The Sun.
London, England, 1845-12-08 00:00:00

GUILDHALL.

On Saturday application was wade for a sum-
mons against a share agent for detaining fifty
railway shares, on which 21 10s. deposit had been
made. The broker invited him to sell his shares,
saying he could get 2i premium for them, instead
of which he alleged ho had sold them at 131
premium, and neither money nor shares could be got
from him. Mr. Alderman Musgrove granted the sum-
mons, and said he should call in the City Solicitor at the
hearing, to see whether such agents were not liable to
be prosecuted for acting as brokers in the City of Lon-
don without giving securities for their fidelity, and being
sworn and appointed by the Court of Aldermen.
The Secretary to the Shrewsbury and Herefordshire
Railway Company appeared to answer the complaint of
Mr. John Finacan for refusing to deliver to him 25
shares, after paying the deposit-money.
Mr. Finacan stated that he purchased the letter of
allotment in July, with a guarantee from the seller, a
Mr. Sentzneck, that he would sign the deed. He paid
the deposit-money, and wrote to Sentzneck several
times, making appointment to attend and sign, but he
never came. Upon application at the office, he found
the letter had been allotted to Wm. Egerton Oldfield, of
Bishop's Castle, Salop, and he was required to produce
this person, who turned out to be unknown ; the address
was fictitious, and the company would neither give him
the scrip nor return the money till he produced Mr.
Oldfield.

The Secretary said, the person who claimed the shares,
or money, was of a different name to the person to whom
the shares were allotted, and they had a right to be pro-
tected from the money being claimed again by a second
party. If he would trace the party from whom the
letter was purchased, the company would be satisfied.

Mr. Alderman MuscuovE said there was nothing that
reflected discredit on the company in this case. They
had a right to be guaranteed against paying the money-
s second time, and they were entitled to all the assist-
ance that could be given by the complainant to trace the
party who had imposed on the company. He discharged
the summons.

In a desultory conversation on the subject, the Alder.
man observed that he was not one of those who thought
that parties might lure the public to buy shares at a pre-
mium, and afterwards turn upon them and say the com-
pany is dissolved, and each of the shareholders may
receive hack some portion of the deposit-money. There
were cases in which the public had a right to look for
something more from promoters who have amassed
large sums from such transactions.
An elderly gentleman, giving the name of Mr. Wil-
liam Gregory, then applied for a summons against the
promoters of the Direct Birmingham, Oxford, and
Brighton Railway. From a written statement which he
handed in, it appeared that he applied for twenty-five
shares in that company, which were granted. He paid
up the deposit, 2/. 12s. 6d. per share, and was informed
that the Parliamentary deed would soon be ready for
signing, when ho would get the scrip. The delay being
rather long, he came up to town from Chesterfield a few
days since, and was told that the deed was not fully
prepared. his patience was again tried for a con-
siderable period, and a few days since, on calling
at the offices of the company, he was told still
that the deed was not ready for signing, that
no scrip had been issued, in fact, the plans,
sections, &c., were far from completion, and that the
Company wc,uld not apply to rarlisment in the ensuing
session. Thinking, therefore, that they had no right to
have taken the deposit, he applied for it in return, which
was refused, and he now wished that a summons m"ght
be issued against the projectors of the line, for the re-
stitution of the money they had got from him.
Mr. Alderman MUSGROVE inquired how the deposit
was paid, and who was to be summoned. Applican
answered, by a cheque from his bankers in the country,
which passed through Smith, Payne, and Co.'s. lie
wished to summon the chairman of the company, John
Blunt, Esq., who, from the prospectus, appeared to be a
director of the London Docks.
Mr. Alderman MUSGROVE, after having a short con-
sultation with Mr. Teague, observed that that case was
very different to the previous one, and he thought the
magistrates could not interfere in the matter. The ap-
plication must therefore be dismissed.

ILFORD PETTY SESSIONS.

(Before Captain DAYIs, Chairman, and a full Bench •ol

Magistrates.)

