The Sun.
London, England, 1866-11-20 00:00:00

T HAMES.

BEWARE OP JOIIN JONES.—A strange-looking man,
named John Jones, was brought before Mr. Paget, charged
with stealing 12 slieets, the property of George Westby,
the propriotorof the Queen Oeffee-house, 141, High-street,
Poplar.
The prisoner hired a bed last night at the Queen. He
was leaving this morning enormously increased in bulk,
and was suspected by Mr. Westby, who directed Ralph
Garbey, his servant, to follow him. The prisoner attempted
to run, but the load ho had about him prevented him
making any rapid progress, and he wa.i. soon overtaken,
brought back to the Queen, and 12 sheets, which he had
about his person, were taken from him. Ho had stripped
six beds of their sheets, including the one on which he had
slept. He was given into the custody of Moon, a police-
constable, No. 207 K, to whom he stated that he was very
sorry for what he had done. It was stated that a man
answering the description of the prisoner had robbed other
coffee and lodging houses'. -Notice had been given to other
victims, but they did not appear.
Mr. Paget expressed his surprise that a man should dis-
pose of a dozen sheets round his body.
Moon said the sheets were twisted round the body and
limbs of the prisoner. The sheets were worth 2s. each.
The prisoner made no defence, and Mr. Paget committed
him for trial.

ATTEMPTED ROBBERY AT A LINEN DRAPER'S S BOP.—
Alfred Miles, a youth, was brought before Mr. Paget,
charged with attempting to steal 40 yards of calico, valued
at 125., the property of Henry Joseph Browning, draper, of
No. 164, White Horse-street, Stepney.
The prosecutor saw the prisoner and another boy trying
to take away a roll of calico, which was made fast to a bar
at the door. Both fellows were pulling at the calico, and
could not succeed in removing it. Mr. Browning seized
the prisoner, who slid he did not intend to steal the calico
—he was only looking at it.
The prisoner consented to the magistrate disposing of
the case, and Mr. Paget sentenced him to three months'
imprisonment and hard labour.
STEALING MEAT. —Ann King, a woman who appeared to
be in tolerably good circumstances, was charged with
stealing Gibs. of pork, the property of Mr. J. Basmore, but-
cher, of No. 3, Duke-street, St. George-in-the-East.
The prosecutor carries on an extensive retail trade, and
has been frequently plundered. He has prosecuted many
persons for stealing meat from his shop, and they have

been severely punished. The robberies have continued,
and Mr. Basmoro's men have kept a sharp look-out after
pilferers. The prisoner was observed to take a hand -of
pork off the counter and put it under her shawl. Sho was
seized instantly and the meat taken from her. She now
said she was not guilty, and that nothing was known
against her.

Mr. Paget committed the prisoner for trial at the Mid-
dlesex. Sessions.

Serious Charge against Three Railway

Directors.

At the Mansion-house yesterday, Mr. Chas. Sealellayne,
of No. 3, Elton-square, Sir. John Canipbell Lees, of 26,
Carlisle-terrace, Kensington, and Mr. David Smith, of
Pall-mall-place, appeared to answer a summons issued at
the instance of a Mr. John Taylor Fielder, d;•seribed as of
No. 4, Red Lion-court, for that "they in the. mouth of
September last, then being respectively directors of the
Northern Rdlway of Buenos Ayres Company (Limited),
did unlawfully make, publish, and circulate, and did con-
cur in making, circulating, and publishing, a certain writ-
ten statement or account relating to the sail company, they
respeCtively well knowing the same to be false in divers
material particulars, with intent to defraud and deceive the
members and creditors of the said company, contrary to
the provisions of the statute 24 and 25 Viet., cap. 96, sec.
64."

Mr. T. Beard appeared in support of the summons, .and
Mr. Murphy, barrister-at-law, attended for the three de-
fendants, who were accommodated with seats at the clerk's
table.

