The Sun.
London, England, 1861-11-16 00:00:00

POLICE IN2ELLIGENCE, Nov. 15.

MANSION-HOUSE.—Ernest Martina, a French-
man, describing himself as a merchant, carrying on
business at 14, Union-court, Old Broad-street, was
brought before the Lord Mayor, charged with ob-
taining a quantity of starch and gluq from E. Four-
cade, of Paris, under false pretences.
Mr. Beard attended to support the charge against
the prisoner, and Mr. Wontner appeared for the
defence.

Mr. Beard said the prisoner had been to Paris,
and obtained a quantity of goods to the amount of
about £250, for payment of which he had given
the prosecutor certain pieces of paper, purport-
ing to be bills of exchange, two of which were
accepted in the name of Leslie and Co., and one
in Gibson and Co. The bills had been presented,
and Messrs. Leslie had said the bills were not ac-
cepted by them, and no such firm as Gibson and
Co. could be found.

Mr. Goodman said the transaction having taken
place in Paris, the false pretence could not be gone
into; but if the bills were given in London, it
would be a question if they were forgeries or not.
The prosecutor then stated that he had supplied
goods to the prisoner to the amount of 6,000 francs
(X 240), and that the prisoner had given him the
three bills produced in London.
Mr. Wontner cross-examined the prosecutor at
considerable length, and he said that he had re•
ceived the bill on Gibson and Co. in London in
February last, and took it with him to Paris, and
sent it to London, to his interpeter, a few days
after, to be presented when it was due. He had
not presented the bills himself ; they were taken
by his interpreter, who had told him he could not
find such a name as Gibson.

Mr. Wontner asked if the interpreter was in the
court, and the witness replied he was not.
Mr. Wontner then said that under those circum-
stances he thought there was no evidence that the
bills had been presented.
The Lord Mayer said there was no proof that
the bill was a forgery.
Mr. Beard suggested that the prisoner should be
remanded and admitted to bail, as he said he had
been so recently instructed that he had not had
time to make the necessary inquiries.
The Lord Mayor did not think he should be jus-
tified in even taking that course; but if hereafter
any proof could be brought that the prisoner had
done that which would bring him within the opera-
tion of the criminal law he could be again brought
before him.

The prisoner was then discharged.
Mr. Beard applied that two billfs—qf lading for
eight casks of glue and one cask of oil, hick were
found on the prisoner, should be kept in the hands
of the police, as the goods had been identified by
the prosecutor. . _

The Lord Mayor said ho could make no order.
John Ayling, who was brought up a few days
back, charged with having stolen a £lO and 9 £5
Bank of England note from the till in the shop at
his master's, Mr. Thomas, of Barking-churchyard,
oil refiner, was brought up for final examination
and committed for trial.

GUILDHALL.—Wm. Morrice, a clerk and tra-
veller, in the employ of Mr. George Penson, a pro-
vision merchant of Seacole-lane, Farringdon-street,
was placed at the bar before Alderman Hale, charged
with embezzling £25 on the 16th Sept. last, £35 on
the 7th October last, and other sums at different
times, amounting in the aggregate to nearly £3OO,
the moneys of his master.
Mr. Poole, of Bartholomew-close, conducted the
prosecution. The prisoner was undefended.
Wm. Smith, a City detective officer, said—l went
to the prisoner's house in search of him, and as soon
as he saw me he said, " I know what you have come
about; I have expected it for some time past," and
began crying. He knew me as an officer, and I
told him I must take him into custody for embez-
zling various sums of money, amounting to over
£2OO. He said, " I have expended the money in
forcing a trade for Mr. Penson." I took him to the
station, and on afterwards bringing him to this
court, I showed him a receipt which I had received
from Mr. Traill for £9, paid to him, on Mr, Pen-
son's account, on the 25th Sept. last, and he admitted
it was in his handwriting.
Alexander Train said—l am cashier to Mr. G.
Penson. The prisoner has been in the same employ
as traveller about three years. It was his duty to
solicit orders for goods, and to receive money from
customers on Mr. Penson's account, and to pay the
total amount to me daily. Mr. Taylor, of Pulteney-
street, Oxford-street, was one of our customers, and
in September last owed a balance of £9 ls. 10d. By
the receipt produced in the prisoner's handwriting
that amount is purported to have been paid, but the
prisoner has not handed over the money, or ac-
counted for the amount.

