The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-12-16 00:00:00

CHEATING AT CARDS

stating he had not done so for a-considerable tine, nor was
the witness (Sweetman) aware of the fact, as it had not been
done during toe time he had been in the witness's service;
nor had he (witness), before nor since the examination before
Mr. Rushton, intimated, directly or indirectly, that any re-
ward would be given to the young man.
The police-officer having stated the circumstances neces-
sary to make out the case, he was cross-examined by Mr.
Henderson. Ile denied that he said to the lady who accom-
panied Miss Farrar, that if she were not a thief she was
something worse. He did not recollect that he said she was
an old offender. He did not as he was going with the two
ladies to bridewell, meet a police-officer, and observe to him,
" Here I am, a flat between two sharps."
Mr. HENDERSON spoke at some length in defence of the
prisoner, with very great address and ability. The compa-
nion of Miss Farrar on the occasion was a lady of high re-
spectability, and they had heard, in the course of the evi-
dence, that she was the wife of a respectable gentleman of
this town. Mr. Henderson animadverted in severe terms on
the conduct of the police-officer who had taken upon himself
to characterise the lady as an old offender, to insult her by
an insinuation, that if she were not a thief she was something
worse, and to take her into custody. This lady, there was
not a doubt, was most respectable, a lady of high character,
and as there was not a shadow of a charge against her, she
was at once dismissed by the magistrate. Was it to be sup-
posed, that if Miss Farrar had been desirous of committing a
felony she would have chosen for her companion a lady of
acknowledged respectability, of high integrity, who would
instinctively shrink from such a proceeding? Was it to be
believed that she would have sought, had she been inclined
to purloin property, to do it under the very eye of a person
who would have been the first to cause detection by her very
horror of the crime ? But he would show that she was her-
self a person of the very highest character and integrity, that
up to the present period the slightest breath of slander had
not sullied her reputation. He would call before the Jury,
persons of opulence and standing, including a banker and a
county magistrate, who had known her from chilldhood, who
had the highest opinion of her character. Not a shadow of
imputation had ever been cast upon her till she unfortunately
fell under the suspicion of that young man at the shop of the
prosecutors. She had now lain one month in prison, and
there was no doubt if even she had swerved ever so little
from the paths of integrity, the instance would have been
raked up against her in the day of her misfortune. But no.
The thing had been talked of; it had unfortunately obtained
no little notoriety, but not one instance of misconduct had
been brought to light even by the severe scrutiny of malevo-
lence ; on the contrary, there were numerous friends who
were willing to come forward in this trying hour, some of
them from a distance, whose confidence was unshaken, and
who would bear testimony to her excellent conduct and spot-
less character. The learned counsel remarked with some
emphasis on the system established in the shop of giving bo-
nuses on detection, and he could not help thinking, that the
prospect of reward had influenced the young man to be more
sharp-sighted than was necessary. Ilewas on the watch face to
face with the young lady. It was not pretended that she had
exercised any extraordinary adroitness as if she had really in-
tended to steal, but she had taken the things from the counter
before the face of the young man, and from under his very eye.
The conclusion, that she took them with a felonious inten-
tion, was, with this fact, sworn to most absurdly. The
learned recorder saw this, and questioned the witness parti-
cularly to this point, and the jury heard that he confirmed
the statement. He would submit to the jury that they could
scarcely come to the conclusion that a young lady, who had
hitherto maintained so high and unimpeachable a character,
as he should prove belonged to Miss Farrar, could at once
forfeit it by such an act ; that in taking the articles mentioned
from the counter in the presence of another lady, and under
the watchful eye which was observing all her motions, she
could not have had the intention of stealing them. The true
statement of the affair was, that she did indeed take up the
stockings, as had been alleged. Her intention was to become
a purchaser. She had on a cloak, the same which she then
wore. She put down her hands, and they naturally went
beneath her cloak. Where else could they go ? If she put
her hands down they must go beneath her cloak. If a gen-
tleman, having a cloak on, in examining books which were
ticketed for sale, placed one or two of them under his arm
for a moment while he examined others, would it be inferred
that he was stealing such books? Was it because a lady suf-
fered her hands to drop beneath her cloak that she must be
accused of stealing? Was it because Messrs. Jeffrey and
Morrish's shop was sometimes frequented by another descrip-
tion of persons, and because the young men were enjoined to
watch, that all ladies who happened to put their hands
beneath their cloaks must become objects of suspicion?
The handkerchief was put into her hands by one of the
young men, and when Mr. Jeffrey went round, he took
it from her. Was it to be said that she was stealing
that handkerchief ? The handkerchief was called a cravat,
but it was presented to her by one of the young men who
