Page:Facts, failures and frauds- revelations, financial, mercantile, criminal.djvu/113

TACTS, FAILUBBS, AND FBAUDS. 101 pany, and also for some time the lessee of the Olympic and Marylebone Theatres, was tried at the May session of this Court for stealing a cheque for £1400, the property of the above company. A great many technical objections were taken in the course of the case, and the jury eventually found the prisoner guilty of stealing a piece of paper, but the point of law was reserved for the consideration of the Judges, whether the circumstances of the case would legally justify such a verdict. This point has since been decided against the prisoner, who was now brought up to receive sentence upon the conviction.

The, who appeared for the prosecution, said that before judgment was pronounced, he begged to remind their Lordships that there were three other indictments against the prisoner, and he should wish the Court to read the depositions in these cases, in order that they might be aware of all the circumstances before they passed sentence. His object in making this application was that the public time might be saved, because in one event he might feel himself compelled to proceed with some of the other cases.

Baron said he had no objection to postpone passing the judgment, but he should have no opportunity of consulting Mr. Justice Cresswell, who tried the case, as he had set out on his circuit. Although he did not quite concur in the decision that had been come to by the Court of Appeal, yet all he had now to do was to pass the sentence that had been fixed. He would, however, look at the depositions in the other cases, and sentence would probably be passed upon the prisoner in the course of the session.

Walter Watts was this morning placed at the bar to receive the judgment of the Court.

Baron, in passing sentence, said that the prisoner had been tried at the May session of this court before himself and his brother Cresswell for the offence of robbing to a very great extent the Globe Assurance Company, to whom he was servant, and a point of law had been reserved for consideration by the Court of Criminal Appeal. The count upon which the jury had found him Guilty apparently referred to a very trifling offence—namely, stealing a piece of paper, that piece of paper, however, being in fact a cheque. The point that was reserved had since been fully argued, and