The Sun.
London, England, 1866-02-03 00:00:00

The Great Seizure of Counterfeit Coin.

EXAMINATION OF THE PRISONERS (THIS DAY.)
Mr. Alfred Hall, the landlord of the King's Head
public-house, Little White Lion-street, Seven Dials;
Charles Goldsmith, upholsterer, address refused ;
George Linton, whitesmith, Smith-j3treet, West-
minster ; Henry Mills, costermonger, no fixed ad-
dress ; William Hayes, seaman, no fixed residence ;
Robert Cummins, labourer, no fixed residence; and
Anne Winter, prostitute, Cross-street, City-road,
were placed before Mr. Flowers, this morning, at
Bow-street, charged with having in their possession
a quantity of counterfeit coin.
The evidence taken at the first examination of
Mr. Brennan, the officer attached to the Mint,
was then read, which was to the effect that he
took the whole of the prisoners into custody at
the King's Head public-house, sitting around the
fire ; and on a table near the fire were a great
number of counterfeit coins, viz., five crown pieces,
42 half-crowns, 91 florins,-and 271 shillings. As
the officers entered the room two of the prisoners
saw them, and made signs to the woman, who could
not see them, as she had her back to the door. In
obedience to those signs she threw a quantity of
what appeared to be money on the fire. Inspector
Brennan rushed over to the grate, got the coins out,
and found them, though damaged, to be still recog-
nisable as counterfeit money. One of these was
Linton, the other was Cummins, who is a returned
convict. He (Cummins) was concerned with Agar,
and " Jim the penman," in the celebrated gold rob-
bery, for which he was transported.
Mr. Bellamy, who appeared for the prosecution,
said we can now prove another conviction against
the prisoner Cummins, if it is thought desirable.
Mr. Abrams, who appeared for Mr. Hall, said
that could be done at the time.
Cummins—l wish to ask Brennan a question.
Mr. Brennan, the officer attached to the Mint,
then stood forward.
Cummins—What do you mean by saying in
your evidence that you found the lot of counterfeit
coin lying on the table ? Now, did'nt your son tell
you about it ?
Brennan—My son told me something of the
transactions at the King's Head, and I went there
and found the coin as described.
Cummins—You did not search and find it,
although you seem to me to wish that to appear.
Brennan—When I went into the room the coun-
terfeit coin was laying on the table.
Cummins—That will do.
Mills—Your worship, I heard Linton this morn-
ing ask the female prisoner to swear that I gave her
the counterfeit coin that she pitched into the fire.
He gave it her himself.
Inspector Brennan then gave his evidence, which
was in effect a repetition of that already given.
He said the prisoners tried to escape
when the police entered the room. Under the settle,
behind one of the supports of the form concealed
from view, a packet of base coin was found, toge-
ther with a number of other parcels which were
taken from different parts of the room, one of
which was in an old slipper. He placed the coin
on the table, and called the prisoner Hall into the
room, and asked him to account for the bad money
being in his possession. He said, " I can't help what
my customers do." He was asked to account for the
slipper. He said, "It has been knocking about
four days, and has been worn by Hayes," to which
Hayes replied, " Yes, I've worn it because I've got a
bad foot." Hall said Goldsmith had left the house
for about half an hour, but had been in the company
of the other prisoners for two hours in the room. A
piece of board about 6 or 7 inches square was found
to lift in the flooring of the room, which communi-
cated with the skittle ground and cellar.
Mr. Flowers—Then if people were making base
coin all the materials could be passed through and
got away.
Inspector Brennan—Yes, sir. When I asked the
landlord what the hole was for, Hall replied, " I
never saw it before." I told him that might be
possible, but that it was a very convenient hole for
the class of persons who used his house. He replied,
"If I drive such characters away I may as
well shut up my house." Hall said if he
tlaoublit it rru tad 'tiny° cultic to the pvlllt
it had he would have given information to
the police. I told him that to my certain know-
ledge he had been connected with coiners ever since
he had taken:the house. Onlour way to the station
Mills asked me if he told all he knew, and whether
he would get off, but:l told him I could say nothing
about it. He said Goldsmith and Hayes sold the
counterfeit coin, but Hall and the others are quite
as bad. Goldsmith and Hall were not in the room
when the girl threw the base coin into the fire.
Cummins—Why, he'd searched all the prisoners
before Hall came into the room.
In answer to Mr. Abrams, Inspector Brennan
said he did not find any bad coin in any other part
of the house but the tap-room. The house kept by
Hall is a notorious place of resort for thieves and
smashers. Hall said he had had the housebut eight
weeks, and that one of the previous landlords had
been convicted for harbouring them.
Mr. Flower—Do either of you wish to ask the
witness any questions ?
Cummins (with a knowing kind of look)—Not at
this court, your worship. •
Mr. Flower—That appears to be a wise course
on your part.
Sergeant Hamblin, No. 1 F, the officer who ac-
companied Inspector Brannan to the King's Head,
corroborated the evidence of the former witnesses
relative to the entry of the house, the seizure of the
prisoners, and the attempted destruction of a portion
of the base coin by the woman Winter,
The prisoners were formally committed for trial.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—Thia Day.
THAMES.

A MEAN GERMAN SNlP.—Mark Wolfe, aged 20, a Ger-
man tailor, was brought up on remand, charged with steal-
ing a coat, a pair of trousers, and a table-cloth, the pro-
perty of Polemus Sutton.

The prisoner bad lodged with tile prosecutor and his
wife, at 13, Henry-street, Back Church-lane, Whitechapel,
for a few days. He then suddenly absconded, taking with
him a coat, trousers, and a table-cloth. He was given into
custody by his own sister, whom he had plundered, and
the pawnbroker's duplicates of the coat and trousers he
had pawned were found in his possession. The property
was produced by a pawnbroker's assistant and identified.
A police constable, named Brown, No. 181 H, said the
prisoner had committed several other robberies of a simi-
lar nature, and disposed of an Inverness cape given to him
to repair. He pleaded guilty, and said ho was starving
when he committed the robbery at Sutton's. This was
denied ; he was in full work.

The Magistrate accepted the prisoner's plea, convicted
him of larceny, and sentenced him to six months' impri-
sonment and hard labour.

THE PAWNBROKERS' SPOUT.—Robert Grainger, aged 43,
a dealer, of 51, Winchester-street, was charged with the
unlawful possession of 251bs. of old lead. The material in
question formed a portion of an old spout, which formerly
belonged to the firm of French and Ogilvie, pawnbrokers
in High-street, Poplar. Their premises were destroyed by
fire two years ago, and a large quantity of property de-
stroyed. Mr. French has since committed suicide, and the
other partner (Ogilvie) is reduced in circumstances, and
unable to rebuild the premises. Some things were given
to the prisoner by Mr. Ogilvie, and he took away others,
and among other things a portion of the old spout, where
the offerings of poverty used to pass up and down. The
prisoner is supposed to have been "up the spout" several
times. A piece of lead weighing 251b5., and forming part
of the spout, was found in a yard behind the prisoner's
house. He said he did not take it away to steal it.
The prisoner was fined £5 fpr unlawful possession of the
lead, and advised not to interfere with the pawnbrokers'
spout any ore.