The Sun.
London, England, 1859-02-16 00:00:00

plaintiff's dismissal by Gen. Peel (in the letter of receive letters ,from the prisoners' victims; from all
30th Juno), and said he could not understand how parts of the I. baited Kingdom.
Gen. Peel could have signed that order. His lord- Mr. Simps on was called, and. proved that he
ship referred to the proceedings which in ancient knew the two mon, Read and Thompson, in Jan.
times were supposed to take place in inferis, where 1854. At tha t tune they carried on business in the
the judge castigatque anditque dolos ; but in so low Caledonian-ror us oilmen. They owed him some
a tone as to be at times quite inaudible. As we money, but h e could never get it. They passed
understood his lordship, he drew a comparison be- there as broth era.
tween the proceedings below and those in the War- Mr. Inspec toi • Whicher said he had received
office, rather in favour of the latter and exculpated several lettefs, cc ,mplaining not only of the com-
Gen. Peel from the imputation of deciding against pany represented by the prisoners, but of numerous
the plaintiff without investigation, at the same time others.
time that his lordship expressed his regret that Mr. Corrie—Al id so have I.
such affairs should be proceeded with in a manner Mr. Whicher (continued)--The names of the
to incur such risks. It was to be regretted that other companies complained of are the St. James's
the plaintiff could not have been tried by a court- Advance Fund, Z. 1, St. James's-street, London.
martial, where, from his lordship's own experience Mr. Corrie-1 'e the prisoners connected with
while at the bar, he was able to say justice was that society ?
fairly and satisfactorily Administered. But, where Mr. Inspector Whicher—No ; the others are the
a court-martial could not be held, it seemed that Commercial Lot in Association, 9, Worcester-street,
there was no mode of proceeding where justice S., London ; th' General Loan and Discount Com-
could be satisfactorily administered. Great coin- pany, Gordon-s ,t reet, W. London ; and the Metro-
plaints had been made of the mode in which the politan and Pro vincial dredit Company, 2, Arthur-
inquiry at the War-office had been conducted, and street, Oxford!-t ;treet, London. He thought the
he (Lord Campbell) must say that it would have beot plan for t 3 provincial papers to adopt would
been more proper if Lord Wilton, who was in be, when they—receive the advertisments, to refer
fact the accuser, had attended. His lordship made to their London agents, for it appeared that when
some observations on the non-publication of the they im,crted t advertisements they did not get
report of that board, and proceeded to con- their *money. (A laugh.) The prisoner Smith had
demo the private interviews which had taken been convicted of stealing a copper. When the
place between Lord Wilton and Lord Combermere. prisoners were a; nprehended in Tavistock -place there
That was what a common law judge in this country could be no dou. bt that they intended to start a fresh
would spurn instantly; though in foreign countries company, for he found a number of new circulars,
such practices as soliciting the judges prevailed. and two impress ions in wax, of seals, engraved-
These private interviews between Lord Wilton and g, Tavistock Adva. Ice Company," and " Tavistock
Lord Combermere were to be regretted, because Advance Investmien t Company, 22, Tavistock-place,
Lord Wilton was the accuser, and Colonel Dickson Russell-square, Lone, 'on, W.C. '
was the accused, and the judge ought not to have Several other charE ;es having been proved,
heard the one except in the presence of the other. Inspector Whiche) e said when the prisoners were
It was to be regretted that Lord Combermere and taken into custody ht asked the female what she
' the 'War-office did not regulate their proceedings had done with the MC niey she had received from the
according to the proceedings which took place in Post-office, when she ) node no reply. He then re-
courts of law. The jury, however, must not allow peated the question, a nd she said something to the
their minds to be prejudiced by the constitution of prisoner Thompson, which he could not hear-
the regimental board, or by the conduct of the board Thompson then said the party who had got the
of inquiry at the War-office ; but the question which money had gone out, ant d God knows where he had
they would have to decide was, whether, looking, at got to by that time. 'F he prisoner Read called the
all the circumstances of the case, the defendant female prisoner his sun_ t several times.
(Lord Wilton) from other motives than a sense of Sergeant Devitt, 22said he had had the pri--
duty, wrote the letters of the 26th of May and the soners Read and Thomi ),Ron in custody in May, 1855,
24th of July. If in writing them Lord Wilton was on a charge of obtaininA- a quantity of sulphate of
actuated only by a sense of duty, he was entitled to barytes by false preter twes, of the value of about
a verdict ; but if, without having anypersonal spite £24, from Mr. T. and I Stevens, of Matlock,
is
against Colonel Dickson he was actuated by a feel- Derbyshire, when they w ere sentenced to 12 months
ing of irritation, and a wish to have the plaintiff hard labour. They then i passed as brothers.
removed from the regiment, or in weakness surren- Mr. Lewis, jun., an, a Mr. Wakeling at some
dered himself to the adjutant, Captain Foley, who length addressed the mag. istrate for their respective
framed the indictment against the plaintiff, he was clients, and contended t hat there was no cafe
answerable for what he had done from other mo- against Thompson and the woman.
tives than a sense of duty, and the jury ought to Mr. Corrie discharged St nith, and committed the
find a verdict for the plaintiff. His Lordship said other prisoners for trial. .He would, however, re
the next question was whether the plea of justifica- mand them for a week.
tion was substantially proved, for, if it was, that Mr. Inspector Whicher said he thought he should
was an answer to the action, and the jury must find be prepared with further evidence against Thom?'
their verdict for the defendant. His Lordship then son.
went through the various charges seriatim, and Mr. Corrie refused bail.
said it was for the jury to say whether or not they
were proved. His Lordship said the jury must find
all the charges proved in each plea before they
could find a verdict for the defendant on the several
pleas of justification, but if they found any of the
charges proved, that ought to weigh in mitigation
of damages.
The jury retired to consider their verdict, and
were twice called back in consequence of some dis-
satisfaction expressed by the counsel of the de-
fendant with his Lordship's ruling in point of law,
and they were directed to find their verdict on each
issue separately.
After an absence of about two hours the jury
returned into court, and found for the plaintiff on
all the issues, negativing the defendant's bona fides
and pleas of justification, and assessing 2001. as
damages for the slander, and Si. for the libels. -
The court and avenues were densely crowded
throughout the trial, and when the verdict was
given some applause burst from the friends of the
plaintiff, which was immediately checked by the
officers of the court. But as soon as the audience
had reached the outside of the court, they, and a
crowd which had assembled, uttered shouts of
triumph as the plaintiff got into a cab and drove
away.
T- I

