The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-09 00:00:00

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT—This Day.

OLD COURT.
(Before Mr. Baron Pigott.)
CHARGE AGAINST A DISCOUNT COMPANY MANAGER.

James Freeling Wilkinson was indicted for that he, being
a director of the Joint Stock Discount Company (Limited),
unlawfully did take, and apply to his own use, certain pro-
perty of the said company—to wit, two bankers' cheques
for the payment of £4,000 and £BOO respectively,
The facts of the case have heen repeatedly published,
and, briefly related, they were as follows :—ln the month
of August last Messrs. Capper, stockbrokers, bought 520
shares in the Joint-Stock Discount Company (limited) for
Wilkinson, and on the 16th of that month 377 of them
were delivered, and £l,OOO was asked on account. 'Wil-
kinson said he could not pay for that sum in cash at that
moment, but that he would give a cheque on the Joint-
Stock Discount Company fer the amount, and he would
pay it to the Discount Company through a third party.
The remainder of the shares were delivered on the 28th of
August, when Messrs. Capper received another cheque for
£B6O, being the.balance of that duo on the shares. They
were appointed the liquidators of the Joint-Stock Discount
which stopped in 1866, respecting the £B6O which the
firm offered, was in payment made by the defendant on his
personal account, and not on the sum due by their firm, for
a loan, an entry to which effect had been made in the
books of the Company. The £4,000 defendant alleged also
that he had given in loan to a Mr. Cleland, who was not
to be found.

Mr. Capper, in his examination, said ho was a member
of the firm of Capper, Lescombe, and Lawson, and they
had dealings with Mr. Wilkinson in buying and rebuying
shares. They never borrowed on the 16th of August
£4,000 from the Joint Stock Discount Company as a loan.
A sum of the account was received from Mr. Wilkinson,
and credited to his account. On the 28th of August we
never borrowed a sum of £B6O, or did we pay interest or
give security for the account. That sum wasalso received
as a payment for certain share transactions, and certainly
not as a loan.

In cross-examination, by Sergeant Ballantine, he said
ho transacted nearly the whole of the transactions of the
firm. When they wore ordered to buy shares they inva-
riably go either to the jobber, or broker, and a contract is
made with either of them by word of mouth, never by a
contract note. They enter the transaction in their books,
and it is checked the next morning. They don't assume
that the persons with whom they had the transaction had
the shares in their possession. They never assumed any-
thing. They are looked upon to produce the value of
shares, if the seller demanded it, on the settling-day. It
depended upon credit whether the buyer was called
upon to pay for the shares. They never bad
a black account, that would require loans to enable
them to meet demands. It was part of their
business to borrow money at one amount of interest and
lend it if possible at a higher. He used generally to see
Mr. Wilkinson at the bank every morning for chatting
and business purposes.
John Ramsay, clerk to Messrs. Capper, said, ho recollected
taking over 377 shares to Mr. Hill at the Joint Stock Dis-
count Company. He asloed Mr. Hill for the cheque, but
as he did not get it he communicated with his principals,
and he went again and then he received the £4,000 from
Mr. Hill, the assistant manager. He could not recollect
the form of the cheque the same day that he received it;
he paid various cheques into Messrs. Masterman's, and in
the credit slip of the monies so paid in he saw £4,000
cheque. . .

The case was not concluded when we went to press.

NEW COURT.
(Before Mr. Justice Shoe.)
CHARGE OF ARSON.

Frderick Bicknell was indicted for feloniously setting
fire to a certain dwelling house and shop, with intent to
defraud.

The premises were situate at the east end of the town,
viz., Queen's-terrace, Commercial-road, and on the alarm
of fire being raised the engines attended, and the firemen
entering, the premises were found to be burning at two dis-
tinct places very rapidly. The fire was extinguished, and
an examination of the premises being made the calling and
different parts of the shop were found to be wet with
paraffin. A board in the first floor seemed to have been
raised, and oil or grease seemed to have been thrown be-
neath it. From all appearance the fire seemed to have
been wilfully caused.
The case was proceeding when we went to press.

THIRD COURT.
(Before the Recorder.)
Thomas Conner and Margaret Cooper were indicted for
robbing Frances Burn of 18s.
The jury found both prisoners guilty.
On the officers being asked whether anything wasknown
of the prisoners, no less than 18 former convictions were
proved against Conner, and two against Cooper.
The Recorder said the prisoner was a most dangerous
person, and as former punishment seemed to have no
effect, he should in this instance sentence him to eight
years penal servitude. Cooper he should sentence to 18
months' imprisonment with hard labour.
James Garrett Yates, a traveller, lately in the service of
Messrs. Bellville, mustard dealers, and who was yesterday
convicted and sentenced to five years penal servitude, was
again placed before the learned Recorder this morning,
wheh hie sentence was altered to 18 months' imprisonment.

