment of the
debts he had contracted. He shared his favours with trade-,-
men and coffeehouse-keepers eager to do business on both
sides of the water:
Mr. Selfe said the profits of dealing with seafaring men
appeared to be so large that tradesmen would not exercise
proper caution. There was not a false pretence of an
existing fact to justify him in committing the prisoner for
trial. He asked the persons who had given credit to the
prisoner if they would undertake the whole expenses of a
prosecution if the prisoner was committed to take his trial
before a jury.
The witnesses declined this, and said they had alraady lost
enough.
An outfitter said the prisoner obtained money and clothes
of him to the amount of £6, and said he was chief mate of
a ship of which his father was captain, and that he had
knocked a sailor's eye out at sea.
Mr. Selfe—Did you give him credit because he said be
had knocked a man's eye out.
Mr. Richard Terry, in partnership with his father Henry
Terry, outfitter, Well-street, Wellclose-square, said—l have
been victimised by the prisoner, and there are 14 or 15
others in court who have been defrauded by him.
Mr. Selfe—That is the reason you should club together
and prosecute him, but I don't think it should be done at
the expense of the county.
Mr. Terry said the prisoner was brought to his house by
a woman, who said she was requested to show him the way
about London. The prisoner said he was Capt. James
Gibson, the master of the ship Lima, on her way to London,
that he had quarrelled with the chief mate, and knocked
his eye out, and that to avoid unpleasant consequences he
had left the ship below Gravesend. The prisoner at his
request was then measured for two suits of clothes, and was
supplied with a pair of boots and'money for his present use
to the amount of £1 17s.
Henry Eiger, in the service of Messrs. Terry, said be
went to Gravesend on Monday, the 23d instant, and could
find no such ship as the Lima there, or on her way to the
port of London from the Downs.
Frederick Hinton, coffeehouse-keeper, St. Anne's-plain,
Limehottie, said that on the 9th of August the prisoner
waited upon him and said he wished to speak with him in
private. A private interview being granted, the prisoner
said he was chief mate of the Liverpool ship, the Esmeralda;
that he bad a dispute with the second mate, and threw a
marlinespike at him, which knocked his eye out, and '-
fell upon the deck. (A laugh.)
Mr. Selfe—A marvellous thing, traly.
What did he obtain of you!
Mr. Hinton—The prisoner said the Esmeralda was bound
to London from Akyab with 1,500 tons of rice, and he ob-
tained £2 Bs. of my wife.
Mr. Selfe said the only case on which be could commit
for trial was Mr. Terry's, and ordered depositions to be
taken. He was greatly surprised at the credulity of trades-
men, and he did not see the necessity of putting the county
o expense when there was such an utter want of caution
n giving credit.
The prisoner was then committed.

(Laughter.