The Sun.
London, England, 1850-01-25 00:00:00

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY, Jan. 24.

There was no case of public interest before the
Commissioners who sat to-day. A dividend meeting
was held in the matter of Messrs. Leslie Alexander
and Co., who carried on business as merchants in
Broad-street. The members of the firm have long
since obtained their certificates. Claims to the
amount of nearly 10,0001 were tendered, and ad-
mitted to the extent of 7,6001. There was a great
deal of discussion, but altogether upon points of law.
Mr. Bagley was counsel, and Messrs. Lawrance,
Linklater, and M'Leod solicitors for claimants.
The meeting was adjourned to Wednesday next.

INSOLVENT DEBTORS' COURT, Jan. 24.
(Before Mr. Commissioner PHILLIPS.)
IN RE WILLIAM DREDGE.

This insolvent was heard in December last, when
the schedule then filed was dismissed, on account of
its inaccuracy.
Mr. SARGOOD, who supported to-day, said the in-
solvent on the former occasion had been very ill-ad-
vised by a p?rson who prepared his schedule, but that
now he had employed a respectable attorney to pre-
pare his proceedings.
Mr. Commissioner PHILLIPS thought that the at-
torneys of the court ought to look after those per-
sons who frequented the prisons, and usurped their
practice, or frequent cases of similar injury would
occur. _ _

The insolvent, after a short examination by Mr
STURGEON, was discharged.

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS, Jan. 24.
(Before the ASSISTANT• JUDGE.)
After:the case of Jones, the begging-letter impostor,
reported yesterday, had been disposed of, the prisoner
was again placed at the bar, with a woman named
Jane Farr, upon an indictment, charging them with
having obtained a Bank cheque for 301., from Mr. Ro-
bert Richard Wood, a gentleman residing at Fulham,
by means of certain false representations, contained in
a letter.

Mr. Prima said, that having obtained a conviction
against Jones, and as the Court had already heard
sufficient of the prisoner's character, and the woman
Farr, with whom he lived, having been convicted of
and sentenced for a similar offence at the Bath ses-
sions, he would not press the second charge. But
in order to draw the attention of the Court to the
extraordinary nature of the letter, by means of
which this fraud was committed, and in order to ex-
pose the system to the public, he read the fallowing
letter :

" B AI), Sept. 19th, 1849

" Sir,—lt is now more than twenty-five years
since I have been removed from London, though I
have seen you a great many times since. I am the
niece of J. H. Plaskett, Esq., who, in conjunction
with W. D. Adams and T. Hicks, were senior clerks
in the Secretary of State's office, and the widow
of the late W. IL Wood, of Winchester Cottage,
clergyman of the Church of England, who died some
years ago, leaving me with a family of eight chil-
dren, with only a small annuity of 701. a year to
maintain them. I have, to increase my income,
exerted my pen for the religious press, by contribut-
ing to the Clergyman's Magazine, the " Edinburgh
Christian Instructor: the Society for Promoting
Christian Knowledge, and I am the author of " Mo-
ral and R'ligious Tales for the Young, for the Use
of Families and Schools," and for three years past I
have been engaged upon a work, " A View of His-
torical Events recorded in the Scriptures, as com-
pared with Heathen or Mythological History, with
copious Notes," a work of great labour and surpris-
ing research, and for which, by close application, I
have injured my health, and also my means, because
my whole time has been devoted to it, and for some
time past I have been greatly annoyed by tradesmen
pressing me rudely for some accounts which I justly
owe, and will duly pay as soon as niy ;half-year s
annuity is due. My health is not so good as for-
merly, or I could finish my great work in two
months. It will realise me 7001. or 8001. I have
had more than three or four offers for it in the un-
finished state by London publishers, the work to be
revised and finished by a clergyman of the Established
Church, all which offers I refused, and put my whole
trust in God to bring it to a close myselt." [The let-
ter proceeded to state that she was pressed by a Bris-
tol publisher for 104/. lls. 6d., the amount of a bill, but
she was unable to meet it in consequence of her re-
sources being exhausted by sending her son to India ;
and in continuation went on to say]—" A gentleman
called upon me yesterday, along with a friend of his
from Fulham, and in the course of conversation at
the tea-table, knowing that my uncle Plaskett was so
long in the Secretary of State's office, mentioned
that there was in Fulham a gentleman of my name,
who was in the same office, and that he was a gentle-
man of remarkable piety and goodness of heart. It
struck me that you were a friend of my uncle, and
upon further conversation found it was so, and
knowing my circumstances they advised me to write
to you, and I am about to solicit a favour of you,
Mr. Wood—and I suppose you, for the sake of my
family and credit, and the work upon which I have
struggled not to refuse—would you lend me 201. or
30/., or, if that is inconvenient, even 101., upon my
own integrity, or upon my stock papers, until
the 16th of next month ? If so, you will be
my benefactor and saviour of my family
and character, which, as these papers will show
you, is very high, and perhaps that is the best of
all human security. The note dated from Bishops •
thorpe, is from the Archbishop of York, signed 'Ebor,'
(Latin for fork), and those I hope will be considered
guarantees of my integrity. I will say no more upon
this head, only this—think of the widow and father-
less ; save me by not withholding a friendly loan for
a few days, which shall be promptly paid. Ido not
think you will refuse me; you must now, Mr. Wood,
be far advanced in years, 79 or 80. How is your
general health ? A great age indeed, but my good
father lived to 97. The ages of men in the present
day are nearly the same as in the days of the shep-
herd kings of Israel. The sweet psalmist says that
threescore and ten is the average of life, though some
by great strength obtain fourscore, but then their
strength and labour and sorrow soon passeth away,
and we are gone. I have recently lost a beloved
chili, my eldest daughter, from cholera. She was all
that was virtuous and good—the time of her proba-
tion in this world had arrived—the mandate of the
Deity went forth, and was quickly obeyed, that the
earth should return to the earth, as it was, and the
spirit unto God that gave it. When such, Mr. Wood,
is the uncertainty of human life, let us prepare to
meet the hour of our dissolution, with unshaken con-
fidence in Jesus.

