The Sun.
London, England, 1859-06-21 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE,Tu'ne 20.

GUILDHALL.—ALLEGED FRAUDS TJP9/C THE
COAT FAMILY.—Robert Marks, a shrew, intelligent
middle-aged man of gentlemanly exterior, de-
scribed on the police-sheet as a publisher, residing
at Brighton, was brought up on a warrant charging
him with obtaining large sums of money by means
of false pretenees.
Mr. Alderman Salomons presided, Mr. Alderman
Mechi was also present, but as his name had been
made use of by the prisoner, the worthy alderman
abstained from taking any part, magisterially, in
the proceeding's.
Mr. Joseph Thorley, the proprietor and patentee
of " Thorley's Food for Cattle," said—l carry on
business at 70, Newgate-street. On the 3d of
January last the primmer, who wivi a perfect etzei!ger,

to me, called at my office and said he came from the
Royal Agricultural Society, who were going to pre-
sent Mr. Alderman Mechi with a testimonial in the
shape of a piece of plate, and he asked me for my
subscription. Believing his representati3n, I di-
rected my clerk to pay the prisoner one guinea. He
had a parchment with him containing many hundred
names, but Ido not remember any of them. I was
in a great hurry, and did not notice the names. He
asked me to sign the parchment, and I did so, and
he said it would be in print in a few days. I have
never seen it in print. He had a cab at the door,
and I supposed he was going elsewhere to get some
one else's guinea. I never saw my subscription ad-
vertised in the newspapers.
Cross-examined by the priscner, who interrogated
the witnesses with great adroitness—You did not
ask me if I was a member of the Royal Agricul-
tural Society. lam not a member of that society,
nor any other, I believe, although I do subscribe
to others. You did not ask me if I had
received any communication or circular respecting
the presentation of a complimentary portrait to
Mr. Alderman Mechi. You did not tell me there
had been a testimonial to Mr. Alderman Mechi. I
did not read the heading of the subscription list, as
I had not time, but I caught sight of the word
" Testimonial," and :the name of Mr. Alderman
Mechi. I never heard the word " portrait" used
throughout the interview. You said that the names
would be in print, but you didnot say that I should
have a print in a few days.
John H.iggate, clerk to Mr. Thorley, said the
prisoner called on the 3d of January last, between
10 and 11 o'clock in the morning. He asked for
Mr. Thorley, and I said he had not then
arrived, • and told him to call in the afternoon.
I inquired of him the nature of his business.
and he said he came from the Agricultural Society,
who were about to present Mr. Alderman Mechi
with a testimonial for his very valuable services to
the agricultural community at large. I informed
Mr. Thorley of the object of the prisoner's visit,
and when he came again in the afternoon I gave
him a guinea, and Mr. Thorley signed the sub-
scription list.

