The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-08 00:00:00

POLICE .111, TELLIGENCE.-April 6.

CLERKENWELL.—WiIIiam Tapp, who des-
cribed himself as a tailor, residing at 63, Harrison-
street, Gray's-inn-road, was charged with conspir-
ing with two other men not in custody to defraud
Thomas Lester, of 41, George-street, Portman-
square, a French polisher, of a sum of 7s. at the
Shepperton Arms beershop, Shepperton-street,
Islington.
Mr. John Wakeling appeared for the defence.
The complainant stated that he was walking in
Holborn on Friday morning, smoking a cigar, when
a well-dressed man spoke to him about the wea-
ther. He stopped to look in a shop window, when
the stranger was not only very attentive, but very
inquiring, for he asked him where he came from,
how long he had been in town, when he was going
home, what business had brought him up, where
he resided, and many questions of that sort.
Having answered the questions, and being satisfied
with his inspection of the shop window, he bade his
newly-made friend " good morning ;" but he was
not so easily shaken off, for he became very kind
and attentive, took his arm, said he would show him
the sights of London, as well as the place where the
lions were washed—(a laugh)—and, having walked
a short distance, invited him to take a glass of ale
which was like mother's milk, and not to be equalled
in any part of country. To this request he acceded,
and when they had been in a pubilehouse aAhort
time, a big, burly man, with a profusion of black
beard and mustachios, and attired as a sailor, came
in, and appeared very much excited, and asked the
man who first spoke to him (complainant) if he had
seen a lady dressed in pea green, with a parawl,
either waiting at the bar or looking about for him.
Before the man had time to reply the sailor said—
" Mind, the lady never went out without a veil, for
she is very handsome, and does not like a parcel of
common staring fellows looking at her." (A laugh.)
The sailor was told that his " beauty" had not been
seen, and, although at first he pretended to be very
much put out, he became very chatty, gave a history
of his travels, remarked that he had been in Bengal,
where he had shot the largest tiger that had been
known in those parts for many years, and gave
several instances of the narrow escapes he had had,
not only with tigers, but with the monarch of the
forest—the lion. He also said that one occasion he,
to avoid being killed, had to climb a tree, and was
nearly starved to death by the lion watching at the
bottom for more than a day, apparently having
made up its mind to devour him. He then said he
was the best shot in Calcutta, and to show he was
not " bouncer," he mentioned that while there he
had a wager against a native, " one of the princes
of that delightful climate," for a new ride and a
large sum of money, and had hit the bull'sc eye no
less than 25 times out of 27, and that as " lean as
a whistle," while his rival, who was up to that
time considered the crack shot " did not come
near him by miles," and was so thoroughly de-
feated that he had to leave the town. The man who
first spoke to him (complainant) appeared to be very
much interested in the matter. After pausing a
little and scratching his head, he said that it sound-
ed like a lie, and he did not believe him. This led
to some dispute, and then a bet was made between
the parties that the sailor would not hit the bull's-
eye 14 times out of 200. He (complainant) was told
that he must see the wager come off ; that the rifle
gallery was not many yards distant, and he after
much pressing consented to go and act as referee.
To his surprise he found that he had to walk nearly
a couple of miles, and when they had all got to the
back of a publichouse they saw the prisoner in his
shirt sleeves, and the man whom he first met asked
him (prisoner) for the loan of a rifle. The prisoner
said that the rifle .ground had been done away with
for more than a fortnight in consequence of the
complaints of the neighbours and the Government
having interfered, but he remarked that there was
a good bowling alley, where they could enjoy a
comfortable pipe and have a pleasant game of skittles
or " knock-'em downs." They all entered the alley
and found some men at play, apparently for large
SUMS of money, as a great number of notes (Bank
of Elegance) were staked on the result. Large
sums of money having been apparently won and
lost,-he (complainant) staked all his money (75.),
and, as a matter of course, was fleeced. He was
then persuaded to go and pawn his watch, which
he did for 10s., the prisoner accompanying him to
show him the way. On their way back from the
coe return, ena
t
pawnbroker's the prisaonderinsdauweetdwhoim t
m poli
the end of the street, and
saying that if they were seen they would be locked
up for having gambled. He did so, and on going
down another street and returning to the public-
house he found that the others had gone. The pri-
soner told him to follow, and he would find them ;
but on reaching the street the prisoner again saw
the police, on which, he put into his (prosecutor's)
hand 65., saying, " There is the money you lost."
The policeman then came up and took the prisoner
into custody.
Mr. Wakeling severely cross-examined the com-
plainant, and elicited from him the fact that he
had made bets while he was in the ground, without
either the prisoner or any one else asking bim.
Police-constable Devitt, 92 N, said that several
persons had lately been fleeced at the same house
as the prosecutor. On searching the prisoner he
found on him several flash notes of the Bank of
Elegance, and counters representing sovereigns,
having on them " Gone to Hanover." He had
known the prisoner for a long period as a skittle
sharper, and as being connected with a notorious
bey( ral Of whom had been convicted,

Mr. -Wakeling submitted that there wab no case
against the prisoner.
Mr. D'Eyneourt said it was his fixed determina-
tien to send all cases of this sort, where the_offenee

was proved, for trial. In the present instance he
did not think there was sufficient to detain the pri-
soner, and he would bo discharged, but he had
better be careful for the future.

