The National Register. — London, England, 1820-12-17 00:00:00

OED 13.1 I LI.: }• SESSION S. On Monday, Edward Lewis was indicted capitally for stealing a silver vi aids from the person of Jelin Power. The prosecutor was an lii-hinan, and had anis ed in Lon don a perfect stranger, %%ben lie met the prisoner, who re etnimiesitted him to the house of Mrs. Ring, P 1111 l p-vourt, to obtain a lodging. There lie contrised to steal the watch from the bed's head, while the prosecutor and his wire w ere asleep, from the fatigue of their journey. The ateli was nest r alter seen, Nor could it be traced to the bprisoner; but tier circiiinstaace. of his having wanted to orrow mou. v from hi, landlady just betiae the robbery, and being in Lash iinniediatt ly atter, made very strongly against him. *Die Jury found him Guilty of stealing le the value of ilk , . only. James M‘Nabb and Samuel Mears were capitally indicted for assaulting Sarah Norris, on the highway, anti waling front her person a thimble and a watch-key.— 'Verdict, Not Guilty. Charles Jolinsmi was indicted for stealing three watch seals, the property of John Scott, front his person. Mr. scutt was p..ssing through Great Queen-street, Lincoln's Inn-fields, sin the day that the St. Giles's proces• lion was going up with an address to the Queen, When the prisoner ran against him and made a snatch at his watch chain, which bloke, and lie ran off with the seals. Several witnesses gave I ' a good character. The Jury fonnd the prisoner Guilty, and Mr. Baron Garrow told him that he was never more mereifally dealt with, in not being indicted tbr the capital offence of high way robbery, and he mast expect to receive sentence of transportation for life at the end of the sessions. William Price, a miserable looking young man, stood indicted for n burglary in the house of Joseph Wilson,and Stealing thercout a quantity of liaen,value V. and upwards. Guilty of stealing, but nut of the burglary. Mr. Baron barrow asked the prisoner if he had any means of getting a livelihood if the Court sheuld pass a lenient sentence upon him ? The prisoner replied in the negative, anti added, that be was quite friendlesy. Mr. Baton Garrow then said, that sentence of transport ation should be passed upon the prisoner pro forma, and be would recommend him to the Penitentiary. Geo. Brockley,a young man of respectable appearance, was indicted for stealing a watch and seals from the person of Stowell. Several ss itnesses gave the prisoner an extremely good character but the ease was too clear to admit of doubt, and the Jury found him Guilty. RIGHT OF THE LONDON GRAND JURY TO VISIT NEWG.tTE. _ _ In the course orulc afternoon the Grand Jury for the City of London Caine into Court, and having presented their bills, the Foremau addressed the Court to the follow ing effect:— ,11yLord, the London Gland Jury, throngh me, their Foreman, beg leave to state to your Lordship that they have this day made a formal application to Mr. Brown, the keeper of Newgate, for admission to that prison, in older that they might make a report to the Court of its present state. Mr. Brown has refused to comply with that demand, and it is the wish of the Graud Jury to seek your Lordship's opinion, as to whether or not they have u right to visit the prison." Mr. Baron Gurus"' stated to the Grand Jniy, that In consequence of a similar application made by the Grand Jury in May last, all the Judge, of England met together to determine upon the right; but as it appeared to them that they might hereafter be called 'you judicially on the subject, they had unanimously agreed that it would he improper fur tht..l to give an extra-judicial opinion upon it. The Jury bowed and retired. About tour o'clock the Grand Jury again entered the Court, and the Foreman, in the name of the *hole el them, handed the following presentment to the Judge : " The presentment of tile Grand Jury for the city of Lon don at the general sessions of Oyer and Terminer, and of the peace, holden for the city of London, at the ge neral sessions of Oyer and Terminer, and of the peace, holden for the city of London, at Justice-hall, in the Old Bailey, in the said city, on Wednesday, the Gilt day of December, 1820, and continued by adjournment until the Ilth day of the same month:— " The London Grand Jury, in presenting their last bill to the Court, have great satisfaction in stating, that the calendar is unmarked by any crime of the first magnitude, and contains very few of great atrocity; but they regret to add, that the most flagrant depredations appear to be committed in the streets at