Mr. Poole said Mr. Taylor was not in attendance,
but he would be subpoenaed upon the trial.
James Williamson said—l am a cheesemonger,
carrying on business at 9 and 10, Watt's-terrace,
Old Kent-road. On the 21st of October last I
paid to the prisoner, on Mr. Penson's account,
£69 11s. Ild. I did not actually pay it myself. My
wife paid the money to the prisoner. I produce
the prisoner's receipt for that amount.
Alderman Hale said it would be necessary to
call Mrs. Williamson to prove the payment.

Mr. Poole said he would take' care that she
should be subpoenaed on the trial.
Wm. Cape said—l am a cheesernonger, at 5,
Church-street, Greenwich. On the 7th of October
last I paid the prisoner £2O for goods supplied to
me by Mr. Denson, and I saw the prisoner sign
the receipt produced for that amount.
The prisoner, who made no defence, was then
committed for trial.

BO W- STREET.—FALSE CHARACTERS.—Emma
Cullen, a servant-girl, was charged by Mr. Smith,
of Northumberland-street, printer and publisher,
with obtaining a situation by means of a false
character.

Mr. Smith stated that the prisoner some time
back applied to Mrs. Smith fora place as maid of
all-work, saying her name was Catherine Sulli-
van, and that she had last been employed in the
family of a gentleman named Davies, whose address
she gave. Mrs. Smith then wrote to Mrs. Davies,
and received an answer to the effect that Catherine
Sullivan was a sober, honest, and steady servant.
It appeared, however, from this letter that the per-
son referred to was a married woman, whereas the
Prisoner had stated that she was single.
When the
husband Prisouelnecay, a tielleadnagan Mrs. Smith pointed out this
discrep
sGne w
r saidati in India,
, itwas
a truen d
she
was married but hershe
absence, Mrs.tao
Nov. 9, being Lo
had thought i
Smithharm to pass for single in his
consented to engage her. On
with some friends to whiles Mrs. Smith was gone out
small
eellhe
out without leave
she came back some ssyor's-day, the prisoner went
mrsa.rjicles were missed, and
wished her boxes
suspicion fell on her. procession ; and after
to be searched, but she refused to 11.1.0 .7? that to be
done, unless in the presence of aopaoeman, saying
that she knew the law, and they could not enforc
it. After this a policeman was sent for, and he
found in one of her boxes a duplicate relating to a
pair of boots which had been pawned that day
(Nov. 9). Mr. Smith then gave her into custody.
Subsequently it was discovered that Catherine Sul-
livan, the person so favourably described by Mrs.
Davies, was living at home with her husband, a
working man. He (Mr. Smith) had missed a pair
of boots.
Mr. Davies said that Catherine Sullivan had been.
a long time in his service, and was a very honest
woman. The prisoner had never been in his service.
Catherine Sullivan said the prisoner was her

cousin. She had not given her real name. Witness
never authorised the prisoner to personate her. The
prisoner had hitherto borne a good character.
The pawnbroker produced the boots pledged by
the prisoner, which Mr. Smith identified.
The prisoner said she intended to release the
boots out of the first money she could get. She
admitted that she had no right to do that, but
urged that the retention of the key proved that she
"did not mean to steal" the boots but to replace
them.

Mr. Henry—That is to say, it is not a felony,
but an illegal pawning, for which, however, you
are liable to fine and imprisonment. But what do
you say to obtaining a situation by false pretences,
for which you are liable to a penalty of £2O ?
The prisoner—l know very well I did wrong. I
could not get a place because I had lost the written
character I got from my last mistress, who is gone
abroad, so I did it to get a place.
Mr. Smith was afraid, from the result of inquiries
he had made, that she had " lost her character" in
a very different sense. However, there was no
proof of her having been convicted of any offence
before, and probably a moderate punishment would
be a sufficient warning to her. He would ask the
magistrate to deal leniently with her, and indeed
he should not have preferred the charge at all but
for the consideration that, on public grounds, he
felt bound not to let such a thing pass with
impunity.
Mr. Henry (to the prisoner)—As your master is
kind enough to intercede for you, I will mitigate
the penalty one half. You must pay a fine of £lO,
or be imprisoned for one month.

