The Sun.
London, England, 1845-10-21 00:00:00

FRAUDS ON THE PRESS.
At Bow-street, en Saturday, a young lad name I Charles
Pierce was brought before Mr. Twyfult, charged with having
been concerned, with another person not in custody, in ob-
taining the sum .(4. 11. 3s. from the proprietors t,f the
3lor3iity chronicle newspaper, tinder filie and frandulont
pretensks.

Mr. 'Thomas Hodgkin, the sub. editor of the Morning
Chronicle, who attended in support of the charge arniin:t the
prisoner, said lie feared tiler? would be some clinically in
going into the whole case at pment, in consequence of the
absence of some material and necessary witnesses, but he
would put the nuigisttate at once in possession of all the
facts, and in doing so he would commence by observing that
the conductors of newspapers were constantly liable to the
grossest imposition being practised upon them by a class of
persons who occasionally supplied them with information ;
and, although every possible precaution was taken to guard
against such impositions, they were sometimes successfully
practised. One course taken was not to receive ally copy unless
the name of some known reporter was attached to it, but even
this caution was ineffectual, far on a recent occasion a report
was forwarded to the ,'forcing Chronicle of a coroner's in-
quest, which purported to have been held on the bid), of a
Col. Metcalf, at Elstree, every line of which was a fabrication.
On subsequently referring to the tile of the Chronicle, it
was ascertained that another account of a coroner's inquest
similar in substance and effect, had been published in that
journal about three years ae.o. As, in consequence of the
recent apprehension of the prisoner, there had not been suffi-
cient time to procure the necessary evidence from Elstree, to
prove that such report was a fabrication, he had to request
that the prisoner might be remanded for that purpose.
Within the last week a report had been furnished to the
chronicle, in the same handwriting as the former one,
giving a detailed account of the examination of a lady of
fortune bef .re the magistrates at Brentwood, on a charge of
having stolen a quantity of lace and other articles from the
shop of Mr. liudfo-c', a tradesman in that town. The ac-
count went on to state that 8,000/. was found in the pos-
session of the accused at the time of her apprehension, and
that she was committed on the charge to Chelmsford Goal,
the magistrate having refused to accept bail for her appear-
ance, &c. He (Mr. Hodgkin) bad every reason to bell ve
that this account, like the other, was false from beginning.
to end, but in that case also he was not at present prepared
with the necessary prrof. In consequence of some sus-
picion that was entertained on the subject, directh ns
were given to watch any person who might present a bill
charging for the above reports. About noon that day the
prisoner came to the Chronicle office, and presented a bill
charging for both of the above fabricated reports at the
usual rate of payment fir such information. '1 he amount
was paid to him, V. by the clerk, in money which had
been previously marked, and he having signed a receipt to
'the bill, a policeman was stint fur, and he was given into his
custody.

Mr. Hodgkin here handed to the magistrate the manifold
copy of the fabricated reports which had been forwardel tj
the office, both cf which were signed in tip, name of Stcpit c.;l
Leigh Ilunt, and also *a note,: with a similar signature; pu-
thorising the pr:soner to receive the amount et' the hilt,
which occompanied it, and which were presented by the pci-
soner to the clerk at the office

Mr. TwrFonn inquired whether there wa3 cry proof that
the prisoner had . represented hitmeT to he the servant of
the person whose mine was attached to the document?
Mr. Hodgkin said he was not now prepared with such
proof, but witnesses were present, connected with the Morn •
ing Chronicle office, who knew that a person bearing that
name had been in lhe habit of sending reports thee.
James Payne, a messenger at the Chronicle oftieP, ,steed
that he was present when the prisoner came to the office,
and saw him hand a bill to the publisher, who, thereupon.
paid him the amount of it. The prisoner was immediately
given into,the custody of a policeman.
In answer to tit! charge, the pri,zoner sail that he was
but.thirteee years of age, and that immediately on his ap-
prehensi-0 he told the sub-editor all he knew of the cir-
cumstance, vi;.., that lie was going down Chancery-lane,
when he was accosttil by a tall gentleme who told him
that if he would take a bill for him to Chronicle office,
and bring him back the money, he , give him sixpence
for his trouble, and would wait there fin until he re-
turned ; that he agreed to do as he was requested, and
having received the bill and accompanying note from the
stranger, he took them to the Chronicle office, where hi: pre-
sented them, and was paid the money ; but he had
sooner done so than he was given into custody. He was in

the service of a barrister, "I;ith whom he lad been for the
Last six months—a fact which the laundress could prove, if
flquiries were made of her.- The barrister was at present
mt of town.

Mr. TWYFORD ordered the prisoner to be put back for a
short period, and in the meantime it was ascertained on in-
quiry that the prisoner's account of himself was correct ;
but as the person by whom he was employed is at present
nom est inventors, the prisoner was remanded till Thursday.