Cross-examined by the prisoner—l do not recol-
lect your asking if by
Thorley was a member of
the Royal or any other agricultural society. Ido
not remember your saying there had been a piece
of plate prepared or presented to Mr. Alderman
Mechi. Not one word was said about a portrait,
directly or indirectly.
John Mark Bull, a veryintelligent officer attached
to the City detective force, sai&--I apprehended the
prisoner on Saturday last, upon a warrant signed
by Sir J. Musgrove on the 4th February of the
present year. I met the prisoner with his son in
St. , James's-square, having previously seen him
come out of one of the houses in the square, and I
accosted him, saying, " Good morning, Mr. Marks,
sen." He replied, " How do you know that lam
Mr. Marks, sen. ?" Upon which I told him I held
a warrantfor his apprehension, for obtaining money
of Mr. Thorley, of Newgate-street, on the 3d Jan.
last, representing that he came from the Royal
Agricultural Society of England to collect sab-
scriptions for the purpose of presenting Mr. Alder-
man Mechi with a testimonial consisting of a ser-
vice of plate for the services rendered to that society.
The prisoner said, " They have made a grand mis-
take. I made use of no false pretence." I then
took him to Mr. Alderman Mechi's premises, in
Regent-street, where Mr. Bazin, the alderman's
partner, identified the prisoner as the same person
named in the warrant. I took him to Moor-lane
station and searched him, and took from him a roll
of paper, which he wished to hand to his son, con-
taining the names of many noblemen.
(This document was handed in, and proved to be a
subscription list for presenting a testimonial to Lord
Berners, the president of the Royal Agricultural
Society of England, and in the list of donors
the names of the following distinguished personages
appeared :—The Duke of Marlborough, Marquis of
Bath, Earl of Roden, Lord Suffield, Earl of
Shrewsbury and Talbot, Earl of Sefton, Duke of
Manchester, Lord Combermere, Duke of Cleveland,
Lord Delamere, Bishop of Ripon, Earl of Warwick,
Marquis of Lothian, Earl of Coventry, Earl Spencer,
Earl Cowper, Lard Southampton, Earl of Stamford
and Warrington, Lord Bolton, Duke of Rutland,
Lord J. Manners, Earl Craven, Lord Feversham,
Earl Carnarvon, Lord. Worsley, Earl of Devon,
Lord Sondes, Lord Bagot, Earl of Euston, Viscount
Curz m, Earl of Wilton, Lord Tredegar, Sir S. M.
Peto, Sir G. Palmer, Sir A. Hasebrigg, Sir H. Hal-
ford, Sir H. Stracey, Sir W. Watkins Wynn, Sir
Brook Bridges, Sir E. Antrobus, Sir W. Farquhar,
besides many members of Parliament.)
Prisoner—l have no objection to you looking at
that paper, sir, but it is totally irrelevant to this
charge. . - _ _

Bull—He gave his address, 33, Sussex-gardens,
Brighton, and. I told him I knew he had not been
there for many months, although his wife and
family lived there. I asked him if he had any ob-
jection to tell me where he slept last, and he said
he should not answer that question. He said if he
had known there had been a warrant out against
him he should have gone to Mr. Bazin, and ex-
plained the matter and set it all right. I have been
to the office of ttie Royal Agricultural Society, and
from information I received there, I believe the pri-
soner had no authority from the society to collect
subscriptions for them.
Inspector Foulger—There is a gentleman pre-
sent, of the name of Cort, who wishes to speak to
you, sir, in reference to this case, respecting nume-
rous frauds sommitted under similar circumstances,
upon numerous ironmasters in London, and in all
parts of the kingdom.
Mr. Richard Cort, of Barnsbury.Park, Islington,
the son of Henry Cort, the great inventor of pud-
dling and rolling of bar iron, was then sworn and
examined. He said—l am not in any business
now. I know the prisoner. I employed him 'to
collect subscriptions to a testimonial fund which
was being raised in acknowledgment of the services
of my father to the British nation. That was in
August, 1856, and I agreed to give him 50 per cent.
on all he collected, and that was to cover all the
expenses, and to repay him for devoting the
whole of his time to the object ; but, within a
few weeks after I had some suspicion of him
and discharged him. The discharge was in writing
and I sent it through the post. I he received
it. During the time he was collecting under my
authority I only received two subscriptions from
him, and to my knowledge he has collected hun-
dreds of pounds which I have not received: I dis-
charged him on the 22d of October,,lBs6.
Mr. John Boyne, a merchant, of 2, East India-
chambers, Leadenhall-street, said—ln December,
1856, I wrote a letter to the prisoner, asking to
whom I should pay a sum of £3O 45., which. I had
received on behalf of the Cort Testimonial Fund,"
in consequence of which he called on me on the 15th
of December, 1856, and I handed him a cheque, for
£3O 45., which' has since been paid at the bank. I
may here state, conversationally, that Mr. Richard
Cort is the son of the man who, first introduced the
principle of 'rolling bar iron in this country, and
these subscriptions were being collected for the
family, who were almost in a state of actual starva-
tion. I took no receipt, because his appearance
was so highlyrespectable that it quite deceived me,
and it is not customary to ask for a receipt for cha-
ritable contributions. '