"I remain, yours sincerely,
I" MARTI' 4. WOOD.
‘ Please address Mrs. M. Wood, at Mr. C. Fran-
cis's, No. 6, Avon-street.
"An answer by return, with the enclosure
"re-
turned again. " M. NV.
Upon the receipt of this letter, Mr. Wood imme-
diately enclosed a cheque for 30/., drawn upon
Childs and Co., in a letter, and posted it to the ad-
dress indicated. On the prisoner being apprehended
in Beth, this letter was found with a heap of others,
in which money had been enclosed, apparently under

similar circumstances. This led to inquiries which
resulted in the present prosecution.
No evidence being offered, the jury gave a verdict
of Not Guilty.
The Learned JUDGE said, that there could be no
doubt but the prisoners were engaged in an extensive
conspiracy to plunder and defraud the public, and
they had carried out their schemes with great tact
and ingenuity.
The male prisoner was remanded to the House of
Correction, sentence having been deferred on a point
of law raised by Mr. Prendergast, which was stated
in our report of yesterday's (Wednesday's) proceed-
ings. The female prisoner was handed over to an
officer of Bath gaol ; and on leaving the dock, in re-
ply to an observation of the Learned Judge that she
was the dupe of Jones, said she acted on her own re-
sponsibility, and was not duped by any one.
The Court was occupied nearly the whole of the
day in trying an appeal, i❑ a case of bastardy, but
the details were not of a nature to require a report.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MAN SIOIV -HO USE.
James Burton was brought before Alderman Glans
for final examination on the charge of having forged a
cheque upon the firm of Rogers, Olding, and Co., for
the stun of 151.
Alderman Ginns (to the prisoner) —I shall commit
you for trial and you will have an opportunity of
clearing up the whole affair to a jury.
GUILDHALL.
John Goring, lately in the service of Her Majesty,
in the silver department at Windsor Castle, was
brought up before Mr. Alderman Finnis for final
examination, charged with obtaining some gold
watches and chains, to the amount of 321. 125., under
false pretences.
The prisoner declined asking any questions, and
Alderman Firms committed him for trial.
Mr. nobler, the solicitor, said that he attended to
prefer other charges against the prisoner, and called
Mr. W. Cooper, of Kirby-street, Hatton-garden,
silversmith, who said, on the 3rd of January the
prisoner, whom he had known for some years as
living with a Mr. Thomas in the Strand, previous to
obtaining the situation at the Castle, called on
him and represented that there was a person in
the Palace goicg to be married, and they wished to
have some plain silver plate to match what they had
already got. Witness on this representation let him
have six plain table-spoons, value 31. 14=. ; six ditto,
forks, value 41, 63. ; six desert ditto, value 11. 18s. ;
five desert-forks, value 11. 1 ls. ; four round salts,
value 41. 13s. 9d.' and two gravy-spoons, worth
11. 17s. Witness had since ascertained that the salts
were pawned within an hour afterwards.
Alfred John Melhuish, assistant to Miss Flemming,
pawnbroker, in Farringdon-street, said—l produce
two table-spoons, two desert-spoons, six table forks,
and five desert ditto.
Mr. nobler—Where are the gravy-spoons
Witness—l do not produce then), as they were not
identified by Mr. Cooper last night.
Mr. Hobler—Where are they ? Witness—l left
them behind.
Mr. Nobler—Then you must produce them ; for
Mr. Cioper, on reference to his books can identify
them.

The witness then very coolly pulled the two gravy-
spoons out of his coat pocket.
In continuation the witness said that the prisoner
pledged the above property, as well as a watch, for
11/. 12s. on the 4th of January, in the name of John
Goring.
Mr. Cooper identified the gravy-spoons.
An assistant from Mr. Wood, of St. John-street,
pawnbroker, produced four salts, which were pledged
on the 3d of January, after dusk, for 2/. 10s. in the
name of James Goring.
Mr. Cooper identified them as his property.
Alderman FINN'S committed the prisoner on this
charge also.
The next witness was
George William Adams, from Messrs. Chawner and
Co.'s, spoon and fork manufacturer 3, Hosier-lane,
Smithfield, who said that on the 28th of December
the prisoner came to him and said he wanted two
plain table-spoons, six plain teaspoons, and six shell
teaspoons. Witness gave them to him, and he left,
saying he had not the money then, but was coming to
town on Monday with some old silver, and witness
agreed to take what he brought in exchange This
took place between three and four o'clock.
A pawnbroker produced the property, and said
they were pledged by the prisoner on the 28th of
December, about dusk, or shortly after four o'clock,
for 3/. 10s.
Alderman FINNIS asked the value of the property ?
Mr. Adams said the two table-spoons were worth
1/. 111., the six plain teaspoons 1/. 11s. 61, and the
shell spoons 3/. 14s.
The prisoner declined asking any question, and
Alderman FINN'S committed him fur trial on this
case also.
There were other charges against him which were
not entered into.
The depositions being so voluminous, there being
more than twenty witnesses in the cases, the prisoner
was remanded until to-morrow for them to be
made out.