The Sun.
London, England, 1859-04-21 00:00:00

RAMSGATE COUNTY COURT.

THE LAW OF LOST PROPERTY.
A case was heard on Tuesday at the Ramsgate County
Court (Almond v. Masters) of considerable impertance to
the community at large. Mr. Buchanan, of Basinghall-
street, London, appeared for the defendant, a publican, of
Ramsgate. It appeared that a poor man found a diamond
pin, worth about £3O, in the street. He took the pin to
defendant, who agreed to keep it until an owner came fin--
ward. After keeping it some time, plaintiff came forward
and claimed it, but as he could not give a very accurate
account of it defendant refused to give it up. Upon this a
summons was taken out, and heard on Tuesday. Plaintiff
was still unable to give a description of the pin to satisfy
defendant, and the judge ordered Mr. Masters to show it to
plaintiff.

Mr. Buchanan objected to this proceeding, but his
Honour persisted, and upon the pin being handed over,
plaintiff said, " I'll swear that is the very pin."
His Honour, upon that, ordered it to be given up.
Upon applying in the first instance to defendant, Mr.
Almond had offered £5 for the pin, and Mr. Buchanan
hoped that the finder would be rewarded.
Mr. Almond would consider upon that.

P OLICE INTELLIGENCE.-(THIS DAY.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

DEFRAUDING PAWNBROKERS-SHAM GOLD WATCHES
- - - -

—Mr. Bravington, pawnbroker, of Tottenham-court-road
and Princes street, Coventry-street, attended the court to
answer the complaint of a Frenchman for detaining a gold
watch.

The Frenchman having stated, through M. Albert, the
interpreter at the court, that he offered the watch in pledge,
and that Mr. Bravington refused to return it,
Mr. Bravington said the applicant presented the watch
to him in pledge, and asked the loan of £4 on it. Having
good reason to suspect him, he asked if it was gold, and the
applicant said it was, and that he had bought it of a gentle-
man. He took his address and sent for Sergeant Stephens,
11 C, to make inquiries as to its correctness, and who, on
his return, stated that he did not live at the Cavendish
Hotel, Sherrard-street, as he stated, but in some cottages
at the back of it. He therefore refused to restore it to the
applicant so that he might have the opportunity of exposing
the fraud which was attempted to be committed, having
already been taken in under similar circumstances,
and knowing that a great many watches of a simi
lar kind were being offered in pledge in various] parts
of the country. On examining the watch offered by the
applicant with the one he had previously received in pledge,
he found that they were of exactly the same make and qua-
lity—of horizontal construction, and so strongly gilt as to
defy the test of aquafortis, and it was only by filing that
the fraud could be detected. They were well got up, the
works good, and jewelled. The value of them, though sold
and offered to pawnbrokers as gold, and valued by the
sellers at £4 10s., was really not more than 30s. He thought
it probable that the applicant was only the tool of others.
Mr. Beadon said Mr. Bravington had done a groat ser-
vice in coming forward.

Sergeant Rogers said it was part of a system of swindling
now being carried on by foreigners. The watches were
made at Paris, and sent here to be got rid of—the cost of
their manufacture being about 12 francs.
The watch was given up to the Frenchman.
Mr. Beadon said no time should be lost in exposing the
fraud among the trade.

Mr. Bravington said he had been informed that the par-
ties had been very successful, but could not get a sufficient
supply of them from the maker.
From the superior manner in which the watches are
finished, and their being jewelled, though the jewels are of
a very inferior description, they are well calculated to de-
ceive even experienced persons.