INTERNATIONAL ROWING REGATTA.—The Impe-
rial Commission for the Paris Universal Exhibition
of 1867 has announced to her Majesty's Commissioners that
it is intended during the Exhibition to hold an interna-
tional rowing regatta on the Seine, in which they invite
this country to take part. Her Majesty's Commissioners
have accordingly fppointed the following committee to
make the necessary arrangements on the part of Great
Britain :—The Duke of Sutherland, the Marquis of
Drogheda, the Earl of Wilton, the Earl of Granard, Earl
Vane, Lord Alfred Paget, the Hon. G. Denman, M.P., Mr.
T. E. Chitty, Mr. J. Macgregor, Mr. Allan Morrison, Mr.
J. White, and Mr. C. Wylde (secretary). The Imperial
Commission has appropriated a sum of £BOO for prizes at
the regatta, and contributions have also been promised by
his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, his Royal High-
ness the Duke of Edinburgh, the Duke of Marlborough,
Sir J. Pakington, M.P., the Hon. G. Denman, M.P., &c.
The committee has recommended that the regatta should
be held in the second week of July, and that it should
comprise races for boats of all classes, from scuffing
boats and canoes up to eight oars. BOats duly entered for
the races will be conveyed from London to Paris and back
again free of expense.
DEATH OF A CENTENARIAN PAUPER,.—On New
Year's-day—her own birthday—there died in Shrewsbury
workhouse Mary Galligall, aged 102 years. Mrs. Galligall,
who knew herself best and was better known as " granny,"
was, up to the very hour of her death, a singularly shrewd
and lively old lady, and, propped up in her comfortable
bed, held her regular receptions, and was wont to crack
jokes and bandy repartee with her visitors, in which en-
counters she didnot always come off second best. Although
her body was wasted away till her arm was not thicker
than a man's forefinger, her animal spirits never seemed to
flag, and her senses and intellect were in a remarkable
state of preservation. By the kindness of Dr. Keate, the
house surgeon, she had many privileges not usually ac-
corded to paupers, among which were her lunch, her glass
of gin, and her pipe, which were duly provided at eleven
o'clock each morning. On New Year's-day she finished
her gin and smoked her pipe as usual, and then quietly
lay back and died, without a struggle or sign of pain. No
doubt can exist as to "granny's" prc3iso age, the parish
authorities having sought out the register of her birth and
verified it.
A VEGETARIAN FESTIVAL.—A rather remark-
able festival was held at Blennerhasset, Cumber-
land, on Christmas-day, upon the farm of Mr.
William Lawson, son of Sir Wilfred Lawson, of
Brayton. The farm is conducted upon the co-
operate principle—a tithe of the profits being
divided among the workers, and Mr. William Law-
son and his servants are vegetarians. All the people
of the district who chose to write beforehand for
free tickets or to pay 4d. on Christmas-day were
invited. Musicians were requested to take their
-instruments with them, and it was added " those
who like may bring their own spoons." About
1,000 people attended. The farm buildings were
decorated, and in the large rooms singing and
dancing, and lecturing on phrenology, co-operation,
vegetarianism, and physiology went forward at
intervals during the day. At noon a meal of grain,
fruit, and vegetables was given, which rather sur-
prised some of the beef-eating peasantry who had
assembled to take part in the festival. There were
raw turnips, boiled cabbages, boiled wheat, boiled
barley, shelled peas (half a ton of each of these
three last-named) ; oatmeal gruel, with chopped
carrots, turnips, and cabbage in it ; boiled horse
beans, boiled potatoes ; salads, made of chopped
carrots, turnips, cabbages, parsley, &c., over which
was poured linseed boiled to a jelly. As there were
no condiments of any kind, either upon the extra-
ordinary messes or the table, and all being cold
except the potatoes, it may be imagined that the
guests did not sit down with much relish to their
vegetarian fare. Each one had an apple and a
biscuit presented on rising from the table. In the
course of the afternoon Mr. Lawson's two steam
engines, called by him " Cain" and " Abel," set
off with steam up and whistles screaming to lead a
procession over the farm, but they did not get very
far, and the procession was rather a straggling °se.
Good order was maintained all day, the farm
servants of the establishment acting as officers, and
Mr. W. Lawson himself performing the duty of
special constable, a fact which was announced by
placards posted up on the farm buildings, bearing
the words--" William Lawson, swore constable,"