The Express.
London, England, 1860-12-13 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURTS.

MANSION-HOUSE.

John Sweeny, • castermouger, stated to be 18 years old,
wax brought up for re-examination before the Lord Mayor,
upon the charge of stealing • tag eintaining some alpaca
cloth and other articles, the property of Thomas Harman,
a carman, carrying on business in Fore-street.
Mr.' Beard, the solicitor, attended to prosecute on behalf
of the Carmen's Association for the prevention and detec-
tion of offences of this description.
It appeared upon the former bearing that on the evening
of the nth of December a carman amazed Robinson was de.
hvering a box from a van in Fenchurch•treet, and he was
not away more than a minute or two, when upon his com-
ing out he sew the prisoner in the act of walking off with a
bag that bad been placed on the front of the van. He
called • polioenian and gave the prisoner in charge, and be
asserted that he saw another man take the bag from the
van, and that he stopped him and took it from him, and
was about to replace it when the carnian laid hold of him.
It was stated that the prisoner bad been before convicted
of felony.
Mr. Beard now applied to his lordship to iced the case
for trial, as he said that robberies of this description were
so frequent, and the carmen of the met/opol's suffered such
extensive losses byproperty being stolen from their vehicles,
that it was necessary some severe punishment should be in-
flicted, in order that this system of plunder might be put •
stop to. He was informed that he should be able to show
that the prisoner was one of a gang of persons who were
known so " dragomen," who made it their business to prowl
about the great thoroughfares, and steal property from carts
and waggons whenever they had an opportunity.
The, prisoner offered to plead guilty, and begged his lord-
ship to deal with the care at once.
The Lord Mayor said that after what he had heard he did
not feel himself justified in disposing summarily of thence,
and he should send him to the Central Criminal Court for
trial.
A Jew named Abraham Moses, was brought before
the Lord Mayor, charged with endeavouring to obtain money
under false pretences.
It appsared from the evidence of • young man named
Henry Harris that on Sunday night the prisoner accosted
him in Bishopegaki-etreet, mad said he wax " hard up " for a
few shillings, and offered to moll him an Australian
gold ring and a silver chain for • pound. It
happened that the complainant was well acquainted
wills these kind of articles, and he at once Macovered that
Mier were spurious and almost worthless, and he called a
policeman cad gave the primmer into custody. When the

a, 1860

prisoner was searched, two other chains and a ring of the
name description were found upon him.
The prisoner in his dallenos said that all he did was to
tell the prosecutor that the chain came from Australia, and
so ft did—a long way from it—it came from Houndaditch.
(A laugh.)
The Lord Mayor told him he should send him for trial.
Tins prisoner, in an Impudent tooe, said that if him lord-
ship committed every Jew who sold brass for gold Ds would
soon fill all the gags. (laughter.)
He was then committed to Newgate for trial.

John Riky, a dirty-looking boy, about 14 years of age,
who refused his address, was charged before Mr. Barker
with stealing a codfish from the shop of Mr. W. H. Brooks,
fishmonger, of 169 i, Whitecross-street.
Theoomplainant statedthaton the previous night, while he
was standing in his shop he was rather surprised to find his cod-
fish moving about, and before he bad moved a step or so one
of the fish disappeared from off the board. He ran out and
saw his fish being dragged along by a piece of rope. When
the prisoner was stopped it was found that he bad a piece
of string about twenty yards in length in his possession, and
at the end was a sharp hook which was thrown on St
and as the prisoner passed away from the shop be
the fish after him. The prosecutor had lost a number of
fish in a similar way.
The prisoner said he was sorry, and would never do so
env more.
kr. Barker remarked that this was a new way to fish, and
remanded the prisoner for a week.

WORSRIP43TREET.

Edward Pdt, a thiaklysso man of singular aspect, and
warmly clothed, some portion of his dress appearing to have
belonged to a workhouse, was charged before Mr. Leigh
with setting are to a stack of straw, the property of
George Clarkson, Faq., of Pembroke-oottage, Caledonian-
_

PcHoe-constable Foden, 177 11, said—This morning be-
tween six and seven o'clock I was on duty in Church-street,
Hackney, when the prisoner, who was quite sober, accosted
me with, "Governor, I have been wandering about a
loottime and am nearly starved to death with hunger and
ioe so I set fire to a stack of straw in Pigwell-gelds —it's
blaring now." Upon this startling information I hurried
him to the station-house, and thence to the spot he had
mentioned, which was not far distant, where I found a stack
on fire, and nearly consumed.
Ifir.W. Clarkson having deposed to the property belonging
to kis cousin, at the address mentioned,
Mr. Leigh asked the prisoner what motive he wished to
assign for the commission of the act ; but
Prisoner coolly replied, I have nothing to say ; and he was
forthwith ordered to be fully committed for trial at the Cen-
tral Criminal Court.

William Sark was charged with stealing 30/. worth of
jewellery, under the following circumstances.
Mr. Ceo. Dennis, hosier and glover, 20, Queen'svow,
Pimlico, said that on Tuesday night, at a quarter past nine,
be was in his shop, and saw the prisoner go up to Mr. Rees,
Wye
No. 19, and deliberately dashing his hand through a
Wye sheet of plate glass, make • snatch at the contents of the
window, and then run away. Witness pursued him a con.
sidemble distance, bat fell, and he was taken by some one
_ _ _

The ahopman to Mr. Dunkley, bootmaker, in the same
row, baring spoken to similar facts,
James Ha coachman to Dr. Cann, Parliamenteareet,
Westminster, said he beard the glue break, and seeing the
running, he punned him until he caught him at the
getaerPost-ollice opposite Buckingham Palace.
Mr. Alexander Rees, jeweller and watchmaker, 19,
aem's-row, Pimlico, proved miming from his window
chains and other articles to the value of 301., besides the
damage of 101. to the plate glass. Rome of the hooks by
which the chains had been suspended were left in the
window, and a ticket (produced) which had been appended
to an Albert chain, worth 3L, was found where the pri-
soner was taken. He saw the prisoner being pursued,
and saw Mr. Dennis tripped up by one of the prisoner's
companions.
The police proved searching carefully along the track of
the accused, but they found nothing relating to the robbery,
with the exception of the ticket ; but there were some new
building» where he was caught, and if a remand were granted
the property might be found, and something learnt about
the prisoner's antecedents.