The Sun.
London, England, 1835-01-26 00:00:00

KENSINGTON PETTY SESSIONS.

A middle-aged female, named Elizabeth Lowden, was
charged with having robbed her mistress, Lady Copeland,
of Gunnersbury Park, Ealing ; and Williain Read, of
No. 48, Belgrave-mews, was charged with receiving the
same.

Policeman Poole, T, No. 109, on Wednesday night took
the male prisoner into custody, and on searching the large
basket he had with him found several table napkins, cloths,
a quantity of meat, bread, and apples, a copper teakettle,
and other articles, which the prisoner said his wife, who
lived at Gunnersbury Park, had given him.
It appeared that Read was paying his addresses to Eliza-
beth Lowden, and on her boxes being examined a number
of glasses, &c., were found. Other property was found at
Read's residence.

Inspector M'Manus said that Lady Copeland, in consi-
deration of the female prisoner's long services, declined pro-
secuting. _ _ .

Mr. CODD, the Chairman, fined the prisoners in the sum
of 50s. each, Read for having stolen property in his posses-
sion, and Lowden for having conveyed to him ; and in de-
fault of payment to one month's imprisonment.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HO USE.

Mr. Adolphus oppeared to prosecute the firm of Bella-
my and Co. booksellers, of Cornhill, for ;n alleged fraud
upon Robert Jennings, the publisher of Jennings' Lands-
cape Annual.
Edward Cadell represented the firm of the defendants,
but admitted that there was no such person as Bellamy in
existence.

Mr. Sydney Taylor appeared for the defence.
Mr. Adolphus said that the prosecutor had, since 1831,
been the publisher of a very elegant work called the Lands-
cape Annual, which was got up at a large expense, and was
much celebrated. In 1835 it was thought necessary, for
very good reasons, to make an alteration in the title of the
book, which was accordingly designated Jennings' Lands-
cape Annual. The imaginary Mr. Bellamy found it con-
venient to commit an imposture upon the public by adver-
tising for sale Jennings' Landscape Annual at half a guinea,
the price of the real work being double that amount, and
by selling books under that name which were not Jennings'
Landscape Annual. This species of imposition was calcu-
lated to do great prejudice to the very splendid character
of the work, and was wholly unworthy of a London trades-
man.

Robert Seares having seen Jennings' Landscape Annual
advertised, had purchased on the 21st inst. a book called
the Landscape Annual, at the shop of Bellamy and Co.—
(Here the book was produced. It was dated 1834.)
Cross-examined by Mr. Taylor—Occasionally worked as
engraver and publisher for the prosecutor, and was em-
ployed by that gentleman to apply for the book.
Mr. Taylor—Did you ask for the book of any particu-
lar year ; you see this is marked 1834 ? Witness—No ;
I merely asked for " Jennings' Landscape Annual."
Mr. Taylor—Did you not know that you were not buy-
ing " Jennings' Landscape Annual for 1835." Witness—
Yes.

Mr. Taylor then submitted to the Lord Mayor that,
from the evidence, there was no case of fraud whatever ;
that the very imputation of such an offence was negatived
by the complainant's own evidence. The witness—not an
illiterate or an ignorant person, but a man necessarily ac-
customed to literary production in his business as an en-
graver—went into the shop of the defendant, and asked for
" Jennings' Landscape Annual." A book which was not de-
nied to be a Landscape Annual, published by Jennings,
was handed to him. It neither was, nor was it represented
to be, "Jennings' Landscape Annual for 1835." On the con-
trary, every purchaser had notice that it was the " Land-
Annual for 1834," inasmuch as the words and figures were
imprinted in large gilt type on the back. The date was
also on the title-page ; so that, where no verbal representa-
tion was made, calculated to deceive the purchaser, he (the
Learned Counsel) might safely rest the case that there
was no deception intended, and none practised. Besides
that, however, the witness admitted that he knew what
he was purchasing : that he did not believe he was buy-
ing for 10s. 6d. the " Landscape Annual of 1835," which
sold for one guinea, but believed and knew that he was
buying the " Landscape Annual of 1834." Where, then,
was the fraud, where the fraudulent representation ? It
was of the essence of legal froud that deception should be
practised on the mind of the party under circumstances that
ordinary prudence and reasonable caution could not guard
against. Here the purchaser went into the shop with his
eyes open to purchase that which he did purchase. The
maxim of law was Volunti not fit injuria. Here there was
no corpus delicti. A more groundless accusation never
came before a court of justice. Under these circumstances,
there was not an honest bookseller in London who bought
Annuals or other expensive books under the original price,
and sold them cheap, that might not be accused, in the age
of cheap literature, of dishonesty and fraud. The charge
had not the slightest ground to rest upon in law or fact ;
he therefore called upon his Lordship to dismiss the case.
Mr. Adolphus contended that a case of fraud had been
established ; that as to the impression upon the mind of the
purchaser it had nothing to do with the legal definition of
the offence. All that was necessary to be established was
the fraudulent conduct of the party who offered the goods
for sale. If the representations and conduct of that party
were fraudulent, the charge was made out, although the
purchaser might be quite aware of the fraud.
The LORD .MANA observed upon the evidence and the
4rgillPcPts 011 both sides ; and stated, that as the book in
question was not pretended to be a counterfeit of one of
Mr. Jennings's works, but one of the identical Annuals
published by him, and lettered with a correct date, and as

no fraudulent representation had been made at the time the
work was sold, he was decidedly of opinion that no fraud
had been practised, and therefore the case was dismissed.
Here the Counsel for the defendants stated that, if ne-
cessary, it could have been proved that the books had been
purchased from Mr. Jennings's stock, at Bs, each, upon the
dissolution of the partnership.

Q UEEN SQUARE.
Saturday, just as Mr. GREGOIUE was about to leave the
Bench, Henry Stokes alias Oliver, John Durham, Jane
Thompson, and Sarah Peters, were brought up in custody,
on a charge of coining.
William Ford, a policeman of the B division, was on duty
in Strutton-ground, and observed the girl Peters talking to
Stokes, whom he knew to be a notorious coiner. After
eley had parted he followed the female prisoner and asked
her what money she had about her ; she refused to answer ;
and upon searching her he found in her bosom eighteen
counterfeit sixpences. He took her into custody, and Mr.
Banister, his inspector, directed him to go to the lodgings
of Stokes, in St. Ann's-lane. Upon arriving there a signal
was made by a woman stationed outside, and the door was
instantly fastened by the bedstead being placed against
With assistance he forced an entrance, and found the pri-
soner Stokes standing by the fire, upon which there was a
pipkin with some metal in it, a mould and the other usual
implements of coining. Stokes kicked the pipkin off the
fire, and the contents went over the policeman. The other
prisoners, Durham and Thompson, were in the room, and
the whole party were taken into custody,
The prisoners were remanded for the attendance of the
Solicitor of the Mint.