offered it as a suitable article to make an apron. She had it
in her hand, and when Mr. Jeffrey, having been whispered,
as it appeared, by the young man, went round, he took it
from her, and hence it was inferred that she was stealing it.
Mr. Jeffrey civilly invited them into the back shop, and her
impression was that he was going to show them some winter
goods. She followed hire, but instead of taking her into the
back shop he led her down some steps into the warehouse.
He exhorted them here to consider the case with some degree
of delicacy. They were men with strong nerves probably,
and the courageous dispositions of men. Here was a female
of nervous temperament and timid disposition, as he should
prove, and it would be necessary to bear this in mind, for it
accounted for the circumstances. When Mr. Jeffrey tapped
her on the shoulder and asked her to go with him to the back
shop, she still held in her hands the goods which she had se-
lected for purchase. Mr. Jeffrey's expression to her was,
" Let me feel in your pockets." Then it was that she lost
her self-possession. She had in her hands the things which
she had previously taken up—she was astonished at the ques-
tion—at all that it implied, arid the construction which
might be put upon the articles which she held, and she was
unable to reply. The articles dropped from her hands, for
she was overwhelmed by the words which she had heard.
The learned counsel expatiated on the effect which some sud-
den shock or suspicion may produce oo a timid or nervous
female, causing them to act sometimes in a manner the most
foolish and unaccountable. Of this he gave an illustrative
instance in the case of a young lady, who, stepping across a
street as a mail-cart was advancing at a furious rate, and
being warned, first stood stock-still in apparent consterna-
tion, and then just as the vehicle was rushing past her, step-
ped forward, so that the wheel passed over her instep, and
crushed it so severely that she was probably a cripple for life.
Mr. Henderson also gave an instance drawn from his own
experience of the frequent fallacy of judgment from appear-
ances, as there might he strong apparent reasons, arising out
of his or her own conduct, for believing a person guilty who
was in reality entirely innocent, a fact which Mr. Hender-
son's anecdote fully proved.
Mr. HENDERSON called the following witnesses :
Mr. Alfred Harris deposed, that he was a banker residing
at Bradford. He had known Miss Farrar nearly twenty
years. He had at different times had opportunities of judg-
ing of her character. A year and a half ago he had entrusted
his daughters to her tuition. He considered that she was a
young lady of excellent character, of an ingenuous disposition
and exalted piety. She was exceedingly timid, and of a ner-
vous temperament. She was very retiring in her habits. He
had come from Bradford purposely to bear testimony in her
behalf.
Mr. Joshua Pollard stated, that he resided at Bradford,
and was a county magistrate. He bad known Miss Farrar
from childhood. She had lived in that neighbourhood during
the greater part of her life. Her conduct had always been
most exemplary, and she had always endeavoured to make
her life as useful as possible. He believed her, from know-
ledge of her character and disposition, totally incapable of
committing the crime imputed to her. She was of a timid
and nervous temperament.
Mr. Tolson, solicitor, of Bradford, stated that he had
known Miss Farrar from her childhood. She had always
I borne the highest character, and he believed her incapable
of committing a dishonest act.
Mr. John Smith, of the Liverpool Mercury, stated that
he had known Miss Farrar fifteen years. He bad known
her by meeting her at houses of the highest respectability,
where she was an esteemed visiter sometimes for months.
Her character was most excellent, and she had rendered her-
self exceedingly useful to more than one of the parties to
whom he had alluded. Their opinion of her was most high,
and it continued unchanged to the present hour.
The Rev. Mr. Livesey, of Sheffield, stated that he was in-
cumbent of St. Philip's church in that town. Miss Farrar
had resided there, and her conduct came minutely under his
observation. She was decidedly under the influence of Chris-
tian principles, and, he was convinced, incapable of commit-
ting the crime alleged, He knew nothing but good of her.
Mr. Blackburn, merchant, of Lancaster, stated he knew
Miss Farrar, and gave her a high character.
The Rev. Mr. Barker, minister of Edge-hill church, stated
that he had known Miss. Farrar during the last eighteen
months. She haft made herself exceedingly useful in varioth
ways and was highly esteemed.. He always considered het
of a timid and nervous disposition.
Mr, M'Cinnis said, he had known Miss Farrar for soul.,
time, at Birkenhead, most intimately. She was there highly
esteemed and was frequently held up as an example to others,
She possessed a high character and he believed her to be in.
capable of any crime.
Mr. Henderson said there were other witnesses who were
anxious to come forward, but he believed he need not trouble
the court with further testimony.
The learned Recorder summed up the evidence, calling the
attention of the jury to its chief points, and particularly that
of the prisoner having taken the goods from the counter un-
der the eye of the young man. The jury must be satisfied
that when the prisoner took the goods she had an intention
of stealing them.
The Jury, after a few minutes' conversation,
returned a
verdict of Nal Guilll/. A slight outbreak of applause fol-
lowed, which was immediately suppressed. The Recorder
ordered the prisoner to be discharged.

