The Sun.
London, England, 1861-09-20 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLP)ENCE, Sept. 19.

SOUTHWARK.--THE CHARGE OF MAN-
SLAUGHTER AGAINST AN OMNIBUS CONDUCTOR.—
Benjamin Martin, a respectable-iookit g young man,
who was suffering from a severe injury to his right
leg, was brought into court and placed in a chair
by the side of the dock, for final examination,
charged with causing the death of Stephen Os-
borne,, an omnibus driver, by striking him and
throwing him off a Peckham omnibus, of which he
(prisoner) was the conductor.
Mr. W. Edwin appeared for the prisoner.
Mr. Lemuel Frederick Lettell, second committee
clerk to the corporation of London, said that on
Wednesday afternoon, the 4th inst., he was walk-
ing up the Old Kent-road towards his home at
Peckham-rye. About 20 minutes to five he saw an
omnibus coming towards him, and at the same time
the prisoner, who was acting as conductor, got on
the roof and jumped by the side of the driver, whom
he struck with his left hand. They then had a
scuffle together and fell off the vehicle.
Y. r. Burcham asked whether the driver closed
with the prisoner.
Witness replied that he could not see, it was so
instantaneous. When they fell off the wheels passed
over both. Witness ran to the spot, anc the pri-
soner got up, but the driver was apparently dead,
and he followed him into a surgeon's close by.
Witness, previous to that, said to the prisoner,
You have made a pretty mess of it by striking
the man." The prisoner replied, " I did not strike
him." Witness said, " You blackguard, you did,
as I saw you." The prisoner then said that the
deceased had been at it all the way up. Witness
took the prisoner's number and left him.
In cross-examination by Mr. Edwin, he said the
blow he saw struck was not a violent one.

Thomas Henry Rees, manufacturing chemist, re-
siding in Dennett's-road, Hatcham, said that on
the afternoon in question he got into the prisoner's
omnibus at the Montague Arms,. Queen's-road,
Peckham. The deceased was acting as conductor
then, and the prisoner as driver. At Mr. Martin's
public-house they changed places and went on
towards London, but all along they were disputing
with each other. When they got to the Shard Arms
in the Old Kent-road they stopped and the prisoner
went into a cigar shop. The driver went on then,
and the prisoner when he came out of the shop ran
after the omnibus and got on the steps. Tne dis.
puting continued, and another omnibus passed them
at the Nelson. The prisoner then directed the
deceased to follow. He did not do so, and they had
more words together. He heard the prisoner call
At to the driver " What's that you say ?" and at
the same moment he saw the conductor get on the
top of the vehicle. Witness looked out of the win-
dow and saw them both fall off the roof and the
wheels pass over them. Witness immediately got
out of the omnibus and saw the driver lying on tl e
ground apparently dead, but the prisoner jumped
up and got on his omnibus. Witness followed him
and saw that he was injured severely, when he was
conveyed to his lodgings by the police.
Edward Lloyd, house decorator, Montpelier road,
Peckham, said he was walking along the Old Kent-
road towards home on the afternoon in question
when he saw an omnibus coming towards him, and
two men were on the driver's box struggling
together, and they fell, the wheels of the vehicle
passing over both. He ran up and saw the deceased
driver lying on the ground apparently dead, and
the prisoner said, " We had a scuffle for the reins,
and we both fell off." After the driver was con-
veyed to a surgeon's he, perceived that the prisoner
had received serious injuries to his right leg and
thigh, and he was carried home.

