The Sun.
London, England, 1827-11-05 00:00:00

the writs of fieri facia', one endorsed to levy 413/.
145., and the other 379/. 165., were put in and read.
John Sweet, examined by Mr. GURNEY.—WiI
ness was an officer.of the SheritrOf Middlesex, but
was then under suspension. On the 21st of. Janua:'y
last year, he receivcd a warrant to levy 413/. odd
upon Mr. Weston's goods, at the suit of Machin and
Debenham. (The warrant was pUt in and read.)
Witness sent the warrant to Watkins. It was the
practice of the office that he should do so:
John Handley, Sweet's man, took the warrant on
the Saturday at twelve o'clock to Watkins, at his
house in castle-street, Holborn. Witness asked
him if he was in possession of Mr. Weston's goods.
Watkins said he was. Witness said, " Mr. Sweet',
compliments, and he has sent you a fi. fa.," anti
• Lave him the warrant. Watkins answered, "It is
all right—l'll take care of it, it will save trouble."
Mrs. Sweet.—The warrant was sent back at of
about half-past nine o'clock with a message. Mr.
Sweet came home at eleven, when she gave him tin
warrant.

Mr. Sweet re-examined.--Witness returned to
his house in Cursitor-street, at 11 o'clock, and re-
- ceived the warrant. He went directly to Ormond-.
street, and found the house shut up. It was then
bordering on Sunday, and he returned home. Wit-
ness went the next morning (Sunday) to Watkins,
and asked him why he had kept the warrant so long,
and had then sent it back, for he had told his (wit-
ness's) man that he was in possession, and had af-
terwards sent word he was not in possession, but
that there was a bill of sale. Watkins answered
witness, " It did not matter, it made no difference;
there was a bill of sale, and' there were no more
goods than the bill would cover ; Crook had got it ;
he would satisfy witness, and if witness chose to in-
form himself, he might go to the house the next
(Monday) morning, and there he would find all was
right. Alt the things were there, nothing had been
removed since the bill of sale, neither would they be
removed." Witness went the next morning, on the
Monday, at seven o'clock, to execute the warrant.
When lie got to the house, in Nev Ormond-street,
he found a cart at the door, and a large quantity of
wine in the passage packed up In readiness to be
carried off. Witness then went' to Crook's house,
in Skinner-street, and told. him he had an execution
against Weston's goods. Crook said the goods
were all included in a bill of sale to him from the
Sheriff, and he had sold them to Langdon for 600/.
on Saturday last ; he had received the money, had
gieen a receipt for it, and also an undertaking to make
over the bill of sale to Langdon whenever called upon.
Witness asked Crook when the books were taken
away. Crook told him not to be alartned, for they were
taken away the Friday before his (witness's) exe-
cution came in. Witness then asked why the wine
was packed up and in readiness to be taken away.
He said he could not tell, he knew nothing about
it. Witness wished him to accompany him to Lang-
don ; but he said he was too busy to go. Witness
went to Crook again, and they then went together
to Langdon's. They were auctioneers. Langdon,
senior, said, he had bought the goods, and given
600/. for them ; they were no more than were co-
vered by the bill of sale, and if they were attempted
to be taken away, he would- bring an action against
the sheriff. Witness received that day, Monday,
another warrant to levy goods of Weston, at the
suit of a ?4r. Hall. Witness had a conversation
With Langdon respecting Machin and Debenham's
execution. After further conversation with Wat-
kins and Crook, who both assured witness that the
hill of sale was legal, and that there was no other
Property in the house
.than what was included in it,
witness made a return of nulla bona. On the 13th
of February,* witness received the warrant, at the
suit of TnWn; and apprized the Langdons, Watkins;
and Crook Of.it. They each said that none of the
goods had been removed, and he should be justified
in making a return to it of nzdla bona, because there
was not sufficient to answer the bill of sale. It
Was at last arranged that the goods in the house
