The Express.
London, England, 1860-08-23 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

(Batons Mr. Bodkin, Aaaiataat•Judge.)

Bonjou,' Smith, 30, a cab-driver, and Wane, Laing, 24,
of the same occupation, were indicted for stealing from the
person of Thomas Maylan King, a watch, his property.
Smith surrendered in court, laving been out on bail ; the
other had been in custody.
Mr. Bibton was oouusel for the prosecution ; Mr. Tindal
Atkinson defended both the prisoners.
It appeared from the evidence that the prosecutor, a
tailor, who resides at 4, William-street, James-street, Buck-
ingiums-gate, was at the Castle public-house, in the Broad-
way, Westminster, on the morning of the 18th of July, in
umpany. with the prisoners, whom he treated with half-a-
-t of As the prosecutor was the worse for drink, the
landlord, Mr. Newport, very prudently asked him to leave
his watch and chain behind the bar, bat the prostoutor
refused, and said be was well able to take care
of them himself. In a quarter of an hour after
this occurred however, King called out that be had lost his
watch. There were eight or ten soldiers present, who held
the door, and the landlord sprang round the counter, and
said no one should go out, and railed his brother. The pri-
soner Laing jumped over the private side and ran out into
the street, but a constable, whom the landlord had called,
brought him beck, and confronted him with the prosecutor,
who said he was not the man who had taken the watch
from him, it was Smith. He then said it was some of
the soldiers; indeed, as the policeman said, he was so drunk
be soaroely knew what he dad say, and he, the policeman,
would take neither of them them Subsequently he appre-
hended them at the Corner Pin public-house, in Strutton-
ground. The prosecutor it seemed had known Laing for four-
teen years, and took him into the house to treat bon. After
some conversation, Laing, who saw he was is drink, asked
him what time it was, and on his taking out his
watch, according to his version, Smith snatched
it from him, and in a struggle with him
to get it back the glass fell from Smith's hand, and it was
supposed that at that moment the wank was paned to a
thud person. Smith managed to get away. After this the
prosecutor was taken borne and put to bed, but he stated
that he bad a perfect and distinct recollection of all that
parsed, though it was char from his answers on cross-examine-
tion that he Lad been drinking very freely, and he admitted
that there were two strange men present at the time, but
they went away and had not been near him. He denied that
he accused the soldiers, although it waasworn before the ma-
gistrate that he did.
Mr. Atkinson addressed the jury, urging that the charge
had utterly failed, and his lordship hang summed up, the
jury at once Acquittal the prisoners.
George Clarke, carman in the employment of Mews.
John and Edward Bird, extensive builders at Hammer-
smith, was indicted for having stolen a quantity of horse
provender, the property of his masters ; and John Gay, a
carman on his own account, at Brook-green, was indicted for
feloniously receiving the same, and also as a principal in the
felony.
Mr. Bibton was counsel for the prosecution, instructed
by Mr. J. Bird ; and Mr. Tindal Atkinson defended both
prisoners.
In consequence of hone provender to a very large amount
having been missed by the prosecutors beyond the full
quantity allowed for their hones, a watch was set by two
police officers whom they employed, and the result was that
Clarke was detected purlotniug begs of mixed cats and chaff,
beyond which it appeared he had robbed his horses of their
proper allowance of food and disposed of it for his own
benefit. Gay was caught in the act of receiving a bag full
which Clarke had stolen, and se it was known that this had
been going on for some time, Mesas. Bird instituted this
prosecution against them. They both had borne very ex-
cellent characters. Clarke had been some years in the
prosecutor's service, sod Gay had friends who came u p and
stated that they had known him between forty and fifty
cniars, and never heard any reproach of dishonesty against
The jury found both Guilty, accompanying the verdict
with a strong recommendation to mercy, on account of the
prisoners' former character.
Mr. Bird said since the prisoners had been taken the
consumption of provender of their horses had decreased to
the amount of at least 130/. a year—the full allowance
being continued to the hones.
The Ainistant-Judge said there was no doubt good cha-
racter on one side, but greet and mischievous peculation
upon the other. After taking the case fully into conside-
ration, and giving full effect to the recommendation of the
jury (which had materially affected the sentence), the court
felt bound to order each of the prisoners to be kept to hard
labour for one year.

SECOND COURT.
(Before Mr. Payne.)

