The Sun.
London, England, 1861-10-23 00:00:00

WEDNESDAY EVENING,- OCTOBER 23,' 1881.

LAW IN TELLDENCE—f This Day.)

SECONDAJIES' COURT.

IMPORTANT ADVERTISINi CASE.-CLAYTON V WILDE.

This was an action to reerver a sum for exhibiting adver-
tising boards outside St. liatherine Docks and a country
market place.

Plaintiff's partner said tht the firm constituted the Illus-
trated Mammoth Advertisig Company, and defendant re-
presented the Commercil Restaurant in Cheapside.
Plaintiffs paid the St. Katbrine Dock Company £5OO per
annum for the use of the wtls; and large attractive boards
very useful to the advertise were put up. Witness under-
stood that defendant wishec to have a board and called upon
him. Saw a Mr. Glover, aid found:that defendant wished
to have a sketch of the room, and an artist was employed.
The board was seen from tine to time and then fixed up.
The terms were 3s. 6d. per veek, payable monthly, for not
a less term than 12 months,

Cross-examined—lf the pities are respectable I do not
trouble them for six montis. I knew the business was
carried on because I dined t the rooms. I believe Glover
was authorised by defendanito give the order. If a person
who has given me an orderbecornes bankrupt I prove on
the estate (even if the bard has only been on for a
week) for the year, and getthe dividead if there is any.
Mr. Glover was called, ane said he had been in partnership
with defendant, and defendant agreed that the boards should
be put up.

Cross-examined—Had nowritten authority.
The learned Secondary—there was no necessity, ho was
a partner.

On behalf of Mr. Wylde i was urged that the defendant
was ignorant of the contrtct made on his behalf. The
advocate for the defendant vas not in a position to contro-
vert the evidence given, and defendant must submit to any
verdict the jury may please ;o find.

The jury at onco found for tho plaintiff for the full
amount.

IMPORTANT TO JURYMEN.

A few jurymen were excused in consequence of illness,
and one juryman urged that ho had obtained a certificate
which would, he thowdit, entitle him to exemption for a
period of between three or four years.

_ .
The learned Secondary said that was an error. The
juryman could bo called upon to serve after two years. The
juryni.n conic' not be excused.

CRIMINAL COURT—(This Day.)

OLD COURT.
(Before Baron Martin.)
THE CASE OP VINCENT COLLUCCI.

Vincent Colluci, 31, artist, was indicted for stealing 19
bank notes, each for the payment of £lOO, the property of
Frederica Johnstone, and also for unlawfully obtaining by
false pretences from Frederica Johnstone 19 bank notes
each for the payment of £lOO with intent to defraud.
The charge, it will be recollected, was that the prisoner
had obtained £1,900 from the prosecutrix for the return of
certain letters she had written to him, and that, in place
of so doing, after he had received the money he refused to
comply with the terms of the agreement.
The prisoner pleaded not guilty.
Miss Frederica Johnstone, examined by Sergeant Parry,
said—l have known the prisoner ever since 1858. He was
introduced to mo by my cousins at Twickenham. He was
following the profession of an artist. In consequence of
the introduction, I invited Mr. Collucci to our house. In
1859 I first made an advance of money to him. He told
me his mother was very unwell in Italy, that he was
devotedly attached to her, and that he should like
to go to see her. I asked him why he did not go instantly,
when he said money prevented him. I asked him if I could
be of any use to him, and I told him I had about £5O by
me. He said that would not be enough ; but I told him I
had a blank cheque, which he appeared not to know the
value of. Before he took his departure for Italy I advanced
him £250. After he returned he commenced to sketch my
portrait. Ultimately an attachment sprung up between us,
and we were to be married. Letters then passed between us,
and the last I received was on the 2d of August of
the present year. I destroyed all the letters I re-
ceived. In 1859 I was seized with illness, and about
June of the same year I told him about breaking off
the marriage. He said he wag very sorry, but
he had not the courage to go on, as he thought he was in a
consumption. 1 had advanced to him about £2,000,
including a sum of money for a picture, which was sent to
the Royal Academy, but was not hung up. I have always
taken a great interest in pictures. I constantly spoke to
the prisoner about restoring- to me my letters. About the
end of May I told him I did not wish to continue our inti-
macy any longer. I afterwards received a letter from him
relating to money, and referring to the letter I had written
to him. (M. Strass, the interpreter, then read the letter.)
I afterwards had an interview with him relative to the
money I had advanced. I afterwards received the follow.
ing letter from him

" Dated June 10.
No, no, no. Not a month more of such a life—not
even a week—it is infernal to me—it is the vengeance of
God ! I Yes, you have ruined me, physically and morally.
You have destroyed everything in me—my talent, my
peace, my heart. Come, miss ; you have only one of three
things to choose—you will either marry me, or insure me
enough to live upon, or I shall leave England.
" You have three days to think it over.

