The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-07-30 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.--FRIDAY.

ASSAULT.—A young man named J. Stowell, was placed
at the bar of the police-court, charged with having vio-
lently assaulted his father, who resides in Case-street.
It appeared that the accused had a knife in his hand at the
time he threatened his parent, and that, in his violence, he
broke the windows of the house. Mr. Rushton strongly
condemned such conduct, and required that he should find
bail to keep the peace, himself in £4O, and two sureties in
£2O each.

CASE OF STABBING.—Joseph Ross, a stout young man,
who had been remanded from a former day, was placed at
the bar of the Police-court, charged with having stabbed a
man named Campbell. It appeared, from the evidence ad-
duced, that on Saturday week, during an affray in Cleveland-
square, the prisoner pulled out a knife and with it wounded
Campbell in the chest. Mr. Taylor, surgeon of the Dis-
pensary, said that he had attended the wounded man. The
wound was an incision in the chest, and, at first, obstructed
respiration, and had threatened the death of the patient,—
who had since, however, been convalescent. The prisoner
said that he had only left his ship ten minutes when the cir-
cumstance happened, and that he was not aware of what he
was doing at the time. Mr. Rushton remarked that from
what he had learned of the case, he had determined to send
the prisoner for trial, with a hope to put down, if possible,
the recently frequent resort in quarrels to the un-English
use of the knife. The prisoner was accordingly committed
for trial. _ _ _

A CANDIDATE FOR "TEETOTAL" HONOURS.—An elderly
man, whose name we did not learn, was brought before Mr.
Rushton, charged with being in that condition that it became
necessary to put him into bridewell " for safety." The pri-
soner said—" Sir, this is the first time I have been brought
before yers; and if you will only let me go this time, I give
you my solemn word I'll, join the tee-total society directly !"
;This appeal was considerately received by Mr. Rushton, who
naturally thought that this was the prisoner's first known
Bacchanalian offence. He enquired of Mr. Parkinson whe-
ther the prisoner had been brought up before for a like offence
—anticipating, doubtless, a reply in the negative ;—but, 0
gemini! the answer was, " many a time and oft." "To be
sure I have," said the prisoner, " I don't deny it; but,"
he added earnestly, (preparing his hat for a retreat,) "if
your worship will not let me go, I'll run directly and sign
the pledge." So persuasive a pledge of reformation was not
to be resisted ; and Mr. Rushton released the captive on his
reiterated promise that he would immediately enlist in the
noble band of " tee-totallers," or total abstainers from in-
toxicating beverages.
A DISTRESSING CASE.—A good looking young woman
named Susan Carroll was brought before Mr. Rushton at
the Police-court,—she having been found in despair and
destitution in the street. She stated that she was from Ire-
land ; that she had no parents or friends, and had been in
service in this town, when a misfortune overtook her. It
appeared that she had formed an attachment to a young man
who had cruelly betrayed, and finally deserted her. A re-
spectable tradesman stated that she had been in his service ;
had the entire management of his house and shop, and had
always been anxious, honest, and industrious,—until her
acquaintance with the person alluded to, when she became
apparently uncomfortable, and was out all night. He added
that he had then no need of a servant, otherwise he would
take her back ; but if she remained in the town, lie should
have no objection to recommend her to a place. The girl,
who appeared to be deeply affected, said, in reply to questions
from the bench, that she had no objection to return to Ire-
land, where she hoped she would find a place in some family,
but she had been obliged to pawn her clothes for subsistence.
She produced the tickets for the articles, all of them for
small sums from time to time, the highest being 4s. 6d. for
a gown. The worthy magistrate, who had made previous
inquiries into this case, directed that the girls' clothing should
be redeemed. He remarked that he was aware that the con-
duct of the young man with whom she had been unhappily
connected was exceedingly reprehensible—indeed cruel—and
ordered that she should be provided for in the mean time,—
his object being to find some means of subsistence here, or
to pass her to her native country.
SATURDAY.
SERIOUS CHARGE OF EMBEZZLEMENT.

