The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-03 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
BA AK 1?!-PTCY COU '.T, Nay. 1.
(Before Mr. Commissioner GouLcuaN.)
IN RE GLOVER.

ni this case Miss Glover (the daughter of the celebrated Actress),
describing herself in her schedule as a " came up fir
her final order.
The debts were under 3001., and no opposition was made.
The Learned Commissioner granted the order.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.
OLD COURT.
(Before Lord Chief Baron POLLOCK and Mr. Justice MAME.)

EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE OF SWINDLING.—Arehur Rowan
Hamilton. whose name w s not in the calender, was placed at the
bar on the charge ofraising money under false pretences.
Mr. Clarkson and Mr. Bodkin appeared for the prosecution ;
Mr. Balianlyne for the priaoncr.

Mr. CLA RKsON briefly staled the case against the prisoner. The
prison, r he said was charged with what was commonly called
swindling, or raising money under false pretences, from a gentleman
of the name of Wood, who had been formerly a captain in the
Marines. The prisoner in March last introduced himself to the
prosecutor under the name of Captain Rowan Hamilton, an officer
in her Ma:,esty's troop of sth Dragoons, who was desirous of
taking a farm which the prosecutor, had to lit. the result was
the defendant agreed to take the farm ; at the same time the de-
. fendant cast his eye on an adjoining piece of land, which he re.
presented as well qualified for nuking bricks, a proCess in which he
excelled. , He offered the prosecutor to. common e the making of
bricks provided he wou'd advance 5001. Before doing anything
CaptaiwWood required a reference as to the respectability of the
defendant, and a Mr. Greenwood was the agent named. He was
intormed by the agent that the prisoner was a highly
respectable gentleman—an officer in her Majesty's ser-
vice. Suspicion was thus lulled, and a cheque for 5001. given.
So far matters progressed, and no discovery was
made till the assumed Capt. Rowan Hamilton paid his
addresses to the daughter of a canny Scotsman. While
following up his suit, he was in the practice of representing himself
to have boen engaged in the services of the British Government in
the East, and had been present at the taking of Caubul. The ex.
traordinary statements he made in reference to these military per-
formances awakened the suspicions of the father of the young lady
In question. Mr. Douglass, who was tooshrewd a Scotchrcian to be
taken in by such pretensions, and before Miss Douglass" was taken
in the Coili of the defendant, he instituted a rigid Inquiry Into the
real character of the pretended Captain Rowan Hamilton, and he
was discovered to be an impostor, passing in one place.undei the
cognomen of Dr. Ayton, and at another as an officer in the army,
as in the present instance. The Learned o.nitleman, after dwell-
slog further on the points which he intended to establish in evi-
dence proceeded to call his witnesses. •
_ _

James Wood examined by Mr. BODKIN—He said he lived near
WOolsiich. In the month of March last he was looking about for
a tenant for a f.rm of fifty acres. He named the matter to a Mr.
Taunton, and he introduced the defendant. Witness first saw the
defendant on the 27th of March. at Woolwich. He was-informed
by him then that he was Captain .Bowan Hamilton of her Ma-
jesty's bth Dragoon Guards. Witness frequently afterwards saw
him on the subject of the farm. He was referred to Mr. Green-
wood as to the respectability of the defendant, and witness was so
satisfied with his information, that he considered a trump him card,
and introduced him to his family. The terms respecting the taking of
the farm were then agreed to, and closed in the presence of Mr.
Nokpa, solicitor, of Woolwich, on the 14th of May. Witness had
made the inquiries named on the Ist of May. Witness had a piece
of land adjoining the farm taken by the defendant, which excited
the attention of the latter, and he said it contained first rate clay.
for making bricks. Defendant represented himself well qualified
to conduct a briek.making establishment, if 500/. was advanced for
the purpose. He said 5.000/. a year might be cleared by it, and
he would only charge 15 per cent. for his trouble. Witness at
last agreed to advance the money for that purpose, and gave him a
cheque for the amount on the evening of May the 14th. AbOut
three weeks after defendant said he wanted more capital, and.
after considerable hesitation witness gave him 500/. more. Both
in April and May defendant represented himself as having letive
of absence from the regiment, and sale he could stay away as long
as he pleased. When he (witness) parted with the money, he
thought he was dealing with a man of the highest honour, else he
should not have advanced it. He believed the statements made
to him to be decidedly true, else the cheques would not have been
givon. Immediately after he had introduced the defendant to his
family, he met with a Miss Douglass, who was on a visit from
Glasgow. During these visits defendant talked a great deal of his
services in the army; he said he had been present at the taking of
Caubul, where he had been wounded. Shortly after this witness,
at the desire of the defendant, went into Scotland, into Berwick-
shire, to get a house belonging to the latter in order. which he said
he was getting r'ady to accommodate a friend of his, Capt. Bourke,
the son of an officer very high in command in Ireland. Witness
pt t himself at great expense in getting the house in order, after
which he went to Glasgow, where he met with defendant, at the
house of Miss Douglass's father. where he appeared in full military
uniform. It was the uniform c.f the sth Dragoons in which he
was equipped as far as he could judge. Mr. Douglass subsequently
discovered that the defendant was not what lie had represented him-
self to be.

