The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-04 00:00:00

(Before Mr. Payne.)

Thomas Saunford,sB, described as a seaman, was In-
dicted fur having of taiaed by false and fraudulent pretences
from Frederick Sa3er tl.e sum of 10s., with intent to cheat

him thereof. -
Mr. Poland app,,ared fur the prosecu'ion, on behalf of ne
Mendicity Society; Mr. Geut was counsel for the prisoner.
The prosecutor, Capt. Frederick Sayer, attached t, the
S'atf at the Home Guards, stated that on Monday, the 19th
of J uly, the prison< r called at the Horse Guards and asked
to see him. He was shown into his office, and he then pro-
duced a paper, and said he was a native of Sibton, in Suffolk,
and hal bEen a lieutenant in the navy. He represented
that e had nwhed a vessel called the Hope, which foundered
off the cjaet In Ap it last, by which unfortunate cccurrecce
he lost £B5O, atid was brought to ruin. He mentioned the
names of several persons resident in the neighbourhood of
Sib on, and also Minded to circumstances connec ed with
his (Cept. Sayer's) family which cceurred 30 years ago, by
which he was ine:tic.d to believe that his representations
were true, and he gave him 10s., thinking him a deserving
person. The paper he had with him contained the names
of several persons, opposite to which wale entries of sums
which he said three persons had given. to relieve his

tress, and appended to it was a certificate purporting to be
sien,,d by a Mr. Pearson, of Mat k-latte, and setrlo forth
lyo the petitioner's statements about the loss c f the Hope
were true, and that he was worthy of charity. Sion efur
he ha gone away it cccurred to witness teat possibly the
roan waa au imposter, as he take been unable to mention the
name of the clergyman of taibton, which was well known
thereabout; but in a very abort time he learned that tie
was in custody, having been eppreaeoded just outside the
office. The prisoner told him that the reason he left the
navy was that he was in fear of a a urt-martial.
E'lwtrd Webb, an °Hitter cf. t he MI ndicity Society, stated
that rn the day in question be saw the prisoner in company
with a woman in St. James's-street, and knowing them he
watched their procee.tirige. Toey went along Pall-Mall to
Vie Duke of York's Column, thence to the Horse Guard-,
and on the prisoner corning out of Capt. Sayer's (ace, he
passed a paper to the woman, who went off with it. He
took hold of the arisaner, who thrust another paper into
his mouth and Incia to chew it, but part of it was recovered:
He >lin:rated violkntly. There was no Mr. Pearson known
in Ma k-lens, and the prisoner had teen convicted of ob-
taining money by similar representations several times.
Whoa beg re the magistrate, the prisoner wished the case
to be dealt with summarila, and 'appealed to Capt. Sayer's
leniency, but he was committed for trial.
Mr. Gent urged a variety of grounds, mot of them d a
technical nature, fcr an tcquitt al.
Mr. Payne sumtued up very carefully, and
The jery found t' e prisoner guilty.
It 14ai then proved that the prisoner had for the last 20
years lived by imposing on the public. He had been four
times convicted, an I WBq once sentenced to 15 months. Ile
was a Loading metrib?r of the begging letter fraternity.
Mr. Payne having consulted the magistrates present, said
be thought himself that a sentence of. penal servitude
ought to be passed :Ton the prisoner by way af example,
and to protect the charitable from the iniquit,us frauds
which I e had carried on for a long course of years. How-
ever, tbking a very light view of the case, the sentence on
the p: eseut occasion was 18 caleudar months' Lard labour,
but, if ever he was convicted again, he might rest assured
he would pass the remainder of his (lays in penal servitude.
Williams, a respectable-looking man, was
placed at the bar to receive sentence. He wet: convicted on
Mouthy of a,saulting Chitties Cole, a police-constable, in
the execution of his duty. _

It appeared that on the morning of the 20th of July the
constable was in Oxford-street, and hearing a cry f "police"
be went to the spot it proreeded from, and fiu.nd a gentle-
man holding a woman who was struggling violently to
escape. The gentleman said the woman had robbed him
of his watch and chain, which slie had in her hand when
he went ap. Being in plain clothes, he said he was a
pliceman, and took the woman into custody. The prisoner
interfered and waged to know what he was going to do
with the woman. He said he was a constable and had
cot her in cui.to y for a robbery. The prisoner said
he cou:d not telkviiether he was a policeman er not; but to
satisfy him upon that point, be took out his warrant card,
and showed it Lim, and he read it under a gas lamp. But
not satisfied with this proof of the constable's authority, he
still disputed his 1141 it to take tke woman, and, tripping
bina up, the woman gut away, earl while be lay on the
ground the prisoner kicked him on the arms and body. In
the end the prisoner was taken to the station instead of the
woman, and there he found there•was no mistake as to the
prosecutor's being a policeman. A person who was present
corroborated the statement that the warrant card was

shown to the prisoner, who read it Iry-the;:i.S light.
Mr. Metcalfe, for the prisoner, now called evidence as to
the respectability of the prisoner, and his good character.
It was stated by
h
Hs employer's foreman that lie was anonest, sober, and well conducted man.
Mr. Payne said, allowing for any chivalrous or Quixotic
feeling the prisoner might have had in going to the a=sist-
awe of a woman he thought was being ill-used, tie had com-
mitted a very serious offence in rescuing from lawful cu,-
tbdy a person rsi o no doubt bad committed a feloay ; and,
under all circumstances, he ought to have hem content to
leave her with it e constable after the latter had very pro-
perly exhibited his warrant card. Considering his charac-
ter, and in the absence of any suggestion that he was con-
cerned in any way ‘‘l,ll the woman who was mewed of the
robbery, he si.ould ~ntence him to six months' hard labour.
John Orton, 26, : journeyman baker, was convicted of
feloniously embezzli :g the sum of 2:4.61., and other moneys,
received by him in t sc capacity of servant to William Coles,
and wi-:s sentenced h six months' hard labour.
Elizabeth Brown, 30, formerly an hospital nurse, was
convictedconvict, of6tealin.: 31 yards of cplico, the property of
Adam Adams and t nother; sentenced to three months' hard
labour.