The Sun. — 1861-11-07 (London, England)

MARYLEBONE.—Long before the hour for commencing the business of the court, a large crowd had assembled to witness the arrival of the two men who were remanded on the charge of assaulting Mrs Sarah Green, a lady of independent property, residing at 5, Fulham-place, Paddington, with intent to murder her ; also with stealing a gold watch and a quantity of plate. Shortly before one o'clock the two prisoners, William West, hairdresser, of 42, King street, Borough, and James Barker, hawker, of 3, Walworth-gardens, Walworth, were placed in the dock to answer the charge. Mr. Lewis, jun., of Ely-place, appeared for the prisoners. Inspector Steer, of the D division, said that he wished for a remand for another week, as he expected to have two other men in custody before long for being concerned with these men. Mr. Lewis submitted that there was not sufficient evidence to keep the prisoners in custody, and they ought to be at once discharged. It was a question of identity, and the servant Askew only thought the prisoner West was the man. She cannot swear positively This witness having been recalled and further examined on the point, Mr. Mansfield said—l do not think there is evidence sufficient to convict either of the prisoners, and therefore they are discharged.  " The Secretary of the  and from their conjoint statements it appeared they had been called upon by the prisoner, who had put questions to them which elicited whether they had friends or relatives abroad, and in what part ; he then claimed relationship, and so successful was he in doing so, that to a female named Williams, residing at 104, Royal Mint-street, Whitechapel, he had passed himself off as her step-son, her husband, to whom she had been married 18 years, having recently died, thus rendering it impossible to contradict his assertion, although she admitted that her husband, who was a widower at the time of their marriage, had never made her acquainted with the fact of having a son at sea. The prisoner then represented himself as the first mate of a ship, and succeeded, in the course of a few days he stopped at the house, in borrowing a sum of £2 2s. 6d. at different times, and also possessing himself of two Indian war medals, which were shown him as having belonged to his supposed late father. These medals were found in his possession, together with other articles, including a handsome porte-monnaie, with an engraving on pearl of the Great Eastern steam-ship, at the time he was taken into-custody, while attempting a similar fraud at Greenwich. In a second case he had called upon George Thompson, a tailor, residing at 2, Carrington-street, Knightsbridge, and having ascertained that he had a sister and son in America, represented himself as the brother of the husband of the sister, adding they were all doing well, and that he had brought some presents from them. Having received a cordial welcome, the prisoner inquired the price of certain articles of clothing, and was quickly supplied with coat, waistcoat, &c., and calling on his (Mr, Thompson's) daughter-in-law, obtained 2s. from her, under pretence that he was going to his ship to bring the presents ashore. When apprehended the prisoner was wearing the clothes thus obtained, notwithstanding which he impudently denied having before seen the witness in the case. Several other charges were also gone into against the prisoner, where he had succeeded in getting sums of money from poor persons having sons or brothers at sea, one of which resolved itself into a case of felony, in carrying off a fancy pipe, and which was found upon him. The prisoner having pleaded guilty to this latter charge, Mr. Maude said, although he could not help expressing [surprise at the credulity displayed by some of the witnesses examined, yet this was no excuse for the prisoner, who was as consummate a rogue as had ever stood in the dock at that court. He regretted he had not the power to award him a punishment adequate to his offences, but for steal' ing the pipe he would be imprisoned and kept to hard labour for six calendar months. The prisoner was then removed, his worship directing that all property found in his possession, and for which owners had been discovered, should be delivered up to them, an order which deprived the prisoner of the coat he was wearing, and of which he was speedily divested by the gaoler.