The Express.
London, England, 1849-04-11 00:00:00

ROBBERY BY A SAILOR.

John Smith, 32, was Inii&Tioistealing, in the
dwelling-house of Elizabeth Matte, a dressing-cue, contain-
ing ten sovereign', a welch, an eye. glue, and other articles,
the property of Frederick Sutton, and afterwards bar-
glsriourly breaking out of the same owelling-liouse.
Mr. Ryland held the depositions, and examined the wit-
nesses by direction of the court. The prisoner was defended
by Mr. W. Cooper.
The robbery imputed to the prisoner appeared to have
been committed in a most daring manner. The_prcsiwu'rix
is the landlady of the Fountain public house. Foster lane,
Cheapside, and it seemed that on the night of the Bth Much
the preen. r game to the house and represented that be was
the captain of a vessel, and that he bad some business at the
Poet-office early on the following morning, and was desirous
to have a bid. As the appearance of the prisoner wu re-
spectable, and as he had some seafaring manners about him,
no suspicion was entertaited about the truth of his story,
end be was shown to a bedroom, sad all the family retired to
rest at their usual hour. On the folewing morning,
between five and six o'clock, the prisoner was observed
by • police constable in the act of jumping over
a wall adjoining the residence of the proseeutrix, and
upon his attempting to take him into custody the prisoner
made a most desperate resistance, and nearly bit off the
officer's thumb before he could 'acute him. Upon the house
being examined afterwards, it was found that some person
Mad evidently been all over it during the night, and that the
duping case bad been removed from the bedroom of a
person named Sutton, who managed the business for the
preeecutrix, while he was asleep, and a bunch of keys had
also been removed from the bediro.in of his daughter, and
; these keys were found upon the bed which the prisoner had
' occupied. The dressingtue, and its contents, were subse-
quently found concealed in the churchyard, close to the well
which the prisoner was seen to jump over.
The jury found the prisoner Guedy, and he was sentenced
to be transported for ten years.

