The Sun.
London, England, 1857-10-06 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—Oct. 5.

BOW-STREET. —A charge of a somewhat novel
character was preferred against a person of lady-
like appearance and manners, described in the sum-
mons as Elizabeth Farrel, otherwise Mrs. Billings,
who was summoned for forging the signature of
Emily Leach to a telegraphic message.
Mr. Sleigh attended for the defendant, who said
her name was Elizabeth Billings, and pleaded not
guilty.
Mr. H. M. Wilkins, clerk in the secretaries'-
office of the Electric Telegraph Company in the
Strand, produced the original message, which bore
date Sept. 20, and was as follows :—" Return by
first train ; your mother is dangerously ill." The
word "dying" had been written but scratched out.
Mr. Wilkins observed that it was only in obedience
to the magistrate's order that he produced the mes-
sa cra, as the rules of the office did not permit him
to'-'do so without such an order. _ .

Mr. Jardine said it wasavery proper regulation,
but must be (mauled by the magistrate's order in
criminal cases.

Mrs. Leach, the complainant was then sworn. I
The message produced was not in her handwriting,
nor had it been signed by her authority. Both the ,
body of the document and the signature were in
the handwriting of the defendant. It was addressed
to witness's brother, Mr. Wm. Thos. Billings, at
Yarmouth. He was staying at Yarmouth at that
time. He was a surgeon. His mother was in per-
fect health.
Mr. Sleigh—But it is not signed " Emily Leach;
it is Elizabeth
Complainant—lt is "El. Leach."
Mr. Sleigh—Have you been on any terms of in-
timacy with her ?
Complainant—Oh, dear, no I have known her
about a twelvemonth.
Mr. Sleigh—Has she not been frequently at your
house—your mother's house ?
Complainant—Not frequently. She has been
there. She was under my brother's protection.
Mr. Sleigh—Did she not live with him as his
wife?

Complainant—No, sir.
Mr. Sleigh—Did he not take her with him as his
wife I

Complainant—Not with him. She followed him.
She is not his wife. She has been in keeping 14
years with a foreign gentleman.
Mr. Sleigh—Has he not to your knowledge pro.:
raised her marriage ?
Complainant—Not to my knowledge. I have a
letter here will show her character.

Mr. Sleigh—lt is not to your creditto show such
feeling towards one of your own sex • but I hope
you don't know all the infamous treatment she has
received. Sir, my client is a lady by birth and edu-
cation, whom the complainant's brother induced to
go abroad with him and passed her as his wife. He
then deserted her in a foreign country, and left her
to find her way home as she might. Now, sir, this
is a family dispute ; for where a man seduces a wo-
man under a promise of marriage, I consider she is
his wife in the sight of God, if not of the law. Now,
under these circumstances, supposing they had
proved to your satisfaction all that is alleged, can
it be said that to resort to such an expedient to ob-
tain an interview is a forgery. The essence of the
forgery is the intent to defraud ; and I think if you
apply your mind to that point you will not say that
any such felonious intent is shown. I defy any one
to search all the books and produce anything like a
parallel case. It would lead to most fearful abuse
if such a precedent were established. We should
have persons punished for sending valentines in a
false name, if it came to that.
Mr. Jardine-, Whether it is a forgery at common
law is very doubtful, but it cannot for a moment be
spoken of but as a very serious offence in some way
or other. It is as gross a fraud as we can well con-
ceive.
Mr. Sleigh—Of course, sir, it is not to be justi-
fied. But lam prepared, if necessary, to produce
evidence which will disabuse your mind of any im-
pression that there has been anything like moral
turpitude on the part of the defendant. She may be
sued for any expenses the parties may have been put
to, though !believe the fact is that he did not come,
and nobody was put to any inconvenience. Bat as
for there being a case for a criminal charge, it is
out of the question.
Mr. Jardine—l think you are right there. The
technical definition of forgery involves the intention
to deceive and defraud. Here is the intention to
deceive for the purpose of bringing him to town,
but that does not amount to defrauding him. Still
I would caution her not to attempt such a thing
again.
Mr. Sleigh—Shit will certainly not do so again.
Mrs. Leach here expressed a. desire to read a let-
ter, which she said would throw some light on de-
fendant's character.
Mr. Sleigh—These people have used my client
most shamefully, and I am driven to say that Mr.
Billings brought her to his own mother's house and
introduced her there as his wife.
The summons was then dismissed.
Mr. E. A. Bennett, of Charing-cross Hospital,
attended to explain an error which he said must
have arisen either from an error in the statement
he made at this court a few days back in reference
to the case of Ellen Harvey, or from an inaccuracy
in the report. He did not say, or at all events did
not intend to say, that it was 1 o'clock when the
girl was brought to the hospital, but 11 o'clock, as
correctly stated by Mr. Sprague.
[Mr. Bennett certainly did say one o'clock.]
In the course of the day the girl was again
brought up, when her mother attended, and stated
that she had been decoyed from her home by a
brothel-keeper in Eagle-court, who was constantly
seeking to regain her control over her. If the ma-
gistrate would send an officer to caution this woman
against any further interference, she (the mother)
would undertake the charge of the defendant.
Mr. Jesdine accordingly sent an officer to caution
the woman, and the prisoner was given up to her
mother.