Mr. Beard, in opening the case on the facts of which the
summons was sought to be sustained, stated that the sum-
mons was issued under the 81th section of the Cr minal
Justices Act, under which the offence was only punishable
by fine, but under a subsequent section or clause it was
provided that if any director, manager, public officer, or
secretary connected with a public company shall publish
or circulate any written false 'statement with intent to de-
fraud or deceive the shareholders or creditors of the, com-
pany, or with a view to induce persons to become share-
holders, that such published farsification of accounts, or
statement of affairs, shall ba a misdemeanour, and punish-
able at the discretion of the court. Now the case was
this. The three defendants were directors of the
Northern IZ tilway of Buenos Ayres Company, which,
had 'recently become connected' with the' San
Fernandez Rasilway; and the two companies 'be
came amalgamated, and he (Mr. Beard) was instructed
to state that the three defendants had no real,.interest in
the amalgamated company except some shares registered
to them at ss. each, and that with regard tollr. Hayne, he
did not at the time of his registration possess any qualifi-
cation ; the second defendant, Sir John Campbell Lees,
stood in the same category, and the third defendant; Mr.
Smith, was in the same position, except that-he had ob-
tained a qualification by the transfer to him of certain
shares by the solicitor of the company. This, he was in-
structed, had been done to carry out the views of a p6xti-
cular section of the shareholders, and that *the office of
directors had only been sought for the purpose of receiv-
ing the fees to which, as directors, they were entitled. In
1865 the amalgamation with the San Fernandez Company
took place, and under it (the amalgamation) it was ar-
ranged that the shareholders should be placed in three
classes ; first, the guaranteed preference sharehOlders ;
next, the deferred preference shares ; and third, the ordi-
dinary shares ; and it would also appear that 7 per cent.
ought to be applied generally to the shareholders. The
accounts were made up to June last under the cognizance
of the three defendants, and anything above 7 per cent.
ought to have been paid as a bonus to the guaranteed
shareholders after the completion of the railway. The
accounts and the balance-sheet complained of had been
published by the three defendants, and did not embody or
carry out this arrangement, and objections having been
taken to it, a proposition to refer it to Messrs. Quitter,
Ball, and Co., the accountants, was refused by the de-
fendants, and it was a rather remarkable circumstance
that when they were required to affix their signatures to
the document they refused to do so, but the report, with
the balance-sheet and the accounts, were adopted by
the meeting, on the motion of Mr. Hayne, supported by
the other defendants. Mr. Beard then proceeded at some
length to recapitulate the items of the balance-sheet com-
plained of as being false, and amongst these were the
following :—That it was stated that up to the 30th June
shares had been issued to the amount of £25,800, whereas
the issue ought to have been stated at £35,000, a portion
having been issued to a large creditor of the company, who
had also received bills and promissory notes from the com-
pany. With respect to the revenue account, items had been
published which ought to have been passed to the capital
account. There were other items which would be explained
by the witnesses he should call, and which he (Mr: Beard)
was instructed were falsified with a view to deceive. He
should be glad if the defendants could offer a satisfactory
explanation. Mr. Hayne had been the chairman of the
company, and the other defendants were directors of the
company, and if all were concerned in the preparation of
the report they were all equally liable under this summons
if the falsification was proved. To support the case he had
to go to, as ho might say, into the enemy's camp for evi-
dence,,for he must call in the first instance the present Be-
icretary'of The company. •

