The Sun.
London, England, 1845-04-25 00:00:00

which were placed near the feints receiver. I
saw the suction-pipe of one of the pumps laid in the direc-
tion of the sewer. I took three or four samples of the wash
that had been distilled about the time I noticed this. I re-
member the morning of the 13th December, 1843. I went
to the spirit receiver on that occasion. I had
a lamp with me, and I went to the cover of
the spirit receiver. I observed boards round the suction-
pipe; one of the boards was fastened with two nails, but I
removed it. I found a hole. The hole was not there when
I first examined the place on the 18th of August. I found
the men about the premises then, and one of them followed me
into the street. I gave information of what I had seen to Mr.
Drinkwater, and he and I examined it at ten o'clock on
the same morning. From two o'clock, when I saw the bole
for the first time, till ten, I had been strictly watching it. The
boards were in the same state at ten, and they were removed in
Mr. Drinkwater's presence. There was a charge taken of
the spirits on that night, and there was an excess of stock
of twenty-eight gallons and a fraction. The excess was
seized by Mr. Drinkwater. The nails were new that
joined the moveable board. The hole in the top of
the spirit receiver had the appearance of being
newly cut. The spirit is pumped from the receiver into the
vat by a suction pipe. The suction pipe always remains in
the spirit receiver. The covering board is fastened on with
white lead. The pumps are locked by the Excise. The hole
appeared to be partly cut with a saw and partly by a gouge.
There was no white lead round the hole that had
been newly cut. The dimensions of that hole were
seven inches by two inches and five-tenths. The spirit
store is immediately above that part of the receiver where
the hole was discovered. A suction pipe could be in-
troduced from the spirit store to the hole in the receiver.
Stock is taken in the store ; it generally takes place once a fort-
night, but sometimes once a week. The spirit warehouse is
generally kept locked by the distiller himself. I never found
an increase in the stock, with that single exception.
I recollect Mr. Drink water telling Mr. George
Smith of the hole he had discovered in the
spirit receiver. Mr. Smith replied it was the greatest
piece of intelligence he had ever heard of. Ile also took a
letter from his pocket, saying that he had received an anony-
mous letter, which informed him that his men had been rob-
bing him. Ido not remember his saying anything more. I
pointed out the hole to Mr. Gill, the foreman, who was pre-
sent with Mr. Smith. Mr. Smith remarked that the nails
had been rusted off. Mr. Gill remarked that the spirits
might have floated and wrenched the boards off. It
would require a great deal of water to float
the spirit receiver. I was on duty there a
considerable time, and I never knew of the spirit receiver
floating. If it had done so, I must have known it. The
dipping-rod is fixed in a socket, and always at the same
point. If, therefore, the receiver had floated, it must have
thrown the rod out of its place. I watched the
distillery, assisted by two officers of the Excise,
named Wallace and Kibble. It was during the
seventh distilling period, commencing the 7th January,
1844, and ending an the 15th of the same month, I found
an increase over the produce of the former periods of 981
gallons.
Mr. KELLY thought that as these particulars were of a
complicated nature it would be better for Drinkwater to
enter upon the whole of that evidence.
Examination of witness continued—The watch was only
partial, by examining the premises. I did not watch during
the eighth distilling period, but I received orders to watch
strictly during the ninth distilling period. I was as-
sisted by the same officers, and by one or two
others. I also with them watched the tenth period.
Daring the eighth period there was a deficiency.
On the 9th and 10th there was an excess greater than upon
the ith period. On the 7th of March, 1844, I took charge
of the premises in the absence of Mr. Drinkwater. There
were recurring disputes on every charge about the dip of the
receiver. I took the drip, and I found two-tenths incor-
rect upon the drip, or twenty-nine gallons gained on
every charge. I found the valves in the pump of the
spirit receiver loose, and water could be let through. Before
I took the drip the Surveyor-General had ordered a lock to
be put upon the suction -pipe. Mr. Smith was not
present when I found the increase upon the drip.
lie was present when the dip was taken ; on
that occasion there was an increase in the dip.