all hours both by day and night, and which, in their judgment, might be greatly di minished by an improved system ut police. "The Jurors further pn Peut, that this day,in discharge of their duly, they went to his 31:vest) 's jail of Nevrgate, in order to inspect its and condition, and to inquire and ascertain whether the rules and regulations for the management of the same were properly attended to, and carried into effect. They demanded ut William Robert Henry Brown, the keeper of the said jail, to he admitted for the above pin - rose, tvlien the said 11. refused to admit hey therefore pi esent the salt. W. It. H. Brown for such relusal, confirmy to his duty, as they conceise they have a sight to be admitted into the arid jail for the partite es aluresitel, especially to examine lino its state and condition. Thomas Moore, Foreman. Joseph Cooper Jonathan Crocl %V. Batty Illakesley J.hat John Banks tfm. Day George Lissant Oldieg Geo. Bateman hiehard Grimm 11101 Jones John rummest EliMa Wilson JUIIII Atkinsluti James Cl,hurne Jolet Gray." !sallow' Oliver Mr. Brown, the keeper, we understand, r..fused them, on their demanding it as a right, to slit the prison ; hot had 110 ObjediOn to show them every part ut it, it they would relinquish that claim. WEDNESDAY, DEC. 13. Robot I).►t', aged 17, stood intlictA for It.tt Mg, on the 13th of October IJst, stolen front the perso:i of Thos. Kidd, a doiwstic of Lord W. Gordon, a watch, chain, and seals, in PiccadiPy. The prosecutor stated, that ort the morning in question he left his Lordship's house to go to Al r. Fuller's, an apothecary, and tit.- streets being crowded in conse quence of an Mdress going up IJ the Queen, he was THE NATIONAL REGISTER . . surrs.inithri by a gati4 of thieves, and his watch and its app...tlag,k.s were stolen. He felt his watch being drawn From his fob pocket, but did not sce the persun who took it. Several Bow-street Officers swore, that they saw the prisoner with the prcsecutot's watch in his hand; in about a minute after he was robbed, they took the pri soner into custody. He had previously been in company with a gang of thieves. The prisoner said, that he picked up the watch in the street, as it lay on a heap of straw, when he took it up. Mr. Baron Garrow called back the witnesses, and they s..ul it Iva,: impossible, from the density of the crowd, that the prisoner could have picked up the watch. The prosecutor produced the watch; there was no mark or the case, and it did but appear to have fah len on the stones. 'Fite Jury found the prisoner Guilty. Two young men were indicted for stealing a hive of bees, the property or Mr. Simon. The prisoners were stopped with the hive by a watchman at Kensington. Mr. Simon identified the properly. Several persons gave the accused most excellent characters. The prisoners said that they picked up the bite at Uxbridge, on the ma I side. The Jury found them Guilty, but strongly recom mended him to mercy.—Several gentlemen oil. red to take them into immediate emeluy, if they were dis clidr,ed. Nfr. i3aron Carton addressed the prisoners in a most feeling manner; he believed the present was their first offence, and that up to the present charge they were ho nest and industrious men. lie implored them in future not to deviate from the paths of rectitude, but it work failed, and distress overtook them, to hope for a brighter day. lie sentenced them to pay a tine of one shilling to the King, and to be delivered to their friends. FELONY.—John Samuels, a fisherman, stood indicted for stealing two sets of chaise harness, the property of Robert 11'httlock. . Mr. NI , hitlock identified the property, and proved that it was stolen from his premises in the night time, in October last. Heitman, a constable of Fulham, apprehended the prisoner, and searched his house at Fulham, and found the harness and other property in a cupboard. The prisoner said, that he timid the property in a ditch in the middle of the night, after having moored his barge, and W 33 returning home; there was no reward ()tiered for the property, and it was not advertised, or he should have taken it to the owner.—Guiliy. The Officer stated, that he was told there was a plant (a secret recess for stolen property) in the prisoner's house ; and :ilia some starch, he discover.3l the cup board by striking against the door, and with a knife cut the paper round the case of it, and betides the harness he found a crate of glass that had been stolen. A CASE OP GREAT ATROCITY.