The Sun.
London, England, 1855-09-11 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

The September general sessions of the peace for the
county of Middlesex commenced yesterday morning at
the Court-house, in Clerkenwell•green, before Mr. Bod-
kin (presiding for the Assistant Judge), Mr. Witham,
and Mr. Turnley. The number of prisoners for trial
was 65, of whom 58 were charged with felony, and seven
with misdemeanour. _ _

Mr. Bodkin, in his address to the grand jury, after
adverting to the nature of the duty they were summoned
to discharge, observed that the calendar for the present
session was somewhat lighter than usual, when viewed
with reference to the period which had intervened
since the last—a fact attributable in some degree,
no doubt, to the operation of a recent Act of Par-
liament, which gave magistrates out of session the
power of disposing summarily of cases of larceny of a
particular class, and under certain circumstances. The
question of that power being given had been long
under consideration, and at length (by the way of ex-
periment, perhaps) the Legislature had approved of
the principle, and now magistrates were empowered to
act summarily in certain cases of larceny. It would be
premature to express any opinion as to what might be
the result of the operation of such a change, but, un-
doubtedly, considerable inconvenience had arisen from
the fact that old thieves, men who had been before con-
victed, had been summarily convicted of some trivial of-
fence, and sentenced to short terms of imprisonment,
through the magistrate having been uninformed of their
previous history, whereas if their former character had
been known, a sentence of penal servitude, or one of
long imprisonment, would have been appropriate to
their case. Thera was no doubt that notorious thieves
had been dealt with very leniently under this act, and
perhaps some endeavour would be made to remedy such
an evil, for it was a detriment to the interests of public
justice that a person of bad character, and a convicted
criminal, should be treated lightly, through his real
character not being known to the magistrate before whom
he was taken. The grand jury then retired.
Joseph Curtis, a respectably-dressed mae, who was
found guilty last session of a daring garotte robbery,
and who was remanded that inquiries might be made
into his character, was brought up for judgment.
The policeman stated that he had made inquiries, but
could not ascertain that he had been convicted. He was,
however, known as an associate of well-known and de-
sperate thieves.

Mr. Bodkin said the charge against the prisoner was
one et a very serious character. Street robberies in the
open day were becoming very numerous, and must be
put a stop to. In this case the robbery was committed
in open day in the City-road, with violence, and he
should therefore mark his sense of it by sentencing the
prisoner to twelve months' imprisonment with hard
labour in the House of Correction.

Joseph, Whitehead, who was found guilty last session
on a charge of embezzlement, was brought up and seri-
tenced to one month's imprisonment, with hard labour.
Thomas Day, convicted at the' last session with
another man who was sentenced to three years' hard
labour for robbing a woman in Liquorpond-street,
Gray's-inn-lane, at a late hour at night, was brought up
for judgment, and the court sentenced him to one year's
bard labour.

William, Boston, 28, whitesmith, was indicted for
havinr, stolen a pound and a half of brass, the property
of Richard Griffiths, his master.

Mr. Payne prosecuted ; Mr. Horry appeared f,r the
prisoner.

The prosecutor was a brass founder, in Hatton-wall,
and the prisoner bad been in his service some time. On
the 2d inst. some brass was found secreted in a hole, and
it being known that metal was constantly missing, the
hole was watched, and the prisoner was seen to take the
brass away. As he was about to leave the premises at
night he was stopped, and a pound and a half of brass
Wes found in his pocket. All he said about it was that
he intended to ask his master to give the brass to him.
The jury found him guilty.
The pro iecutor's father said he superintended the busi-
ness. There was a boy now in custody for robbing them,
and the prisoner had been tampering with another boy.
A short time ago a man was discharged from their em-
ployment on suspicion of robbing them, and on that oc-
casion the prisoner went about the neighbourhood preach-
ing what a scoundrel a man must be to rob his employer,
and how seriously a master must suffer in the end if a
servant took only a quarter of a pound of metal a day.
At the last taking of stock there was a deficiency of
metal to the amount of 2001.

Mr. Bcdkin sentenced him to nine months' hard la•
hour.

John Crawley, 22, and James Gilson, 21, labourers,
were indicted for stealing a quantity of lead, the pro-
perty of the East and West India Dock Company, from
some premises belonging to them, adjoining the East
India-road. The evidence did not carry the case beyond
suspicion, and the result was an acquittal.
Mr. Clarkson prosecuted ; Mr. Platt was for the de-
fence.

(Before Mr. Witham.)
Lotom Lucas, 40, described as a bricklayer, was in
dieted for having stolen one sixpence, the money o
John Niner.