On Saturday Christopher Todd, one of the tellers at the
Bank of Liverpool, was placed before the magistrates. Willi-
am Rushton, William Brown, and Richard Houghton, Esqs.
charged with having embezzled several large sums of money.
The court was crowded with merchants, bankers, and indivi-
duals engaged in commercial pursuits.
The prisoner, we are informed, has for some time past,
been living at an extravagant rate, and many of those saga-
cious persons, who plume themselves on the fulfilment of
their prognostications, pretend, long since, to have discovered
that some such result as the present would ensue. The dis-
covery of the prisoner's delinquency was made on Wednesday
last, when he was taken into custody. He underwent an ex-
amination before Mr. Rushton, on Thursday, when evidence
was heard of the appropriation by the prisoner, of large sums
belonging to a Mr. Smith. He was remanded till Saturday,
at three o'clock, in order that further evidence might be
obtained. Since then, defalcations to the amount of £3,000
have been discovered.
Mr. Rushton, and the other magistrates took their seats at
half past three o'clock. The prisoner, a well dressed young
man, 27 years of age. was brought up and placed at the bar.
He held down his head, till he reached the front of
the dock, when he immediately buried his face in his silk
handkerchief, and kept it covered from view during the whole
examination, except at one juncture, when he raised his head
for an instant. Mr. Harvey appeared for the prosecution,
and Mr. Davenport for the prisoner.
In reply to a question from Mr. Harvey, Mr Rushton said,
it would not be necessary to go again through the preliminary
evidence relative to the course of business at the bank. The
first witness called was
Mr. Robert Willan, gentleman, who stated, that he had an
account at the Bank, of Liverpool. On the 9th April last he
paid into the bank £3O in cash. He paid the money to the
prisoner at the bar. (Here Mr. Rushton desired the prison-
er to stand up that the witness might see him. The prisoner
stood erect for a moment, but almost immediately hid his
face again.) He (Mr. Willan) drew out and delivered to the
prisoner a ticket. He also handed to the prisoner his cash
book, and the prisoner entered the £3O in it to his credit and
returned him the book. He (witness) always took his' pass-
book with him when he paid money into the bank. The pass-
book and ticket were handed to the witness and he identified
them.
Mr. Joseph Langton, manager of the bank, proved, that
the entry of £BO in the pass-book, on the 9th of April, was
in the handwriting of the prisoner, Chriitopher Todd. Mr.
Langton examined the prisoner's cash-book, and stated, that
there was no entry, on the 9th of April, of £3O to Mr.
Willan. There were two tellers at the bank of Liverpool.
One of them was Mr. Thomas Todd. (Mr. Langton was
here desired to examine Mr. Thomas Todd's cash-book.)
There was no entry of the stun of £3O received from Robert
Willan on the 9th April.
Mr. Robert Healey, one of the accountants at the Bank
of Liverpool, stated, that his business was to keep • the
lodgment-ledger. In the lodgment-ledger Was kept the ac-
count of Mr. Robert Willan. When a ticket was given on
the payment•of cash into the bank, he entered the amount
from that ticket in the lodgment-ledger. When no ticket
was given, the amount was copied from the cash-book. On
the 9th of April he had no entry of £3O ; therefore he con-
cluded, that no ticket was delivered, and that there was no
entry of that sum in the cash-book. That was the only
book in which Mr. Willan's account was kept.
As a ticket had been handed to Mr. Willan, and proved to
be the one which was given by him to the prisoner, the
magistrates wished to know where it had come from.
Mr. Bownes, of the bank of Liverpool, stated, that he
found it in the prisoner's till-drawer when the prisoner was
taken into custody. The till-drawer was always under the
care of the prisoner. He unlocked it with one of the keys
on the prisoner's ring, which keys were taken from him when
he was searched.
Mr. Willan was recalled. He stated, that, on the 7th May
last, he paid to the prisoner £44, of which £lO was notes
and £34 gold. The course of evidence to prove this case
was similar to that brought forward in the last case. A ticket
had been given which was found in the prisoner's till-drawer.
The prisoner had given credit in the cash-book for only £3O,
instead of £44.
John Chorlton, baker and flour dealer, stated, that he
kept an account at the Bank of Liverpool. On Friday, the
sth of July last, he paid into the bank, to the prisoner at the
bar £lOO, all in gold. The prisoner counted it, but did not
weigh it. He (witness) had left the pass-book with the pri-
soner, on the 25th of June, to be balanced, according to the
