Star.
London, England, 1818-06-26 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

COURT OF KING'S BENCH, JUNE 25.
THE KING v: THOMAS GILL AND BERNARD HENRY.
This was an indictment for a conspiracy. The two
first counts charged that the two defendants, well
knowing that a certain instrument called a hydro-
meter, made by the defendant Gill, was imperfect,
of little or no value, and not saleable, had conspired
and combined together, under false pretences and de-
vices, to induce certain opticians and mathematical
instrument-makers to purchase a number of them ;
Henry giving the orders to the opticians, who bought
of Gill, and Henry never afterwards calling to take
the hydrometers away. The two last counts charged
that the defendants had conspired and combined to-
gether, by false pretences, and subtile means and
devices to defraud certain opticians, &c. by inducing
them to buy a number of Gill's hydrometers on the
order of Henry ; Henry never afterwards paying for
them, but leaving them on the - hands of the opti-
cians, &c. The facts of the case have already been
published when the matter was brought before the
Lord Mayor. Gill is patentee of a hydrometer on a
new construction; and the accusation against him
was, that he had procured Henry to give orders for
them among the trade; and after Gill had received
the money from them, never completing the contract
by paying for them. The witnesses for the prosecu-
tion (which was conducted by Mr. SCARLETT) clearly
made out the following facts—that Henry came
among others to the shop of Mr. Banks, a mathema-
teal-instrument maker, and ordered five of Gill's
hydrometers, being very particular in his direction
that they should be made by Gill, as none others
would do. He deposited some notes as earnest, and
.gave his address as at Hoxtan ; but on inquiry, no
such person was found there. Banks did not comply
' with the order; but when next Henry called, made
some excuse, and traced him to Gill's, and from
thence to a stage-coach in Bishopsgate-street. Henry
there denied that that was his name ; but as Bank)
succeeded in forcing him into a hackney. coach, he at
length confessed it ; but added, that if it were wished
to make it out a conspiracy between him and Gill,
the parties would be mistaken, for it was only a sim-
ple Contract debt ; and he had 53 acted to Frye his
friend Gill. On another occasion he made thesame
confession ; and, among others, defrauded Messrs.
Dollcad, Mr. Harris, and Mr. Webbe. Some of the
tes which Henry deposited as earnest with them
were traced to have come out of Gill's possession.
On the part of the defendants, Mr. GIJREI made
an address to the Jury, contending that his clients
could not be found guilty, on the ground that it had
not been proved that the instruments called Gill's hy-
drometers were of little or no value and net saleable;
on the contrary, it had been admitted tl.at they were,
if not perfect. extremely excellent and most useful.
Mr. Justice ABBOTT, in summing up, observed,,l
that even if the Jury should be of opinion that t!:e
hydrometers made by Gill were valuable and ser-
viceable, yet the two last counts in the indictment
oh' iat-cd the objection, where it was charged gene-
rally, that the defendants hed conspired to defraud
certain persons.
The Jury, with very little hesitation, pronounced
a verdict of Guilty, and Mr. Justice Amstar ordered
that the defendants should be taken into cticody.—
Bail was offered on their behalf; and accezte4(