Mr. Smith remarked that it had occurred from the water
falling back through the pump. The pump was afterwards
unscrewed and examined. One of the valves was deficient
altogether. I went afterwards on the 15th of June and
examined the top of the spirit receiver with a
lamp. I discovered there another hole which I
had not seen before. It was stopped with a wooden
plug. It appeared fresh as if recently ant. The
hole was circular, and about It, inch in diameter. It did not
arise from a knot in the wood. I am positive the hole was
not there on my last examination. When I discovered the
hole I tried it with a dipping-rod, and it would not go in. It
could not, therefore, be an old dipping hole. The dipping
holes are generally square, not circular. I had not charge of
the rectifying premises till the 7th March, 1844. The stock
there is taken once in six weeks. The strength of the
sweetening spirit is declared by the trade. The recti-
fying house is not open at night. On the 14th of October
I went with Cameron, Franklin, and Drinkwater to the
rectifying premises. I observed some water running into
the still-heads, and some questions were put to Mr.
Whitehead on the subject. I went round to the dis-
tillery, and turned the cocks of the liquor vats.
I cut off the stop-cock. I turned on water
again, and went back to the rectifying house. I found
there Cameron and Mr. James Scott Smith in conversation.
The water was then running on the still leads. I returned
with Franklin to the distillery, and showed him how
I had turned the water off. On the succeeding day
I was at the distillery with the same person. 1 saw
Mr. George Smith. Mr. Cameron asked if there
was any connexion between the distillery and the
rectifying house except the open trough ? Mr. Smith said
"Do you wish to catch me, Mr. Cameron, I scorn such
ways.', Mr. Cameron then said " I don't wish to catch you,
but I dare say your brother told you about the water-pipe
yesterday." Mr. Smith then said that there was a water-
pipe to his house and to the gallery over the way, as well as
to every house in the parish. On the 17th Oct. the surveying-
general examiners attended on the premises, and on that
day men were employed to raise the ground. I traced the
pipes from the distillery to the rectifying house. In the pipe
going across the street there is a stop-cock, which can cut off
the connexion. There was a box upon it, bearing the initials
of the East London Water-Works. I saw the pipe uncovered
towards the granaries. There was no communication between
the pipe and the company's main. There was no other com-
munication, excepting with the pipe which led from the
tanks in the distillery. I was not aware of this communi-
cation between the distillerp and the rectifying house until
the ground was opened. The pipes- were not in the entries
returned by Mr. Smith. On the 22d October I was made
to pass spirits between the distillery and the rectifying house.
The largest store vat in the distillery is No. 8, and the pipe
which runs along the top supplies the vats from the spirit
receiver. There is a sink opposite No. 8 vat. I assisted in
stopping the communications to the branches along the pipe.
The first experiment was by placing a small tub of water
'sloes the sink, and that was acted on by means of a
eyphon, which reduced the water immediately. It was then
proposed to substitute water for spirits, and a connexion
was effected between No. 8 vat and the pipe over the sink.
There was a screwed cock on the pipe at the sink, and
another on the pipe at the vat. The quantity of spirits in the
vat was ascertained to be 7,399 gallons in bulk, 13-4 per cent.
above proof,which would give 8,390 and a fraction proof spirits.
In the courte of the evening I went round to tlarectifying
premises, and on receiving information from Mr. Drinkwater,
that all was ready, I took the dip of No. 17 vat, and found it
in bulk 67 9-10 gallons above proof. The cock was turned
by Drinkwater. Water run for ten minutes, and then spirits
commenced to run, weak at first, but at last they ran 11 per
cent. overproof. Mr. Cartwright caught samples, and
handed them to us. The first dip I took after the spirit
had ceased running was 27 inches. The whole quantity run
was 700 gallons of proof spirits. It took us about an hour to
run that quantity. Rectifiers use water, or, as it is termed,
spirit, for reducing their liquors. We afterwards run water
through the pipe until it no longer tasted of spirits. Five
minutes would be sufficient to de away with all taste of
spirits.
