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Leader (1850-1860), 7th June 1856, Edition 2 of 2, Page 6, OUR CIVILIZATION. i ¦© THE SOCIETY FOR T...

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      The Convict Palmer. Endeavours Are Being...

      this it may b 3 inferred that some doubt existed in the mind of one or more of the jury vhlch gave rise to considerable discussion Wore it could be removed . It may SS ^ g £ SS £ 5 M ^ duT / ur ^ an should writ * his verdict , and place S ^ r Sfa StT Within ten minutes from the time of £££ i court ! this determination was carried into effect IndTof raising the hats the word » Guilty" was found nnder every one of the- twelve . The delay in returning into court with the verdict originated in a feeling that any suggestion compatible with the innocence of the prisoner which might occur to the mmd of any individual juryman should not be precluded from discussion by

      a hasty verdict . , Mr Devonshire , the surgeon -who made the second post-mortem examination of Cooke ' s body , has written to the papers to defend himself from the charge of carelessness brought against him by the Attorney-General and others . He admits , however , that Mr . Newton , a young gentleman who assisted him , but who had unfortunately never witnessed a post-mortem examination , punctured the stomach , and afterwards turned it inside out , in consequence of which , about a teaspoonful of its contents was lost . " With the exception of this casual puncture , " adds Mr . Devonshire , " I maintain that the post-mortem examination was skilfully performed . " A petition in favour of commutation of sentence now lies for signature at various places .

      534 The Lead E B,. [No. 324, Saturday;

      534 THE LEAD E B ,. [ No . 324 , Saturday ;

      The Bankruptcy Of Mark Bo Yd. The Certif...

      THE BANKRUPTCY OF MARK BO YD . The certificate meeting in the bankruptcy of Mark Boyd took place before Mr . Commissioner Fane on Lionday . After a long examination of the bankrupt , Mr . Roxburgh ( who opposed for the assignees ) addressed the court , and urged that the certificate of the bankrupt should be wholly refused . The bankrupt , in Jtis balance-sheet , represented that in 1840 he was possessed of a capital of 19 , 0001 . How was that capital made up ? 9630 / . consisted of a debt owing to him by his father , and not one penny of which ever had or ever would be received . 30001 . odd consisted of claims upon persons who never had been , and never could be , supposed to be worth a shilling . The bankrupt , under the most favourable circumstances , could not have had a capital of more than 2000 / . He professed to have , in 1840 , sharps to the amount of 50 00 / . in a company , in which shares he had sworn he had never dealt . The value of these shares was put down at a guess . The bankrupt was undoubtedly in debt at this time . He admitted that his father had only to hope for a sum of money from the United Kingdom Insurance Company for services rendered , for the means of paying his debt . It was about this time that the scheme was concocted by the bankrupt and his brother to form a bank . — -Mr . Lawrance ( who appeared for the bankrupt ) denied that there was any evidence of this . —Mr . Roxburgh insisted that the bankruptcy was concocted by Benjamin Boyd , a man , like the bankrupt , without means . Both brothers

      were promoters , directors , and brokers , of the bank ; they ¦ w ere , in fact , the head and tail of it . The shareholders did not come ready enough , and , as they could only muster a capital of 11 , 000 / ., they determined to issue debenture notes to the amount of 300 , 000 / . or 400 , 0001 . Mark Boyd , who signed those notes , now claimed a commission for selling them . All the money thus raised went to Benjamin Boyd , who took out with him 100 , 000 / ., the money of the shareholders , or money raised by debentures , for which they were responsible , and for which B . and M . Boyd , as directors of the bank , were trustees . It was at first thought that Benjamin Boyd had inflicted all this mischief and misery upon the shareholders : but when they found that Mark Boyd had

      received from him consignments , the balance of which amounted to 70 , 000 / ., and appropriated the same to his own uses , they could not iinputo all the blame to the former . Mark Boyd had only made one communication to the bank that he had received consignments , although ho had received 200 , 000 / . The bankrupt had opened fictitious accounts with fictitious persons . There was the firm of Boyd Brothers , and there waa the Australian Wool Company , of which Boyd was the only partner . The Australian Wool Company had no better title to existence than the engraved plate of the debentures gave it . The debenture of the Wool Company had been given to the Royal Bank In exchange for the debentures , and everything had been so mixed up that It

      was a difficult tank for any one to unravel tho mystery . All that could be got from tho bankrupt waa that ha waa indebted to some one 70 , 000 / ., which money ho hud spent . He had further been guilty of falaely stating to Mr . Bcnrthwlck that his brother was indebted to him in the amount of 26 , 000 / ., at a time wlion , us was now alleged , he waa a creditor for 7 . 5 , 000 / . At thin dnto , however , ho was unablo to address tho court at tho requlsito length , on the ground of falao entries in the books , fraudulent preference in alx or Hoven cases , a misrepresentation to Mr . Hortliwiok and others , rolutivo to expenditure . It would bo his duty to prosa for a total refusal of certificate . —• Tho Commissioner ordered an adjournment for a week .

      Our Civilization. I ¦© The Society For T...