The mode in which the prisoner committed this of-
fence was rather an ingenious one. He was in the habit
of frequenting shops, and asking for some trifling article
of the price of a penny, which being supplied him, be
tendered a shilling or a sixpence, which was placed in
the till in the usual way, and he received the change.
He would then appear to suddenly recollect that he re-
quired another small article, for which he paid, and
when the till was opened for the reception of the coin
for the second purchase he managed to draw out the
shilling or sixpence, as the case might be, which he had
just before paid, by means of a long hair attached, one
end to his finger and the other to the coin. When he
was taken into custody, seven sixpences, each with a
hair attached, were found upon him, and there was no
doubt he had been carrying on this system of plunder
for some time. The "dodge" is not a new one, but it is
some years since a similar case came before the court.
The jury found the prisoner guilty, and
Mr. Witham sentenced him to two years' hard labour.
John Jacobs, 44, was indicted for a robbery in a
dwelling-house, and he was further charged with having
been previously convicted. He pleaded guilty, and
begged bard to be sent out of the country at once, inas-
much as be had tried to the utmost to get an honest
living, but could not, as being an old thief the police
had dodged him about from pillar to post, and had regu-
larly hunted him down.

Mr. Witham sentenced him to six years' penal sere;
tude.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.—Samuel Hay, a cap.
tain in the East India Company's service, residing at
No. 6, Blom6eld-street, Harrow-road, was brought be,
fore Mr. Bingham, charged with obtaining from Mr.
Andrew Campbell, jeweller, 43, Tottenham-court-road,
three gold watches, three gold chains, and other articles
of the value of 681. 35., by fraudulent pretences. He was
further charged with obtaining from Mr. A llbon, tobac-
conist, 227, Regent-street, a quantity of cigars and pipes,
value 231. 195., by similar means.
Mr. Campbell deposed that on the evening of the 3d
inst. thedefendant, of whom he had some previous know-
ledge, accompanied by two young ladies, came to his
shop, and selected three gold watches, three gold chains,
three brequet chains, one gold bracelet, apair of diamond
ear-rings, and other articles, which came to 681. 33.,
and in payment for which he gave witness the cheque
now produced for that amount, drawn upon Alexander,
Fletcher, and Co. Prosecutor packed up the goods,
and the defendant took them away with him. On
the following morning witness presented the cheque,
and was informed that the defendant had no effects
there. Prosecutor saw no more of the defendant
until yesterday when he saw him pass his (prosecu-
tor's) residence in the Harrow-road. Witness followed
him till he met a police constable, when he gave
him into custody. The defendant said he would return
the goods, that he had no money at Alexander's, but
they had a power of attorney to receive his money from
the company. Witness had recovered all the goods from
the defendant, and did not wish to press the charge any
further.

Mr. Allbon said that on Saturday last the defendant
called at his shop and selected goods to the amount of
231. 195., in payment for which he gave him a cheque
for the amount, drawn upon Alexander, Fletcher, and
Co. On presenting the cheque on Monday, he was told
there were no effects. The defendant had given up ail
the goods, and he (prosecutor) did not wish to proceed
further in the matter.
The defendant, in reply to the charge, said Messrs.
Alexander and Co. had given him two cheque books—
one he had ne for town and the other for the country—
given them a power of attorney to
receive his pay from the company, and also from some
property in Scotland. He thought he had money at
Alexander's, and had not the least idea of the cheque
being dishonoured till Sunday.
Mr. Bingham said he should remand the defendant
till
appear eon that day. nesday, but would take his own recognisance to

taa saucers,n
CLERKENWELL.—Joseph Robinson
and
n g Williamwerein
Gundy, labourers on the Great Northern Railway,
charged with stealing from one of the trucksans
the goods station, a large number of cups
and other property.
It appeared that one of the constables in the employ
of the railway, on Saturday, lilted up straw whichpw
lying about in a verysuspicious manner, and found mid%
it a large number of cups and saucers. Having marked four
of the cupe, he went away, and on his return found that
a large portion of the property was gone. Suspicion fell
on the two prisoners ; and upon Green and another con-
stable going to the residence of the prisoners, and search-
ing the place, they found that and other property hi their
possession. Having been cautioned, they stated that
they bad taken the property from one of the trucks in
the yard. They had made inquiries, and bad ascertained
that Mr. Duckwith, a china dealer, of Camden-town,
had missed some property of the description named
from one of his crates.
The prisoners were remanded for a week.

WESTMINSTER.—Tames Riley, described as a
labourer, was charged with a brutal assault upon Eliza
beth Atkins, a woman with whom he cohabits.

.....- -----...-.
,
Complainant, whose head wag literally enveloped in
linen bandages, stated that on the previous night she and
defendant went out together, and bad some liquor, and
upon their return home defendant asked for some supper.
She bad been unable to procure any, and told him so,
upon which he became very violent, and hurled a waMh-
hand basin at her, which cut her head open.
A. police•constable stated that complainant came to
him with her head bandaged, and stated that she had just
returned from the hospital. She pointed out defendant
ao the person Who had intlicted the injury, and upon his