WORSHIP-STREET. EXTRAORDINARY AP.
PLICAT —Mr. Tindal Atkinson, the barrister,
accompanied by a gentleman from the office of
Messrs. Crowder and Maynard, solicitors to the
Eastern Counties Railway Company, made the fol-
lowing application to Mr. Hammill, the sitting
magistrate :
The learned gentleman said he was instructed on
behalf of the directors of the railway company to
apply to the magistrate under their act of incorpora-
tion for summary process against Mr. Henry Hunt,
of Waltham-cross, Essex, for havingunlawfully used
and worked upon a portion of their line a certain lo-
comotiveengine, withouthaving previously obtained
the sanction and approval of the engineer or agent
of the company, whereby he had rendered himself I
liable to a penalty of 201. It was scarcely neces-
sary, he said, to offer any representations with re-
gard to the scrupulous precision and constant vigi-
lance reouired in regulating the time and conduct-
ing the whole of the delicate machinery connected
with railway travelling ; but it was quite manifest
that all the exertions of the officials to accomplish
that object would be utterly neutralised if a private
individual were suffered to place an engine upon
the line on his own account, without the know-
ledge or sanction of the company, and in total dis-
regard of their established arrangements for the
pub'ic safety. In reference to the particular offence
which formed the subject of complaint, he should
confine himself at present to the mere mention of
the fact that on the night of Thursday last a loco-
motive belonging to Mr. Hunt was suddenly disco-
vered progressing along the rails in close proximity
to one of the regular trains on the North Woolwicti
line, which necessitated the instant stoppage of the
train, to the pelt terror of the passengers ; and it
was only by the merciful interposition of Providence
that a collision was avoided, which, in all probabi-
lity, must have resulted in fatal consequences. He
would abstain from entering further into the parti-
culars of the transaction at this stage of the pro-
ceedings, as he conceived that he had made out a
sufficient prima facie case to justify the magistrate
in granting summonses against the owner of the
iutrusive engine, and also against the driver and
stoker, both of whom must have been aware of the
perilous and unlawful service in which they were
engaged at the time in question.
Mr. Hammill said it was certainly a most extra-
ordinary proceeding ; and, after the statement of
the learned counsel, he had no hesitation in order-
ing summonses to b. at once issued against the in-
culpated parties.

CLERKENWELL.—MURDEROUS ASSAULT ON
Two FEMALES. —A rough, determined-looking fel-
low, who gave the name of Timothy Brenahan,
aged 21, a labourer, was placed at the bar before
Mr. Tyr whiq, charged with committing a most
violent assault upon Mrs. Frances Spring and Mrs.
Susannah Cronan.
Mrs.
S,prin,lowdho was far advanced in pregnancy,
stated that on Sunday she went to No. 4, Union-
! .court, to attend a christening. In the evening the
prisoner, who was a
the furnitur andgued
great deal the worse in the ghouse, and who
upon the subject, for liquor, commenced kicking
same. He then knocked leer
ilbeonsaliT remonstrating with him
would serve her the
fingers through. He also down,tried to
bit one of her
kickiickheedr hinerthin
the head, hurting her very me
and
1 stomach, and placing his hand on her neck he very
' nearly strangled her, the marks of his nails being
now plainly visible.
Mrs.
Susannah Cronan said she was also at h
christening, and upon calling the defendant a cruelte
man, he struck her in the eye, nose, and mouth,
awl blackened one of her eyes. _ _ .

