The Sun.
London, England, 1868-04-10 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

FORGERY. —At the Central Criminal Court, before the
Common Serjeant, Patrick Collins, 22 years of age, was
indicted for forging and uttering two cheques for £7O each,
with intent to defraud Messrs. Prescott, Grote, Cave, and
Co., bankers, and Henry Spriggs was indicted for being
engaged in the uttering. Robert Samuel Matthews and
Henry Spriggs were charged with uttering another forged
cheque for £l6O, with intent to defraud the London and
Westminster Bank. On the 11th Jan. the counting-house of
Mr. R. Scully, a picture-frame maker, was broken into, and,
amongst other things, a cheque-hook was stolen. The
prisoner Collins was formerly in Mr. Scully's service. On
the 13th a cheque, purporting to be signed by Mr. Scully,
was presented at Prescott's Bank, and paid, and the next
day a person, who was identified as the prisoner Spriggs,
presented another cheque for £7O in Mr. Scully's name.
Both these cheques were forged, and had been
written on the blank forms stolen from Mr. Scully's. The
prisoners Collins and Matthews, who lodged together,
were ;een to go out about midnight on the night of the rob-
bery, and return about four o'clock in the morning.
Later in the day Collins told his landlady that lie had ob-
tained some money and would pay her the rent, as
Matthews had altered some bankers' drafts. He subse-
quently told her all about the burglary, and the filling up
of the cheques to a friend who had formerly
been in Mr. Scully's service. In the second case it
appeared that on the 16th ult. Matthews went into the
London and Westminster Bank, and presented a cheque
for £l6O purporting to be signed by Mr. Charles Harvey,
of Giltspur-street. He was asked what he would have
for it ? and he answered, " £l6O, to be sure ;" and was
much excited. The cashier's suspicions were arouse], and
he communicated with the manager, who refused to cash
the cheque. The jury acquitted Spriggs, and found the
others guilty. They were sentenced to ten years' penal
servitude.

CHARGE OF ASSAULTING A LADY.— A charge of assault
was preferred by Lady Louisa Morgan against her
husband, Captain R. S. Morgan, at the Fermoy Petty
Sessions. The case was of a painful character, a variety
of unpleasant disclosures relative to the domestic life of
the parties, irrespective of the assault, beii g made in the
course of the evidence. The charge was dismissed.

CONVICTION OF PRIZE FIGHTERS.-At the Derbyshire
Sessions, G. Holden, John Staton, George Morris, and
William Wood were charged with rioting on the 20th ult.,
at Coton-in-the-Elms. The prisoners pleaded guilty to
being present at the prize-fight, but denied the assault on
the police. The principals were two men named Morris
and Harrison, and the fight was taking place at
Norman Heath, which adjoins four counties, and
on the police arriving they ran away. A second
ring was formed, and the fight proceeded until
the arrival of the police. They began to fight a third
time at Coton-on-the-Elms, and on the police again inter-
fering they were assaulted. Prisoner Holden comes from
Walsall ; Harrison, Wood (his seconder), and Tallis come
from Glascote, near Tamworth ; Staton and Morris from
Burton. The court sentenced Harrison and Morris to two
months' imprisonment, Wood and Tallis (the seconds) one
month each, and Staton and Holden fourteen days' im-
prisonment each, with hard labour.

THE CHARGE AGAINST A MERCHANT.—At the Mansion
House the Lord Mayor was occupied some time in hearing
a summons taken out against Mr. John Richard R. Godfrey,
a wine merchant, in London-street, by Mr. Jacob Magnus,
of 12, Mark-lane, for stealing two dock warrants; but
before the cross-examination of the prosecutor the Lord
Mayor decided there was no foundation for the charge,
and he dismissed the summons. Mr. Moss, solicitor,
preaeouted ; Mr. 0,13, 0, Ifarrleon waa counsel for the
defence.