The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-04 00:00:00

IN RE MASON.

This bankrupt was described as of Bryan-street, Caledo-
nian-road, wholesale stationer, and to-day was appointed
for choice of assignees.
Mr. Buchanan, of Basinghall-street, appeared for the
petitioning creditor, and was appointed solicitor .to the
estate.
The debts are about £2,800, and the assets £6OO.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT. (This Day.)

OLD COURT.
(Before the Recorder.)
STEALING A POST-OFFICE ORDER.

James Jukes, a recruit in the Royal Horse Artillery,
was indicted fo; stealing a Post-office order for the payment
of 10s., the property of John Himes. The prisoner was
also indicted with forging the name of the prosecutor. He
pleaded not guilty.
John Himes said—l am in the Royal Artillery. The pri-
soner is a recruit. He occupied part of the same room.
My sergeant, on the 21st December, read a letter for me,
which I had that morning received by post. It contained
an order for 10s. The prisoner heard the contents of the
letter. I went out to drill, but before doing so I put the
letter under my bed. When I returned I found the letter
had been stolen, and shortly afterwards I met the prisoner
returning to the barracks from the direction of the Post-
office. Suspicion fell upon the prisoner, and he was given
into custody.

Mr. Woodley, a clerk in the Post-office at Woolwich,
said—On the 21st of December a Post-office order was
brought for the payment of 10s. I paid it. The prisoner,
to the best of my belief, is the person who presented the
order. I made no particular remarks to the prisoner at the
time, but when he was brought back to the Post-office, a
short time after he had received the money, I recognised
him directly. The order he brought bore the signature of
" John llimes." I have no doubt the prisoner is the
man, but I will not swear positively as to his identity.
Sergeant Taylor, of the Royal Horse Artillery, said—l
read the latter containing the money-order. The prisoner
was very near at the time. Suspicion fell upon him, and
he was taken before the commanding officer, but he declared
he knew nothing about it.

The prisoner, who was undefended, said he knew nothing
of the robbery. Two other soldiers were in the room at the
time the prosecutor put the letter under his bed.
The Recorder re-called Himes, and asked who was pre-
sent besides the prisoner when he put the letter under his
bed, and he replied nobody.
The jury, after a short deliberation, returned a verdict of
guilty.
The Recorder, before passing sentence, asked the ser-
geant how long the prisoner had been in the regiment ?
The Sergeant said he had only enlisted a short time. On
doing so he gave the name of Long. It had since been
ascertained that his name was Jukes, and that he had re-
ceived a blank discharge from the regiment a few months
ago.
The Recorder said the prisoner had been convicted of a
very seri4s offence, which was aggravated by the fact that
the pers9n robbed was a comrade in the same mess and in
the sade room. The learned gentlemen then sentenced
him to be imprisoned and kept to hard labour for fifteen
months.
William Sullivan, 35, labourer was indicted with forging
and uttering an order for the payment of 10s. with intent
to defraud.
From the evidence it appeared that the prisoner, in the
month of December last, entered the prosecutor's office, who
is a wharfinger on the Surrey side of the water, and pre-
sented an order, bearing the name of Walsh, for the pay-
men of 10s. He represented he had been employed by the
foreman to work for the prosecutor, and the sum demanded
was for wages. The prosecutor's foreman said the prisoner
was never employed by him, and amongst the hands em-
ployed there was no person of the name of Walsh.
The jury without hesitation found the prisoner guilty,
and he was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment with
hard labour.

NEW COURT.
(Before the Common Sergeant.)
_ _

The Court was occupied the whole of the morning in
disposing of Mint prosecutions, none of which possessed the
slightest interest.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.-(TIIIS DAY.