William Bailey, horse keeper, said he was riding
outside the omnibus from Peckham, and during the
journey he heard the prisoner say that the driver
morewa s du
m.
onk,
ney and h
.w.theant he did
they
got not
a swfaanrt
at earn
thee r anyord
Nelson, Mr. Austin's omnibus passed them, and they
followed. The prisoner called out to the deceased,
" Don't follow that man, as his time is rig ht u p "
The deceased took no notice of it, but went m; ,
when the prisoner got on the roof and attempted to
take the reins from him, when they both fell to the
ground, and the off wheels passed over them. Wit-
ness did not see the prisoner strike a blow.
Mr. Isaac Morris, acting house surgeon at Guy's
Hospital, said he recollected Stephen Osborne being
brought in about five on Wednesday afternoon, the
4th instant, He was then dead. Witness made a
post mortem examination on the following day, and
found the right cheek bone broken. The right
collar bone was fractured, as well as the ten upper
ribs on the right side, and seven upper ribs on the
left side. The liver was torn completely asunder.
In cross-examination, he said that all these in-
juries were caused by the fall and the omnibus
passing over him.
Joshua Thomas, 259 M, said he was on duty in
the Old Kent-road on the afternoon in question,
when he was called into the surgery of Dr. Palmer,
where he saw the deceased Stephen Osborne. At
the request of the doctor he conveyed him to Guy's
Hospital, and he expired directly they got there.
Witness afterwards went to the prisoner's lodgings,
and found him in bed, attended by a surgeon, suf-
fering from a fractured leg. He told him that he
must consider himself in custody, when the pri-
soner said," How is Osborne?" Witness told him
he was dead. The prisoner seemed much affected
at hearing that, and said it was an accident; they
had a scuffle for the reins and fell off.
This being the case for the prosecution,
Mr. Burcham committed the prisoner for trial
for the manslaughter of Stephen Osborne.
Mr. Edwin asked his worship to accept bail. His
client was a respectable young man and required
great medical care.
Mr. Burcham accepted bail, and the prisoner was
assisted out of court by his friends.

SWINDLING TRANSACTIONS IN THE QUEEN'S
PRISON.—In the course of the day a genteel-looking
female waited on his worship for advice under the
following circumstances :—She said that about f
fortnight ago she saw an advertisement in some of
the newspapers, headed "Employment at your own
Homes," offering to any person sending a directed
and stamped envelope to a certain address the
means of obtaining a livelihood with ease and own-

fort. Being in want of employment, she forwarded
the directed and stamped envelope, and received the
following letter :

" Belvidere-place, Southwark, 6-9, 1861.
"Madam,—The home employment will pay you 2s. 6d.
per hour (Permanently) for as long every day as you en gage
in it, and you can employ as many hands as you please.
It is so easily effected that children cannot err unless -wil-
fully. For the apparatus (small), and the mate, ials, also
their carriage, you will have nothing to pay, and you will
be paid by me for your work weekly. Owing to the great
beauty of the designs, a quality they must possess for me
to retain the unexampled success of my patent, I am paying
fourfold the sum agreed on, aid therefore those whom with
yourself 1 have selected to engage must each repay me 36
postage stamps towards the extra cost, and should you do so
I will send you specimens, instructions, diagrams, Sze., and
wait your determination.
" I am, Madam, yours most respectfully,
" P.S. For each 2s 6d. you get I shall receive much more,
I being the inventor and having been at a great outlay, such
is my due. Notice particularly the end of the coffee cir-
cular."

The magistrate was here informed that Belvie3ore-
place was in the Southwark-bridge-road and oppo-
site the Queen's Prison. The writer was an inmate
of that prison, and had for some years obtained
money from the unwary by similar practices. L sat
year several poor people complained to the magis-
trates of his conduct, and for a time his evil practices
were put a stop to. Advertisements were inserted
almost every day by bim, and it was understood
that victims poured in wholesale.
The magistrate asked the applicant whether she
had sent the postage stamps to him ?

She replied that she had some time ago, but n ever
receiving any answer she went to Belvidere-pl .ace,
Southwark. and then found t hat all letters add re,4 sed
to him went to him in the Queen's Prison. She ac-
cordingly proceeded there, and had an intei"c iew
with him, when he treated her in a most ins o lent
manner, and not only refused to return her pot vtage
stamps, but refused to give her any equivalent. She
consequently spoke to the authorities of the pr i son,
who recommended her to come to his worship , and
state the facts, with the view of the matter t
made public through the newspapers, so that a ;stop
may be put to his swindling transactions.
The Magistrate said he had do doubt that the
reporters would take notice of her application, ell it
was necessary that the public should be put on tJ'ieir
guard against those advertising adventurers.
Applicant thanked his worship and wit hdre,N
A foreign system of swindling has also been ori-
ginated in the same prison by a Frenchman. He
and his companions have been advertising in the
French newspapers for directors of an English C 4 sm-
pany forming in London. A handsome salar3 is
guaranteed, and all applications must be made: to
him at Belvidere-place, Southwark. These letters
have been taken to the post-office in the Queen's
Prison, where they have been claimed by him,, he
telling the post-office keeper that they had 11 een
misdirected for him. Two gentlemen called on the
magistrate, one of whom could not speak EngLish.
The one that could, said that his friend had 13, ?en
induced to come from France through the represen-
tations of this person. Hundreds of commun. Ica-
tions reach this man weekly, and most likely some
of them contain remittances.