Glasgow Courier. — 1855-05-05 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

EXTBNSIYR BREACH OF TRUST.  Robert Ramsay, • tall gentlemanly looking man of 27 years of age, was charged with the crime of breach of trust and embezzlement, as also theft, in so far as he having been employed between the Ist of January,lB4B, and 3lst of December, 1834, by the [Springhill Coal Company to collect accounts from their customers, he did collect, embezzle, appropriate, or steal, sums amounting in all to .62,533 10s. 4d.sterling. Likewise having, within the same period, been employed to collect accounts by the Mount Vernon Coal Company, he did collect, embezzle, appropriate, or steal, farther corns amounting to £771 16s. Gd., and did fail to enter laid sums in the respective cash books of the said coal companies kept by him for their behoof. The libel contained in all 38 different counts. _ .  -The prisoner pleaded guilty to the charges extending over 1854, and involving the appropriation to his own noes of sums amounting to £1,460, which plea was accepted by the crown. The counsel for the prisoner said, that although the sums appropriated by the prisoner were large, still he thought there were circumstannces in the case which would call for justice being tempered with mercy. The prisoner had been in the employment of the parties he had defrauded for a period of fourteen years, at a salary of .660, during which period, up till 1853, he was recognised as a trust-worthy, honest, and faithful servant. And this was the character he acquired from ell with whom he came in contact. But, unfortunately, he was hurried away into the speculative mania in sending out consignments to Australis, which had caused so many to suffer. Some of these transactions were still running, and might eventually yield a profit. Some of the property, indeed, may have been squandered In dissipation, but the other was the chief cause of the prisoner's unfortunate position; and this certainly does not constitute such a heinous crime in the eyes of the law or of morality. He then read credentials of character from Rev. Dr. Lindsay, U.P. Church, Glasgow, Rev. Mr. Henderson, minister of Duntocher, who had known the prisoner from his boyhood, and from various other parties, testifying in high terms as to the prisoner's former character. Lord COWAN concurred entirely with his brotherjudge In disposing of a former case of a similar nature, that • reputed good character of a defaulter in such a case as this was • great aggravation of the offence, for it all the better enabled such a person as the prisoner to pilfer people of their property. Here they had not one, or two, or ten, but no lees than 38 different acts of breach of truss and embezzlement of no less • sum, even upon his own mitigated plea, of nearly £1,500. How greatly his measure of guilt contrasted with that of many poor, miserable, and ignorant creatures who were placed at the bar of that Court would be at once apparent. His Lordship could see nothing in the aspect of the whole wassi to justify his imposing • less sentence than four years' penal servitude. The prisoner signed his confession, received his sentence, and quitted the dock with great apparent composure. Archibald Wilson,• decent-looking countryman, aged about 60, was then placed at the bar, charged with the mimeo! perpary, in so fares, in the month of Jane, 1852, he romisnd m WILLI from hie sista (Maud Wilson, mid ing at Kirklioldbank, near Lanark, • sum of .C 56 and, on being cited before the sheriff-clerk depute in the Court House at Lanark on 2d February, 18.5.3, he deponed upon oath that ha had never received anysuch sum from Grizael Wilson. Panel pied not guilty. The jury, btu majority, found the libel not proven. The prisoner, bavid Young, charged with forgery, was outlawed for non-appearance. Francis WCann, who had previoady pled guilty to a charge or culpable homicide, was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment.