The Sun.
London, England, 1861-09-11 00:00:00

POLICE LIb'LELLI9ENC.E, Eept. 10.

GUILDHALL.—WHOLESALE DEALING IN FIC-
TITIOUS CHEQUES.—Christopher Marriott, a young
man, of respectable appearance, residing at 30,
Bouverie-street, Fleet-street, was placed at the bar
on remand, charged with uttering a cheque for £6,
well knowing the same to be a forgery. Alderman
Humpnrey presided.
Mr. Buchanan appeared for the prosecution, and
Mr. Hockley F. Wood for prisoner.
It will be in the recollection of our readers, that
on the 23d of August the prisoner went to Mr. Sut-
terby, the landlord of the Welsh Harp public-house,
Essex-street, Bouverie-street, and asked him to cash
a cheque for £6. It was drawn by Josiah Evans,
in favour of C. B. Bennett, Esq., C.E., and endorsed
by that individual. The cheque was on Sir B.
Hayward, Bart., and Co., of Manchester, but when
sent down to be cashed,it was returned with a note,
stating that no such person had an account there,
and they did not know any of the names. Upon
that the prisoner was given into custody.
The depositions previously taken having been
read over by Mr. Martin, the chief clerk,
Mr. Wood said—Mr. Hincks was present to
watch the case on behalf of the family of the pri-
soner, but that he (Mr. Wood) was conducting the
defence.

Mr. Richard Taylor was then called, and said he
was cashier to Hayward Brothers, bankers, at Man-
chester. The firm was not of the style named in the
cheque. He had been for the last 25 years in the
establishment, and for the last 10 or 14 years cashier.
Within the last 25 years they had not had a cashier
named Josiah Evans. He knew nothing of the sig-
nature to the cheque. He received the cheque from
Mr. Sutterby by post, and returned it to him with
a letter of explanation. He did not know any per-
son in Manchester by the name of Josiah Evans, a
cotton spinner.
By Mr. Wood—There was no other firm in Man-
chester carrying on the business of bankers by the
name of Hayward Brothers and Co. He had
beard of the name of Josiah Evans in connection
with similar cheques that had been presented
both before and since the one in question.
He knew a family in Manchester of the name of
Sleaden, but he never knew that Evans had any
connection with them. They had no monetary
transactions with the bank.

Mr. Buchanan here stated that this evidence
would close the case for the prosecution.
Alderman Humphrey asked where Evans and
Bennett were.

Mr. Wood said Bennett was in court, and if Mr,
Buchanan liked he could put him in the witness-
box.

Mr. Buchanan said he had closed his case, and if
Mr. Wood wished to call him for the defence he
could, but he would certainly not call him for the
prosecution.

Considerable discussion ensued as to who should
call this witness, when Mr. Hincks insisted that he
should be called for the defence.

Charles Bowler Bennett was then called and
said,—l slept last night at 29, Park-place, Upper
Park-road, Peckham. That house is in the occupa•
tion of Mr. Emmerson. He is a friend of mine, and
is a commission agent. I have been stopping there
for a month with my family. Previous to that I
had a place at 4, Hatcham New-terrace, Hatcharn
New Town, Old Kent-road. It is now in my pos-
session, and I hold the key. I hare a trial on about
it now. I have since agreed to take a place at 31,
St. George's-road, Peckham. I am a civil engi-
neer and surveyor. The endorsement on the
cheque produced, " C. B, Bennett," is mine. I
know the cheque. I gave it to the prisoner on the
23d August. I received it from Mr. Josiah Evans,
who was originally a partner in the firm of Sleaden
and Co., of Manchester, cotton-spinners. They
carried on business in Salford-road, but I never was
there. I have known Mr. Evans since 1854.
He lives at Oakenfells, Acton, in Middlesex.
It is on the road to Arleston - bridge. I
do not know whether it is his own house,
or whether he only lodges there, but I believe
it is his own house. I have been there myself,
and seen Mr. Evans there. I saw Mr. Evans on
the evening before Mr. Marriott was given into
custody, and once since. On both occasions I saw
him at the Pineapple, in Hungerford-market. I
told him on the last occasion that Marriott had
been given into custody, and he said he was ex-
tremely sorry, but he should be able to set all right.
I gave Marriott the cheque, and I had the whole of
the £6. I requested him to cash the cheque, and
he did so, and handed me the money. He did not
tell me at the time where he got the money. I
gave him no portion of it. Mr. Evans did not
have any of it. I have had other cheques of
Evans's besides this, and got the money partly for
them. They have been returned, but I have not
been sued upon any of them. Mr. Evans is a re-
tired cotton spinner, aud, I believe, a man worth
£37,000. I have mentioned to him that his cheques
have been returned as having been drawn upon a
bank with which he had no account, and he said it
was a mistake, for he had no securities in the hands
of the bankers, and he had been in the habit of
drawing against those securities. I have been
working on my own account since I have been oat
of my articles, and have worked for Stephenson,
Bidder, Brunell, and other eng.neers. The cheque
in question was given to me in payment for work
done in surveying a mine in Carnarvin. This (an
account produced) is my account, and the cheques
given to me by Evans are in part payment of that
account.
By Mr. Buchanan—Mr. Evans was never a part-
ner of mine, neither in Lombard-street nor in Bush-
lane.
By Mr. Wood-14rom information I received I
believed Mr. Evans would be at Kew-green, and I
went there with you to try and serve this summons
on him to secure his attendance here to-day.
By Mr. Martin—l did not go as far as Oaken-
fells, because my information was that he would
not be at home until he was in a position to settle
this matter, and come into court and explain it.
By Alderman Humphery—l do not know where
the cheque was drawn ; it was given to me by
Evans already drawn. Mr. Marriott was not with
me when it was given to me. He was in Bouverie-
street when I gave it to him. When I gave him the
cheque to get the £6 I knew that the four or five
cheques I had received before from the same person
had never been paid. I asked Evans when he gave me
the cheque if it would be all right, and he said " Yes ;
I have made everything all right with my bankers.
and you need have no fear whatever." I saw Mr..
Evans on the 2d of Sept., and he told me the
cheque was returned, and said there had been some
difficulty about the securities, in consequence of the
change in partnership. I have had four or five
cheques on the same bankers by Evans, and they
have all been dishonoured, but he said he would
make it all right with them.
The gip four or five cheques that have been dishonoured is
£B5. They are out of my handsiunt otth e
until the matters