      OUR CIVILIZATION . i ¦© THE SOCIETY FOR THE SUPPRESSION OF VICE . It will be recollected that William Dugdale , a bookseller in Holywell-street , was convicted , some time ago , of selling disgusting and corrupt books and pictures , and was sentenced to six months' imprisonment . He had been similarly convicted several times before , dating as far back as 1825 ; and on the last occasion some other dealers were arrested with him , at tbe instance of the Society for the Suppression of Vice , whose agent was a Mr . Prichard , an attorney . One of these men was an assistant at the shop of a Mrs . Elliott , and he was arrested under a belief that he was the proprietor of the shop . On the day before the trial , this man , whose name was Bosworth , was liberated on bail withont any opdosition from Mr . Prichard , the prosecutor . He did not appear to take his trial , and , his recognizances being estreated , he was senteneedjjto two years' imprisonment . After this , Bosworth returned to the shop ; but , though the Society and Mr . Prichard , it 3 agent , knew that he was there , they took no steps to have him arrested . Some eighteen months afterwards proceedings were instituted against him at the Middlesex Sessions for a fresh offence , when Mr . Prichard handed up a copy of the record of the conviction of Duncombe ( one of the previous defendants ) , but maintained silence with respect to Bosworth ; in consequence of which , Bosworth was sentenced to only two months' imprisonment , while

      Duncombe received six months . A rule to answer these matters was obtained by William Dugdale ; and Sir Frederick Thesiger , on Monday , appeared in the Court of Queen ' s Bench to show cause against the rule . Mr . Prichard ' s affidavit , which was read by Sir Frederick Thesiger , set forth that the Society | had reason to believe that Bosworth was merely Elliott ' s shopman , and that he was a very poor man , who was desirous of getting out of the trade , into which he had been dragged unwillingly ; that the Society nevertheless thought it advisable to prosecute him ; that Mr . Prichard had not made any bargain with Bosworth , nor was he aware of any pecuniary consideration having been given ; that Bosworth was again prosecuted when it was ascertained that he had once more entered into the trade ; that Mr .

      Prichard had been advised by counsel that it would be better to proceed on a fresh charge ; that , on the trial , Mr . Prichard did not hear any request made on the part of the Judge to know anything of Bosworth's conduct ; and that Mr . Prichard had no desire or motive to screen Bosworth from punishment . Lord Campbell ( after hearing counsel on both sides ) expressed his opinion that Mr . Priehard had been guilty of very improper conduct , and had exercised a discretion which he had no right to exercise . The Lord Chief Justice believed that , in a majority of such cases , the prosecutor and the culprit are found in the end to be shaking hands over some corrupt agreement , and becoming apparently friends . Still , he thought that Mr . Prichard was not actuated by any corrupt motives , and the rule , therefore , must bo discharged , but without costs . In this judgment , the three other Justices ( Coleridge , Erie , and Crompton ) entirely agreed .

      Murder At Plymouth. A Murder Has Been Co...

      MURDER AT PLYMOUTH . A murder has been committed on board the convict-Bhip , Runnymede , now lying in Plymouth harbour with convicts bound for Swan River . Corporal William Nevan , one of the local pensioners , has shot Bingham Robinson , acting sergeant-major to the same corps . Nevan was ordered by his senior officer to fetch one of the privates for parade , and while the man ' s firelock was being examined by Robinson , Nevan deliberately loaded his musket , and shot him from the larboard poop ladder . The shot passed through the stock of tho firelock undergoing examination , and broke it in two ; then , after carrying away two of Robinson ' s fingers , it entered his abdomen . Robinson exclaimed , "Oh , God ! I am shot ! Oh , God ! I am dead ! " and almost immediately expired . Ncvnn was soon afterwards apprehended , and , tvhen in custody , stated to tho police that he and tho murdered man had not ugreed lately , and that the latter had threatened to deprive Novan of his pension . An inquest hau been held on board tho Kunnymede , tho jury being partly composed of tho ship ' s crew and partly of pensioners , when a verdict of " Wilful Murder " wus returned against Corporal Nevan .

      A Sicitvanx'h Stoky. — Henry Cliarncll, ...

      A SicitVANx ' H Stoky . — Henry Cliarncll , William Murtin , John Sale , Charles Peaholl , and John Tillott ( all of thorn described as aorvants ) , have been tried ut tho Old Builoy on a charge of Htcaling botweon five and Bix hundred pounds' worth of plato from tho Iioiiho of Mr . Fisher , of Euton-placo . Chai'iioll , who was butler to Mr . Fisher , told him , about seven o ' clock on tho morning of tho 5 th of April , that ho had boon culled out from tho house luto at night in consequence of thu aieknoss of hia wifo ' a cousin , and that upon hit * return ho had found that nearly tho wholo of tho . pinto had boon stolon . Tho police wore aont for , and Churnull waa given into custody , when ho informed the : inspector that tho Htory ho had boforo told about the oioknoaa of hit * ¦

      cousin » wife was untrue , and that he had been out spending the night with four men , one of whom was a perfect stranger to him . He said that these four men previous to starting with him on their expedition , had assembled at Mr . Fisher ' s house , where they remained in the butler ' s pantry till half-past twelve , when , it being considered that the family had retired to rest they sallied forth , intending to go to a ball , but , finding it was not to take place till some future day , they spent the night at various public-houses . On returning to Mr . Fisher ' s residence , Charnell alleged that he found the plate stolen . He then wrote a letter to a Mrs .