—JanIes Tohin, a young man of remarkabty genteel appearance was put to the bar, upon a capital indictment charging the pri soner with robbing Mr. Overall of lot. in bank notes, ender the same circumstances, but this was not tried.— Mr Charless Overall deposed, that he is an assistant to his brother, an opulent tradesman, residing at 1.:2, Lover Thames Street, and on the 24th of October last. while in the warehouse, the prisoner came in and begged to speak to him outside. Witness stepped out, and the ironer looking carefully round, " you don't know who I am, do you?" NVitness replied its the negative, and the prisoner then said, " my name is Johnson, I ant a Bow-street officer, :Ind have a warrant against you for au unnatural offence." Witness was horror-struck at the charge, but replied that it was false, and demanded to know who was his accuser? The prisoner said, that did not matter; that his brother was au Attorney; that they had often settled affairs of this kind between parties —and he asked the witness if he would not give a suns of money to make it up rather than have his name and character exposed ? Witness asked the prisoner what sum would be required, and he said :lie last" job of this sort" that he and Its brother, the Attorney had, was tor a gentleman at the West-end of the town, and he gave them 95 canneas. Witness said he could not raise so touch, as he hail little more than his regular earnings, upon which the prisoner asked him if he could raise ;,01. and bade him remember that his character, nay, pro bably his very ext-truce, depended upon it ! Witness said he would try what he could do, and an iippoint ment was made lin them to meet in a neighbouring street the next evening. AS the prisoner was going away he said, " Oh I I want some loose silver, give me what you have about you," and witness gave him five shillings, and then returned to the warehouse. 'lhey Ina the following evening, and the witnets gaVe 101. but with this he seemed much dissatisfied, and another appointment was tnade for the ffillowing night, ' at an adjacent public house. Witness, scarcely know ing wit it steps to take, applied to a young woman named Catherine Thomas, with whom he had formerly coha hited, and repeating the circumstances to her, she agreed to accompany him to the public {noise. They hail not been long there before the prisoner came :/1 and beckon ed the witness to follow tun out, but the young woman desired him, if he had any thing to communicate, to say it there. Ile seemed angry, and a sharp altercation ensued between hint and Catherine Thomas. lie at length said, if would be the worse for him, and desired him to meet him the next morning at how , street Office. Catherine Thomas said, " No, he shall not meet you at Bow -street, bin at the Mansion Ilinisr." To this the prisoner seemed to egret, and went away, and witness and the woman were waiting nearly the whole the next day, but he did not make his appoar. once. In the evening, however, another fellow came ' to him with a message front the prisoner to demand more money, but he refused to give him any, and his brother, Mr. --Overall, to whom he had column ' nicated all that had occurred, MOW!' this messenger to be taken into custody and conveyed to the Mansion House. Two or three days afterwards the prisoner was taken into custody. Hu parted with his mom/ from Ti') other cause but the fear of a public exposure, and the consequent ruin of his character. Catherine Thomas corroborated the statement of Mr. Overall, as far as her knowledge went. Mr -- Overall, brother to the prosecutor, was called in corroboration of his brother's statement. Anthony Harrison, the City Marsha!man, deposed. that on the 29th October, in consequence of an appli cation from the prosecutor, he proceeded in search of the prisoner, and on the Thursday evening following Mr. Overall came to the Mansion-house, with a man, named Simmons, in his emsiody, and witness the same evening apprehended another man, named Johnson.— They were examined the following day, and in conse. quence of further information, witness went with Mr. Overall and Catherine Thomas on Friday evening to a publie-house in Long-acre, where in a two pair of stairs back room he found the prisoner and two other men. lie took him into custody, and informed him of the nature of the offence with which he was accused ; upon which he said he certainly had the money, but it was not " that" meaning that it was nut obtained tinder the threat described. Siirmons and Johnson were discharged. The prisoner made a very long and artful defence, which consisted almost entirely of horrible atcesations against his prosecutor. Harrison was rec.illed, and declared ►hat the