(which witness had stopped) should be sold, and the
money depovited with the sheriff to abide the event.
They were accordingly sold by Crook, on the 23d
of February, and produced about 500/. Two actions
were brought against the' sheriff for the returns to
these writs; Witness saw the defendants frequently,
and begged them, if there was any thing wrong, not
to lead him into a scrape ; but they amp ed him that
there'was nothing wrong. 'Town's action was in
the Common Pleis: At the tri 1 Wat)cins; Crook,
Miller, and Hale (Weston's clerk), were examined.
-;Vatkins said, " his man had been in possession
from December, -1824, until January, 18213. There
was a 1);;11 of sale given to Crook, taken from the she-
riff to Crook for 501/. 9s. before witness (Sweet's)
execution came. Weston bad paid off 200/. of that
bill of sale, and lie believed something more. He
had received seven dozen of wine, and Weston
owed him about 501." Before Crook was examin-
ed, Lord Chief Justice Best cautioned him not to
criminate himself. Crook stated, "he had received
250/. of Weston, and he had received 350/. from
Langdon, to make up the sum at which Langdon
had purchased the bill of sale on the Saturday night
of the 21st of January." The verdict was for the
plaintiff. Machin and Debenham's" action was in
consequence settled without trial. Witness was
called upon by the aiheriff to pay the deficiency,
after deducting the proceeds of the goods sold, and
was suspended for not paying it, ans an action was
brought against his sureties. An account between
Westoreand Crook was handed up to witness, who
proved that it was in Crook's hand-writing.
The account was put in.
A 'bill of exchange for 50/., with a receipt on the
back of it, sighed James Crook, for 2504, paid him
in part of his bill of sale, was also put in.
Sweet's examination continued.—Witness was
suspended after the trial, which took place in June.
After that he went to Langdon's, when old Langdon
said, " It was a very cruel thing upon him, He was
drawninto it by Crook. He knew nothing about it
till the Saturday night. On that night his son met
Watkins, Crook, and Weston. Watkins said he had
a warrant against Weston's goods from Sweet in his
pocket, that he could not keep out the warrant longer
than Monday morning: something must be done im-
mediately. His son advanced 1404, and took away
the law library that night, and appointed to meet
the next day (Sunday) at Weston's house, and on
that day 210/., making in all 3501., was paid. They ,
were closeted in the little room-behind the drawing-
room,--4e goods were taken away the Sunday
night,—they were at work the whole of the night,"
Mr. Miller said at the trial in the Common Pleas
that the things were removed on the Sunday morn-
ing to his brother's ,chambers. The wine witness
stopped on the Monday morning was 394 bottles,
By the Commow-SeeonenT--Witness got the
account from Mr. Weston, then in Court. Watkins
said at the trial, " Crook was a real buyer, and that
his (Watkins s) man was in possession from the
commencenient. Langdon had Advanced the money
to
pay the haLuse, Watkins's understanding with
Weston was, that Weston should have the 'goods
back upon paying the money Watkins had ;W-
-yanced." When Crook was ex-wined, he said "lie
He had reeeived it all fo
had advanced the money.
the bill of sale. He often pressed for it, 44 had
threatened to remove the goods." The witness
Sweet added, that the Lord Chief Justice Best said
" He had never seen a greater fraud in his life, and
he hoped that Crook and Langdon might he in-
dicted.
Re-examined by the ATTORNEY-GENERAL—The
Langdons had given information to witness since
preferring the indictment.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL did not think it right
to make use of that information without acquitting
the Langdons ; he should not press the case against
them.

The two Langdons were accordingly, under his
Lordship's directions, acquitted.
Jane Weston Witness was sister of the defend-
ant Weston. She lived with her brother. His
house was very handsomely furnished. Witness saw
Crook at the house on the Sunday evening. Wat-
kins and the two Langdons _were with him. some
thing* had been taken out 94 the Saturday nig ht.