THAMES.—John Purcell, a tall sun-burnt Irish"
man, who has been a police-constable in Australia,
and only returned to this country on Monday, Wt
charged with being drunk and incapable of taking
care of himself and his money, and also with refug'
ing to pay a cab fare.
George Turner, a cab-driver, said he was hoed
by the prisoner to take him to the East luau'
Docks, and his fare came to 9s.
Mr. Yardley—Nine shillings ; how is that ?
Turner—Two shillings was my fare for taking
him and another man to the East India Docks'
and then I charge 7s. for waiting three hours and
a half. The prisoner and his friend drank a gool
deal of liquor, and I was obliged to drive him aro
his friend to the station-house.
Mr. Yardley asked the prisoner if he was willing
to pay the cab-driver.
The prisoner—Yes, sir. lam much obliged t°
him for the care he has taken of me and my mone,:,'
I was appointed to the police force which left tin;
country for Australia a few years ago, and ha,'
only just returned.
Mr. Yardley—l perceive by the police-sheet yl
had a large sum (xso) about you, and that is
safe. You ought to give the cabman someth inb
for his loss of time.
The prisoner said he was most willing to do 0...°1
and hoped the magistrate would at once relcar
him, as he wanted to leave London for Dut i/n%
this day. a
Mr. Yardley—Very well ; pay the cabman, Xll
go where you please.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE, Feb. 15.