Mr. BALLANTINE crofs-examined the witness at some length,
during which the Learned Gentleman brought forward certain pa-
pers which he alleged were signed by the prosecutor. The witness,
however, denied that the signatures were his, but forgeries, and
pest in several genuine papers, founded on the transactions between
the defendant and himrelf, for their Lordships and the jury to
compa Ye.
During the course of the cross.examination no point was elicited
that mater ally affected the examination in chief. The point was
strongly pres..,ed by the Learned Counsel that the cause why the
present charge was pressed forward was because the defendant re-
fined to deliver up certain letters which he had received from Miss
Douglass. Witness admitted that on one occasion he stated if the
letters were given up he would withdraw the charge, as so doing
would save him very great expense. Witness denied that Mr.
Douglass had anything to do with the present prosecution ; all the
expense was borne by himself.
Mr. Taunton-, valuer at Woolwich, dedesed that he introduced
the defendant .to. ceptain,Wockd_ as, Ca> Rom*, kkirepton.
Captain Woori told witness that be had a farm to let, and in con-
sequence he introduced the defendant as a tenant. The defendant
was living with his daughter at the time, but he could not swear
that they were married.

Cross-ersmined—He had known the defendant for some time,
but only as Mr. Munilton. In consequence of something which
witness's daughter told him he was induced to introduce him to
Captain Wood as Captain Rowan Hamilton.
Re-examined—He never had known him under the name of
Dr. Ay tnn. He formerly believed that his daughter had been
married to him, but latterly be had been led to believe that they
were not married.
William Nokea, solicitor, Woolwich, was next 'xamined—He
received instructions from Capt. Wood on the 7th of April to pre-
pare an agreement for leasing a farm to the defendant. Capt. Wood
introuuced the prisoner as Capt. Rowan Hamilton, of the Dragoon
Guards. Upon this witness asking him if he would describe him
in the lease as of the Dragoon Guards, he told him not to do so, as
he was not then on military business, but that he resided at
Duchess- street, Portland- place.

Capt. Wood was here called, and identified the cheques.
George I'aylor, clerk in the banking-house of Sir Claude Scott,
deposed to a cheque for 5001., dated the 15th of Ni ty, and drawn
by Captain Wood, having been presented by the defendant, the
amount of which was transferred to his account, he having opened
an account with the bank at this time. Another cheque of 5001.,
dated the 3d of Julie, was presented in a similar manner, drawn
by the prosecutor and transferred to the defendant's account.
John Church, of 67, Great Portland-street, examined—He re-
membered dining at Captain W.,ocri house on the 2d of June.
The defendant was present, and was introduced as a captain in the
army. Witness aft, r dinner was left alone for some time with the
defendant, when some converste ion arise on military affairs. Wit.
ness made some remarks abut the Mirines and Royal Artillery,
when the defendant said, s I do not belong to either, I belong to
the sth Dragoon Guards." . .

John Ilaines, of No. I, Dean-street S ,ho, said that he knew
the defendant. He occupied a portion of his house for near upon
three years. He left about six or eight m ,nths ago. He was
known during the three years as Dr. Robinson Ayton.
George Douglass examined—Said he resided in Glasgow. In
the months of May and June last his daughter was on a visit to
Captain Woo I.
This examination was proceeding, but at the suggestion of the
Court it was stopped as unnecessary to the ease.
Captain Arthur Hamilton, late of the sth Dragoon Guards, de.
posed that he had held the commission of csptain in that regiment,
but retired a month ago. He had a brother a lieutenant In the
same regiment.

This ctoscd the case for the prosecution.
Mr. BALLANTINE adiressel the jury in an able and ingenious
speech in favour of the prisoner, in which he contended that,
though the prisoner might have a.:ted imprudently, there was no
evi.ience to show that he had been actuated by dishonest intentions.
• He had invested a consid.•rable portion of the money received in
the brick-making estahl,shment, and had a balance at his banker's,
thus showing that his intentions at least were honourable.
- The LORD CIIIEF BARON summed up the case at great length,
dwelling minutely on every point of the evidence ; and
1 The jury immediately returned a verdict of Guilty.

His Lottusim., addressing the prisoner, said that, after a
lengthened investigation, he had been found guilty of raising money
under false pretences, having represented himself to be what he
really was not. There were no extenuating circumstances in the
case, and his sentence would therefore be, that he be transported
beyond the seas for the term of seven years.
The verdict gave evident satisfaction to a crowded Court.