YESTERDAY

PERSONATING A DECEASED VOTER.
John Feeney 59, was indicted for wilfully making a false
answor to 000 of the questions directed to be put to voters
under tho niunicipal act. It will be remembered that at the
last election for Castle-street Ward the prisoner brought a
voting-paper to the booth, in favour of Mr. Hugh Hornby,
in the name of John Grimshaw, of Sir Thomas's-buildings,
and on being asked if he were the person so named in the
note, replied in the affirmative. Messrs. Haynes and
Fletcher, burgesses, who were present, knowing that John
Grimshaw was dead, had him taken into custody. In the
preliminary investigation when he was brought before Mr.
Rushton, at the police-court, it appeared that the prisoner
and some other men had been taken into a room in Cagle-

At the last sessions, a man who gave his name as Thomas
Rule, but whose real name is Davies, was, it will be remem-
bered, tried, convicted, and sentenced to eighteen months'
imprisonment, for having conspired with another man to rob
a joiner and builder, of Cheetharn-bill, near Manchester, of
a sum of £6l, by cutting at cards at Whitley's public-house,
Manchester-street, in this town. The case, which vie re-
ported at the time, showed, even to the excitement of laugh-
ter, the extreme weakness of the prosecutor, in listening to
the improbable story of one of the conspirators, who repre-
sented himself as an ignorant country man, but who was not
then in custody. Since the trial of Rule, that man, whose
name is William Humphreys, was apprehended in Manches-
ter, and was yesterday placed before the recorder. The pro-
secutor repeated his former testimony, and fully identified
the prisoner as the man with whom lie had gambled, with a
view to save the money of his antagonist in the contest,
and to restore it to him when he was sober, but in which
attempt he (the prosecutor) lost his own, with which the
prisoner decamped.
Mr. H ENDERSON made a very ingenious defence for the
prisoner, contending that the indictment could not be sus-
tained, inasmuch as the statute required it to be shown that
some game at cards was played, whereas, in this case, there
was no playing at cards at all, the act of the parties being
merely cutting them and betting on the result. The RE-
CORDER, however, overruled this objection—holding that
the cutting was in reality playing. Mr. Henderson was very
happy in his address to the jury, in which he did not spare
the prosecutor for conniving at extracting the black cards
from the pack to win the prisoner's money, but io which he
was wofully disappointed. The case was, however, too
palpable to admit of ar.y other verdict than that of guilty,
and the prisoner was sentenced to undergo the same punish-
ment as his comrogue—namely, eighteen months
went, without hard labour