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS—YraTERDAT.
Before Mr. gerjeant edam.
At the April Quarter Session of the Peace for the county
of Middlesex, commenced at Hicks's Hall,Clerkenut 11, there
were 107 cases of felony, and four of misdemeanor, for
trial. Of the whole number of prisoners not ono was com-
petent to read or write well, whilst 40 were utterly ignorant
of both.
The grand jury having, been sworn, the learned serjeaut
proceeded to deliver his charge. He observed that he had
telt some inelinatioa to address them particularly up n the
subject ofjuvenile crime, and the effict that summary con-
viction had upon it. lie had felt the more inclined to do
this in consequence of the corporation of the City of London
having published • report made to them by Mr.
Davis, the worthy ordinary to the gaol of New-
gats—a report in which certain Teems were gun
to show that within the lost eighteen months, the
effect of the operation of summary juriedicti n had been
to diminish juvenile delinquency one-fourth. In some quar-
ters these returns had been made the subject matter
of congratulation—he might indeed say that they had
been regarded as • triumph, but it was very important to
the public that there should be no mistake ab ,ut this matter,
and that sound data should be given ; and though the re-
, turn furnished by the ordinary to the corporation might be
correctly founded upon his observations in the City prisons,
the returns made up from the county priming gave, he was
sorry to say, an entirely contrary result, and showed that
'since the introduction of summary conviction, the number of
juvenile felons had been greatly increased. At pre-
, sent, however, he would not further allude to the
subject, because he was not able to lay before
the grand jury the exact figures of the returns
(not being quite complete), but he could not refract from
laying beton them the particulars of the case of • boy who
was now in the House of Correction, as it very eerrectly
showed the results of this summary power as it was milled.
J. C. alias J. W., a very intelligent though diminutive lad,
10 years of age : in February, last year, he was sentenced to
two days imprisonment and a whipping at Cold Bath fields
for attempting to pick a woman's packet. A few days after-
wards he was convicted of pucket-picking, and by this court
sentenced to six months' bard labour. Ho was again con-
victed of the same offence, directly after his liberation, and
was sentenced to three months in the City Dridewell. On
the vet), day he was discharged he was convicted again
of the same offence, and he was sentenced to another
three months in Oiltspur-street Compter. In the
present month he was again convicted of the same
offence, and was sentenced to two months' hard
lebour, which sentence he was at the present time under-
going. Talk of summary conviction and whipping—it was
absurd! The a:count he had given of this boy was by no
means an unusual one, and what was to become of him ?
What could be done with him, and for the class to which he
belonged ? It was quite clear that this boy had been aban-
doned by his parents, and he (the learned judge) was quite
confident of this, that no good whatever would be effected
until the parents of such children were compelled to contri-
bute to their maintenance. His lordship then referred to
the numerical state of the calendar, and proceeded testy that
he had at all times had extreme doubts as to the necessity or
utility of a grand jury at these sessions, and he was vary glad
to perceive that the Attorney-General bad introduced • bill
—the pries of which had been furnished to him—into the
House of Commons, for the purpose of the Services of grand
juries being to some considerable extent dispensed with.
The learned sergeant then threw out some suggestions as to
the best and quickest mode in which the grand jury could
discharge their duty, and that body retired.
A JUVENILE DELINQUENT.
The first cue tiled was that of a little boy named Murphy,
13, who was convicted of having stolen three pockenhandker-
ebiefs from persons lathe crowd who bad collected to witness
the burning of the Olympic Theatre.
Mr. Serjeant Adams called the attention of the jury to the
ease of this prisoner, as illustrative of what be bad said to the
grand jury—that no good would be done until the law com-
pelled the parents of them children to contribute to their
maintenance; and as soon as such a troeition were made, n
great and important step in the right way would
be taken. This boy had (be observed) been
living in the streets for the last three months,
having been turned out of doors by his father, who was no
doubt fully aware that the moment the lad took to thieving
he wsa rid fn ever of all responsibility to keep hint, or to
contribute towards his support. If parents were under this
ob:igation they would endeavour to keep their children
honest ; but as it was at present, they were actually tempted
and endsnraged to make them thieves. To render • thief
eligible for admisebn to Parkhurst he must be fourteen years
old, fear feet six inches in height, and a very great scoun-
drel Parkhurst was the very place the prieoner should be
seat to, but, unfortunately, be only possessed the latter
qualification, so, as the best thing that could be done for him
under the circumstances, the sentence was that he be kept to
hard labour for six calendar months.
HOW CILIA? CLOTHES ARE WADE.
John Jones, 42, whose appearance denoted that he was by
profession a " snip," was indicted for having stolen • pair of
Mewed', the property of Henry Lawrence.
The prosecutor rid that he was a master tailor in Brews:-
street, and for the last nine months the prisoner had worked
for him. Oa the occasion in question the prisoner had been
to the shop for some work, and had succeeded in getting •
pair of trowsers from the shelf into his bundle; but some
suspicion having been excited by the sire of the bundle, he
was stopped, and he then threw the trowsees behind the
counter.
When called upon to nose-examine the witnesses, the pri-
sons? assumed a theatrical attitude, and demanded that the
tor should say before the court and jury what prise
trecradeupsid him (the prisoner) for making trowsen.
The prosecutor raid that they had a common kind of
article which they pave to women to make up, and as the
work put in was slight, the priers for making varied from
10d. to la. ed.
The prisoner, in his defence, said that for the last nine
Moths he had had to support himself, his wife, and six chil-
dren, by making trousers at 10d., la , 14d., and IL 6d. • pair,
and that he considered was the best proof he could give that
he was an honest man. He did not allude to the particular
pair of trousers.
The prosecutor said that the prisoner had begged with
tears in his eyes for women's work at women's prices, and he
had got it, not only from him, but from other tailors, who
had been deprived of their goods altogether.
The prisoner said this assertion was a false one. He had
made the very best extra double superfine cloth trousers for
16d. a pair. (A laugh.)
'the jury found the rrisoner Guilty, but recommended
him to mercy.
The learned Judge said that be considered the prisoner
was an honest minded man, who strove to bard to support
his wife and family that he made trousers at sixteen pence
a pair. He had, perhaps, yielded to a sudden temptation,
" and God forbid," said his lornhip, " that an honest
striving man who is suddenly overcome by temptation
should receive the same punishment as an habitual thief."
The prisoner was sentenced to ens mouth's hard labour.
New MAOISTILARE.—EarI Howe took the oath of qualifi-
cation as a Justice of the Peace for Midcle!ea.
Great

SURREY ADJOURNED SESSIONS—YESTERDAY.
Before J. W. Prteblitid, Eaq., end a full Bench ot Map aatee.
ROBBING ♦ BARONET.
Harriet Luca', a pretty'ook.ng young fcmnle, Was in-
aintAd for stealing, at Lambeth, a parse containing three 54