The Express.
London, England, 1857-02-14 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

(Before Mr. Peeldry, Q.C., Aroistant-Jtolgo )

• . - .
Thomas Cooper, 34, was brought up for judgment. He
pleaded guilty on a former day of having embezzled three
PUMA of money, which he had received on accomit of Thomas
Dawkins, hoi master, who stated that the total amount
which the prisoner had Approprieteil WOO about GM, ranging
over nearly 200 bedtimee of embezzlement, in almost all of
which be had committed forgery.
A return of a conviction for felony in 1841 WOO put in
against the prisoner.
Tbe prisoner said he war a Mere boy when that conviction
took place, and ho had ever since earned • living honestly.
He bad worked for one muter six years, and for another five
years, all in one firm, and had now a wife and children de-
pendent on him for support.
The Assistant-Judge said ho should not take into 00W6140•
ration therevioue conviction, an it wanso long ago, but he
meet this as a very merlons ease. It was ene for which
bat a w years ago his life would have been forfeited, and
had the magistrate rent him elsewhere to be tried for forgery,
be moot have been convicted of that crime, and in all probe-
bility transported for a considerable number of yenre. Under
the eireunietanive, he could not pass a more lenient sentence
than four veers' penal servitude.
Rolart 'Grindley, commerrial traveller, who was found
guilty on Thursday of steeling geode the property of his
WOO sentenced to four years' penal servitude.
Thomas Reed, 20, woe indicted for unlawfully assaulting
Mary Ann Sweeney, and inflicting upon her grievous bodily
harm. Ile pleaded guilty.
The prineentriz was the prisoner's mother. She lived at
No. 6, Dinah's-buildings ; and one night the prisoner took
up the pinker and wee raking out the fire, when she told him
not to do that. Ile raid be would, and knwleed her down
by a blow on the head with the poker. He had beaten her
before, for which he had been sent to prison. Ile was sub-
ject to epileptic fits, and bad one while in the dock.
The Assistant-Judge sentenced him to Mx months' hard
labour, and said if ever he came there again en a similar
charge the sentence unquestionably would be one of two
ran' hard labour.
On one of the juries being diseharged a gentleman who
bed acted as foreman, addressing his lordship. said on the
previous evening, se he was going home to Blackwell he
saw some poor boy. who were trjing to earn a penny
honestly by cleaning boots in the streets driven away by the
polite. They did not belong the brigade, and while they
were driven off, the brigade boys were allowed to go on
without Interruption. Ile thought it very hard that a boy
who was anxious to earn a mite, to get • night's Amber, or
procure a bit of bread, should be prevented from doing so by
the polies, and he begged permismon to mention the matter
to his lied ship, as he was sure it wee • subject which would
some day be brought to his notice in another way—one of
the poor boys in the dock.
The Assistant-Judge replied that what the juryman had
mid was highly creditable to hint, and showed that he had a
good and proper feeling for the clam of boys he had alluded
to. It behoved all to do their utmost to promote the means,
privately, by which such boys could live honestly, but it was
' a matter which, sitting there, he could not entertain. A
representation of the matter to the chief police authority
would, no doubt, be properly attended to.