The Sun.
London, England, 1845-09-25 00:00:00

LAMBETH.

Yesterday the Rev. James West, a clergyman of the Church
of England, who had been remanded under the name of " James
Fletcher," was brought before Mr. Henry, for final examination,
on a charge of illegally pawning goods from his ready-furnished
apartments.

Mrs. Hannah Croker, a widow, residing in Nunhead-lane,
Peckham-rye, deposed, that on the 2d instant the prisoner and
his wife came to lodge at her house in a ready-furnished apart-
ment, and remained there until the 15th. On the last-men-
tioned day witness, suspecting they were robbing her, asked the
prisoner's wife if she had any objection to her going into the
room. Mrs. West consented, but the moment she entered she
and her husband ran away. Witness missed a blanket, two
sheets, and a counterpane, and in consequence sent after the pri-
soners, who were hrought back in the custody of a piliceman.
The blankets, sheets, and counterpane produced were her property,
and were of the value of 17s.
William Hammond, a police-constable, 90 F, said that on the
15th instant, in the afternoon, he looked acress Peckham-rye, and
saw the prisoner and his wife running as fast as they could. He
pursued and stopped them, saying " What have you done P" and
the prisoner replied, " We have been stealing some sheets and
pledging them, but I didn't mean to run away without paying."
He said some money was due to him that night, and he intended
to redeem the things when that came. He (witness) found the
duplicate for the blanket and the counterpane on the prisoner,
and he acknowledged to having sold the duplicates for the sheets.
Francis Woods, shopman to his uncle, a pawnbroker in High-
street, Peckham, deposed that the sheets, blanket, and counter.
pane had been pledged with him by the male prisoner.
Hammond, the police-constable, said there were a great many
persons in attendance who were sufferers by the prisoner's prac-
tices, but he doubted whether the offences amounted to those of a
criminal nature,
Mr. HICNRY desired them to be called, when one,

A poor hard-working man, said, that the prisoner came to his
house and said he wanted a messenger to take a letter to Squire
Leicester, at the west end of the town, who owed him money, and
who would send some back by the bearer, and ultimately asked for
the loan of a shilling. Witness, being a poor man, could ill afford
to part with a shilling, but prisoner's language was so good, and
his representation so plausible, that he could not refuse him, and
gave him the shilling. He went with the letter to Squire Lei-
cester's, and was told there was no answer. While he was gone
on this message, the prisoner called at his house and succeeded in
getting a shilling from his wife.
A gentleman, who was in Court and had been In conversation
with the prisoner, here expressed a hope the magistrate would dig..
pose of the case summarily.
Mr. HENRY replied, he could not do so. A great number
of poor persons had been made sufferers, and he (Mr.
Henry) should send him for trial upon the charge of unlawful
pawning.
While the depositions were being taken, Mr. HENRY, addressing
the gentleman, remarked that, upon his former examination the
prisoner had mentioned the names of some distinguished families
to whom he said he was nearly related, and asked if he knew any-
thing about his character or history ? The gentleman replied that
he did, and that his representations about his family connexions
were perfectly correct. His real name was West, and he was a
clergyman of the Established Church. He (the prisoner) was
nephew to a nobleman holding the highest appointment in her
Majesty's household, was connected by marriage with many distin-
guished families, and his father and mother as well as the friends
of his wife were persons of large property and the highest respect-
ability, and he (the gentleman) became acquainted with him by
his being professionally engaged to dispose of some property be-
longing to him while graduating at Brasenose College. While at
Oxford, he was picked up by a set of sharpers, and being of a most
liberal disposition—indeed, lavishly so—they fleeced him. As
a proof of this foolish liberality, he would mention the fact that
the last 1001. he possessed as the wreck of his property, he had
lent to a sporting baronet, though there was scarcely a hope
of his getting it or any part of it back. By similar follies
in money matters the prisoner had been reduced, no doubt, to
considerable want, and his friends, in the hope, probably, of
making him feel his folly, had allowed him but the small pittance of
7s. a-week, and not 1/. 75., as had been stated; but still he was
surprised to find him resort to any act of criminality. In extenua.
tion of his offence he begged to say, that he (the gentleman) had
had a communication with Mr. Leicester, the gentleman whose
name had been mentioned, and he assured him he had forwarded a
sovereign by the post, for the prisoner's use, but it had never
reached him. Had he received it he would not have been under
the necessity of pawning the things, or, having pawned them, might
have redeemed them in time to prevent discovery.
Mr. HENRY asked if the prisoner had ever done duty as a clergy-
man ? The gentleman replied that he bad, and said it was only a
short time since he was called upon to officiate at the east end of
the metropolis, and gave such satisfaction to the congregation, that
he might have gone on exceedingly well had it not been for the ex-
posure to which his poverty had subjected him. It appeared that
at a meeting where several of the clergymen of the parishes in the
vicinity attended, his (the prisoner's) name happened unfortunately
to be mentioned, when one said he had lent him a shirt and
cravat to preach in, which he never returned ; another mentioned
giving him some money, which he never repaid ; and the exposure
altogether was such, that the gentleman who was in the habit of
getting him to officiate felt compelled to discontinue doing so.
Since his commitment his friends had forwarded him some money;
and he had no doubt that, after this, something permanent would
be done for him.
Mr. HENRY observed he could make no distinction between the
case of the prisoner and any other person, and under all the circum-
stances it might be much better for the prisoner himself that he
should be committed, as it would bring his case to a crisis that
would lead to something permanent being done for him by his
friends. He (Mr. Henry), however, should admit him to bail in
two sureties of 401. each to answer the charge at the sessions.
The prisoner was then committed for trial, and the witnesses
bound over in the usual way to prosecute.
SOUTHWARK.