BOW-STREET.--Two dissipated-lookieg women
were charged with stealing wearing apparel under
the following circumstances :--
The elder prisoner, Mary Ann Stratford, was in
the habit of dressing herself in such a way as to
induce the belief that she was far advanced in preg-
nancy. In. this disguise she presented herself at
the residence of several medical men, and, assuming
a languid air, solicited charity, or a recommenda-
tion to some hospital, and during the absence of
the servant from the hall, contrived to possess her-
self of any portable articles that might be hanging
there, and then disappeared. In this way she stole
a coat from the house of Dr. Morgan, in Charlotte-
street, Fitzroy-square. The second prisoner, Mary
Maxwell, was usually employed to pledge the
articles thus stolen, and at once pleaded guilty on
being placed at the bar, stating that she was
" given to drink," and " did not know what she
was about half the time." Two separate cases
having been proved,
The prisoner Stratford, while admitting her
guilt in one case, strongly protested that she was
innocent of the charge preferred against her by Dr.
Morgan. She called Heaven to witness that the
doctor was mistaken as to her identity, adding
that "she did not want more put upon her than
she was, guilty of." She declared that she never
entered the doctor's house in her life.
Dr. Morgan—l am certain this was the woman
(pointing to Stratford, an extremely slender female)
who said she was nine months gone. (A laugh.)

The prisoner protested, how-ever, that she Was
innocent, and implored the magistrate to send for
the real woman, who lodged in the same house, and
who was very near her confinement. (This was
done, but no such person could be found, or had
ever lived there).
His worship committed both the prisoners to six
months' hard labour.

WORSHIP-STREET.—Edward Driscoll, 25,
well known as an associate of skittle sharpers, was
charged before Mr. D'Eyncourt with stealing four
sovereigns, the moneys of Richard Neale, a young
man residing at Heckford, near Reepham, m the
county of Norfolk.
The prosecutor said—l came from home on Sa-
turday last with this carpet bag, and a trifle more
than four pounds in gold. Well, this morning,
about 10 o'clock, while passing along Sun-street,
Bishopsgate-street, I met a respectable-looking old
gentleman, wearing a long black coat. He got into
conversation with me, and said as how he was a,
cattle dealer, but to my mind he was like a parson-
ranter. He asked me to have a sup of beer, and we
went into a public house handy ; then a young man
came in, a stranger to botlf'bf us, but somehow the
old gentleman and he got chatting, and it was pro-
posed between them that one should try to throw
a 141 b. weight 35 yards for a wager of mutton
chops, wine, and cigars. They asked me to go and
see all fair, and we went to the Three Loggerheads,
near to Shoreditch' church. On entering the
skittle ground, I for the first time saw the prisoner,
and after a short game, in which he played very
badly with another person, he offered to wager a
£5 note against four sovereigns that he would
knock the skittles down in a certain number of
throws, but I now forget how many. Well, the
money was posted on one of the seats, but without
even attempting to throw, he suddenly snatched
all of it up and ran out. I only turned to secure
my carpet bag, and then following, caught him
about 50 yards from the house, and took him back,
but when a police officer came, only ls. 7d. was
found upon him.
Mr. D'.Eyncourt—What is your business iu Lon-
don ?

Prosecutor—l came to look for a situation, if I
could find one, in the police. I can soon send for
my character, if you want it.
Mr. D'Eyncourt—Now, listen to me. I have
determined upon sending this man before a jury,
and I am also determined that you shall prosecute
him. Not only the money you have been robbed
of, but perhaps more than six times the amount,
may be offered for you not to appear against him,
but you must do so. We are well acquainted with
these tricks of sharpers, and several of the rogues
have escaped in consequence of their victims being
tampered with during a remand. lam resolved to
put a stop to this, by holding the complaining par-
ties bound over in heavy recognisances to attend
the trial. Every endeavour will be made to appre-
hend the accomplices of the prisoner. The police-
constable must not allow you to go away, and you
will now enter into a solemn obligation to attend
here when required, and also at the sessions.
The prosecutor was then bound over in his own
recognisances of £lOO.

CLERKENWELL.--John Morris Read, alias
John Campbell, Samuel Thompson, Ann Thompson,
alias Barnett, and Thomas Smith (the latter of
whom has been convicted of stealing a copper),
who have lately been carrying on business as the
Mercantile Loan Fund Association, 2, Weymouth-
terrace, New North-road, London, were brought up
on remand, charged with conspiracy to defraud.
The particulars of the former examinations have
already appeared in this journal. So extensive has
been the business carried on by the prisoners, that
although the case has been remanded for a fort-
night, both Mr. Corrie and Inspector % hither
(who has charge of the case) continue daily to