The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-22 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS—March 21,

The March adjourned general sessions of the peace for
the county of Middlesex commenced this morning at the
Sessions-house, Clerkenwell•green, before Mr Bodkin, As-

sistaut-Judge, and a bench of magistrates.

The calendar contains the names of 122 prisoners com-
mitted for trial, of whom IC4 were indicted for felony, and

18 for misdemeanor.

The Grand Jury having been sworn,
The Assistant-Judge briefly addressed them on the na-

ture of their duties.

Jane Element, 16, was indicted for abandoning a female
child under the age of two years, whereby the life of such
child was endangered ; there was a second count charg-
ing her with unlawfully exposing a chid under the age of
two years, whereby the health of such child was endangered.
Mr. Cooper, who appeared for the prosecution, said the
charge against the young woman at the bar was founded on
the 24th and 25th Vict., c. 27, which enacted, " That who-
soever shall unlawfully abandon or expose any child being
under the age of two years, whereby the life of such child
should be endangered, or the health of stch child shall have
been or shall likely be permanently injured, shall be guilty
of a misdemeanor, and being convicted thereof, shall be
liable at the discretion of the Court to be kept in penal ser-
vitude for the term of three years, or to be imprisoned for
any term not exceeding two years, wit or without hard
labour. This was one of these melancholy cases which
often came before them, and it was to be regretted that the
prisoner's place was not supplied by her seducer; but that
was a question with which they had nothing to do, and if
the case was made out it would be the day of the jury to
find her guilty, leaving her then in the hands of the presid-
ing judge, who always tempered justice with mercy. He
should call the witnesses, and then leave the case for the
consideration of the jury. _ . _

Robert Fry said he lived at No. 39, Goodp-street, Totten-
ham -court-road, with his aunt, Mrs. Baker. On the 14th
February, at about half, pabt 12 o'clock at night, he heard
a noise in the back yard, and it appeared as if something
heavy had fallen. In consequence of heafng that noise he
went out to see what it was, and in a sinkin the middle of

the 5 and he found a child. The sink was i 1 the middle of
the yard, and was used to let off the water. Seeing this he
went immediately for the police. The prigner lived with
her father at the next house. The wall separating the two
houses was between 9 and 10 feet in height.

Edmund Gall, police constable 25 E;:said early on the
morning of Sunday, the 14th of February, De was called by
the last witness to the house No. 39, Goodgt-street, and in

the centre of the yard he found a new ban child, quite
naked and screaming. He took it to Middlesex Hospital,
where it was attended to, and in about hall an hour after-
wards he returned to Goodge-street. He knocked at the
door of the next house, having observed maks of blood on
the wall. He went to the third floor back room in that
house, which was opened by the prisoner's father. He asked
him if there was any one in the house sick, and he replied
that there was not that he knew of. The witness then went
into the front room on the same floor, where he found the
prisoner sitting on a sofa with her clothes 013. He asked her
what was the matter with her, but she made no answer.
The father then said to her, " Jenny, whatever you say,
speak the truth."
Police-sergeant John William Ingerson, 6 said he went

to the prisoner's house with the last witness, and on going
into the yard belonging to Mrs. Baker he saw blood. He
afterwards went into the prisoner's house, and on looking
out of a window saw marks of blood about. He saw the
prisoner sitting on a sofa, and he told her he should charge
her with attempting to destroy the life of her child. She
then said she had delivered herself in the watercloset, and
that she had thrown, the child over the wall into the adjoin-
ing premises.
Mr. George Ross, divisional surgeon to the E division of

police, said he was called on the morning of the 14th of
February, about five o'clock, to No. 40, Goodgo-street, and
there found the prisoner sitting en a sofa in a very excited
state. He asked her if she had been recently delivered, and
she said she had at half-past 12 o'clock. Two days after-
wards the child was taken to the prisoner. He had attended
her ever since, The child was only injured by a slight bruise
on the forehead.
Mr. Bosley addressed the jury, who found the prisoner
guilty, but recommended her to mercy on account of her
tender years.
The Assistant-Judge directed that the prisoner should be
liberated on bail, and be brought up again next sessions.
John Cotter, 15, and William Thornton, 16, were indicted
for stealing a copper scoop, the property of Benjamin Hart.
Thornton pleaded guilty,Cotter was found guilty by thejury.
Police-constable 207 H said that Cotter was the associate
of thieves, and Thornton was a teacher of them. If they

