The Sun.
London, England, 1861-07-15 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE-July 13.

GUILDHALL.—CLEVER CAPTURE OF DR.
JONES BY THE CITY POLICE.—David Griffith
Jones, a diminutive, spare man, with a profusion of
beard and moustache, described as a surgeon, of
43, Woburn-place, was placed at the bar, before
Mr. Alderman Hale, charged with feloniously forg-
ing and uttering a certain document which pur-
ported to be the last will and testament of Sophia

Bellis.
Mr. Giffard, instructed by Messrs. Humphreys,
Son, and Morgan, acting for the Solicitor to the
Treasury, conducted the prosecution, which was
directed by the Attorney-General.
Mr. Giffard said—l appear before you to-day, sir,
to proceed against the prisoner at the bar, under the
order of her Majesty's Attorney-General upon
charges of forgery and perjury. I do not, however,
intend to go into the whole of the details on the
present occasion, as my object is merely to adduce
sufficient evidence for the purpose of a remand. The
first charge will be for forging and uttering the will
of Sophia Bellis, on or about the 14th Feb , 1861,
which he sought to prove a few days ago, when
the jury refused to believe his evidence and inter-
posed, the result of which was, that probate was
refused. I shall show that the person whose will
this document is alleged to be, was, at the time,
totally unable to make a will, and physically in-
capable of signing it, and also that the signature
has been shown to her banker's, who declare it is
not her handwriting. I now propose to give the
officer's statement of the circumstances under which
he succeeded in effecting the prisoner's apprehen-
sion, and to adduce proof of the order of the Attor-
ney-General for this prosecution, and then I shall
ask for a remand.
Sergeant Henry Webb, of the City Detective
Corps, said—About a quarter-past eleven o'clock
to-day I was in Woburn-place, with Bull, another
City detective officer, when I saw a cab drive up
to Dr. Jones' house, at 43. After watching it for
some time, I saw a gentleman come out of the
house and get into the cab. He waited there about
six minutes, when the door of the house was sud-
denly opened and Dr, Jones and his assistant
rushed out and immediately took their places—Dr.
Jones by the side of the gentleman inside the cab,
and the assistant, who was carrying a large carpet
bag and a small paper parcel, on the box. The cab
then turned round, and had proceeded about ten
yards in the opposite direction to Russell-square,
when I stopped the driver and tried to open the
cab door, upon which the assistant struck at me. I
told him I was an officer, but he said he did not
" care a —." He then jumped down to prevent my
getting into the cab, but Bull came to my assist-
ance and pushed him away, and drew his staff, and
at the same, time told him we were both police offi-
cers. I then opened the cab door and asked for Dr.
Jones, and he replied to me. I told him I must take
him into custody for forging and Littering a docu-
ment purporting to be the will of the late Sophia
Bellis, and he said, "It is all nonsense. You have
no right to take me into custody, as I am entitled
to all the money under the will, and no one can
keep me from it." He then wished me to send for
Mr. Sleigh, and Mr. Fitch, his solicitor, after
which he said, " Cannot this matter be settled P
You know there are such things done as you to re-
ceive something and let me go." I took possession
of this carpet bag and parcel, and conveyed the
prisoner to Fleet-street station, where he was
searched.
George Hook Rodman, a clerk in the principal
registry of the Court of Probate, said—l produce
the alleged original will of Sophia Bellis.
Mr. C. Octavius Humphreys said—l am the soli-
citor for the prosecution acting in the matter for
the Solicitor to the Treasury. I have exhibited the
will produced to five persons in the banking esta-
blishment where I understand the late Sophia Bellis
banked. It was at the Argyll-street branch of the
Union Bank of London, and if the prisoners be re-
manded I believe I shall be able to adduce evidence
to show that the signature to this will is not in the
handwriting of the late Sophia Bellis.
Mr. Giffard—l now ask for a remand, sir.
Mr. Sleigh—Although I oppose an adjournment,
I 'do n& wish it to go forth to the public that
I do so for the purpose of avoiding investiga-
tion. (In the contrary, my client courts the
strictest inquiry, but I feel it my duty to oppose
a remand unless upon evidence more pertinent to
the serious charges at issue. It appears to me
a gross hardship upon my client to deprive him
of his liberty upon evidence of merely a hearsay
character, and as those conducting this prosecu-
tion could, if they had thought fit, have brought
forward the bank's clerks, I think it would
be unjust to Dr. Jones to call on him, in their ab-
sence, to find bail for his reappearance.
Mr. Giffard—l beg your pardon, Mr. Sleigh; no
one has called on him to find bail, and you will find
it something worse before the case is finished.
Mr. Sleigh—The only point for the magistrate's
consideration is that of the sufficiency of evidence
to establish even a prima facie case for a remand.
Now, there is no such evidence before the court,
and I am in a position to prove that the will was
duly executed, and I have the attesting witnesses
present for that purpose. There is nota tittle of
evidence in support of the charge of perjury or for-
gery, .and although you have the power to remand,
which even the Secretary of State cannot interfere
with, I respectfully submit that there is nothing
to justify such a course, and I trust you will not
detain this gentleman in oustody.
Alderman Hale—You have made an eloquent
speech, Mr. Sleigh, and, although I am always ex-
ceedingly pleased to hear yon, your arguments have
failed to convince me that I ought to liberate the
prisoner at the bar. It is my determination to re-
mand him, and I may further inform you that I
have not the slightest intention of taking bail for
him.