Yesterday two of the churchwardens, accompanied by the vestry-
clerk of St. George's, Southwark, waited on Mr. Cottingham for
the purpose of soliciting his advice under the following circum.
stances.

One of the churchwardens stated that for some time past several
of the inhabitants of St. George's parish have received anonymous
letters, containing threats against their lives, and that in some in-
stances the writer of them bad inclosed poison. The communica-
tions containing the poison were addressed to the daughters of a
merchant and two other persons, and couched in language most
affectionate, to the following effect :
"My dear Elizabeth,—l have sent you some powders, which I
received as a present from France. You will find them as a drink
very delicious, being flavoured with melon, which you will greatly
admire, and will do you a great deal of good. I shall call to see
you in a day or two."
The applicant stated that the powders alluded to were oxalic acid,
and that fortunately all the letters containing them had fallen into
the hands of the parents of those to whom they were transmitted
through the post. The perpetrator, finding his designs frustrated,
then commenced sending more anonymous letters of the most dia-
bolical and revolting nature, not only threatening to murder the
children, but the parents likewise, and in some instances to set fire
to their houses. A Mrs. Spriggs, the wife of a respectable shop-
keeper, living in White-street, has been particularly selected out
as a victim by the anonymous slanderers. A letter in reference to
her, transmitted by post to Mr. Stead, the parish-clerk, was handed
to the magistrate. It was as follows:
" Sir,—l should take it as a very great favour if you would say
the following few words just before you utter the words Let us
sing to the praise and glory of God,' which will be about half past
seven o'clock on Sunday evening, September 28, 1845,' It will
be considered sacrilege if Mrs. Spriggs enters this or any other
church after to-night, as she has attempted the life of her child;'
and if you do not say it—and this is no idle threat—as true as
there is a Heaven above, I will set fire to the church, and by half-
past seven next Sunday weeks Oct. 5, 1845, the church shall be
one mass of smoking ruins; and, mind you, I will attend on pur-
pose to hear if you do say the words, or at least something to the
purpose.-1 am, S,r, your very humble and obedient servant,
" Sept. 22. G
-

Several other letters were placed before Mr. Cottingham, and
after perusing them and examining them, he was of opinion, al-
though there was a difference in the character of the writing, still
that they were all by the same writer.
The MAGISTRATE inquired if any steps had been taken to trace
out the writer of those letters ?--The churchwarden replied, that
efforts had been used for that purpose ; that the thing bad con-
tinued for the last few months scarcely without intermission ;
that many families residing in the parish had been thrown into a
state of considerable alarm owing to thecirounstance; and that a
reward of 401. had been offered fur the discovery of the offender,
but as yet without success.

An inspector of the M division said that Sir James Graham
had been made acquainted with the circumstances some time
since, and that the Commissioners of Police had given instruc.
tions to employ some of the detective police for the purpose of
discovering the writer of the letters, but that notwithstanding
exertions had been used for the purpose, still they were unsuccess-
ful ; that even since the police were engaged in the affair letters
of a similar tendency, and containing poison, had been sent to
families in the Borough. .

The MAGISTRATE then inquired, as it appeared Mrs, Spriggs was
one of the persons against whom threats of the most violent
nature were made, whether she had any reason for suspecting any
person in her husband's employ as the writer of the shocking
epistles produced ?
The inspector said that inquiries of that nature had been
already made of that lady, and it was found that no such suspicion
was entertained against any member of her household.
Mr. Col-rim:rum, addressing the churchwardens, said that in
answer to their application every exertion should be used for the
purpose of detecting and bringing to justice the miscreant. He
would not be satisfied with a policeman merely watching for a few
hours in the day about a particular post-office where the letters
were posted, in order to discover the writer, but he should give