The Express. — 1861-04-12 (London, England)

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.  NEW COURT. (Were the Common Serpent.)  Joke Robinson Mean, 46, solicitor, was indicted for embezzling 601. Ils., 311. 55., and 1001., the monies of the Easters Counties Railway, his masters. Mr. Sedeant Ballantine and Mr. Tindal Atkinson apTretifor the company to support the prosecution ; and .fierieant Parry, with Mr. Metcalf, defended the prisoner. The case, which occupied the court the greater part of the day, rested principally on the investiption of the accounts of monies received by the prisoner on behalf of the eoinpaay, which did not disclose any feature of public interest. It appeared that the prisoner, • man of considerable abilities, sad respectable connexions, was first engaged by the company, in the year 1853, at • salary of 2001. per annum. He was engaged as land agent to the company, and was speohally selected to 1111 that office in comequence of his great skill and knowledge of parish law and assessments. He continued in this employment down to the time of his apprehension. Upon the 9th of July, 1856, the directors raised his salary to 3001. per annum, and amongst the duties he bad to pedant was that of collecting the rents of diffeyent premien belonging to the' company, sad pay in all such monies so received. Another pert of his duty was to examine all claims made as the company for rates and tame, and certify as to their sorrectnese. 'the first sum he was charged with embezzling was one of 1001., paid for the rent of some premises at Lowestoft. belonging to the company, transmitted by Sir Edmund Lacon. This sum was not accounted for. On the 6th September he called upon Messrs. Depree and Austin, who rent premiss of the company, and received from them 00/. lie., which he Limns did not acoouot for. He again called upon the same fins on the 7th of December, and was paid on behalf of the company 311. ss. Upon the day he received this latter sum be went to a solicitor's office in Mooring.street, and paid an amount of 501., being the amount of debt and caste in an action brought him for recovery of a butcher's bill. Some having been discovered, the prisoner was given into the custody of William Heat, one of the officers of the company, and when told what he was charged with said, "I have received the money and appropriated it, but not with any felonious intent. I shall not give any trouble. lam guilty." And when taken to the Spdal-equare Polemstation repeated the statement. In  Mr. Sedee Parry, Blackburn Owen, secretaryby to the enompanyt , stateMr.d Jthohnat the prisoner collected about 8,0001, a year for the ooni. parry. He bad no right to speed amy oi the money so collected for rates, but ought to have paidit to the cashier. He had never in any way accounted for the three sums named in the indictment.  —This being—if; came for the prosecution, Mr. Serjeant Parry objected that the primmer was not either clerk or servant, and therefore could not be convicted under the statute for embezzlement. The learned sergeant drew the attention of the court to the fact that when the prosecutors engaged him they knew he was a solicitor, and specially aecsrsd his services as they would those of any other profesaional gentleman, to advise and direct them in matters connected with laims for rates, and the fed of hie being subsequently called upon to collect rent, did not, in the absence of any further special instructions, render bins liable as a clerk or servant.  Mr. Metcalf having been beard on the same aide, The Common Serjeant, without calling upon Mr. Berjeant Bal'airtime, decided against the objection. Mr. Serjeant Parry thereupon addressed the jury, and ably argued that although the prisoner had not accounted for particular sums charged against him, there was nothing to show that he had not paid them in grass, as the accounts, which were somewhat confused, showed that =OW were not always paid in one regular manner. The Common Serjeant heel.* summed up, The jury retired, and after an absence of about an hoar, returned a verdict of Guilty, and at the same time recommended him to mercy, on account of his previous position and good character, and the lag manner in which the accounts wore kept. Sentence was deferred, other indictments against him maniples for triaL Garnet Btackneure, 28, -stainer, and George Haddon, 313, packer were redisted, Haddon for stealing 7/111e. weight of silk, value 501., and ether goods, the property of Henry Feudal and another, his emeters ; and Bkokinon with feloniously receiving the same, knowing it to be stoke. Mr. Giffard and Mr. F. H. Lewis appeared few the me',ration ; Mr. Metcalf and Kr. Lloyd appeared for the prisonete. The facts of this cam, witiolt were very recently given under the head of Oundhell Polio% were these :—The prisoner Haddon bad base far many years servant to the prosecutors, Mann. 'andel and Phillips, the well-knows silk and Berlin wool merchants, Newesteadreet, and had, it appeared, been for a long period plundering his employers of silk braid and beads ol great value. The robbery was discovered in this manner. Some valuable puree silk was transmitted to a Mr, Evans, of Birmingham, from a Jew, named Myers living in Oldatreet,road. Mr. Evans at once oommunicet:ed with the prosecutors, who immediately pat the matter into the has& of Rinker, one of the City detectives ; and upon Myers being applied to, he at once stated he bought it of the prisoner Blackmore. It was then discovered that an old men, named Freak, who lived in a cellar, and existed by making baaketa, was the fatherin•law of Black. more, and having been engaged on prosecutor's premises to chop scene wood, had in connemon with Haddon, ownwitted the robberies from time to time. Freak was originally charged with the other prisoners, and whilst under remand and in the cell he committed suicide. The prosecutors had lost above 1001 be. weight of silk varying in value from 575. 6d. to 735. per lb., which it appears was sold at prices varying from 12a. to 225. 6d. per lb. The fury found the prioare.Ortilty, and Blackmon. was gardened to 18 mouths' imprisonment, with hard labour, and Haddam to seven years' penal ',nitride. The case lasted until nearly 8 o'clock at night. In the care of Gustave John Parry, the merchant who was yesterday sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment and bard labour, for having obtained goods within three months of his bankruptcy, we are requested to state that it was through the inetrumentality of the solicitor and assignee that the 1,0001. worth of property was saved. They, upon information, telegraphed to Geneva, and so secured it for the creditors.