The Sun.
London, England, 1845-05-19 00:00:00

GUILDHALL.

EXTENSIVE FItALTDS.—B;;;; Barnett, a general.
dealer, living at No. 6, Broad-street, St. Giles's, H ilham
Simpson, alias Butcher, Timothy Long, and a lad named
Thomas Russell, the latter of whom was in custody of a
Windsor police-constable, were charged before Mr.
Alderman T. Wood with having carried on an extensive
system of robbery in the houses of Messrs. Morrison and
Co., Leaf and Co., and others in the City.
Mr. Humphries, the solicitor, appeared to prosecute ;
and Mr. Rubinson and Mr. Wontner attended for the
prisoner.

- From a quantity of evidence adduced it appears that a
week or so since the above-named firms discovered that
they had been clef raudca to
forged orders, purporting to be' signede extent of nearly lOUL by
men at the wezt en I of the tow'who bdy,,
dealt
tr
withtain t trades-
men
and who, for convenience sake, Lorein the h Ilk
rdoe nra ti‘i were
iL in
of forwarding orl 4A
ers f,br go:s. •
variably presented by the lad Russell, and orders
bein,7, detected, a full description given of him.On Tuesd ty he was tAten into en:toatl
attempting to pass bad money, and hlvin-"gSlanbuctht'twroor
pounds' worth of counterfeit coin in his possession ;
when ho informed the constable, who had hum in charge,
of the many transactions he had been implicated in, and
at the seine time gave him a kind of statement so as to
instruct him in finding the prisoners, the parties who
had instigated him in committing the robberies. Ac-
cordingly the constables, in company with the lad and
two of the City policem?n, went into a public-house in
St. Giles's, and on entkring they saw Simpson and
Long. Russell excluinicd, " Ah : Butcher, how

are you ?" who was about to shake hands with him,
but withdrew it on perceiving a police-constable behind
him. They were then apprehended on the charge of
having uttered the forged orders; and the prisoner Bar-
nett was subsequently taken into custody at his resi-
dence for receiving the property gained by the orders,
well knowing it to be stolen.
Mr. HumPanixs begged for a remand, as the police
considered that they could bring several charges—very
serious ones too—against the three first-named prisoners.
He believed that the system of robbery now brought to
light had been carried on to much extent.
Mr Alderman T. Wood said he was almost of the
same opinion; and remanded the prisoners until Thurs.
day, at the same time refusing bail.
BOW-STREET.

Charles Clifford, described on the police-sheet as an
attorney, residing at No. 30, Duke-street, St. James's,
was placed at the bar, charged with indecently assaulting
Sarah Price, aged ten years, with intent to commit a
rape upon her.
Constable Gibson, 175 A, stated that he was passing
through Northumberland-street, on his way to Scotland-
yard, about half-past two in the morning, when he ob-
served the prisoner and the prosecutrix, and he consi-
dered it his duty to take them to the station-house.

The child, being questioned lay the magistrate, pre-
vious to the depositions being taken in the usual form,
said she had no father alive, and she was lodging with a
Mrs. Bishop, in Orchard-street, Westminster. She was
sitting at the step of a door, at Charing• cross, with two
bunches of flowers in her hand for sale, when the pri-
soner passed, and induced her to accompany him to a
bye-place, where he committed the offence. She gave
no alarm.

Mr. M'Cann the surgeon considered the child was
under twelve years of age, and that there were no marks
of any abuse.
Mrs. Bishop said that the prosecutrix came up from
Liverpool about three weeks back with her mother,
who got her living by selling small articles in the streets,
and had not since returned. She knew her since she
was fifteen months old,
,but could not exactly say what
her age might be.
The prisoner, being called upon for his defence, said
he was returning home when he met the child, who
offered to sell him flowers, which he refused, and having
made improper overtures to him, :he unfortunately ac-
cepted of them, in consequence of the quantity he had
drank.

Mr. TWYFORD said if he had evidence that could be
depended on that the child was under the age of ten
years, he would commit the prisoner on the capital
charge ; but as the surgeon and the woman, to a certain
extent, had shown she was under twelve years, it reduced
the offence to a misdemeanour, for which the prisoner
should be committed for trial.

The prisoner said he was in practice, but not a man of
fortune, and, consequently, could not procure heavy bail.
Mr. TWIFORD ordered him to put in bail, himself in
2004 and two sureties in 100/. each, with forty-eight hours'
notice, to answer the charze at the sessions, and the
child to be taken to the workhouse.
CLERKEN WELL.

Mary Wilson, an old woman, was put at the bar before
Mr. Greenwood. charged with uttering counterfeit
money to Mrs. Fitchett, wife of Jacob Fitchett, pro-
prietor of the George public-house, in the New North-
road, Islington.
Mr. Powell, the solicitor for the Mint, attended to
prosecute.
Mrs. Fitchett stated that on Tuesday night the pri-
soner came to her husband's house and asked for half a
pint of beer, in payment of which, she tendered a bad
sixpence ; witness at the instant detected the fraud ;
but notwithstanding that, she gave her fivepence
change, and without any remark to her allowed
her to go away, suspecting she would return
again in a few days and make a second
uttering. This step she had taken by advice, having
been told that it was necessary to prove two utterings to
ensure a punishment. After the departure of the pri-
soner witness marked the sixpence with the date of the
month, and carefully put it away. As witness antici-
pated, the prisoner paid her another visit, and for two-
pennyworth of gin gave a bad shilling, and witness gave
her full change.
_ _

Mr. Powell' remarked that there was such a difficulty
in prosecutions of this sort, that he hoped similar strata
gems would be resorted to.
The prisoner was committed to Newgate. She said it
was of no use contradicting the evidence.