      Gilbert , soliciting her to pass for his cousiu , and to confirm the story about the sickness ; but she refused . Evidence was given to show that Martin and Tillett were furtively admitted to the house of Mr . Fisher on the night of the robbery ; and it furthermore appeared that a letter which Charnell said he wrote to Tillett on the 4 th of April , asking him to join the party , bore the postmark of March 22 nd . The counsel of the different prisoners contended that nothing more had been proved against their clients than negligence of duty and mere suspicion of dishonest conduct . They were all acquitted .

      Post-Office Kobbeey . —Peter Francis Mogan , a letter-sorter at the General Post-office , has been found Guilty at the Central Criminal Court of stealing a letter containing a sovereign . He had been in the Post-office for twenty years ; on which ground the jury recommended him to mercy . The Recorder said that , hut for this recommendation , he should have ordered him to he transported for life ; but , under the circumstances , he should sentence him to penal servitude for six years . Robbing by Deputy . — John Markham , a welldressed young man , twenty-four years of age ( who is known to be a skittle sharper ) , was tried a few days ago at the Central Criminal Court on a charge of forgery . The story was singular , as it appeared that the man contrived to er . gage perfectly innocent persons to aid

      him in the prosecution of his knaveries . At the beginning of last February , the house of Mr . Ash , oven-merchant of Upper Thames-street , was broken into , and , among the other things which were carried away were two blank cheques out of the cheque-book . Towards the latter end of the month , an advertisement for a situation , inserted by a young man named Humphreys , in the Times , was answered by the prisoner Markham , who directed Humphreys to call on him in Oakley-crescent , City-road . He did so , and was sent by the accused , with a cheque for 91 /; , to Messrs . Smith , Payne , and Co . The cheque was not paid , and Humphreys returned to the house in company with the police-officer Forrester ; but Markham hud gone away . A week or two

      later than this—viz ., on the 8 th of March—tho prisoner answered another advertisement ( he was then living in a different neighbourhood , under a different name ) , and sent the young man who had advertized , with a cheque for 87 / . * 14 s ., to Messrs . Ransom and Co . This was paid , and the young man , Bowles , was told to call again the following day ; but subsequently he received a letter from the accused , stating that he was going out of town for a little while . Bowles ' s suspicions were then excited ; he communicated with tho bankers , and the forgery was discovered . Markham was afterwards recognized , and taken into custody , when he conducted himself with great violence . Tho jury found him Guilty , and ho was sentenced to penal servitude fbr four years . Another man , who was charged with complicity , waa

      acquitted . Docs-Stealing . —A Newfoundland doy , belong ing to Mr . Latty , a gentleman of property residing in Gloucester Gardens , Bayswater , was lost some time back , and on the 9 th of April , being about a fortnight after tbo loss of the dog , a man named Roberson called on Mr . Latty , saying that ho came from the person who hud " found " the dog , and proposing to restore it for a consideration of two guineas . In the course of conversation , he observed that ho could wteal any dog he liked , uh often ns ho liked . Mr . Latty replied that that was a poor inducement to him to pay two guineas for the restoration . However , U itwcro reully his dog , ho was willing to give twine rcmuncrution , on condition that tho uinouut should bo lea to his discretion , llo added that he would solid hi * groom , Thomas Mills , with Roberson to seethe dog . " ° thoui

      proposed that u policeman should accompany . Robcrnon nt first objected , Haying , " II" you . bring tlio polico into it , you ahull never hoc your dog ; " but- ultimately ho agreed , and a constable named Morgan , wiw called in . Having obtained hia inspector ' s poruiwnw >" i Morgan wont , in private clothes , with Mills and Kobor-Bon , to a public-house called tho Sugjirlouf , ki . pt by """ WillianiH , in Iving-strcet , Drury-lani ? , a known roHorto dog-3 te ; ilera . There they found two men , Wad" «« a Doyle , together with hoiuo others , but no man witling-In the momentary abaenee of Milla , the rulIiiuiH made « savage attack on the policeman , whu was beaten , Ja « K 0 <» and wounded in the head with a pewter pot . Mills , <»' couihur to liia uid , waa also roughly handled , thong" > * jo * HoriouHly injured . The inou <; ncnped , and JUoiM' * wttU conveyed to tho hospital , whore he lay in a ilungt ' " condition for weoka . On the Ib'th of May Air . ^ >

      , * \^ 4 A % 4 BKV ^ ' 4 B / L »^ M J w V % "* * K *¦* ^ ' m ™ ** m ¦ ^* *^ *¦* ™ " — V * 1 met Roboraon in the atroet and guvo him into i : ll " " ^ when a quantity of liver cut in email oliooa , ft » l'

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), June 7, 1856, page 6, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_07061856/page/6/