"V. C."

When I spoke to him about money he was always emcee
sively violent to me, and said I deeply injured him. 1
asked him if I could do anything for him, and he said if I
would give him more money, and keep their secret, he
could, perhaps, then be reconciled to existence. I after-
wards had another interview with him at the Pantheon.
had a horror of the interview, as I felt he had determined
upon doing something. He said to me, observing my
agitation, " Don't be afraid." He then repeated that I had
deeply injured him, and, in answer to his enquiries, I said
I would give him £2,000, or anything else for the return of
my letters. He said I should have them, as that sum of
money would do for the moment. I told him not to think
that, as I could not and would not do anything more for
him. I again called upon him at the end of July, in
Ovington•square. When I went he said, "Well, what
have you decided ?" I said, "Nothing." He replied, " I
thought you would have it in your hand ; this is a time
when a woman ought to sell the very last thing she
possessed. He was very violent in voice, and holding
his coat, said " This is the way in which you should be
dragged along by me." I again asked him about my
letters, and he said he must have £lOO lof the £2,000 he
was to have for the letters. I 'Afterwards met him at the
Baker-street Bazaar, and gave him the £lOO. Nothing
particular was said at the time, further than that I was
very much disgusted with him. I wrote a few words on a
small sheet of paper on Friday, the 2d of Aug., directing
the prisoner to meet me at the Pantheon on the following
morning at half-past 10, to exchange the letters for the
money I had agreed to give. I obtained 19 £lOO notes,
and went out with them. I saw him at the appointed
place, and I said to him, " Where are my
letters. He replied, " I have them." I said
44 Where," and he showed me something in his pocket, and
then said, Remember how you obtain this money, it is a
very large sum. All the notes are numbered, and they can
be very easily traced." He said, " give it me." I said with
great emphasis, " Give me my letters," and he then gave
me a brown paper parcel. I then gave him the money.
When we got to the entrance hall I said, " I want you to
give me a stamped receipt for the money, but he declined
to give it me. When I handed him the £1,900 I did it to
recover my letters, I afterwards hired a cab, and after
I had gone about 100 yards I opened the parcel
and discovered a bundle of old newspapers and• one letter in
my handwriting, which had been carefully placed at the
bottom of the parcel within sight. 'When I got home I
communicated with my brother, Mr. Campbell Johnstone,
and placed the whole affair in his hands. I shortly after-
wards received the following letters from the prisoner

" August 16.
"My Dearest,—l have just received a letter which makes
me laugh, and I think you will nlan laugh when you read

14.
" By G—, I think you have chosen a bad path, and I
warn you, if you take another step not friendly, I will give
your letters into the hands of a magistrate, in order to de-
mand my rights.
" Miss J., with your hands you would ruin me, and with
your own hands you shall save me from the precipice into
which you have thrown me. You have destroyed my
future, and you shall give it back to me, I swear it to you
by my mother I
" The' idea makes me laugh much at steps against rae.
Do you mean to say you will make my conduct public ?
"But this is what I wish, in order to justify myself be-
fore the society in which I live. Remember, you have not
even a reason in your favour. The star in the ceiling of
my studio—the star in your hair—the picture—the star in
the little bottle received from you as a token of love—and
your hair, would be sufficient proofs, without the letters, to
condemn you. Know that if any one shall dare to force me
—to be violent with me, it will cost their life—at the erril
of their life I The letters are mine, and no one has a right
to demand them. I will not give them up except when you
—you shall wish it. Adieu. Remember, that you will
gain more by being friendly than by waging war against
me ; and that I did love you, and that you, as a reward,
have ruined me.
" P.S.—Come and see me as speedily as possible ; and,
if you like it, in company with the gentleman who wrote
the letter, as I shall be very happy to make his acquaint-
ance. " V. C."
"August 17.
"It is now more than throe years you have known me,
so that you ought by this time to have known my character
also ; and therefore you ought to think that the path you
have chosen is a bad one. I stand on my rights, and on the
laws of this country. There is no mortal man can touch
that which belongs to me without scandal and behaving
scandalously ; therefore away with useless excuse or foolish
bravadoes. Can you see me in good friendship as you have
done in times past ? Then you and I can arrange and see
what else we can do. Remember that to get ot of the ruin
into which you have thrown me, I am ready for eveivtilinug
or anything—know this I Alas, I beg of you do not pu,:'
me to extremes, which may be dreadful for you and for me:
YouP.
sale
Dplaced
mm
se
kien positionyaour
g u srguardian
write
ite to which
tmheerefoirs
itb but
one path to get out yet—the path is in your hands I Come
and see me. Adio. "V. C.
time lost, I have already said I shall not open the 'letters."
" August 16.
"Dear Sir,—The answer to the letter I have received is
that I shall send it to the house of
are the guardian.

