The Express.
London, England, 1866-07-04 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

(Before Mr. Payne.)

John Dixon, 49, a determined-looking fellow, described
as a carpenter, was indicted for stealing two saws and other
articles, the property of Charles Gregory.
Mr. R. Corney Grain prosecuted ; Mr. Richard Harris
defended the prisoner.
This was an extraordinary case, as will be seen by the
details.

The facts as regard the indictment laid against the pri-
soner were short and simple. The prisoner was seen coming
out of a workshop, in Shadwell-road, by a man named
Henry Martin, and thinking his manner suspicious, ha
went into the workshop and found two saws and some
planes tied up ready to be taken away. The prisoner then
started, and ran away.
The prosecutor identified the property, and said it was
quite safe in the workshop some short time before.
John Thompson, 307 Y, hearing a cry of " Stop Thief,"
and seeing the prisoner running, stopped him, and he was
given into custody.
Mr. Richard Harris addressed the court with ability for
the prisoner.
Mr. Payne summed up the evidence, and the jury found
I the prisoner Guilty.
Mr. Hodgkinson (the clerk) then read another indict-
ment charging the prisoner with having been previously
convicted, to which he pleaded guilty.
Mr. George Lockyer, late mailing warder of the
House of Correction, said ho had known the prisoner
for a great number of years. He was tried in
January, 1848, in the name of Thomas James,
for stealing tools, and sentenced to three months.
He was tried in 1851, in the name of John Smith,
and sentenced to nine months' imprisonment. He was
again tried at the Middlesex Sessions in 1854 and sentenced
to 12 months' imprisonments and whilst he was serving
that term et imprisonment his conduct was so bad in prison
that he was taken before the magiatiates and by their order
flogged. He was again tried in this court on the 10th De-
cember, 1855, and sentenced to four years' penal servitude,
and when he came out on a ticket-of-leave he was again
taken into custody and sentenced to one month's im-
prisonment for being at • place with intent to steal.
Soon after that he (Lockyer) happened to be at the
Old Bailey, and seeing the prisoner talking to • barrister's
clerk, he inquired what he was doing, and learnt that he
was a prosecutor in a case of an attempted garotte rob-
bery. When the case came on the prisoner got into the
bgx and gave a false name, and charged two respectable
men with having attempted to garotte him and his friend.
Mr. Ribton, who appeared for the prisoners, cress-exa-
mined him, and he admitted that his right name was
James, and that he had been several times convicted.
His brother then came up, and swore that he was his
friend, and that they were respectable people, and, as
they were passing quietly along, the two men in the
dock came up and knocked him down. He was cross-
examined by Mr. Ribton, and admitted that he was an
old thief, and had been several times in prison, and
went by the name of " Ilumby." At this stage of the
case the learned counsel who appeared on that occasion to
prosecute the two men threw up his brief, and the pri-
soners were immediately discharged. It was believed by
everyone in court that the prisoner and his brother had
Ent attacked these two young men, who were respectable li
carpenters but finding they were too strong for them they
invented this charge to protect themselves, and in the most
barefaced manner gave them into custody. This happened
at the time the garotte robberies were of such frequent
occurrence. Soon after this the prisoner was tried at the
Old Bailey for committing • burglary and stealing tools.
The Recorder, before whom he was tried, sentenced him to
seven years' penal servitude, but finding that the former
convictions had not been put in the indictment, regretted
that he should have to reduce the sentence to two years'
hard labour, which he did. It was in consequence of that
that instructions were given to the prison officers to visit
other prisons, so that justice might be done. The prisoner
was an idle, lazy fellow, both in and out of prison.
The Prisoner—l hope, my lord, you will give me another
chance.
The Deputy Assistant Judge—Oh, no. As long as I
see a chance of combining the reformation of the prisoner
with public justice I endeavour to deal as mercifully as I
can with people who come before me ; but when I find
such a person as you, I think it my duty to relieve the
public of your presence for a long time. You bear • very
bad character, you have had all sortsof imprisonments,and
four years' penal servitude, and are a lazy, idle fellow. The
sentence of the court upon you is,that you be kept in penal
servitude for ten years.