Mr. Sleigh—l have not made the application yet,
sir, but surely, if I give you responsible bail, there
can be no objection, as the law only requires the
re-appearance of a person remanded on any charge.
Alderman Hale—l will remand the prisoner for
an early day, but I must decline to accept bail at
present.
After some further discussion, the prisoner was
remanded until Monday.

WORSHIP-STREET.—A REMARKABLE CASE
OF AFFILIATION.—AIfred Wm. Pullen, solicitor,
residing at 17, Hydes-place, New North-road, and
apparently about 50 years of age, attended before
Mr. Leigh on a summons obtained against him by
Eliza Harrison, a singularly pretty and modest-
featured girl, of 17, to show cause why he should
not be adjudged the father of an infant son.
Mr. John Edward Palmer, barrister, instructed
by Mr. W. Metcalf, of Tokenhouse-yard, defended,
and Mr. W. Heritage supported the complaint.
He said the girl's father had some time past gone
abroad, and her step-mother, previously well ac-
quainted with defendant, took apartments in his
house, he promising to look after the daughter's
welfare and well doing. This occurred three years
since. In September last it was discovered that
the young creature was 'ow/ante, and in conse-
quence of tt hat she then stated her step-mother
gave up the lodging, and sent her to Gravesend.
The accouchement occurred in December following,
and the child wag consequently seven months old.
The Court, upon the evidence that would be ad-
duced, must decide whether Mr. Pullen was liable
or otherwise.
Complainant then upon oath described the al-
leged intimacies, which from her statement always
occurred when defendant's wife and complainant's
mother were out together or separately, and the
children sent from home. He never gave her any
presents or met her out privately. On one occasion
herself and mother went with him to the theatre,
but she was kept excessively close, and seldom left
home. Had no acquaintance of the other sex whom
she saw out of doors, and always slept with her
mother.
Complainant was then subjected to a cross-ex-
amination that lasted ono hour and a half; in
the course of which it was attempted to be elicited
that she had grossly misconducted herself, that she
but explained that on one
had been charged by her mother with stealing
mother's gloves in gloves and other trifling articles, all of which she
occasiondenied she
et
addi gtiiltaknetnlyh-,er
pre-
ference to her own.
Mr. Heritage observed that to make these foul
aspersions upon the young girl's character was
disgraceful in a cross-examination; it had not any-
thing to do with the matter before the Court.
Mr. Palmer contended that he had a right to
test her truthfulness.
Mrs. glinbeth Hudson was then sworn, and