The Sun.
London, England, 1861-09-18 00:00:00

SURREY SESSIONS.

NEW COURT.
(Before Mr. Johnson.)
Henry Halliday, 25, a respectable-looking man,
was indicted for stealing the sum of £4 125., be-
longing to Court " Pride of the Nile," of the Ancient
Order of Foresters, held at the Rose and Crown
public-house, Snow's fields, Bermondsey, by whom
he was employed us secretary.
Mr. John Nevin prosecuted, and Mr. Lilley de-
fenned the prisoner.
Mr. Job Leach, the chief ranger of the court in
question, said that in March last the prisoner was
their paid secretary, and it was his duty to make
out cheques, receive money, and account for it to the
.court. On March 4, witness signed a cheque for
handed 12s. t forhe
same the doctor'st o
theprisoner quarterly t
odrawthe money
from r a salary,
eyhe
l
from the treasurer and pay the doctor. In May the
prisoner absconded, when it was found that the pri-
soner had drawn the money, but he had never paid
it.

Mr. James Critchfield, the treasurer to the court,
proved paying the £4 12s. to the prisoner on the
evening of the 4th of March. He produced the
cheque signed by the prisoner and last witness.
Mr. Horace Button, sui peon, Great George-street
Bermondsey, said he was medical attendant to Court
Pride of the Nile. He knew the prisoner as were-
tary ; prisoner had never paid him the £4 12s. in
question.
On cross-examination by Mr. Lilley, witness said
he had allowed the prisoner to draw the money
when due, as it saved him trouble, but he never
authorised him to convert it to his own use.
Evidence was given that although the prisoner
was a member of the court he was paid for his ser-
vices as secretary.

111-r:Lilley then addressed. the jury for the pri-
soner, and after consulting for some time they re-

turned a verdict of guilty, but recommended him to
mercy on account of his good character.
The Chairman took into consideration the recom-
mendation of the jury, and sentenced him to 21
days' hard' labour.
Mr. James Burr, 44, a carman, carrying on an
extensive business in Winchester-street Southwark,
and George Copeland, 43, his man, were indicted
for stealing a large quantity of oats, the property
of Mr. James Hartley, the proprietor of West Kent
Wharf, London-bridge.

Mr. tilley and M. Oppenheim for the prosecu-
tion ; Mr. Best and Mr. Morgan Howard for the
prisoner.
The prosecutor's wharf was consumed by fire some
time ago, anti he was compelled to engage ware-
houses to store oats and other grain consigned to
him by varlous corn factors, and some vaults ad-
joining Mr. Burr's were rented, and several li,undred
quarters of oats were stored there. At the time an
opening was, discovered between Mr. Burr's pre •
raises and the prosecutor's, but it was blocked up in
a secure nianner. Information, however, reached
the prosecutor that the opening had been pulled
down, and that the prisoners had dragged several
bags of oats through. They were accordingly given
into custody.
The chief evidence against the prisoners was that
of a carpenter, named Smith, who had for some time
been engaged by Burr in building a van in a room
adjoining the vault in which the prosecutor's oats
were stored. He said that about the middle of June,
after he had done work, he left the key with Burr
and proceeded to a public-house, where he had a
pint of ale. After that he went back to Burr's
house to ask what time he could have the key in the
morning. He then saw Burr and Copeland in the
workshop. The hole in the wall was open, and they
were dragging oats through it, and Copeland carried
them away. He did not give any information at
the time.

The witness was severely cross-examined by Mr.
Best, and he admitted that Mr. Burr and himself
were not on very friendly terms, as he owed him
upwards of £6.
Mr. Best addressed the jury at some length OA
behalf of the prisoners, contending that the charge
had been trumped up by Smith, who had been
discharged by Mr. Burr, and had made the present
charge out of spite.
The jury consulted for a few moments, and found
Burr guilty, and acquitted Copeland.
_ _

Mr. Joh- son asked what was known of Burr ?
The constable informed the court that he under-
stood that Burr had been a receiver of stolen pro-
perty for some time.
The Chairman postponed passing sentence until
next session, to give the police an opportunity of
producing evidence as to his previous character.