THE LATEST LONDON TRICK

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 14, 2 July 1864, Page 3

THE LATEST LONDON TRICK

At the Wandsworh Police Court, London, recently,, a young man named James Elsley, who described himself as a bird dealer, was charged with assaulting George Rayment, a plasterer. The complainant said that he was in Ilarley-streot Battersea, on Friday afternoon, when his attention was drawn to the prisoner, who was surrounded by a number of persons, and he was representing that he had found a mule canary, which had a beautiful long note, on a door step. lie had the bird on his finger, and he was afraid that if he earned tbe bird with him it would die. He offered lo pell the bird to witness for Is. 6d., but he gave him Is. for it, on tho belief that he was purchasing a mule canary with a long note. After placing the bird in a cage, lie discovered that he had been imposed upon, and instead of it being a canary it was nothing more than a greenfinch, painted. (Laughter.) He went after the prisoner and caught him in the net of selling another painted greenfinch, for a canary. He told the prisoner that he should detain him until a constable came to see what his "little game" was. The prisoner got away from him, and then struck bun on the side of the head. The constable, who took the prisoner into custody as he witnessed the assault, said lie ha.l four birds in a bag, three of which had died since last night. Tho complainant, said they were all painted, and the colour had come off in the bag. (Laughter.) The prisoner had disposed of about a dozen of the birds in the neighbourhood. The prisoner denied the assault. With regard to the bird, he stated that all he could say was that it was a green bird. Mr Da3 r man said tho complainant might hare given tho prisoner into custody for obtaining money by false pretences, and therefore he hail a right to detain him. lie fined the prisoner 10s., or 14 days' imprisonment for the assault.