The Sun.
London, England, 1829-02-03 00:00:00

GUILDHALL

A lad, 17 years of age, named James Wood, clerk
to Mr. Poytider, the clerk of Bridewell Hospital,
was brought before Sir -PETER LAURIE yesterday,
charged with stealing a cheque for 601.
Mr. Poynder stated that the prisoner had been in
his service two years, and on Wednesday last, about
ten o'clock, he gave him a cheque for the 601. on
Messrs. Glyn, desiring him to give it to Oxford,
one of the porters to the hospital, that he m►ght get
cash for it, and obtain a Bank post-bill for the same
amount, complainant being accustomed to remit
601. monthly to a widow in the country. The pri-
soner entered a notice respecting the cheque in a'me-
morandum book, and also prepare the usual slip to
be delivered to the clerk at the batik, obtaining the
particulars to be included in the post-bill. The pri-
soner was to carry the cheque merely from one part of
the building to another ; and finding he did not re-
turn to the counting-house aftei!`the lapse of twenty
minutes, complainant went to the porter and in-
quired whether he had received the cheque. Finding
he had not received it, the complainant hastened to
thabanking-house,but arrived too late to prevent the
prisoner from receiving the amount. He heard no
more of him till Snaday, when he was appre-
hended by his son, who, in walking to church, ►net
him at Newington-butts, and caused him to be se-
cured, although he denied his 'name, and struggled
violently to escape.

Tho►nas Oxford, the beadle, deposed that the pri-
soner did not bring the cheque to him.
John Lukey, a clerk at Messrs. Glyn's, proved
that he paid ti►e cheque produced early:on Wednes-
day morning to some person. He gave the person
forty sovere►gns, and four Si. notes, of which he had
the numbers.

Charles Moore, a painter, at No. 11, Waterloo-
road, stated, that the prisoner took a lodging at his
house on Saturday evening, and deposited 491. with
him for safe custody. Early on Sunday morning
the prisoner had 2/. back to buy a coat and waist-
coat. The rest of the money was in a bag, which
he now produced, having learnt, through the pri-
soner's mother, that he was in custody for this of-
fence.

Mr. Lukey examined the centents of the bag, and
identifiedfour .5/. notes as the same which be paid
upon the cheque.
Brooks, a constable of Union-hall, deposed that
he secured the prisoner, and found about him 21.55.,
a licentious book, and a number of Pearce Egan's
newspaper.

The -prisoner hid his face with his hands, and did
not offer any defence; bat his mother attempted to
intercede with the prosecutor.
Mr. Poynder desired that she would address what
she wished to state to the Alderman.

Sir P. LAURIE said this was useless, because he
would not permit any lenity to be shown. The
dishonesty of clerks seemed to be daily increasing;
he had last week liberated one %vim had embezzled
two sovereigns, and the same day was called upon
to send an officer to Birmingham after another, who
had embezzled a large sum belonging to the refu-
gees. Fortunately, the city possessed a very active
and intelligent officer (Mr. Cape, the marshal), and
the man had been secured with the greater part of
his booty. The notoriety which Stephenson's guilt
and flight had obtained seemed to have greatly in-
creased the crime of fraud and embezzlement by
suggesting it to the minds of all. Some examples
must be made.

The prisoner was committed for trial.
Thomas Edwards, a well-behaved, quiet-looking
lad, was charged with having attempted to poison
himself.

James, a constable of Aldersgate ward, said, the
prisoner was brought into the watch-house foaming
at the mouth, and nearly insensible, from having
swallowed a quantity of laudanum, as it was suppos-
ed, from a bottle found upon him. A surgeon was
called in, who advised that he should be removed in-
stantly to the hospital, where the poisonous liquid

was taken off the stomach by using the stomach-pump.
Being now sufficiently recovered to be discharged
from the hospital, he was brought before the magis-
trate to N disposed of;
Sit. PM?* Litirtftr. interrogated die prlgtintt
flutsidertible 'grid ri th his statement it
peared, that ilk' fitili6 i riihfribihti reef detYd-ilit
he had subsibted by hiririg himself
a M. Gillieg,of Deal; until that gentleman went fS
the 'cOritinent,; and that the prisoner disliked the
ideaof tritVelling,iiiid thought lie ShOld,,be able to
obtain another situation, but lind, been disappoint-
ed, and after living for some weeks on th tiontiik
of an uncle at Clifton, arrived in London with half-
a-cre‘ht in his pocket about three weeks ago in
much of employment. Having failed in obtaining
it, and disliking the disgrace of applying to a parish,
be deterMified On self-destruction, being in great
distres.

Sir P. LlT.Titir, ,;aid, he had not a greatET ref
poison himself than to poison any other person, and
he hoped he would seriously reflect upon the situa-
tion in Which he would have been placed, if he had
succeeded in his dreadful purpose, and had appeared
before his Maker haring taken array the life he had
given him. He did not deserve to be treated with
so much kindness, but he (the Alderman) would
cause a letter to be written to his uncle, and if
he could not provide for him temporarily, then an
endeavour should be made to place him under the
protection of the Marne Society, as he was willing
to go to sea.

The prisoner seemed very thankful, and was
remanded to the Giltapur-street Compter till
Thursday.
Thomas Man:hard, was committed for stealing a
parcel, containing two gown-pieces, from the head of
a chaise, as it was passing through Redcross-street
on Saturday evening.
40-,,40 Mr. Brown, of Cheapside, requests us to
state, that he'should have readily attended on the
sitting Alderman to give evidence respecting the
passing of a bad shilling at his house, (as stated in
The; Sun of Saturday,) if there had been a chance
that the woman could he prosecuted on his case;
but this was impossible, from the identity of the
shilling received from the prisener being lost, by
being nixed with others.