Mn E. Eyres was then sworn, and proved • that he was
the secretary of the Northern Railway of Buenos Ayres
Company, which had offices at No. 206, Gresham-house.
The defendants were three of the directors of the ca;apanY,
Mr. Hayne being the chairmen. They became so in the
autumn of 1865, with the exception of Mr. Smith, who was
elected in the Spring of the present year. A general meet-
ing of the shareholders took 'place on the 17th September
last,, at which printed balance-sheets, signed by Mr.Hayne,
were published. At that meeting Mr. Leversan made a
violent attack upon the directors, and called upon them to
agree to refer the accounts to Messrs. Quilter, Ball and Co.,
which was refused on the ground that, acting under the ad-
vice of the solicitor of the company,the accounts had already
been agreed to and passed by the meeting. There was a spe-
cial meeting, at which the three defendants attended, and at
that meeting a proposition was made that the accounts
should be referred to the firm of accountants already
named, and this was rejected as on the former occasion.
After detailing the number of debentures issued prior to
his coming into office as secretary the witness stated that
the guaranteed debenture holders were to receive 7 per
cent., and the interest due previously until the arrears
were paid off before the other classes of shareholders were
to be paid anything. He had made up his accounts, not
from the debenture books, but from the ledger of the com-
pany, the debenture books having been made up 15 months
before he came into office. The examination of the witness
went on to a considerable length, and involved a peculiar
investigation of the accounts, which .without their publi-
cation would scarcely be understandable to the general
reader. At the close of the examination,
Mr. Beard proposed an adjournment of the ease for the
production of other witnesses, but
Mr. Murphy objected, on the ground that a serious
charge, for which there was not the slightest pretence or
foundation, would be kept hanging over the heads of Three
gentlemen of the highest possible character and position.
Before the application for an adjournment was entertained,
he desired to put one or two questions to the witness now.
Mr. Beard remarked that his client had not instructed
him as to the details, and as he and his witnesses were not
present, he was compelled to ask for an adjournment.
The Lord Mayor observed that Mr. Beard's client ought
not to have preferred these serious charges without being
fully prepared to instruct Mr. Beard to carry them out in
proof, and therefore an adjournment ought not to be
asked for.
Mr. Beard intimated that he had sent, three times for his
client—but the last messenger had returned with, the in-
formation that he was ill in bed.
Mr. Murphy then interrogated the witness, alai elicited
from him that the three defendants had been elected on re-
moval of the previous directors, and that their first act -
was the removal-Of the late secretary, Mr. Elboroukb, on the
ground of his mismanagement of the books. Tim defendant,
Sir J. C. Lees, was a retired chief justice of the Bahama.
Islands; Mr. Hayno, was a gentleman of fortune residing
in. Eaton-square; and the third defendant, Mr. Smith, wasa
laige railway contractor, superintending several railways
in Wales. The great part of the accounts as to loconiotives
were made up from the returns of the company's super-
intendent at Buenos Ayres, and over these the directors
had no control. Tho witness was asked whether he could
find the name Mr. Fielder, the informant in this case, in
any of the directories, and replied in the negative. Mr.
Murphy further elicited from the witness that the accounts
were strictly correct from the accounts which came to the
defendanth on their accession to office.
The witness was further interrogated by the Lord
Mayor as to some of the items of the account, and
Mr. Murphy repeated that there was not a shadow of a
pretence for the charge, which had been got up by an
almost unknown individual to fish up information for pur-
poses of his own.
The Lord Mayor said he was clearly of opinion that the
charge was wholly untenable, and therefore he could nct
for a moment entertain the notion of an adjournment of the
case. The absence of the complainant corroborated the
views of the learned counsel, and there was no evidence to
show that the accounts complained of were false. He
repeated there was pot the slightest evidence to soupport
the charge, and the gammons must, therefore, dis-
missed.

CAPTAIN SIR ,TAIIES ANDERSON.—At'a qiecial
meeting of the Dumfries tocvn cOnncil on Friday it was re-
solved to present Capt. Sir J. Amlerson with the freedom
of the Burgh upon the occasion of h.s visiting Dumfries in
about a fortnight. It is also proposed to entertain him at
a public dinner at the same time.
!
WORKING MEN'S CLUB AND INSTITU:E UNION.-
A subscription has been opened for the erectio.. of a cen-
tral hall and club in connexion with this instita.", and,
amongst others, the following contributions have b eau re-
e,
ceived :--The Duke of Bedford, £lOO ; Mr. Henry IlOar
£100; Lord Overstone, £25 ; the Duke of Devonshire, £3O ;
Mr. Titus Salt, £100; Sir F. Goldsmid, Bart., £25; Vice-
Chancellor Sir Page Wood, £lO ; the Duke of Ducclouch,
£5O, &c.

SPORTING INTELLIGENOE.--This Day.

WARWICK RACES..—Tuts DAY.
BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.
• TALLY-HO STAKES.
•
The_Tally-ho Stakes of 3 sovs each, with a Cup value 50
sovs added, ..for hunters and backs;, three-yr-olds
10st.121b, four 12st 51b, five 13st, six and aged 13st 41b;
thorough-breds 71b, winners of.a flat race,. hurdle race,
or steeplechase, 14th extra ; gentlemen riders, ,Stc.; two
miles'on the fiat. 13 subs.
The Dane (Milward) 1
Tiger •. (Wilson) 2
Lady Melbourne.. (Dobbs) 3
Pavilion, Iluntsbury, and CotSwolil also ran. Betting-
-7t04 on the Dane. WOnbya length.
HANDICAP. .
A Handicap'of. 5 sows each, 3 ft; with 25 added, for all
ages; winners after Nov. 10 (at 10 a.m.) 51b ex.; half a
mile ; 28 subs:

Isis (Kenyon) 1
Volunteer
Risk . (Catne-ron) 3
Cranbury, Custard Castlo, Alberta, Naiad, and Nukuheva
also ran. •