Mr. Richard Cort recalled—l ,have not received
one farthing of this sum of £3O 45., or any other
BUM since the prisoner's dismissal.
Prisoner—This is merely a question of account
between Mr. Cort and me, and I shall be ably to
show that it is a clear case of disputed account.
At this stage of the inquiry the prisoner was re-
manded till Friday next, when it is expected that
very important disclosures will be made with regard
to the system pursued bythe prisoner as a promoter
of testimonial presentations.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.—CHARGE OF A
MOTHER ATTEMPTING TO STAB HER SON.—Alber-
tina Ballinger, was charged with attempting to stab
her son, Thomas Ballinger, a boy about 10 years of
age. •
The son stated that his father came home while
his mother was cooking the supper on Saturday, at
10 o'clock, upon which she threw the fryingpan at
his head, and then, seizing a knife, said, " If you
don't go I'll knife you." His little brother managed
to get out, his father telling him to do so. He tried
to get out, and as he did so his mother attempted to
stab him with a knife, and cut the loops of his
tunic. (Witness here imitated the menacing atti-
tude of his mother in the act.) She had been drink-
ing, and had often struck and beaten his father.
By Mr. Leadley—Could not say who spoke first
on his father coming in.
Mr. Beadon—The fearful effects of drink!
The husband said they lived in-_ B..griffi court,
Margaret-street, Cavendish-square.
out charing, and was continually in ofl l'qisuw wentife
ort_especi-
ally after coming from the cleaning the uurzon-
street School-rooms. Her threats were dreadfuland
she had said she would murder him and the' chil-
dren. He had allowed her to beat a break the
plates and dishes on his head. He was frequently in
the greatest fear in his bed
.from her violence. She
frequently threatened that if he laid a finger on her
himself she would get him three months.
The Son—She frequently beats my father, Sir.
(The boy burst into tears.)
Mr. Beadon—Has she beaten you
The Son--She knocks my head against the wall.
Mr. Beadon—Her violence must be stopped. She
must find two sureties to be of good behaviour and
keep the peace for six months. She was locked
up in default.
DESPERATE ATTEMPT AT MllRDER.—Charles
Peter Duval, aged 17, residing at 8, Carnaby-street,
Golden-square, and e 1
lup.oyed at 8, lienrieto.-§treet,

in the saddlery trade, was charged before Mr.
Beadon with discharging a loaded pistol at Mrs.
Susannah Hinton, coffee carrier to workmen of No.
26A, Bury-street, St. James's, while passing along
Jermyn-street, at one p.m. that day, with intent to
kill and murder her, and whereby she was wounded.
The prosecutria, a woman of about 40 years of
age, and who appeared in a very weak state, was
accommodated with a seat while giving her evi-
dence. She deposed as follows :—I carry out
coffee to the tailor's men. I know prisoner and his
family. I lodged in the same house between two
and three years ago. His father is dead. On
Saturday he came and asked if I knew where Mr.
Gibbons lived, an old man who also lived in the
house formerly. I told him "No," and he went
away quietly. I never had any misunderstanding
with him, and I do not know where the family.
live. I was in Jermyn-street about one o'clock to-
day, near Mr. M'Millan's, and heard the report of
what appeared to be a pistol, which stunned me,
and I turned round and saw the prisoner throw a
pistol in the road. I staggered. He said some
words which I understood to be he meant to do it,
but I am not positive. I was going towards Wind-
mill-street. A gentleman caught me, and I was
carried to the station, where I was attended by a
surgeon. I think I heard him say to the policeman
he meant to kill me, and I do not entertain a doubt
but he did. •

