The Express.
London, England, 1851-12-24 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

NORTHERN CIRCCIT.—Your, Dec. 22.
lam Ma. lrenes Mama.
TRIOS COYDINATIUX AND ASSAULT.
James IVitkiwwn end John .Ailitoyd were charged with
having, on the lith of November last, at Leeds, unlawfully
and maliciously, with a certain weapon, assaulted Robert
Mastermen.
The two risonen were charged in the first place with in-
flicting bodily harm upon Robert Mastermais, the prow-
' coact ; sccoudly, they were charged with on assault upon
him ; and in the third place, they were accused with con-
spiracy between themselves and the workmen in the trade
to which they belonged. Mauna= had not joined a strike
which took place among Vie workmen of Messrs. Kitson, by
whom he was employed, and the cons... Twice was the savage
assault fur which the prisoners were indicted. They were
identified as being the persons who committed the assault,
sad having been found Guilty, they were sentenced to Un-
',document for twelve mantbs with Lard labour.

Strom na. BARON PIA/T.
BURGLARY WITR VIOLINCIL
Joh* floeßA 23, Joseph Whine ker, 22, Joseph &skittle.
22, end Joseph Hudson, 22, were indicted fur a burglary
with violence in the dwelling-house of Thomas Kent, M
Bigton, in the parish of Kirkby Overblown, on the 9th inst.
Mr. Hardy and Mr. Pickering were for the prosecution,
and Mr. Seymour defended the prisoners.
The prosecutor is • farmer at Rising, and on the night in
question, about IL o'clock, it appeared from the evidence,
that the prisoners availed themselves of an opportunity of
attacking the prosecutor at the door of his house, into
which they effected an entrance, after heating him in a
shocking manner with bludgeons and a hammer, with
which they were armed. They then ransacked the place,
and spent a considerable time in the house eating and
drinking. By the elections of four neighbouring farmers
they were captured, however, soon after leaving.
His lordship ordered sentence of death to be recorded, at
the same time intimating that the prisoners would be trans-
ported for life. He also awarded a sum of 51. each to the
men who had assisted in the capture of the prisoners.

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.—YESTERDAY.
Bums W. BasowiT ADA/AA. AillaTAX? ',ewe, Al TIRO OUILIMAII.

THE CASE OF FRA-N7CAT-ELLI.RND ANOTHER.

hlr. Ballantine called the attention of the court to the
case of his client, the bill against whom had been thrown
out the day before. It was stated that the whole proceed-
ing originated in a blunder of the police. Lord Castlereagh
and Earl Rowe had been in attendance to give the accused
a character.
FIXALZ PICIPOCIIETS.
Ellen Crate*ld, 22, and Julia .11ainer, 30, were indicted
fora robbery from the person.
The prosecutrix, Elisabeth Corgan, was standing looking
at a display of bonnets in a shop window in Leicester-
square, when the prisoner Crawfield placed herself on one
side oiher, and klagner on the other. Whilst the latter at-
tracted her attention by making remarks upon the qualities
of the flowers with which the bonnets were trimmed, the
other picked her pocket of her purse, but they were de-
tected by a woman who had been induced to watch teem,
tie haling attempted to play the same trick upon her.
The jury found them both Guilty.
The officers proved that both the prisoners had been be-
*re convicted. Magner had been sentenced to six months
hard labour for smashing, and Crawfield had suffered a
Isatence of six months and one of nine months.
The learned Judge sentenced them each to be trans-
posted for ten years.
Crawfield then bunt into tears, and, crying in a piteous
manner, said she did not care for the sentence as far as she
herself was concerned, but she had two poor children who
had no protector but herself, and when she was gone they
mould be cast friendless on the world. Would his lordship
allow her children to go out of the country with her ? It
he would she would be content.
The learned Judge said he could not listen to that. She
had better apply to the Secretary of State.
The prisoners were then removed.
CUILD
Ann Wilson, 14, was indicted for stealing a petticoat and
other articles of clothing, the property of George Thomp-
son, from the person of George Thompson the younger.
This prisoner, though but fourteen years of age, had, it
appeared, carried on a complete system of decoying chil-
dren younger than herself whom she met in the street into
out-ot-the-way places, and then stripping them of their
clothes. There were now two indictments against her. She
had been before convicted, and a person who was in court
identified the clothes she had en as having been stolen
from a girl about her own age. The prosecutrix of the
second indictment against the prisoner was a poor widow
named Beardmore, living at No. 10, Earl-street, Westmin-
ster, and it seemed that on the day named in the indict-
meat, a child, six years of age, was decoyed from the door
of • school she attended into St. John's-churchyard, by the
prisoner, who set her on some steps and then deliberately
took off the greater part of her clothing and went off, tell
ing the child that she was only going to see if she could'
purchase some more like it. The prisoner disappeared down
a court, the child ran after her, but she had got away effectu-
ally, and the poor child, crying with cold, was taken pity
en by a blacksmith, who told her to warm herself by kis
forge. A lady observed the child's distress, and having as-
certained the cause, kindly took the poor little thing un-
der her care, and carried her home The mother gave in-
formation to several second-hand clothes shops in the
neighbourhood, and within a very short time the prisoner
was in the hands of the police, having been given in custody
by a clothes dealer, to whom she had offered the stolen
articles.
The prisoner was convicted.
The other case was of the same kind. The boy was seven
years of age, and the prisoner enticed him from rye-street,
Westminster, to Whitehall-yard, where she helped herself
to his clothing, and then made off.
The learned Judge said the court could not suffer her to
remain longer in this country, and sentenced her to 7 years'
I, transportation.
CRIMINAL COVRT TOCTIM.
The learned Judge, in the course of the morning, stopped
Mr. ltibton, as ho was addressing the jury, and in reference
topic touched upon by that gentleman, said he wished
it to be distinctly understood that there was no necessity
whatever fur the intervention of a third person between
counsel and prisoners. Every barrister, not only in the
criminal courts of the metropolis, but on the circuits, who
was not otherwise engaged, was bound to take up a case if
called upon by the prisoner in the dock, and also to receive
the fee tram him. There was nut the slightest necessity for
the interference of any attorney, or of any person who went
about in the character of an attorney or clerk, and consider-
ing what had recently occurred in that court, be wished it
to he distinctly understood that counsel could be instructed
by prisoners themselves, and if this were generally known
the relatives and friends of poor unfortunate prisoners
might avoid being plundered and robbed by the scoundrels
called "touters,' who prowled about the courts and got
their money from them under the pretence of affording
them legal assistance.