prisoner, when at the Mansion-house, made no accusation against the prosecutor, nor did he mike the defence which he he had now made. Witness heard the prisoner say, as as he vs as leaving the Mansion House—" I dare say they'll hang we, but I don't care for that; I'll open such a scene when I come to the ()Id Bailey:" The Recorder summed up the evidence, and the Jury merely turned round in the box and pronounced th• prisoner Guilty—Death. lie heard the verdict uus moved. Mr. Law then rose and said, that although he had defended the prisoner, as he was bound to do, to tun best of his humble ability, he felt himself called upon to declare (now that his client could no longer be preju diced by such a declaration) that he most perfecily con. corred tit the propriety of the verdict given by the Jury. It was in justice to the prosecutor and his own feelings, that he made this public statement. The Recorder—" No reasonable man could enter. taut a doubt upon the subject." TRURSDAY, DEC. 14. William Saunders, a man of respectable appearance, was indicted for stealing two books, the property of Mr. Taylor, a solicitor of eminence in Furnival's Inn. The prisoner was employed as a copying clerk in Mr. Taylor's office, and being entrusted with two books to take to a client of his employer's, he sold them. The prisoner addressed the Jury in a very superior manner, and apparently labouring under the deepest emotion. He acknowledged the offence, but declared that he had been driven to the commission of it by the deepes► distress. Ile had been five months itt White. cross-street for debt, and to obtain his release execoted a warrant of attorney, engaging to pay eight shillings per week. Ile had but one guinea per week at Mr. Taylor's, and when he scud the books in question, it was to enable him to keep up the payment. These facts, added to the circumstance that he had been the only support of an aaed mother and sister for the last I 5 years, would, he hoped, operate on the miods of the Court and the Jury in his favour. The Jury found the prisoner Guilty, but reermino tided him in the strongest manner to mercy, and with Ma prompt humanity which always distinguishes a British Jury, made a subscription for him, to which several gentlemen in Court added their donations. r. Taylor, it afterwards appeared, was actuated by the strictest sense of duty in the prosecution, as he had several other clerks (younger men) in his employment, and he also behaved in the kindest manner to the pri soner, having clothed him entirely when he came into his employment. In the course of the day a man was tried for stealing a coat, the property of one of the Turnhanigreen stage coachmen 3 and it appeared that the prosecutor had traced and apprehended the thief himself, and was the only person who knew any material fact, notwitlis standing which, Gammon, a constable, who merely took charge of the prisoner, was bound over as a wit• nest. The prisoner was found Guilty. EMBEZZ EMENT.—Thontas Fowick was indicted for embezzling 101. the property of Mr. Bodkin, the Secre.. tary of the Mendicity Society. The prisoner was a messenger belonging to the establishment, and had been employed to redeem cert-dit property belonging to the society. It was proved distinctly that he applied the sum which he thus obtained to own use. The Jury returned a ierdict—Guilty. EureNatv Fa nun.—J. Clark and J. Dvwfon. alias Farrington, two young men of apparent respectability, were indicted for obtaiiiihg of Mr. Samuel Nock, guts manufacturer, 2001. worth of goods under false pre• tense:. It appeared by the evidence, that a lady of the 1141110 of Catherine Farringtn•i, had died, leaving property to a very large amount to Mrs.Trickey, who is tine residuary legatee under the will. The prisoners represented to Mr. Nock that they were the rightful heirs to this property so left by Mrs. Farrington , that Messrs. Blunt and Beaumont, the solicitors to Mrs. T. acknowledged them to be so; that they had an action inn the Exchequer against the residuary legatee I and that in fact, in a very short sp cc of time, they would become possessed this large property. As a huffier inducement to allow the prisoners to have the property they afterwards obtained, they referred Mr. Nock, to their own solicitors Messrs. Robins, No. all, Lincoln's lon. Under these citeumstances he a:lowed the prisoners to order 1111. worth of Bons, It was arterwatds proved, that the prisoners hill pawned one of the guns fur NI, at a pawnbrukc!'' that, previously to the fraud, the prisoner Clark Heed in house In Gteenficld Street, neat the deeea►od i