CHARGE OF AN ATTEMPT TO OBTAIN MONEY UNDER

FALSE PRETENCES

James Dixon and Thomas Crisp, both young men, were
charged with having attempted to obtain the sum of four
shillings, from Mr. Perry, druggist, of this town. We re-
ported the case when itcame recently before the police-court.
Crisp had, it appeared gone to the prosecutor's shop, and
obtained leave to send a box, which he represented as con-
taining valuable clothing, and which he did not like to send
to his lodgings, lest it might be seizM for rent due by a com-
panion ou the premises. He also mentioned that it came
from Stockport, that the carriage was 45., and that he would
feel obliged if the prosecutor would advance that sum for him
on receiving it. He was told that on seeing the box the
favour would be granted. Dixon took the box afterwards to
the shop, by request of the other prisoner, and was told to
call again for the money. Ile said it came by his father's
cart, who was a carrier. Meantime the prosecutor smelt a
rat, uncorded the box, and found it to contain nothing but
a quantity of rags, an old Virgil, and other old school-books,
and several bricks. Dixon on returning for the money was
detained and given into custody, and the other prisoner was
afterwards apprehended. The prosecutor was cross-examined
by Mr. Ramshay for the defence ; and having lost temper
under his drilling, that gentleman assailed him in humorous
terms with much effect—finally showing that the whole was
a joke or trick by Crisp and another persolt, with whom
Mr. Perry had been drinking shortly before, and that Dixon
was an unwitting partner, he not being- put in possession
of the secret. 'Witnesses were giving the prisoners good
characters, when the jury stopped the case and pronounced
them not guilty. They were forthwith discharged.
After !mother unimportant case the Se,ssions' closed.

CORRESPONDENCE.

THE M'NEILE TESTIMONIAL.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.
SIR,--I suppose I ought to feel highly honoured by the
notice which your contemporary of the Chronicle has deigned
to take of my humble letter (which appeared in the Standard
of the 29th of November,) by occupying near a fortnight in
its consideration, and then devoting near a column and a
halt of his valuable space, as a leading article, to his import-
ant lucuhrations upon it. His observations, however, are so
far satisfactory, that, although coming from an avowed ene-
my, he is compelled to acknowledge that the object in which
we are engaged is nothing more than an act of justice to Mr.
M`Neile, and that so far from our having been too precipi-
tate in our movements, we ought to have performed it long
ago Hear his own words :

" There is nothing in the idea of such a thing either to ex-
cite astonishment or to awaken ridicule. We have long
wondered at what has appeared to us to be the backwardness
of the Low Churchmen and ultra Tories in raising some such
evidence of their regard for their mighty champion."

But what must we think of the principles Or consistency
of this writer, when, after thus admitting the call for the
duty, and blaming us for our tardy performance of it, the mo-
ment we set about it, he tries to awaken an ungodly jealousy
in the rest of our clergy, as if we, by paying a just compliment
to an individual amongst them, were thereby attempting to de-
preciate the rest, in the public estimation! Sir, the ministers
of the established church, generally, I am happy to say, and
especially the highly respectable body of clergy in Liverpool,
are by tboir birth, eduaation. and habits, of tll° zciatleroauly
minds and dispositions, to be influenced by such base and
degrading feelings. So far from it, Sir, they have them-
selves been frequently amongst the foremost, in availing
themselves of, and doing justice, to Mr. M`Neile's services,
particularly on various occasions connected with Scriptural
Education and the Church Building Associations; when our
worthy Rectors have alternately occupied the chair, and have
gladly sought and acknowledged his powerful advocacy—so
that we do not say of Mr. M`Neile, (in wishing to show him
the proposed mark of our esteem, as the Chronicle "slan-
derously affirms") that "ALONE he did it;" for we thank-
fully admit that, on many occasions, the clergy, as a body,
were " fellow workers together with him ;" but what we do
say, and thankfully claim for him, without fear of contradic-

tion, is, that he was the "Instrument", raised up by " THE
AUTHOR and GIVER of every good and perfect gift," at the
time these questions required to be publicly agitated, to
stir up their pure minds" (2d Peter, 3c. 1) to engage wills
him in the contest, in the hearty manner, which enabled
them to achieve the glorious triumph, which, through God's
blessing, was at last so nobly won. Away, then, with all these
base and grovelling notions of the Chronicle! .

