The Express.
London, England, 1847-07-30 00:00:00

CROWN Cmar.7Bafore Mr. Baron A!dersoa.

ExCETTION TO THE BREE THAT RECENT POSsESSION Or
THE THING STOLEN NEST BE SHOWN.—Robert Evans was
indicted for having stolen a beetlehead, the property of John
Doddington. Mr. Lespingwell, for the prosecution,
called witnesses who proved that the beetlehead, a
weighty wooden malls 5, had been missed about 20 months
before the prisoner had been taken into custody; that just
before the apprehension, the prisoner's house was searched,
and a beetlehead found which the prosecutor swore was his ;
and that the prisoner when before the magistrates said that
the beetlehead was his own, and he had had is for eight years.
Mr. Keane, for the defence, contended that the prosecutor
bad not shown that recent possession of the thing stolen
which would justify the court in calling on the prisoner to
account for the possession. Mr. Bunn Alderson : I should
hare thought so too. but for what the prisoner himself has
said. If his statement to the magistrates had been that he
had hall this instrument, which IS of trifling value, so long
that he did not know how or when he became possessed of
it, I should have said that that was a reasonable answer.
but, if the prosecutor is right, and the beetlehead is his.the
prisoner has told an untruth, for he could not have hs d it eight
years. Then the having given an untrue account about the
property is evidence to go to the jury that he stole it, if it
es found in his possession.—Mr. Keane then contended that
the prosecutor was mistaken in swearing to the identity of
the beetlehead found with that lost by him, and
called a witness, who proved that eight years ago the
prisoner, at a sale of the effects of his deceased
mother, had bought a beetlehead like tint missed by
the prosecutor. Mr. Lespingwell having replied,
the learned judge told the jury that the only question in the
case was that of the identity of the beetlehead found on the
premises of the prisoner with that missed by the prosecutor.
—The jury returned a verdict of Not Guilty.
PHESENTMENT OT THE OR SND 3CRY.—After the grand
jury had disposed of all the business brought before them,
they handed in a special presentment to the effect that acci-
dents and murders from the administration of poisons had
become frequent, and:that the grand jurors thought that no
person ought to be allowed to sell poisons except to
some one known to himself, or introduced by some
one known to himself, and that a register of the
poisons sold, and of the names of the persons to whom they
are sold, ought to be kept. Mr. Baron Alderson said that
such a registration would have the effect of communicating
a catalogue of poisons to tho e ignorant of such things ; and,
further, it would be difficult to say what were poisons. Sir
B. Brodie had told him that many medicines in common
use were puisons, and the restrictions suggested would have
the effect of preventing • stranger from obtaining those
medicines. The grand jury was then discharged.

SOUTH WALES CIRCUIT.—BREcox, JULY 27.
_Before Mr. Juralee Cresnr!it,

Fonotutv.—Thomas Rogerson, yes charged with having
forged and uttered an acceptance for 20/., purporting to bear
the signature of William Edward Stephens, with intent to
defraud Messrs. Bromage and Snead, bankers, at Brecon.—
The prisoner was a man of very respectable appearance, and
was described as having carried on an extensive
bunions a■ auctioneer, fanner, and cattle dealer,
at Kiugton, in Herefordshire, and as having kept
the Oxford Arms Hotel in that town some few yearn back,
until he became unfortunate in business. Since then he had
carried on the business named, and was considered a highly-
respectable and particularly intelligent man, until some time
in March, 1846, when be absconded, and it was discovered
that he bad succeeded in getting several forged bills of ex-
change discounted by different parties. It also appeared
that, in the early part of the present month, Messrs. Bromage
and Snead, who held some of the forged acceptances,
i received a letter by snail steamer, informing them that the
prisoner was on the point of sailing from Boston,
a the ship Samuel Hicks, bound for Liverpool; their solici-
tor therefore proceeded to Liverpool, and after waiting there
a week, the vessel named arrived in the docks, with the pri-
soner on board ; he was immediately taken into custody, ►nd
brought to Brecon, where he was last week committed for
trial. The evidence of his having put off the bill at the bank
was very clear ; and Berjeant Jones, who defended him, was
accordint;ly compelled to confine his efforts to a very able '
speech in mitigation of punishment. The jury returned a ver-
dict of Guilty, with a recommendation to mercy on the ground
of previous good character. The prisoner then pleaded guilty
to three other indictments of a similar nature ; and on the
following day he was sentenced to one week's imprisonment
on each of those ; and on the other, to transportation for 20
years, his lordship stating, that in a case where so many for.
genes had bees committed, he could not, for the safety of
commerce, carry into effect the recommendation to mercy,
however well-deserved by previous high character.
MOH WAT ROBAERT.—Five men, inhabitants of the
well.known district of Merthyr Tydvil called " China,"
were convicted of robbing a ...r, simple country lad of
'2l. Os, 6d., by putting him in ' 'ily fear, and compelling
him to put his money on a board, under pretence of playing
for it by the game of " thimble•rig," on the side of the turn-
pike-road leading to Brecon. They were sentenced to seven
years' transportation each, and thus, as loyal subjects, will
follow into banishment the " Emperor " and " Empress " of
the Chineee territory, who, with six other members of their
court. were transported from Cardiff; a fortnight back. One
of the present party was known as the " Banker," therefore
it is presumed that he filled the high office of Chancellor of
the Exchequer to the virtuous community.
HIOHMAT ROB Hz HY —A powerful-looking fellow, named
William Jones, was convietid of basin; knocked down in

aged farmer, fumed Samuel Edwards it broad daylight,
'thin a auk of Brecon, when rotursinfura raarkvt, and
robbing him of hie sovereigns and a . The Bream
police captured the prisoner, In ler then two hours after, pur-
chasing a hat with one of the sovereigns, and ha was iden-
tified by two young women who saw him running away from
the scene of the robbery, as well as by the prosecutor. fle
made no defame, and was sentenced to transportation fur the
term of seven years.