George HiII surrendered to take hie trial upon an indict-
ment, in which he was charged with having stolen 6 tons of
coal, the property d George Lowland and another, his em-
ployers.
Mr. F. H. Lewis prosecuted. The prisoner was defended
by Mr. Metcalfe.
This cue lasted some considerable time, but the foots may
be very shortly stated. The prosecutors carried on the busi-
ness of coal-merchants at Ratcliffe-crass, and the prisoner
had been in their service about ten years, for the last three
years in the capacity of wharfinger, at a salary of 30s. a
week, with a residence on the premises and an allowance of
coal. It was his duty to receive the delivery tickets from
the office clerks. and to see that the customer
received the proper quantity of coal from the
weighers as specified upon the ticket. The case
for the prosecution was that he had sent out
more coal than he ought to have done on several
occasions, and remised the money ; and when he was in
custody, and told that this Gould not have been done with-
out his knowledge and connivance, he said he had been
made a tool of by others. It was stiggeated that he had
confused the account to prevent his dishonesty being dis-
covered. The hooka, receipts, vouchers, &c., ware produced,
and the cam was a very complicated one.
Ultimately the Jury were locked up, and after delibe-
rating about tires-quarters of an hour, they came into
court, and found the prisoner Not Gsily, and the verdict
was received with applause by the prisoner's friends attend-
ing to hear the Oial
Mr. Payne mid such manifestations were highly indecent
in a court of justice, and no person of sense would partici.
pate in them.
The prisoner was then discharged.

THE POLICE COURTS.

MANSION•HOUSL

Richard Cerra-thaw, cab-driver, whoa(' badge is numbered
13,475, appmred before the Lord Mayor to answer a charge
of zuieconduct preferred against him by a young gentleman
named Charles Hardy.
The defendant pleaded guilty.
It appeared from the statement of the complainant that
he bailed the defendant in King William-street, and got
into his cab with his luggage. He told him to drive to the
Seven Sisters-mad, and he plumply refused to do so, and
the complainant was obliged to charter another cab, and the
defendant then insisted upon loin; paid sixpence for
placing his luggage on his cab. The complainant paid the
money, and asked him for his ticket, sad lie gave him a
wrong one, but the complainant took the number of the
cab, and then summoned the defendant.
In answer to the complaint the defendant said that his
horse had been out all night, and was tired, and he could
not go so far as the complainant wanted to go.
The Lord Mayor said the system of extortion practised
by cabmen must be put a stop to, and he should One the
defendant 40s. or one month's imprisonment. He was
liable to another penalty. of 40s. for giving a false ticket.
and if he offen‘lea again in a similar manner that One would
certainly be enforced.
of the
Aeery.orsad. case Las been brought to the notice
Lord m
On the 25th of March, a young lad, named "art*
Barnett, was taken into custody fur felony by a City rime-
eading o
Man, SWIM' Robert hierctlith. and he was COrnfroal
b hind
m the
he was going down the
justios-room to the 00113, the constable being close

him, he rodikeilY turned round and struck the officer's
severe blow in the face, which had the effect of knocking
him backwards, sad his head came with greet violence
against a portion of the dock. He was picked up in a faint-
ing state, and a surgeon was sent far, end when he had
slightly recovered the charge of smolt was gone into, and
the prisoner was committed to take his trial at the Central
Criminal Court, and upon his being convicted he was
esoransed to three months' impriaooniest, and thou to be
sent for three months to a reformatory school. It appears
that the unfortunate constable has been getting wore, ever
since, and there is very littledoubt that his brain is seriously
injured, and he has never elate been able to do any duty. ~jj
An inspector belonging to the (Ay police stated these
facts to the Lord Mayor, and mid that from what he heard
he believed the constable would not survive the injuries,
and that it was coneidered the only chance he had was to
go into the country and have rime fresh air, and he ap-
plied to his lordship to render him some assistance from
the pox-box to enable hiss to do
7he Lord Mayor put some questions to the inspector, in
answer to which he stated that the constable had re.
ceived his pay as usual, but he was unable to bear the extra
expense of going into the country. He had been ten years
in thecity,polioe, and wan a very food officer.
His lordship directed Mr. Pickering, one of the clerks of
the court, to hand the inspector two sovereigcs for the use
of the poor fellow, and he at the name time said, that if
unhappily he should, as was anticipated, die, in consequence
of the injury he had received, the who inflicted it
upon him would certainly be le to a charge of man.
slaughter.