The witness was about to be cross-examined by Mr. Fitzroy
Kelly, when
The LORD CHIEF BARON said it was time the case should
be adjourned until to-morrow.
The Court then rose about five o'clock.

---
POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
CLERKEA WELL.
A genteel-leaking female, 3frryAnne Williams, residing in
Wellington-street, Greenwich, was charged by Mr. Clithero,
a linen draper, residing in Goswell-street, with uttering base
The lady, who was dressed in the first style of fashion,
bought some linen, for which she laid down a sovereign.
Mr. Clithero gave her the change, half-a-sovereign and nine
shillings, which he laid on the counter. She then said she
had a shilling, and would prefer paying the bill, 9d. in
amount, with it, and getting back her sovereign. When the
prosecutor wa.3 taking up the change he discovered that the
half sovereign was a gilt sixpence. He did not see how the
prisoner changed it, but he swore positively that his half-
sovereign was an old one, whereas the counterfeit coin was
one of the present reign. She was arrested and searched at
once, but nothing was found on her person.
She was discharged.
SOUTHWARK.
Henry Johnson, a smart young man, dressed like a butcher,
was brought before Mr. Cottingham, charged with obtaining
a great quantity of property under false pretences.
The Court was thronged with shopkeepers who had been
defrauded by the prisoner.
The manner in which he obtained the goods, principally
articles of hosiery, consisting of satin and silk goods, was as
follows : Dressed in the costume of a butcher, his
plan was to enter a shop in a hurry, without his hat,
and representing that he was in the employ of a neigh-
bouring butcher, said that he was sent to the shop by his em-
ployer to request that he might be sent some articles of satin
or silk to look at. The shopkeeper not doubting the veracity
of
the statement sent the goods, and in all the cases it was
subsequently discovered that the articles had not been
ordered,
. an
d that the prisoner was unknown to the parties.
He was taken into custody by Brooks, a policeman, and at
As
his lodgings a quantity
discovered. ofsilk
other a n d
charges satin belongingare
likely to
tobe
his
victims was
preferred against the prisoner, be was remanded until Wed-
nesday nest.

The sporting case of Wood y. Glen,which was to
have been tried at last King,ton Assizes, but was post-
poned for trial this term in the Court of Exchequer, on
the application of Mr. Glen, for theurrTose of enabling
him to have the evidence of Abraham
at Boulogne under a commission,
andf(:) Levi Goodman
in-
dulgence Mr. Gh was compelled by Baron r
Rolfe
1,500/ into court as a security to Mr. Wisoostdehastob-eae-n
auddenly terminated by Mr. Glen, who, ad of
pro-
ceeding to examine Goodlnan under the commission,
has drawn up a Judge's order to stay the proceedingn,
upon payment to Mr. Wood of the amount for which th.
e
aett,n was br,ugly, and costs; the 1,500/. being paid out
of co.::rt to Mr, Wood's attorney in part discharge of the
amount. The costs have since been taxed at 195/.lls. 3d.,
in ad iit.ion to which Mr. Glen has also to pay Mr. Wood
68/ 1,F,. 10d. for the costs of his answer to a bili in Chan-
cery, which Mr. Glen filed against him for a discovery
and injunction, and which answer, principally founded
upon written documents, clearly exculpated Mr. Wood
from all participation in the frauds which had been prac•
used by other parties, and rendered any application for
an injunction to stay the action quite hopeless. The ac•
tion (as most of our readers will remember) was brought
by Mr. Alexander Wood, of Epsom, corn chandler, (the
plaintiff in the recent trial, Wood v. Col. Peel), against
Ifr. Adam Glen, of Regent-street, baker, for recovery
from the latter of 1,555/ 43. 10d., the costs paid by Mr.
Wood to Col. Peel, and against which costs Mr. Glen
had (riven Mr. Wood a bond of indemnity, Mr. Wood
- the proceedings, hut leaving the entire
Mr. Glen and his attorney, except
the commencement of the trial on the
in court on the proceedings being
nce of his having, on the previous
time discovered the fraud which had ;

taking in part in the
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