"I am, with profound consideration, your very obedient
servant, " V. ConLucci."
The wax impression on the parcel is from a seal I gave
the prisoner.

Cross-ozsmiuod by Mr, lioeue—No one Was present

when the conversation took place between us at the Pan-
theon. I carried the parcel from the room in my hand.
I did not attempt to conceal it in any way. I only date
my letters occasionally. I don't know that I did not date
the letters I sent to 31. Collucci. Between the 12th of
July and the 3d of August I saw the prispner once at his
house. I cannot recollect whether I was alone. I did not
take the letter you refer to, as written by myself, from his
studio. I never saw the parcel in the possession of any
ono before I saw it at the Pantheon. No one saw it there

till I shewed it to my brother ;I had opened the seals before
ho saw it. I had a residence at Twickenham, and went
there occasionally. I destroyed some of the prisoner's
letters on the 2d or 3d of August. I should think more than
half a dozen. The only two I have are those which have
been produced. I was the first person who spoke respcting
the return of my letters. No one, on my part, knew of my
engagement to the prisoner. The engagement I allude to
is that of marriage. The correspondence between us was
always friendly and affectionate. The letters I wrote were,
in general, in answer to his. I cannot tell how many letters
I wrote, but I am certain it was more than the number
mentioned in the indictment—viz., 63.
Mr. Keene—Your name is Frederica?
Witness—Yes.

Mr. Keene—You called yourself his Colomba ?

Witness—Yes.
Mr. Keene—That means a dove ?

Witness—Sometimes it means a pigeon. (Laughter.)
Mr. Keene—You said, didn't you, that a dove sat in a
jessamine bower. _ _ _ _

Witness—He said that and I admitted it,
Cross-examination continued--:-The prisoner was a great
deal in my company. He never told me he was compro-
mised before the world in consequence of his attachment
with me, or the people were talking about his getting
money from me. He never explained to me how I had in-
jured him or how I had made his life miserable.
Mr. Keene then called for the production of a letter
dated May 16, 1861, written by Miss Johnston to the pri-
soner—one of those taken by Tanner, the constable, at the
prisoner's house. It was handed to witness, who at once
admitted it was in her handwriting.
Mr. Keene—lt is written in Italian, and begins my
dearest friend, does it not ?

Witness—Yes.
Mr. Keene wished the letter read.
The learned judge thought at present that could not be
tone.

Cross• examination continued—The letter was written
fter the rejection of his picture by the Royal Academy.
Mr. Keene—Was not the prisoner then, in your estima-
ion, the most worthiest of men, and worthy of your love.

Witness—No, not of my love. The time I wrote that
letter my feelings for him, as he said he was unfortunate,
was of the warmest kind. I considered he had been dis-
appointed, and I wrote to him as I should have done to any
one in misfortune. You can put what construction you
like upon it, (Suppressed applause.)
Mr. Keene—Was it not a condition by the prisoner that
you should give him a written paper stating the reasons
why the letters wore given up ?

IVitness—No.
Mr. Keene—Nothing of the kind.
Witness—No, certainly not. Nothing of the kind,
Mr. Keene—Y ou did get some of your letters from the
prisoner.
Witness—Yes, when he was going to Italy. After he
had been absent some time and Italy was in a disturbed
state. I opened the letters as was my custom with other
written papers, and then destroyed them without the
slightest reserve or hesitation.
Re-examined by Mr. Chambers—The picture the pri-
soner was to paint was not confined to myself.
My sister was included in it, and also a little dog. My
sister accompanied me to the prisoner's studio. I most
certainly did not make up the brown parcel myself. I had
no motive to do so.