are seftl,3. I have borrowed money upon them
from different people. The holders of the cheques
are waiting for the money to be paid by Evans.
Alderman Humphery said there was no doubt
Evans was in existence, and that he drew these
cheques knowing he had no funds to meet them,
and that they were issued by Bennett, he knowing
there were no funds, and they had either made a
tool of Marriott, or it was a conspiracy an the part
of the three of them to defraud parties of their

Mr. White said he had a cheque for £3O, of a
precisely similar kind. ,

A gentleman in court said he could produce
several.

Alderman Humphery said he should like to hear
Mr. White's evidence.
Mr. Edward White was then sworn, and said—l
live at 6, Essex-street, Strand, and am articled clerk
to an attorney. I had a cheque presented to me by
Mr. Hockley Wood for £3O. It is dated the 27th
of August. He said a client of his wanted to bor-
row £5 upon it--that his name was Bennett, and
that he was a highly respectable man. It is a cheque
drawn by Josiah Evans. I got a friend to lend rue
£5, and handed it to Mr. Wood. He told me I had
only to send the cheque to Manchester, and get the
money by return. I asked him for references, and
he gave me these two addresses (produced).
Officer—They are both false.
Mr. White—On Mr. Wood's representations I
gave him the money. I sent the cheque down to.
Manchester, and it was returned with a note saying
they did not know such a person, and that no such.
person banked there.

Mr. Hincks said that he as solicitor to the family
of Capt. Marriott had attended on behalf of that
family to watch the case for the young man ; but
that as Mr.;Wood had attended the first two exa-
minations, and knew all about it, he' thought it
better to leave it in his hands. After what had
just taken place, however, he thought it right to
stand forward and take the case into his own hands,
and, with the permission of the Bench, he would.
now represent the prisoner.
Alderman Humphrey asked the prisoner if that
were his desire, and he answered in the affirmative.
The worthy magistrate then told Mr. Bennet that
he should call upon him to give two substantial
sureties in £lOO each, and himself in £2OO, to ap-
pear here on a future day.
Mr. Hincks said he had no knowledge of any of
the people present; but as a summons had been
taken out at his instance against Evans, and it had.
not had the effect of producing him, he asked that
a warrant should be granted, and he would send
one of his clerks to assist in the execution of it.
Alderman Humphrey said he would certainly
grant a warrant for the apprehension of Evans.
Mr. Wood, before he withdrew from his client's
case, wished to ask that his client should be ad-
mitted to bail.

Mr. Hincks said either Mr. Wood must conduct
the case or he would. He should not make such a
request.

Alderman Humphrey said he should admit the
prisoner to bsil ; for he was quite sure, from what
he saw of the case, that he would appear at the next
examination.

The case was then remanded, and Capt. Marriott
was bailed out in two sureties of £lOO each, and
himself in £2OO ; but Bennet, not being prepared
with his sureties, had to descend to the cells below
the court.