The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1869-02-13 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

BANK OF ENGLAND. This was an action brought against the defendants for refusing to transfer some New Three per Cent. stock standing in the name of the plaintiff in the books of the company, whereby she had been deprived of the stock and greatly inconvenienced for the want of the money. The declaration also prayed for mandamus commanding the defendants to transfer the stock to the plaintiff. The defendants pleaded Not Guilty" and a plea that the plaintiff had not offered the defendants reasonable evidence to enable them to satisfy themselves that she was lawfully possessed of and entitled to the said stock. It appeared that the plaintiff is the widow of one John Manley, who died on the 28th of June, 1866. At the time of his death £3OO in the New Three per Cent. Annuities was standing in the books of the Bank of England in the joint names of John Manley and Mary Ann Manley (the plaintiff). Of this SIMI 1:100 had since been sold out by the plaintiff, and a further sum had been sold out by her, leaving a balance of £162 its, still standing in the books of the Bank in her name. This sum the plaintiff employed a broker, Mr. Thomas Smith, to sell out for her in July last, alter the Rank offices had been made aware of the fact that on l the 12th of April, 1868, the plaintiff had married again ( with one Benjamin Manley, the nephew of her late husband. InJunelast theplaintiff'ssecoiadhusbandfleserted her, and it was then discovered by the plaintiff that her marriage with her second husband was not a valid marriage. First, because he was within the prohibited degrees of affinity, being her husband's nephew; and, secondly, because he was already married to another woman who was alive. There was a correspondence with the Bank officers, in which they were informed of these facti, and a distringaii was placed on the stock by the plaintiff's attorney to prevent Benjamin Manley, as her husband, selling the stock. The plaintiff then attended with her broker at the Bank and demanded a transfer of the stock, but the officers of the Bank refused to transfer the stock, on the ground that they were not satisfied by evidence that the plaintiff's account of the matter was correct, and, thereupon, the present action was brought. These facts, awl also the marriage of Beujamin Manley with Ann Morris at St. Mary's Church, Paddington, on the 18th of March, 1867, that Ann Morris was yet alive, and that the same Benjamin Manley married the plaintiff on the 12th of April, 1868, were then proved. His Lordship here indicated that the evidence that Benjamin Manley was a married wan at the time he married the plaintiff was proved, and that it was unnecessary to go into the second point raised. Sir John Karshike said the Bank would have been perfectly satisfied if this evidence had been given to them. Mr. Brown was then proceeding to sum up the case, and to contend that he was entitled to a verdict for his client, when, at the suggestion td his Lordship, Theparties agreed to withdra w a juror, the defendants agreeing to transfer the stock. Juror withdrawn accordingly.  A very singular discovery was made in the comae of the day An album was found in the house in Russell-place. It had contained photographs of Cooper and his brother, but both portraits were missing. It is supposed that Cooper tore them out to prevent copies being multiplied and used for Ids detection. It was rumoured that jealousy was the motive which induced Cooper to commit this horrible murder There is not the least foundation for this rumour. Inspector Thomson, a very astute officer, specially sent down to Poplar by the commissioners of police, says that he cannot find any assignable reason for the man committing the awful crime, except that he lived on very bad terms with his wife and her family. The follow ing Is a description of Cooper--lie is an engineer, 26 years of age, eve feet six inches in height, complexion florid, hair and whiskers brown, and he has lost the thumb of hi. left hand, lie was dressed in a black cloth frock coat, blue cap with French peak. An inquest has been held, and adjourned.