Mr. W. P. Campbell Johnstone, examined by Mr. l‘L

Chambers, Q.C.—I am brother and also trustee and
guardian to my sister Frederica. She showed me the par-
eel she had received from Collucci, and I wrote him a
letter demanding the return of the letters within two hours.

I received a letter from him in about two hours after stat-
ing that he had sent an answer to my sister. Subsequently
he said he would give up the letters when she required
them. I then wrote to him again demanding my

sister's letters. Having made some inquiries rela-
tive to the prisoner, I then put the whole
matter into the hands of my solicitor. A warrant was
obtained and placed in the hands of Sergeant Tanner.
I am certain no French gentleman in writing to a lady
would use certain expressions found in the prisoner's letters.
Sergt. Tanner, of the detective force, said—l went to the
prisoner's house to execute the warrant. The prisoner
appeared not to understand what I wanted. I explained it
to him. He then took me upstairs and gave me sixty-three
letters, and on being asked for the money he had received
from Miss Johnstone, he returned me an envelope contain-
ing sixteen £lOO notes, and when I asked him what he had
done with the other three he said he had expended them on
Miss Johnstone. He said he did not understand what was
being done, and ho further said, " I have never given Miss
Johnstone a parcel at all, upon my honour as a gentleman."
When the prisoner gave up the letters, he said Miss Johnson
had promised to do something for him, which he would not
mention, and, had she kept her word, he would have re-
turned her her letters, He took a seal from the prisoner
which corresponded with the wax impression on the brown
paper parcel,
This was the case for the prosecution-
Mr. Keene then proceeded to address the jury for the
defence.

The learned Judge having summed up the case,
The jury retired, and after an absence of five minutes,
returned into court with a verdict of guilty.

The Chief Baron having commented severely upon the
conduct of the prisoner, sentenced him to three years' penal
servitude.

THE KENTISIP,TOWN RAILWAY ACCIDENT._

Henry Raynor surrendered to an indictment charging
him with manslaughter,
Mr, Metcalf said, as the second grand jury had followed
the precedent of the grand jury of last session, and thrown
out the bill against the prisoner, he did not intend to offer
any evidence against the prisoner on the coroner's inquisi-
tion.
The jury returned a verdict of not guilty, and Rayner
was ordered to be discharged.

THIRD COURT.
THE CASE OF THE REV. 31R. HOLLOWAY.
An application was made to the Court to postpone the
trial of the Rev. Henry Holloway until next session.
After some consideration, the Court consented to the
request.

POLICE INTELIIGENCE:J( This Day,

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

ROBBERY AT A SOLICITOR'S.—Wm. Joseph Tillson
office-boy, in the employ of Mr. Edmund Brown Oldrave,
solicitor, 33, Bolsover-street, was charged before Mr. Beadon
with stealing some decanters and other articles the property
of his master.
It appears that the boy had been some tips in Mr. Old-
rave's employ, and had been treated with great kindness.
On the day previous, while passing through Carburton•
street, Mr. Oldrave saw some decanters, which he
nised as his property, at the door of a shop kept by a Mrs.
Stephenson, and on asking who she purchased them of she
said of a boy. Mr. Oldrave then looked in a cheffonier in
[ which the decanters, a teapot, and other articles, altogether
of the value of £l5, had been locked, and though Le found
' the cheffonier still locked, the whole of the contents were
gone. The boy, on being spoken to by Mr. Oldrave, said
he had sold two of the decanters for 9d.
The boy said there was sombody else in the house be-
sides him; there was a woman who used to get tipsy, and
sent him to Mr. Chapman's, the pawnbroker, with a silver
teapot and some other things, but they would not take them
in because he was so young.
Mr. Oldrave said a female and her husband had lived in
his house, and the female was addicted to drink, but she had
left full two months.
Mrs. Stephenson said sho bought the decanters, glasses,
and other articles for 4s, 2d.
Mr, Oldrave said they were worth 30s, He did not wish
the boy punished.
Mr. Beadon said he felt that the boy had been led into it
by a bad and miserable woman. He should require that
the boy's father enter into his recognisances in £2O for two
years that the boy should abstain from anything of the
kind, and be of good conduct.
Mr. Oldrave said he had heard that some of his property
was at the receiving-shops, The receivers were far worse
than the thieves,
Mr. Beadon said that was a very trite remark, but the
difficulty was in catching the receivers.
The boy was then given up to his father,