This writer further endeavours, in the outpourings of his
spleen, to revive amongst us the foolish cry of " high and
law church ;" to which it must be confessed that the Tracks-
rian party, at Oxford, has of late given but too much encou-
ragement. But 1 have searched THE BIBLE in vain, Sir, for
any such distinctions there: on the contrary, I find it ex-
pressly written, in that blessed book, that " whosoever ex-
alteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth him-
self shall be exalted ;"and that" God resisteththe proud but
giveth grace unto the humble ;" all that I can further say on
this subject, therefore, is, that as MY MASTER was " meek
and lowly of heart," so, if such vain and unscriptural dis-
tinctions are still to be kept up, tovex and divide the church,
I pray that my lot may be always cast with "the humble
and the lowly,, both for time and eternity.
As to the chronicle's attempts at wit, (although he admits
that there is nothing in the subject to " awaked. ridicule,")
we will let that pass. It is enough for our encouragement,
in the work in which we have engaged, that it is admitted,
even by our enemies, that " SOME TESTIMONIAL IS CER-
TAINLY DUE TO MR. WNEILE•" Whether it shall be car-
ried out by founding a PRIZE ESSAY (as I ventured to sug-
gest), or to whatever other object the funds may be applied,
is a matter of perfect indifference to me. I merely threw
out that hint, because it seemed the most likely mode of
permanently connecting Mr. M`Neile's name with the town
of Liverpool and the Collegiate Institution, as well as with
the Protestant cause, of which he has so long been the fear-
less advocate. But, of course, that is a matter which will
be most properly left to the judgment of the committee. My
only desire is, that whatever it may be, the subscribers may
he able to say, individually, whenever it shall be accom-
plished—

" Exegi monumentum cere perennzus."
Yours, &c.,
A CATHOLIC (BUT NO ROMANIST).
P.s.—The Chronicle's sneer at the poverty of our opera-
tive friends, and his shrewd question, " Don't you wish he
may get it ?" were best answered by the hearty manner in
which so many of them came forward, with their ha'f sove-
reigns and crowns, immediately after the late meeting on
Monday.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.
SIR,—I shall feel much obliged by your inserting, in your
laper to-morrow, the following simple statement of facts,
n answer to the remarks that fell from Mr. North, in his
peech in council, on Wednesday last.
Extract from the committee-book, page 183, October 25,
.841:—
Average attendance at the schools during the past month.
North. South.
386 • • 235
284 • • 191
205 • • 164

Girls...
infants.

875 .. 590—T0ta1..1465
Extract from the committee•book, page 242, November
30, 1842:

Boys.. .
Girls.. ,
Infants

Average attendance.
North. South.
..252 .. 212
..207 .. 133
..181 .. 180

525—T0ta1.. 1168

JOHN
,PIO • .
I am, Sir, your most obedient servant,
Rodney-street, December 15, 842 H. TURNER
.

there
had rnonnt ehreeeflei r
as
must
ttthhaet
schools
efirst
after extractthe in his
[Mr. Turner
letter applies to the attendance
opera-
tiontn tofthe
stagth e s
oy
fs t
the me
trial of the present course of instruction ;
f soar
ins i:
echoearosl,s
whenan
7iialfs'o be borne in mind, that from the moment it
determined to adopt scriptural education, to the present
was
there has been the most sedulous exertion on the part
hour,
opponents of that education to keep the
and it must
of the attendance at
the schools as low as possible ; whilst it is a well-known
fact, that the Popish priests have issued a command for the
withdrawal of all Roman Catholic children. The number of
children has, we believe, gone on progressively increasing
since the present system of instruction was commenced ;
and after it has been in operation for the same period as the
former course, we anticipate a much more gratifying state-
ment than our opponents were able then to exhibit. The
number of children on the books at the schools, on the 27th
January, 1842, was only 536, whilst on the 30th ult. it
amounted to 1,581, or an increase of two-thirds in ten
months. Surely this is satisfactory and encouraging.—En.
L. S.]

STRANGE STORY.—The following strange story appears
in the ./ouria/ de Mayenne :--" A lady. fashionably dressed,
and speaking with the greatest propriety, descended from
the Laval diligence, at Mayenne, and, with a light parcel in
her hand, proceeded to the station of the Gendarmerie, and
besought the officer in command to arrest her as a vagabond,
without papers, and unknown. The officer, who was much
embarrassed at such a demand, at first tried to persuade her
not to act so strangely; but, as she insisted; he took her to the
Procureur du Roi. That functionary complied with her de-
mand, and she is now in one of the rooms of the prison,
where she appears perfectly contented with her situation.
She declares that her name is Bretagne, and that she comes
frgrn Brest.".