DARING BURGLARY AT DAGENHAM.—Jcseph Walker
and William Walden, two agricultural labourers, were
charged with breaking into the house of a retired stock-
broker named Arnold, and stealing upwards of 85/. in
bank notes, 40/. in gold, a silver watch with gold chain,
and other property.
Mr B. M. Rawlings appeared in behalf of the accused
parties.
Sergeant Crawford, of the K division of the Metro-
politan police, stationed at Dagenham, stated that on
Wednesday morning, the 19th ult., having received
information that Mr. Arnold's house had been broken
open, he went there, and on going across a field
found an iron chest, which had been broken open, and a
quantity of paper lying about. By the side of the chest
Mr. Arnold's dog was lying dead. On going into Mr.
Arnold's house he found that the pannel of the street-
door had been taken out, the pannel being perforated
with holes made by a gimlet, and broken in two.—
(It was here produced. The wood was upwards of two
inches in thickness.) The rooms were in great disorder,
and in one he found the two sticks produced. Near
the house he traced footmarks of two persons to the
corner of the field at the back of the house, then across
a ploughed and several other fields to the garden of the
house where the prisoners lived, at Chadwell-heath. He
went to the house and asked if they were at home, and
was told by Walker's wife that they had gone to Romford.
He went there, and found them outside the Fox and
Hounds public-house. On searching them he found on
Walker a knife and a sovereign, with some other articles,
and on the other prisoner a few half-pence. He took
them into custody, and on comparing their boots with
the footmarks in the fields, found them to correspond
exactly,
Inspector Richardson said that, having received infor-
mation of the robbery, he went to the prisoners' house,
opposite the mills, at Chadwell-heath, and found a knife,
a chisel, and two gimlets, the latter of which corre-
sponded with the holes in the door He had no doubt
about an entrance having been effected by means of a
gimlet, the holes being afterwards cut into one another
by means of a knife.
Superintendent Colson, of the Essex constabulary,
gave similar evidence.
In answer to the Bench, Mr. Colson said, from the
tongue of the dog protruding a long distance out of his
mouth, he had no doubt about his death having been
caused by poison.
The prisoners were fully committed for trial at the
next assizes for the county of Essex. As they left the
bar they most vehemently declared their innocence.
None of the missing property has yet been traced.
WHOLESALE ROBBERY ON THE THAMES JUNCTION
RAILWAY.—John Ainsworth and William Richman, two
rough-looking labourers, residing at West Ham, were
charged with stealing a large quantity of lead under the
following singular circumstances:--
Thomas Forrester, police-constable, 29 K, stated that,
on Saturday week last, he received orders from his ser-
geant to watch the prisoner Ainsworth's house, and
continued to do so until the following Friday morning.
About six o'clock on that morning he saw the prisoner
Ainsworth, accompanied by Iliekman, leave home and
proceed to Mr. C. W, Tanner's coal-wharf at W'e.,t Ham
Abbey. They got upon one of the sheds and ripped off
a great quantity of lead from the gutter, which having
put into a bag they returned to Ainsworth's house.
Witness having obtained the assistance of some brother
constables, went into the house, when the prisons ran out
at the back-door and through the river. They were
pursued, and Ainsworth captured at that time. On
searching the house,
and bricks, wbich hheadfobuenend
iadelanrigifieeqdubayntmit)ri
ofD tim-
ber Darby.
the foreman of the Thames Junction Railway, as the
property of that Company.
Other evidence with respect to stealing the lead hav-
ing been gone into,
The CJIAIRMAN inquired if any one was present to
prosecute the case of stealing the bricks and timber from
the railway company?
Sergeant Harrison, of the K division, said the company
did not wish to prosecute, as they thought the prosecu-

tion for stealing the lead would be quite sufficient, and
save them a good deal of trouble,
The CHAIRMAN said it appeared to him that for a pub-
lic company refraining to prosecute in such a case as the
present was something like compounding a felony—it
was most improper.
Mr. Tanner said it was most unfair that he should be
put to all the trouble and expense in prosecuting in this
case, and the company not.
The CHAIRMAN—How can we reach these parties?

Mr. Clifton, the clerk to the bench—You can summon
them, and bind them over to prosecute.
The CIIAIRMAN—I do not think I shall be doing my
duty unless we have the parties here.
After some further remarks, the prisoners were fully
committed to Newgate for trial, fur stealing the lead, but
remanded for the attendance of the railway people, a
summons being icsued against them for that purpose.

INCENDIARY FIRES IN NOTTING-

HAMSIIIRE.