THE NEWLY DISCoVERED PORTRAIT

OF SLIAKSPEARE.

Mr. Charles Wright has addressed the following letter
to a contemporary :
Sir,—For the sake of truth and fair play I am induced
to trouble you with this in reference to the recent—so as-
serted—discovery of an original portrait of Shakspeare at
Stratford-upon-Avon.
In the early part of last week I received a letter from
Leamington, the writer being entitled to all possible re-
spect, caning attention to this discovery, and containing
the following paragraph relative to the portrait :
" I certainly think there is a fair presumptive evidence
in favour of its being the original from which the bust was
made seven years (query, four) after the death of the Root,
and probably the portrait said to have been painted by Thl ar-
bage."
This communication induced me to seek the discoverer—
Mr. S. Collins, of Somerset-street, Portman-square—wh°
has been most unreserved and straightforward in his state-
ments.

Although prepared to regard the whole affair with the
utmost suspicion, and, recollecting the many Shaksperian
falsities, manuscript and pictorial, which have occurred--
anticipating the existence of a delusion of some kind, I ern
fearful rudeness was exemplified in my queries to discover
it; in fact, I felt compelled to apologise for the ungra•
ciousness of my questions, but I found no apology was
needed. On the contrary, all possible inquiry appeared to
be courted, and nothing was elicited that I could object to
except the expression of a determination that the portrait
should not come to London, which I urged as the best
means to test its claims and set all doubts at rest.
The details of the discovery of this picture are marvel-
lous, but the highly respected names that have appeared in
connexion with them renders aught but their reception In
good faith impossible. It now only seems that there has
been made manifest the need for the utmost microscopical
inquiry, by thoroughly competent persons, in regard to old
portraits, and which the discoverer expressed his desire to
aid at Stratford. Nothing appeared to have been done, or
that it was proposed to do, that could be cavilled at.
There are alleged facts of association in reference to this
portrait which in common fairness cannot be disregarded.
From the accounts in the local papers it appears to have
been where it was found for more than a century—and the
probability of it having been obtained from the Cloptons
affords a warrantable link to extend the pedigree farback-
wards from that period. New-place was bought by Shak-
speare from the Underhill family in 1593 ; it had been pos-
sessed by the Cloptons previously, and to the Cloptons it
returned.
In the notice of the discovery of the portrait in the Aga-
nceum of Saturday last a most important fact does not ap-
pear, and without the statement of which the conduct of the
possessor of the portrait must seem absurd beyond belief'
The writer therein says, in regard to Mr. Hunt—" Hra
children have made the Guy' a target for their bows end
arrows ;" and further, "of the multitude of Shakspearian
scholars who have been to Mr. Hunt's house not one, I hear
from Mr. Hunt, ever noticed it for good or bad." Now, if
such were the mishaps of the portrait and its antecedents,
how could Mr. Hunt permit any claims to be put forth that
the picture should in any way be regarded with respect
It is only when the fact is displayed, as stated in the lewd
papers, and affirmed by Mr. Collins to myself, that the per'
trait now brought to view was disguised by an over paint"
ing and hid by dirt, that Mr. Hunt's conduct is well ac-
counted for, and that the inattentions of the "multitude
of Shakspearian scholars" can cease to be regarded as
something akin to futurity.
From the statement in the Atheneum I derive a veil
curious inference—namely, that a very bad portrait picture
can make a very impressive portrait photograph. The
portrait I have not seen, the photograph I have. The in-
spection of the latter must produce the conviction thflt
either the portrait produced the bust, or the bust the por...
trait, and as regards the head a more noble one w is never
depicted by sculptor or painter as indicated in this photo'
graph, it is grand in its simplicity. sand if the painting be
proved to be untrustworthy it will be with the regrets of au
who study its lineaments as displayed in the photograph.
Possibly there may appear in the painting a crudeness and
a boldness which the photographic process has softened,
and imparted an appearance now of harmonious finish and
dignity.

Of course, the affair cannot be left where the Athetueues
has placed it. It must now be fully discussed by the win"
petent. The editors of the local papers and the worth,'
gentlemen whose names have been so freely used
surely never accept the position which the writer in the
paper has assigned them. Specially, as no selfish object of
a degrading nature is apparent as a motive power anywhere,
all has been done in reverence of that memory so dear to
Englishmen. The proprietor of the portrait purposes giving
it to the Shakspeare Museum, and the discoverer to super—
intend the production of a photograph the profits of which
aro to aid the same institution. Influenced by such feelingS,
it is very difficult to comprehend how the same gentlemen
—those who are stated to have effected so much inprove-
ment in the town, displaying judgment and taste therein—.
could place the most precious relic in Stratford or in
England—the bust—in jeopardy, or that they could have
bestowed the least attention upon a worthless picture.
Justice to all parties concerned imposes the necessity for
a caution, not captious inquiry—thorough—and with the
hope that you will aid it by publicity I beg to subscribe
myself, &c.