Police-constable Ryan, 'O5 P, took the prisoner

in-+'o custody, and described the whole of the parties
as be:11•IF drunk, but the prisoner as being the worst.
In (..9feries, the prisoner said he know nothing
whatever of the matter, and that the whole of the
parties wore drunk.
Mr. Tyrwhitt said the conduct of the defendant
was very shameful. Had they not all been drink-
ing, he would have sent him to prison without giv-
iug him the option of paying a line. For each as-
sault he would fine him 205., or in default of pay-
ment two months' imprisonment, with hard labour,
in the House of Correction.
The money not being forthcoming, the prisoner
was locked up.
John Cartwright, aged 23, residing at 13, Gor-
don's-passage, St. Luke's, a glass polisher, was
charged with indecently assaulting Caroline Lewis,
a little girl, aged only three years.
Mr. John Wakeling appeared for the prisoner.
The child lodged in the house of the prisoner ;
and it would seem from the statement made in
court that its mother had. complained of the con-
duct of the prisoner about three weeks ago. On
Sunday, while the mother was out, the child again
complained of the prisoner, whereupon he was
given into the custody of police-constable Smith,
79 G. The child had been examined by a surgeon,
who had ascertained that she had suffered no injury.
Mr. Wakeling said there was no case against the
prisoner. It was a regular cock-and-bull story,
and his client had been given into custody beca,u,e
a parcel of women chose to talk together instead of
attending to their own business.
Mr. Tyrwhitt said there certainly was no case
made out, and he should discharge the prisoner.

SOUTHWARK. EXTENSIVE ROBBERY OF
SUGAR FROM A BONDED WAREHOUSE. -- Robert
Donaldson, foreman in the employ of Messrs.
Barry Brothers, of Moreton's Sufferance Wharf,
Mill-street, Bermondsey ; Wm. Japp and Michael
Burrell, carmen, were brought before Mr. Comb'
for final examination, charged with stealing six bags
of bonded sugar from Messrs. Barry's warehouses.
Mr. Morgan appeared for the prosecution, and
Mr. Solomon defended the prisoners. Mr. Beverly
attended on behalf of the commissioners of Customs.

Mr. Alfred Barry, one of the prosecutors, said
that about half-past 11 on the morning of the 24th
ult., he entered the bonded warehouses, when he
saw the prisoner Donaldson delivering some sugar
into a cart from one of the loop-holes. He had
some warrants in his hand, and witness took them
from him and examined them, with the numbers
oa the bags, and ascertained that they did not
correspond. He told Blake (the assistant foreman)
so, and asked Donaldson where the warrants were
for those bags to be delivered. He replied that
he had them in his hand a minute or so pre-
vious. Witness then went down into the street,
and looked in the cart below, when he per-
ceived six bags marked 1110, 1112, 1114, 1115,
1116, and 1117. The numbers on the warrants
which he took from the prisoner Donaldson were
different. He then asked Burrell what he had
brought the horse and cart for, and he replied, for
ten bags of sugar. Witness then returned to the
warehouse and gave Donaldson into custody, and
his clerk gave Burrell into custody. Two days af-
terwards tt. prisoner Jupp was apprehended.
Some further evidence was taken, when
Mr. Combo committed all the prisoners for trial
but accepted bail for Burrell, at the request of Mr.
golomon. The other prisoners were fully committed
to Newgate.
It was stated that the prosecutors had been robbed
to a serious extent in a similar way.
CAUTION TO PIGEON-STEALERS.—Chas. Cook and
John Deball, two respectable lads, were brought
before Mr. Combo, charged with stealing two valua-
ble pigeons, the property of William Wheeler.
The prosecutor stated that he resided at No. 26,
Marine-street, Bermondsey, where he kept fancy
pigeons, and latterly he had lost several valuable
ones. The prisoner Cook resided next door to his
house, and about half-past five o'clock he saw him
entice two pigeons into his yard, where another
lad, named Hart, was, and the latter snatched them
up. As soon as he discovered his loss he went
and informed the police, and after the prisoners were
secured the pigeons were found in Spitalfields, where
they had been sold by Deball.
Police-constable 31 M said he took the prisoners
into custody, when they both acknowledged having
the pigeons, but they said another lad, named Hart,
stole them, and asked them to sell theca for him.
Witness afterwards went to Brick-lane, Spitalfields,
and found them in a shop, where they had been
sold by Deball.
Mr. Combo asked whether anything was known
of the prisoners
The constable replied that they were respectable
hard-working young men and bore excellent cha-
racters.
The prosecutor said that such was the case, but
still they had no right to steal his pigeons.
The prisoners said that they very foolishly stole
the pigeons, thinkine, it was no harm, they having
been caught on another person's premises.
Mr. Combe told them it was a very serious
offence, and one which they were liable to be se-
verely punished for. However, they bore good
characters, therefore he should take that into con-
sideration in passing sentence on them. They must
each pay a fine of five shillings, and four shillings
the value of the pigeons, or 14 days' imprisonment.
The fines were immediately pail, and the pri-
soners left the court with their friends, promising
not to have anything to do with pigeons for the
, future.