During the past few weeks, incendiary fires have been
blazing in different villages in this county, which have
naturally created great excitement amongst the inhabi-
tants, particularly the farmers, who, as a class, have
been selected as victims. It is not for us to assign a
cause for these diabolical and grievous outrages, at a
juncture when the nation is threatened with famine and
distress; but time, perhaps, will unfold what judgment
cannot penetrate. _ _ _

INCENDIARY FIRE NEAR OICTON.—On Saturday last
an incendiary fire took place at Ramsdale Farm, a dis-
tance of fire miles and a half from this town. This farm
belongs to Mr. Joseph Whittaker, and is one of the
largest in the county, and is situate near to the village
of Ox ton; but, happily, whatever mischief may be done
upon it by incendiary acts, the occupier can sustain
very little injury, as he has insured all stacks to the
amount of 2,0004 The spot where this fire took place
is about half a mile distant from the farm-house, and in
a field at a considerable distance from any road. During
the harvest Mr. Whittaker has been in the habit of
having stacks put in the fields where the corn has been
reaped, and in the present year he has placed upon a hill
called the " Twelve Acres," three barley stacks, two of
which have recently been thrashed, and the straw made
into one stack. On Saturday night, about nine o'clock,
Mr. Marriott, of Ilalam, while returning from Notting-
ham market, on horseback, on approaching within sight
of the " Twelve Acres" hill perceived a tremendous
glare of light, and on hastening towards it be found the
straw stack all in flames. The horizon being extensively
illuminated, several people were at the same moment on
their way to discover the cause, and very soon on the
spot. Mr. Marriott gallopped to Mr. Whittaker's, and
then to Nottingham for the engines, but the fire had
got so much a-head, that it soon appeared useless to at-
tempt to put it out, and especially as there was no
water at hand. The Nottingham town engine was in a
few minutes on the spot, and gallopped at an expedition
which soon knocked up one of the horses, which was
left by the road-side; no doubt the several high and long
hills on the road contributed much to occasion this dis-
aster. An alarm was quickly spread, the county police,
on horseback, and crowds of people, hastened to the
spot, expecting to find that Mr. Whittaker's farm-yard,
containing thirty stacks, was in a general state of con-
flagration. Fortunately this was not the case, and during
the early part of the fire the wind changed, and blew the
flames from instead of upon the barley stack, situate
within a few yards of the burning straw. The fire being
confined to the straw stack, it was allowed to burn with-
out further interruption, and at two o'clock in the morn-
ing the entire stack was consumed. This makes the
seventh fire within as many weeks that we have recorded
in this part of the country, and at the time (Monday)
we are writing this paragraph, reports have reached the
town that two other fires have taken place—one at
Arnold, and the other at Sawley.
We may litre remark, that the circumstances con-
nected with the fires in Wool-alley and Robin Hood-
yard, on the premises occupied by Mr. Bates, frame-
smith, and Mr. Baldock, grocer, in the month of October
last, are still involved in mystery, and it is singular, that
at the period these fires took place, a tall person in the
attire of a female was seen in the immediate vicinity,
not one hundred yards from the two buildings, and from
the suspicious appearance that it was a man in woman's
clothing ; this individual was actually traced by Mr.
Brierley, governor of the county gaol, who, no doubt,
thought it possible to be one of the escaped convicts. A
person of a similar description was said to have been at
Be: ston on the night of the fire at Mr. Walker's stack-
yard, and though on an attempt being made to trace out
who this person was, Mrs. Harwood, a very respectable wo-
man, was found to have been in the street waiting fur some
members of her family coming home, yet we have heard
other statements to induce an opinion that she was not
the individual who excited attention, and answered the
description we first heard on the night of the fire.
INCENDIARY FIRE AT ARNOLD.—An act of incen-
diarism was committed at this village, which is four
miles from this town, on Sunday night last, which owning
to its being timely discovered, and the speedy arrival of
the Arnold engine, did very little damage. About six
o'clock in the evening, a servant in the employ of Mr.
Sneath, who has only lived six months at Arnold, hap-
pened to go out of his master's house to the stack-yard,
when he found one of the haystacks in flames. He
gave an alarm, and the fire was fortunately extinguished
after burning between two and three tons of hay. The
stack was situate more than a hundred yards from any
house. The alarm created by this and Mr. Whittaker's
fire, not two miles distant, occasioned all tho farmers in
the neighbourhood to set their labourers and servants
on watch during the whole of the night, and a report of
a fire at Sae ley has awakened an excitement which will
take some time to allay.—Nottingham Review.