The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-01-22 00:00:00

LONDON SESSIONS.

Yesterday the adjourned Sessions were held at Guildhall, before
the LORD :MAYOR, the RECORDER, and Aldermen ATKINS,
AINSLIE, and HEYOATE.
Afichael Roach was charged with having committed an assault
upon Mr. Wood, the proprietor of the Market House public-house,
Fleet-market, on the pith of December, under circumstances rather
remarkable. _ . . _

It appeared from the evidence, that a stranger went to the house
of Mr. Wood, and told him he wanted a dozen of wine, and wished
it to be brought to the White Horse Aniblic-house in Holborn,
where payment would be given. Mr. Wood went into the cellar,
and had the wine packed in one of his baskets, but the stranger
said he had a basket, and that the wine must be transferred to it, as
the landlord of the public-house in Holborn did not wish that so
small a quantity should be seen entering his doors. Mr. Wood
consented, but suspecting that all was not as it ought to be, deter-
mined to follow his man to see the issue. The stranger and Mr.
Wood's porter, George Pennefather, went on with the wine, the
prosecutor keeping at a distance. When they reached Middle-row,
llolborn, the stranger told the porter to wait for a few moments,
and left him ; and Mr. Wood stepped up to the latter, and desired
him to have a sharp 100k-out, and not suffer any one to lay hands
on the wine until it was paid for. The stranger soon returned, and
accompanied the porter as far as St. Giles's, apparently ignorant
of the place in which the White Horse public-house was.
At length he entered a public-honse, in which was the prisoner
Roach • and pointing to Roach, he said, "There's the man that
ordered wine." Nobody, however, offered any money, and the
porter refused to leave a drop of the wine, declaring that the ob.
ject of the two fellows was to cheat him out of it, and that he would
carry it back to his master's house. He accordingly left the place,
but was followed by Roach, who swore the basket was his—en-
(immured several times to drag it away, wine aid all, from the
porter, and threatened to throw the bottles into the street, if he per-
sisted in refusing to deliver it up. Mr. Wood, who had been
at a little distance, watching these manoeuvres, approached the
two, and told Roach that he was no better than a swindler for en.
deavouring to detain the wine. Roach, who had been using the
most offensive language in the street to the porter, told Mr. Wood
that if he repeated the words he would knock him down. Mr.
Wood did repeat them, and was immediately knocked down.
The assault was clearly proved, as well as the attempt to de.
fraud.

The RECORDER was about to sum up, when the Jury told him
there was no necessity, and immediately found the defendant
Guilty.
The RECORDER said there was no doubt as to the intention of
Roach, and that he bad conspired with the other fellow to cheat
111 r. Wood.

Roach was then sentenced to imprisonment for the term of nin
months,

POLICE.

MARY-LA-BONNE.

Yesterday Johlt Cox, a young man, who had been remanded for
some time, being supposed to be insane, was again brought up on a
charge of robbing a young man, named Clark, groom to Loll. Allan,
Gresn.atreet, Grosvenor-square.
It appeared by the evidence that the prisoner lodged with Clark
in the Mews, and on the last day of December, got up early and
broke open a trunk which lie plundered of 21. 6s. in money, a silver
watch, and a variety of apparel, with which he was making off,
when Clatk awoke and calling to him, asked what he was abort;
be answered very coarsely, and left the stables and ran off; he was
apprehended the same evening by Gibbs, the officer, who traced the
clothes and watch to Mr. Williams, pawnbroker, Chive/street,
Westminster, where the prisoner had pawned them.
He was fully committed in Newgate.