usual custom.. He asked the prisoner for his pass-book.
The prisoner said, they had been very busy and it was not
ready, but it would be ready in a week. He did not make
out a ticket. It had been usual for him (witness) to sign a
ticket, and he asked the prisoner if it were not necessary that
he should sign as usual. He (the prisoner) made light of it,
and said, "No ! it was not necessary." On Tuesday, the
16th July last, he (Mr. Chorlton) went again to the bank.
Tuesdays and Fridays were market days with them, and,
therefore, important days. He had with him £lOO to pay
into the bank. He asked for his pass-book, which still re-
mained at the bank, and, having done so, he paid down £lOO
in cash. He was not certain whether he asked the prisoner
or the other teller for the book, but the prisoner produced it.
The prisoner laid the pass-book upon the counter, and he
(witness) saw him make both the entries at once. The
prisoner wrote two lines. He wrote " 6th July, cash £lOO ;"
but, in point of fact, the cash was paid on the sth July, and
the prisoner ought to have entered it. He also wrote " 16th
July, cash £100."
Mr. Langton proved, that the above entries in the pass-
book were in the hand Writing of the prisoner. The prisoner's
cash-hook, and the cash-book of Mr, Thomas Todd, the
other teller, were produced. Neither on the sth 6th nor 16th
of July was any credit given, in either book, for the sums
above mentioned.
Mr. Robert Healy stated, that Mr. Chorlton's account
was kept in the lodgment-ledger, and that no credit was gi-
ven, on the above dates, for any money received from him.
Cross-examined by Mr. DAVENPORT.—They balanced the
lodgment-ledger every evening. Sometimes they found an
excess of cash. , The tellers' cash-books were sometimes
more than the ledger. That occurred when the whole of the
tellers tickets had not been delivered in. Mr. Davenport
was proceeding to press the witness as to the excess of cash
in possession, when
Mr. Langton said, it happened sometimes, hut very rarely,
that there was an excess of Cash in the till. Ile would as-
sume, that it was one hundred pounds. At the end of the
day, there would be one hundred pounds more in cash than
the tickets exhibited. This was carried to what they called
suspense account, and there it remained until claimed. There
was, however, nothing entered in the suspense-book on any
of those dates brought before the court.
Mr. Rushton intimated, that it would be necessary to bring
the suspense-book forward.
Mr. Moses Edwards, gentleman, stated, that he kept
an account with the Bank of Liverpool. On the 13th
day of April last he paid in £3OO in cash, to the prisoner
at the bar, who counted it in his presence, and entered it in
his pass-book to his credit, " April 13, cash £300." He
(witness) did not give in a ticket. He could not say that it
was his practice to do so. He had observed, that when he
went to the other teller, he was always requested to fill up
a ticket, and it struck him as a remarkable difference, that
one always should ask him to fill up a ticket and the other
should not. On the 7th of May he paid in £4OO. It con-
sisted of £3BO in cash and £2O in local notes. The prisoner
counted it twice, and entered £4OO in the pass-book. On
the following morning he received a message from the bank,
informing him, that he had made a mistake as to the sum
which he had paid into the bank. At the bank the prisoner
told him that he had paid £2O short. He was convinced
that he bad not done so, and he told the prisoner that he had
observed him to count the money twice over. However, as
the prisoner was positive, he paid in another £2O, in oader
to keep the £4OO entire.
Mr. Langton examined the books of both tellers, and found
that, on the 13th April, there was no entry whatever of mo-
ney received from Mr. Edwards. On the 7th May there
was credit for £2BO cash and £2O in bills, instead of £320
cash and £2O in bills.
Mr. Elkanah I3ealy, senior accountant in the bank, stated,
that he kept the check-ledger in which Mr. Edward's account
was. On the 13th April no sum appeared to his credit. On
the 7th May Mr. Edwards was credited for £2BO cash and
£2O in four local notes. Mr. Healy produced the suspense
account. It was proved, that no overplus was carried to that
account on the 9th or 13th April, 7th May, or sth, 6th, nor
16th July. Neither did any entry appear for the 23d Feb.,
the day of Mr. Smith's payment.
The prisoner was committed for trial.
We deem it but an act ofJ ustice to state, that Mr. Thomas
Todd, the senior teller in the Bank of Liverpool, enjoys the
fullest confidence of the Directors, who regard him as a gen-
tleman of the highest probity and honour.
YESTERDAY.
HIGHWAY ROBBERY.

Moses Joynson, a man well known to the police, was
charged with abstracting a valuable watch from the pocket of