Prisoner declined to put any question to the pro-
secu trix.
__

Mr. John Arnold, 13, Great Union-street, New-
ington-causeway, waiter—l was in Jermyn-street
about half-past one (the time alluded to), and heard
the report of a pistol. Turning round I saw the
prisoner throw the pistol in the road. He was on
the opposite side of tbe way. I picked it up and
found it warm, as though recently fired. Smoke
was coming from it, He said, " I did it, and will
give myself up."
By Mr. Leadley; chief clerk—He was two or
three yards from the prosecutrix. An officer came
up, and I gave him its charge.
Henry Hornblow, 82 C—l received the prisoner
into my custody on this charge. On the way to the
station he said, " I am sorry I did not kill the woman
quite," and then, afterwards pulling out the two
sharp-pointed instruments produced, he said, " I
mean to do it, and I have made these to do the
deed with, and stab her." At the station, on search-
ing him, I found one bullet-shot, box of powder,
and percussion caps ; also the sharp-pointed instru-
ments produced. (These appear to be triangular-
sided files, smoothed and sharpened recently to
a very sharp, point.) He said she had been endea-
vouring to injure his mother, or parents, and he
was determined she should do no more, as he meant
to have her life. I saw the prosecutrix bleeding
from the back of her neck.

Cross-examined by prisoner—You did say you
meant do it. (At this moment the witness was
seized with a fit and fainted, and was obliged to be
conveyed from the box. This was evidently from
the heat of the weather, increased by the crowded
state of the court.)
The wound on prosecutrix's neck, which ap-
peared to be about one-third of an inch in diameter,
showed at least considerable abrasion of the skin,
and was much blackened, perhaps from the powder.

After her evidence had been taken she was con-
veyed to the hospital by order of the Court, and at
the finish of the case, the prisoner, who maintained
the utmost indifference throughout, to all appear-
ance, was remanded for a week to procure the evi-
dence of Mr. Tottill, the police sugeon, who had
been immediately called to attend the prosecutrix.
Shortly after his removal from the bar, a respect-
able-looking woman, in " widow's weeds," pre-
sented herself before Mr. Beadon, and said the pri-
soner was her son. She had missed him from seven
o'clock in the morning, and had been to the station-
houses to inquire for him, thinking some accident
had happened, as he was rather " flighty in mind."
Being informed of the charge and the remand,
she left.

THAMES .--ALLEGED IMPORTATION OF FOREIGN
LUNATICS.—A woman, who gave the name of Ann
Killar, aged 22, whose features were partially con-
cealed by a black fall, and who spoke every word
of the English language she uttered with a strong
French accent, was brought before Mr. Yardley
charged with attempting to commit suicide at sea,
off the Brill, on the coast of Holland.
It appeared, from the evidence of. Captain John
Ryan, the master of the General Steam Navigation
Company's ship Cologne, from Rotterdam, that the
prisoner was sent on board his vessel early on
Saturday morning last, by the police of that town,
and he was directed to look after her. A police-
constable of Rotterdam accompanied her in the
vessel as far as the Brill, where she made two at-
tempts to commit suicide.
In answer to questions by Mr. Yardley,
Capt. Ryan said the prisoner was a passenger on
board his vessel from London to Rotterdam a week
ago, and she was then accompanied by a French-
man, who he believed paid her fare. He was cau-
tioned by the police as to thq state of her mind at
Rotterdam.