WESTMINSTER.— SINGULAR AFFAIR.—
Adolphe Kantar, a German, occupying a house at
26, Cumberland•street, Pimlico, was summoned for
unlawfully detaining a pianoforte.
Mr. Holdernesse, of the firm of Holdernesse and
Co., pianoforte-makers, stated that in August last,
upon the application of Mrs. Lewis, a teacher of
music, he sent a pianoforte, on hire, to a Mrs. Bed-
ford, who was stated by Mrs. Lewis to be a respect-
able woman, living at 26, Cumberland-street. In
consequence of a letter he. subsequently received,
he sent for the piano in Ootobor, when defendaut
refused to give it up, unless he paid £l3 2s. 2d.,
which Mrs. Bedfordiwas indebted to him for board
and lodging.
Defenpant said that he knew nothing about the
piano being hired, and after Mrs. Bedford left his
house on the 4th October, she made an agreement
to pay him £1 per week, with an understanding
that he was not to give her up the piano until his
account was paid. She had removed all her wear-
ing apparel and other portable effects stealthily.
Complainant urged that there could be no legal
claim upon the piano, as the apartments occupied
by Mrs. Bedford had been letfor immoral purposes,
which he could prove.
In further examination by the magistrate, the de-
fendant said he had another lady living in his house
a Mrs. Lawrence. Gentlemen visited Mrs. Law-
rence, and ladies and gentlemen visited Mrs. Bed-
ford, A gentleman who was represented to be Mr.
Bedford had stopped there all night, but he did not
know of any other gentleman having slept with
her.

Mrs. Lewis was then called, and described Mrs.
Bedford as a lady receiving the visits of gentlemen,
and Mrs. Lawrence was a person of the same de-
scription. Complainant did not know Mrs. Bedford
received such visitors when he sent the piano. De-
fendant well knew that both Mrs. Bedford and Mrs.
Lawrence were of the condition she described when
they came to his house to lodge.
Upon being pressed how she knew that defendant
was aware of the practices of his female inmates,
witness said that she was playing there one night
when Mrs. Lawrence and a prince were in bed
together.
Mr. Arnold—Playing the piano while Mrs. Law-
rencence and a prince were in bed together ?
Witness—Yes. I was informed he was a prince.
I was not playing in the same room ; I had occa-
sion afterwards to go into another room for some-
thing, and saw them in bed together. I heard
defendant say, before Mrs. Bedford came into the
house, that he knew she was going to receive gen-
tleman, but hoped she would be quiet.
Mr. Arnold—To descend to the proper phrase,
you knew Mrs. Bedford was a prostitute, and yet
represented her to the complainant to be respect-
able.

Mrs. Lewis—l did not say she was respectable. I
thought her a good principled woman who would
pay her way, and in whose hands the instrument
would be safe.

Mr. Arnold—l do not think the complainant is
indebted to you for your recommendation, or that if
the class of persons spoken of are of your ordinary
pupils, it speaks much in ftwour of your professional
connexion.

Mrs. Lewis intimated that her connexions were
very respectable, but that professional people
could not always pick their customers; adding her
reluctance to have anything to do with persons of
this class.

Defendant most positively denied that he had'
ever said in the presence of Mrs. Lewis anything
about his knowing the immoral character of Mrs. ,
Bedford. He had said as he meant, that he would
rather let the apartments to gentlemen, but as he
could not do that he was obliged to have ladies.
Police-sergeant Brett, 29 B, said he was called
to the house when Mrs. Bedford left. There was a
great disturbance between her and the landlady,
and the former told the latter, in unmistakably
plain language, what her house was. Defendant
then said he did not know Mrs. Bedford was an
immoral character until after she had been in the
house some time. Mrs. Bedford then told defend-
ant that the piano did not belong to her, and men-
tioned the name of the person to whom it did, and
defendant replied that when he came for it he
might have it.
Mrs. Kanter declared she believed Mrs. Bedford
to be a respectable woman when she took the apart-
ments, and as soon as she discovered what she really
was she gave her notice to quit—gave her a week's
rent to get rid of her,

Mrs. iernstein, her sister, gave corresponding
evidence.

Mr. Arnold said that a landlord had a right to
distrain any property found upon his premises for
rent, unless it accrued from immorality. He was not
satisfied upon the evidence thlt defendant let Mrs.
Bedford the apartments for immoral purposes, or
he would forfeit all claim to rent; and it seemed
that, when her character was discovered, he did not
keep her much longer than he could help. At the
same time, the defendant did not keep the piano as
a distress, and it had been proved that defendant
had said that when the owner came for it he might
have it. Defendant had no legal right to detain
the piano from its owner, and the order must there-
fore be, that he restore it, or pay 14 guineas, its
value, or be committed for two months.

Defendant gave notice of appeal against the de-
cision.