LAMBETH.--THE MANSLAUGHTER CASE.
Henry Welsh was brought up on remand, charged
with inflicting such serious injuries upon Eliza
Welsh, his wife, as to occasion her death.
Police-constable Isaac Sheppard, 49 L, inform
the magistrate that an inquest had that mor❑ing
been held on the body of the deceased, and a ver-
dict of manslaughter returned against the prisoner.
The witnesses were now all iu attendance, with the
exception of the medical gentleman who had at-
tended the deceased.

Andrew Morne, a stoker, employed at the Vaux-
hall Gas Works, deposed that be lodged with the
prisoner and the deceased at No. 4, Model-build-
ings, High street, Lambeth. On Saturday, the
19th ult., he and the prisoner went to Brixton, to
see a daughter of the latter, and on their return
home at night they found that the deceased had left
the apartments, and that the children were alone and
crying. Witnesswent to bed and the prisoner set out
in search of his wife. About midnight witness was
awoke by the prisoner and his wife quarreling,
and he got up and went to the room in which
they were talking. The prisoner blamed his wife
for leaving the children, and said he had found her
outside a beer-shop in Vauxhall-walk. The de-
ceased was very much intoxicated, and seemed
scarcely able to sit or stand. She was also very ag-
gravating in her language and manner, and at last
the prisoner struck her a blow on the side of the
head with his flat hand, and she fell to the ground,
her head coming in contact with the door-post.
Witness lifted her up, and the prisoner ordered her
to go to bed, and she did so. The following day
she was very ill, and the prisoner sent for a doctor,
who attended her up to the time of her death.
Honor Stafford deposed that on the night in
question she heard violent screaming in the prison-
er's room, and the deceased exclaim, " Oh, you will
kill me." On the Wednesday the deceased became
delirious, and died at midnight on Friday last.
Mary Crawford, also an inmate of the same house,
gave testimony to the same effect. This witness
also heard the dreadful screaming spoken of by the
last witness, and, further, that the deceased cried
out, "Oh, you will murder me;" and almost im-
mediately afterwards she heard a heavy fall against
the room door. She did not see the deceased un-
til the 23d, when she was dangerously ill, com-
plaining of violent pains in her head, n ck, back,
bosom, and chest, all of which portiqns of her body
were bruised. Her eyes were also blackened. She
was only sensible at intervals, but when so she
told the witnesci, in the prisoner's presence, that
the injuries had been inflicted by him, adding that
he ought not to have beaten her so just for taking
a drop of beer.
The constable Sheppard proved his apprehension
of the prisoner, who, when told the charge was for
violently ill-using his wife, acknowledged that he
had done so, and said he was sorry for it.
There being no other witnesses ready to give their
evidence, the prisoner was remanded for further
investigation.

ALDERMAN CARDEN .A.ND THE

MAYORALTY.

The further hearing of the charge preferred by Alder-
man Sir R. W. Carden against M. Rase was resumed
yesterday morning before the Lard Mayor.
Mr. Lewis then proceeded to address the Lord Mayor
on behalf of the defendant Rose, and contended that the
whole of the proceedings on obtaining the summons
were an election squabble, got up in order that certain
,tatements might be made in the Common Hall by the
friends of Alderman Carden to influence his election as
Lord Mayor. The learned gentleman concluded a speech
which occupied two hours and a half in its delivery, by
stating that he felt assured his lordship would dismiss
the summons with costs,
The Lord Mayor said he felt it was the desire of all
parties that justice should be done, and he would, there•
fore, not take upon himself to decide the case, but
should send it before a jury.
Mr. Rose was then formally committed for trial, and
was bound over to appear in his own recognisance in the
sum of 10/,