On Monday, at the Central Criminal Court, Edward Pinter pleaded
guilty to the attempt to obtain £40,000 by false pre- tences from Mr. Streeter. It will be remembered that Pinter professed to be an alchemist, and to have discovered the philosopher's stone. His plan was to melt sovereigns in acid in a crucible, and then to add a black powder, with the result that the weight of gold was trebled. It has apparently not been ascertained what were the exact component parts of this mysterious black powder which floated on water, but it is pretty certain that it was some preparation of gold mixed with oil to prevent it sinking. Conceivably, however, the extra gold which must somehow or other have been got into the crucible, was placed there during the continuance of the horrible stench which followed the addition of the black powder, and caused all spectators of the experiment to beat a hasty retreat. The prisoner actually obtained £500 from one individual, and 22,000 from another. We wonder to what pertions of society these misguided persons belonged? Unlike Sir Egregious Mammon in Ben Jonson's play, they had very little fun for their money. The Knight had the amusement of looking every minute or two into the alchemist's pots to see if the stew had "arrived at ruby." They had nothing to amuse them but the horrible stench from the black powder. The Recorder, as the prisoner had already been three months in gaol, only sentenced him to three months' imprisonment,— a sentence which we cannot help thinking erred somewhat on the side of lightness.
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