Mr. Rivas Everett, a passenger by the Cologne,
said he watched the prisoner off Brill Town. She
rushed upon the platform aft, where the steersman
steers the ship, put one foot on the bulwark, and
was about to jump into the sea, when he pulled her
back. She attempted this a second time, and he
remonstrated with her and sent her below, and she
was carefully watched the remainder of the voyage.
She said she did not attempt to drown herself,
but only to stand en the bulwarks of the ship and
have a good look out.
Mr. Yardley was of opinion the authorities at
Rotterdam had sent her on board the Cologne
an a most irregular manner, and that the captain
ought not to have received her under the circum-
stances. England was not to be a place of refuge
for all foreign lunatics..
Capt. Ryan said the passage money was paid at
the office of the General Steam Navigation Com-
pany in Rotterdam, and a pass-ticket was produced.
He called the magistrate's attention to a piece of
paper with some poetry written upon it, and which
contained besides two sovereigns.
Mr. Yardley asked the prisoner if the poetry was
in her handwriting, and she replied in the affirma-
tive, on which the magistrate said it was an at-
tempt at poetry, but intimating an intention to
commit suicide. He then questioned the prisoner,
who evaded some, of his questions, answered others
in, a very artful manner, and occasionally contra-
dicted herself. She said she was a native of Aus-
tria, but had no right in the country of Austria.
She went to Rotterdam a fortnight ago. She did
nothing there. She had no time to do anything.
She was in many places in Rotterdam. She did
not go to Rotterdam with any particular object.
She had received a good education.
Mr. Yardley—You have been speaking with a
strong French accent, and area, native of Belgium
or France. You are not an Austrian. I suspect
you were never in Austria at all.
The Prisoner—l do not know, Sare, what I am.
Mr. Yardley—You went to Rotterdam a fortnight
ago.?
The Prisoner—No, Stag ; six or seven days ago.
Mr. Yardley—How long had you been in this
country before you went to Rotterdam ?
The Prisoner—About one month.
Mr. Yardley—How did you pass your time, and
in 'what part of England were you ?
The prisoner said she was travelling the whole
to
the time. She went to Scotland, and from thereh os
Havre, and was sent back in the same Ship.__Saverewtao
not very long in Havre. She went from H
to London.
Brest, Brest to Ramsgate, and
prisoneranldt alvinh safft a
csaehoes followedodher t
o
anyM br.uYsinaredslseoyr apsrkoefdestshioen,
travel from place to place.
Her answers were
tv ended to deceive, and with an air of great
simplicity, evidently
amounted to nothing.
Mr. Yardley—l cannot make head or tail of this
woman.
said it h wt.
oaus
g vhetrtyo muchp
oalgi
oftie osotohrti
°lnyaanilbythepolice of the H division
adviseds
vvas
tobwui CI
la
tahtpteehtnawedi n R
a,
andws it
win:
was paid
gspi tas hti
rdoauitnge ht tho
obe eostffith tcooe rsa
oet receivett. the di-
erdTamhe,
pratsiatohgnees_
nof o
nt !aye
police there demanded him to receive her
and take her to London. He did it much against
his will.
The Prisoner—lt is against my will lam sent to
London again.
Mr. Yardley said the prisoner had been sent to this
country in a very singular manner, and if foreigners
in an unsound state of mind were to be sent to
Lon-
don in this manner, in British ships, without re-
monstrance, he dill not see why we should not
have lunatics from every country in Europe. The
captain of the Cologne had a little trouble with the
woman, and then brought her to that court to throw
the difficulty upon him. It was a most improper
proceeding.
Captain Ryan here offered some explanation in
a low tone.
Mr. Yardley-.--I have nothing to do with that.
She had no business to be received on board a Bri-
tish ship in that way ; and from what I know of
the respectable company, your employers, they will
not tolerate suchconduct. Your agent at Rotterdam
does not appear altogether free from blame. ,
Captain Ryan understood the woman. was_scans sent
back to 'England by the Dutch authorities because
she had no passports when she landed,that if that
there.h
Mr. Yardley—All I have to
attempt to commit suicide was say is,
esat all, it was
made in Holland, where I have no jurisdiction. It
was certainly made in Dutch waters. She is not a
British subject, and I
me am ativoensrsetototakcehorarVoilheerr.,
unless there are ga per

I see no reason why a Dutch lunatic should not be
supported by the Dutch authorities, and not sent
to this country. The difficulty is what to do with
her. My plain duty is to discharge her.
Capt. Ryan suggested that the woman's trunks
should be searched, and that would throw some
light on her history and pursuits. He had taken
every possible care of her on the voyage.
Mr. Yardley—l daresay you have; but you ought
not to have received her at all. As to opening her
trunks, I have no power to order an examination of
them. You have involved yourself and you have
involved me in a great difficulty. You receive her
and then throw all the trouble upon me.
The prisoner here said—l did not mean to drown
myself. It was only to frighten the Dutch police
that I made the pretence. I was not going to throw
myself off the ship into the water, sare. It was just
to frighten them.
Mr. Yardley—There is no offence proved against
her, and she is discharged. Capt. Ryan has involved
himself in a difficulty about this woman in receiving
her in such an irregular manner, and he must get out
of it in the best way he possibly can.
The prisoner expressed a wish to see the Dutch
Consul to complain of the treatment she met with at
Rotterdam, and Inspector Durdy, of the. H division,
promised to accompany her to the consul's office.