The National Register.
London, England, 1820-10-29 00:00:00

OLDBAILEY SESSIONS.

On Wednesday these Sessions commenced before Mr.
Baron Wood, nr. Justice Parke, and the usual City
Officers.
Daniel Gentle and William Reid were capitally in-
dicted for stealing a great quantity of china plates, orna-
ments, &c. to a large amount, the property of John
Mortlock.
The confession of the prisoners was put in and read,
and a more extensive system of robbery has been seldom
exposed in a Court of Justice. The prisoner Reid, it
appeared, had kept a regular :mut for the sale of the
most costly articles of china, which he advertised in the
punlic papers as the property of a lady gone to France.
The Jury Mond them both Guilty—Death.
Charles King, a youth 17 years of age, was capitally
inducted for teloiliously, wiifully, and maliciously sending
a letter to the Rev. W. J. Waiter, demanding money of
hint —The prosecutor stated, that he was Alituster of
St. Margaret's, Westminster. On the 3d of October he
TeptiStli a le, ter signed B. B. B. He never to his know-
ledge saw the prisoner, nor did. he know any such person
as B. B. B. On receiving the letter he consulted with an
officer named Pace, and in consequence of his advice,
he wrote a letter in answer to the one received. On the
13th he received a second letter, signed with the same
initials. Mrs. liodber, whose maiden name was Dunn,
was at the time at Weybridge.
Thomas Pace, an officer' sent the letter written by the
prosecutor to B. B. B Caledonian coffeeshop, Broadway,
WesiniMsler—it was delivered to the prisoner. On the
lilt' of October, Lifter the receipt of a second letter, he
went to the colleeshop and apprehended the prisoner,
and on his person were found two letters, one addressed
to a person at Glasgow, and a second to " Mr. William
Stewart, 1 in, Upper Thames-street." Prisoner refused
to tell witness his name, but said he was a gentleman.
One of the letters was then put in and read.
Mr. Andrews, fur the prisoner, mooted a legal objec-
tion, which was over-ruled.
Mr. Justice Parke summed up the evidence, and the
Juty almost immediately found the prisoner Guilty, but
strongly tecommended him to mercy on account of his
youth, in which recommendation they were earnestly
joined by the prosecutor.
Mr. Justice Parke said, their recommendation should
be forwarded to the proper authority, but he could not
say how far it would he attended to, 23 the, prisoner was
a most wicked lad ; for, new that the verdi,:t had (.•ten
returned, he was at liberty to slate, that other letters of
a similar description had been written—one of them
asserting that tie had known anal-practices in a family
fur l 8 scars (although he was only 17 years old) and the
threatening a reverend divine with having got his house-
keeeer with child.
he prisoner wept bitterly on hearing the verdict, and
on being removed from the bar.
On Thursday, Thomas Siutmunds, a country lad, acted
19, was indicted capitally fur stealing fifteen sheep, the
property of William Harding, Isaac Harding, and Thos.
Searle.—Not Guilty.
Thomas Hunt, Thomas Eaton, John Hughes. and
John Smith, were capitally indicted for assaulting James
Perkins Olt the highway, and stealing from his person a
watch, value 51. a knife, a comb, three balls of worsted,
and other artic!es, his property.
Mr Perkins stated, that he was a carpenter residing at
Sunbury, Middlesex, and on the evening of the tfili of
September, he was returning home on foot along the
Narrow-road, he was uvcrtak:n by four men, who came
running along in a great hurry, and he wished them a
good night. One of them tapped him on the shoulder,
and said, " I) your eyes, have you got any money ?"
To which he replied nu, that he was only a labouring
man, andtmoreover had been some time out of employ-
mem. lie had scarcely spoken, when they surrounded
hint, and rifled his pockets or every thing they contained.
He said he hoped they would not use him ill, and one •
of them said with an oath, " No, if you do not resist."
Samuel Lack, a patrole of Bow-street, stated, that he
and three other officers, were stationed on the Harrow-
road for several nights, by outer of Mr. Birnie, in constr.
qiience of several robberies having been committed there.
On the evening of Saturday, the 30th of September, as
they were waiting on the road, the four prisoners passed
and wished them good night. They followed, and wit-
ness seized Smith who immediately pulled out a pistol,
but before he could level it, witness seized it by the bar-
ref, and wrenched it from his hand. lie then took him
round the waist, handcuffed him, and turning round
seized Eaton, whom he also secured. lie found some
money and a pent.ntle upon Eaton. The plater was
loaded.

Chapman, Limbrick, awl Woodberry, &posed to alt.
preliending the two other prisoners. Hunt, when
by Chapitiam also pulled out a loaded pistol.
Perkins identified the penknife found upon Eaton as
his inept' ty. lie could not swear to either of the pri-
soners.

Mr. Justice Parke, in summing up, observed, that
there was not a mile of evidence to criminate the pri•
loners Hunt, Hughes, and S:isith, in this charge.
The Jury rutin(' Eaton (11114—Death, and acquitted
the other three.
Eaton, Hughes, and Hunt, were tried on a second
indictment, charging then► with rubbing Etienne Berlin,
Esq. surgeon to the Duke de Cazes, of Es gold watch,
value 341.5 gold lancet case, value sl., lbl. this. in notes
and silver, a pocket handkerchief, and other property, oti
the Ingliwa).
Mr. !Jima was stopped in his gig on the Harrow-road
by three men, one of whom seized the reins (lithe horse
and the other two jumped into the gig. one oit each side,
and one of the two presented a pistol to his head. They
then rifled hit lincL•cts of she prol•erty mentioned they
also tools his box coat, which they begged he would
retains, as it was a very cold night, and he had a laug
way to 1,,,0; but toe !nun %%Ito held the reins "ailed out,
" !Vow his b— brains if Inc i.n't quit k.' Iney then
left him. Eaton was the Walt who prentited tits pistol,