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Source: Bell's Weekly Messenger, No. 1781, Sunday, May 16, 1830.

Police Intelligence.
Guildhall.

Extensive Embezzlement.

On Tuesday, Charles Lewis, a middle-aged man, who had for some years been employed as a clerk by Messrs. Bradbury and Greatorex, of Aldermanbury, warehousemen, was brought before Mr Alderman Garratt, charged with embezzling various sums of money. The solicitor for the prosecution briefly stated the nature of the case, and called Mr Stevens, a linen-draper, in Newington-causeway, who proved that he paid the prisoner, as collecting clerk for the prosecutors, the sum of 100l. on the 26th of March.
Mr. Griffin, a linen draper at Walworth, also proved the payment of 112l. 12s. to the prisoner, on the same day, being the general collecting day in the trade.
Mr. Bradbury deposed, that the prisoner had not at all accounted for the money received from Mr. Stevens, and had paid in 10l.  short of that received from Mr. Griffin.
The solicitor asked whether both these sums were in the list of deficiencies which the prisoner has sent to him.
Mr. Harmer, for the prisoner, said a complete case for trial had been made out, without referring to the prisoners admission. The fact was, that the prisoner had, upon being discharged at a short notice, furnished a list of sums which he had received, promising to pay them, or any others that might be found, at an early period.
The solicitors said he had a month's warning.—
" Well," said Mr. Harmer, "that is but a short time."
The solicitor observed, that the prisoner had absented himself ten days after receiving the notice.—Mr. Harmer believed he had assigned a reason.—The prisoner said " Yes, he pleaded illness."—" And do not you know," said Mr. Harmer, "that he had a sudden death in his family, which would account for that illness? Did not one of his children die in an instant? It is a distressing case. He has five children still living, and his wife is pregnant. The poor man was found provided with the means of destroying himself."
A person standing among the spectators here burst into tears, and said, he had offered the prosecutors 300l. on account, towards the deficiencies.—The solicitors replied, the sums embezzled amounted to almost twice as much.—Mr. Harmer said, now the facts had been laid before the Magistrate, there was no alternative but a committal. He could make no answer to the charge.

Mr Alderman Garratt, after pausing for a moment, said, that however painful the duty might be, the case was so clear, that he must commit him for trial.—
The prisoner, who seemed greatly distressed, was committed accordingly.