The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-12-09 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIOXS. THURSDAY, Dsc. 8.

The Court were occupied the entire day with parochial and other
appeals. The former were of the usual kind, and turned for the
most part on the value of the tenement occupied by the pauper, to
establish which hosts of brokers and other witnesses were in most
cases examined. Those on the one side, like the Bears of the Stock
Exchange, aceklng to trample down the value, and those on the
other like the Bulls at the same place, striving to exalt it. Amid
this conflict of opinion, the Court had to grope its way to the truth,
a task for the most part of no small difficulty ; indeed the Chair-
man at one time humorously observed, that he was much in the
predicament of filing James the First, for after hearing the first
tide, he could have no doubt but that it was the right one ; then
came the other side, with a case equally strong and equally clear,
till at last it became a matter of doubt whether both were not in the
right, or both in the wrong.
There was but one appeal against a Magistrate's conviction, which
was that of Thomas Harris, a hatter in good business at Shadwell,
against a conviction of Thomas Hallantine, Esq.
The appellant had been sentenced to two months' imprisonment
for having improperly exposed his person, but had found bail, and
entered into recognizance to appeal to the Sessions.
The offence was most clearly proved by five respectable wit-
nesses, and appears to have been committed with a view to the an-
noyance of the family and customers of a rival tradesman in the
neighbourhood.
Mr. ALLEY, after cross-examining the witnesses, said he was
instructed to Impute conspiracy to them, but he did not feel that he
had a shadow of ground for so doing.
The Court affirmed the conviction, and ordered the apellant to
be taken into immediate custody, and placed on the wheeL

SURREI SESSIONS, THURSDAY, Due. 8.
Henry Clarke, Thomas Ellmore, Wm, Davis, and John Cal-
loway, all under twelve years of age, were indicted for assaulting
John Wild, a boy, aged nine years, on the 11th of November last.
It appeared from the evidence of the prosecutor, and another boy
about the same age, that they were commemorating the anniversary
of Guy Fawkes, in a field near Camberwell, and being all welt sup-
plied with fireworks, the defendants, more for sport than intending
any harm to the prosecutor, covered his face with a handkerchief,
and setting a light to the prosecutor's pockets (which contained a
quantity of crackers, ate.), he was severely burnt, and was in con-
sequence of such treatment under medical advice fur upwards of a
week. The defendants were apprehended by a warrant, and on ap.
rearing at Union-hall, Davies declared as soon as he was at liberty
he would well thrash the prosecutor for his audacity in appearing
against his fellow companions, for having done what he (Davies)
denominated a lark, which they annually indulged in on the above
memorable day.
The defendants made no defence, and appeared quite ignorant of
any punishment awaiting them.

- -
The Jury found them Guilty, and they were severally sentenced
to one month's hard labour at Brixton. _

.
The whole of the elms having been gone through, the Sessions
adjourned until the ldth of January next:
APPREHENSION OF TWO 'NOTORIOUS HORSE-

STEALERS.
On the morning of last Tuesday week, about twelve o'clock,
two men were observed travelling in a gig with three homers at.
niched to it. one in the shifts and the other two led. In their pro-
gress they mopped for a short time at the village of Westerham, in
Kent, and while there made some alteration in the dispo-
sition of the horses, which, combined with a certain anxiety
of appearance, excited the suspicion of the inhabitants. From
thence they proceedul to Eden-bridge, where, owing to simi-
lar causes, the attention of two gentlemen of that place, Messrs,
Parsons and Young, was drawn towards them, and an idea
occurred to their minds that they had not become fairly
_pos-
sessed of the horses by which they were accompanied. They
however did not then think it proper to interfere, but the impres-
sion of dishonesty was so forcible, that ininiediately on their de-
parture they saddled their horses and went in pursuit. After tra.
versing several miles through lanes and by-ways, occasionally
meeting them, they at length arrived near Penhurst, where they
applied to Altnut, Esq. a Magistrate for the county, to issue
his warrant for their apprehension, stating as the grounds of their
application she several auspicious circumstances which they bad
observed. Mr. Allnut, in reply, asked where the parties were, and
being informed that they were on the road below his mansion, said
he saw no necessity for issuing a warrant, for that he himself would
go and apprehend them. Ile immediately having procured the
assistance of his gardener, and accompanied by Messrs. Parsons
and Young, proceeded to put his Intention into execution, and for-
tunately. as he had just reached his gate, the travellers arrived, and
their further progress was interrupted. They expressed great indign a-
tioti at the interruption, and demanded authoritatively was it because
they were travelling with these horses in their suite they were to be
stopped on the King's highway ? To therm interrogatories Mr. A.
did not deign to make any reply, but had them at once apprehended
and secured ; they were then removed to his residence, where they
were examined separately as to the possession of the gig and horses,
and their account being of the most contradictory and discrepant
nature, the one saying that he knew nothing of the horses, but had
only casually met them on the road, and the other denying all
knowledge of the gig, thes were committed to the House of Cor-
rection, at Maidstone, as common vagrants. Handbills were sub.
sapiently circulated, descriptive of the property, and the horses
were directed to be detained until an owner was found. Thus the
matter rested until last Tuesday, when Lee, an officer belonging
to Lambeth-street, happening to be down on business in that
part of the country, saw one of the bills, and from the descrip-
tion it strufk him that one of the stolen horses was the pro-
perty of Mr. Pope, of Finchley, from whose premises it had
been taken away on the night previous to the apprehension of the
prisoners. Information was immediately communicated to that
gentleman, and in his going down to Penhurat, he at once re.
cognised it as his property, and the prisoners, after having under-
gone suot!:er txronination, were fully committed on the capital
charge.
The apprehension of these extensive depredators, whoee names
are W. Summers Rita and Morgan Brown, will, it is hoped,
break up that gang which bras been so long with impunity commit-
ing depredations on the public. Two of them, Sergeant and
Harper, were executed with Prebert ; two more of them, Snell and
Cutts, have been made amenabe to justice, the former being now in
Oxford gaol, waiting his trial,
and the latter has been already
transported. Of the remaining part of the gang, the prisoners were
considered eke most active members.