The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-09 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

The January General Quarter Sessions of the Peace
for the County of Middlesex commenced yesterday morn-
ing at the Court-house, Clerkenwell, before Mr. Serjeant
Adams, assistant judge, Mr. Witham, and a very full
bench of magistrates. The calendar was very heavy, in
consequence of a longer period than usual having elapsed
since the last session, the number of prisoners for trial
being 105, all of whom, except eight, were charged with
felony.
The sittings of the court for the present year have been
arranged so as to avoid the inconvenience which has
arisen from the Central Criminal Court and this court
sitting at the same time. The two courts will be sitting
at the same time but twice during the year.
A prisoner who was convicted at the last session of a
robbery from the person was brought up for judgment.
He was reported as well known in the House of Correc-
tion, and in November, 1850, he was convicted and
sentenced to nine months.

The prisoner begged to say a few words to his lordship
before sentence was passed upon him. When he left
prison, after the nine months, he did all lie could and
worked hard to get an honest living, and for some time
he worked at th• docks, but a man called Sergeant Kelly,
who had since been discharged from the force, hunted him
up and gave information to the head officers of the dock
of his having been convicted, and consequently he was
discharged from his employment. After that he procured
other work, but some evil-disposed person some weeks
ago did him the kindness of letting his master know that
he was a convicted thief, and he was turned away. He
had done all he could to get an honest living, but some-
how things seemed to run dead against him, and lie could
not get on. He had tried tc, live honestly by selling pens
about the streets, but he could not get a license, and now
he could assure the court that if it extended its leniency
towards him he would get a ship and leave England,
and never set eyes on it again.
The Assistant-Judge said that the theft the prisoner
had committed was a very bad one. He was one of a
gang who got up a sham crowd in the street, and while
one held the prosecutor, who went to see what was the
matter, the prisoner robbed him.
Prisoner—Well, my lord, after all, people mayn't be
so black as they are painted.
The Assistant Judge--Well, I will remand you again,
and you can tell the officers the persons you have worked
for, inquiries will be made, and if your story should turn
out true, you will have the benefit of it ; if not, you
must take the consequences.
Prisoner—l'd rather not be put back again, my lord ;
let me hear it at once. (A laugh.)
The Assistant Judge—l thought so. The sentence
is that you be kept in penal servitude for four years.
The prisoner, without evincing the least surprise,
walked out of the dock.

John Cable, 26, was indicted for embezzling the sum
of 14s. Bd. which he had received in his capacity of ser-
vant to Edward Wiggins, a contractor in the coal de-
partment of the Great Northern Railway.
He pleaded guilty.
Mr. Cooper, who appeared for the prosecution, men-
tioned that Eeveral similar cases had recently occurred in
the company's service.
The prisoner was sentenced to one year's hard labour.
Robert Smith, a respectable looking man, 36, described
as a plumber and glazier, was indicted for stealing a
piece of lead, the property of James Green.
Mr. Payne prosecuted ; Mr. Ribton appeared for the
prisoner.
The prosecutor, an employj of the General Post-office,
resides at 32, Cavendish-street, New North-road, and
the evidence showed that the prisoner cut a piece of
lead from the roof of a kitchen attached to the house. _

Mr. Ribton addressed the jury, and calied several
gentlemen in whose employment he had been many
years, and they spoke in the highest terms of his cha-
racter. tie had a family of seven children, and had
been generally esteemed as an exemplary man.
The jury found the prisoner guilty, and strongly re-
commended him to mercy on the ground of his former
good character.
The Assistant Judge said be thought that was the
right verdict. Of the fact of the taking of the lead by
the prisoner there could be no doubt entertained. It
was a sad thing to see a respectable man like him in
that position. His own opinion was that he took the
lead, not so much for what it was worth as to get the
job of making the roof good again ; and he thought the
case would not deter those for whom he had worked
from employing him again ; he hoped not at least. He
sentenced the prisoner to one month's hard labour.
John Burke, 28, bricklayer, and John Lloyd, 19,
painter, were indicted for having robbed John Brown of
the sum of 81., in gold and silver money.
Mr. Platt prosecuted ; Mr. Payne and Mr. Horry
defended the prisoner.
The prosecutor stated that he kept the Bedford Head
public house in Upper King-street, Bloomsbury, and on
the evening of Saturday, the 16th of December, he went
into the City Arms, corner of Victoria-street, Holborn-
bridge, and had a glass of ale. While he was there a
man' spoke to him and represented that lie had kept a
house at the east end of the town, and that• he was
about to become the landlord of a house in Union-court,
Holborn-hill, the Union Arms ; after some conversation
the man invited him to accompany him to his new estab-
lishment, and he assented. They acoordingly went to
Union Arms, and sat down in the parlour. The pri-
soner Burke represented that he was the waiter, and
brought them in some brandy and water, the taste of
which he (prosecutor) thought was very disagreeable.
He drank about half a glass and became insensible. On
recovering he found that he had been robbed of 81., and
that his boots were off. While at the City Arms be
took his money from one of his boots, where he was in
' the habit of carrying it, and placed it in his coat pocket.
He did not recollect the prisoner Lloyd.
James Prior, lodging-house keeper, No. 8, Union-
court, stated that he was in the Union Arms when the
prosecutor and the man went into the parlour. Burke
went in and out several times, and Lloyd nas in the
parlour as well. He heard him say, " It's all right,
we're got the stuff." Witness went out to look for a
policeman, and when he cause back they were gone.
He went into the parlour, and saw a glass half full of
brandy and water, and be tasted it. The taste was very
bad, and there was a white sediment at the bottom. The
prosecutor's boots wero off. The man had not been
taken.

The witness said, in cross examination, he had been
an auctioneer's clerk, and before that he was in the po-
lice. He was in the force 6i years, and left it twelve
years. He was onoe, and only once, taken up on a
charge. It was for sending a letter to get money from
a gentleman, and the Lord Mayor sent him for a month.
Alter several times denying that he had ever been
charged with anything else, he admitted that he had
had another month, not for "stealing," but merely for
" keeping" a shilling. He gave the brandy and water
which was left to the landlady, and she threw it away on
the Sunday morning.
The Assistant Judge said there was no case of robbery
except upon the evidence of the witness Prior, and he
was not confirmed, in such a way as he might have been,
if what he had stated was true ; and it was for the jury
to decide whether Prior was a man on whose testimony,
unsupported, they could safely convict the prisoner. If
they thought they could rely entirely on Prior, then they
would hear the counsel—if not, the case.is at an end.
The jury said they could not rely on such a man's evi-
dence without corroboration.

The prisoners were then found "Not guilty."
The Assistant-Judge said the case was one of strong
suspicion, and there might have been a failure of justice
but it was even better that it should be Iso than that
two men should b© convicted on the evidence of such a
man as the witness Prior, when, if what he had stated
were true, he could have been confirmed.