did not do what he told them he beat them.
The Assistant Judge sentenced Cotter to be imprisoned
and kept to hard labour for two months, and then to be sent
to the Cornwall training ship for three years. With regard
to Thornton he would be kept in penal servitude for three
years, not merely because he was a thief, but because he
was a trainer of thieves,
George Cooper, 44, was indicted for stealing seven live
tame fowls, the property of Enoch Dukes, and assaulting
John Carter, constable of the metropolitan police foree,with
intent to prevent his lawful apprehension.
The prisoner pleaded guilty.
The prisoner was stopped by the constable Carter with a
quantity of fowls in his possession, and not giving a satis-
factory account of them he sai he should take him into
custody. Upon this the prisoner struck him a violent blow
on the head with a plasterer's hammer, which most seri-
ously injured him, and it was nothing less than a miracle
that the officer survived the injuries he received. He had
been ever since, and was still, unfit for duty.
A previous conviction of 12 months' imprisonment was
put in against him, which sentence was passed upon him at
the Central Criminal Court in Sept., 1852, for endeavouring
to obtain admission to the city police force by means of a
false character.
The prisoner said he was driven to the commission of his
present offence through starvation, being unable to obtain
employment for the support of his wife and family.
The Assistant Judge sentenced him to be kept in penal
servitude for three years.
John Merchant, 17, was indicted for stealing 13 silver
spoons, value £7, the property of William Matthews. He
pleaded guilty.
The prisoner was in the employ of Mr. Matthews, chemist,
4, Wigmore-straet, as porter, and on March 1 he left with-
out giving notice. On that morning he was admitted to the
house by Sarah Reeves, the servant, at half-past 7 o'clock,
and in a quarter of an hour after he was gone the spoons
were missed from the back dining room. He was after-
wards found in custody for another offence, but was detained
on this charge.
Police. constable 76 D proved a previous conviction
against the prisoner for burglary at the Central Criminal
Cogrt on the 24th of November, 1862, there being then a
previous conviction against him. At the time of the rob-
bery in 1862 the prisoner and another boy went to Margate,
where they hired two horses and rode them to Gravesend,
where they were apprehended on suspicion of stealing these
'aorses. At the time of their apprehension at Gravesend by
Sergeant White, 16 D, on each of the prisoners was found
athberraecseulot of
fpiasntooltshelreabduerdglwarly at Mitcham, in Surrey, forth bullets, and with property
which they were not prosecuted. When the prisoner
was apprehended on this charge he had just been
discharged from Marylebone Police-court on a charge of
passing a bad five-shilling piece.
The Assistant Judge sentenced him to be kept in penal
servitude for four years.
Edward Baptist Noel, 25, baker, was indicted for embez
zling various sums of money received by him for and on ac-
count of Geo. Wright, his master. He pleaded guilty.
The prosecutor is a dairyman, and the prisoner was in
his service and received the money for milk supplied to the
customers, which he appropriated to his own use.
The Assistant Judge sentenced him to be imprisoned and
kept to hard labour for twelve months.
Wm. Pearce, 41, was indicted for stealing a leather bag,
containing a handkerchief, a comb, a brush, a pair of gloves,
and other articles, the property of Eliza Collett, from her
person.
On the sth of March, at about a quarter-past eight at
night, the prosecutrix was walking in Russell-square, hay •
ing a leather bag on her arm, Suddenly a man sprang out
from some place behind her, and seizad the bag with such
violence that the handle of it was broken, and he ran away
with it. She screamed out and followed him, calling out
" Stop thief." He was afterwards stopped by a man named
Wm. Bellew, a gasfitter, who struggled with him and got
his clothes torn in doing so, He, however, hold him until a

policeman came up, and gave him into custody. The bag
was found near where the prisoner was taken.
The jury found the prisoner guilty.
Lockyer, the prison officer, put in 12 previous convictions
against the prisoner, ranging from Oct., 1856, to Jan., 1861.
The Assistant Judge sentenced him to be kept in penal
servitude for tour years.
Geo. Farmer, 62, was indicted for fraudulently obtaining
by false pretences, from Evan Evans, the sum of ss. There
were many other indictments of a similar nature against
him. He pleaded guilty.
Lockyer, the prison officer, said the prisoner had already
been sentenced to four years' penal servitude for obtaining
money by false pretences, representing himself to be sent by
the commissioners of sewers to examine the drainage of
houses, and thus obtaining admission he exacted money
from the inhabitants.

The Assistant Judge sentenced him to be kept in penal
servitude for six years.
(Before Mr. Payne.)

William Ford, 25, hawker, was indicted for breaking and
entering the dwelling-house of Frederick Spong, and stealing
therein six coats, two waistcoats, and other articles, the
property of the said Frederick Spong.
The prosecutor is a coachman in the employ of Sir Fre-
derick
Halliday, and on the night of the 2d of March, be-
tween seven and eight o'clock, he returned home to Por-
cheater mews, and found the stable•door open, the lock
having been forced. He then examined the stable, and
there found a bundle, which, on opening, contained six
coats, two waistcoats, a pair of trousers, a dress, and other
property, worth about £l2, which he had left in a chest o
drawers in a room over the stable, and soon after he saw the
prisoner run out. He pursued him, calling out " Stop
thief," and a person named Charles James, a stableman,
tried to stop him, who received from the prisoner a severe
blow on the eye with his fist. He continued to follow him
and never lost sight of him until he was stopped and given
into custody. On going to the stable-door and comparing
the marks where it had been forced open with a jemmy
found in Leinster-gardens, and where, no doubt, it had been
thrown by the prisoner during his flight, it was found they
exactly corresponded.
Mr. Collins addressed th 9 jury, who found the prisoner
guilty.
Mr. Payne sentenced him to be imprisoned and kept to
hard labour for 18 calendar months.

Richard Curtis, 29, and William Alfred Clarke, 29, both
privates in the Marines, stationed at Wcolwich, were in-
dicted for stealing a watchguard chain and silver watch,
value £6 10s., the property of Philip Purcell, in a dwelling-
house.

From the evidence of Mr, James Brennan, inspector of
the F division of police, it appeared that at about half-past
nine o'clock on the night of the Bth of March, from infor-
mation he received, he went to the Seven Dials, and saw
the prisoners enter the Grapes public-house there. After
being there for a few minutes Clarke came out, and went
in company with another man to Little St. Andrew-street,
to which place he followed them. He there saw Clarke show
this man a watch and chain, upon which he (the witness),
went up to the place and stood near enough to hear him
ask the man to buy it for £3. The man asked him to let
him look at it, and he (witness) also made a similar request.
Clarke said it was all right, but after some difficulty the in-
spector got the watch and chain from him. He asked him
where he got it, and ho said in Union-street, Plymouth, six
six weeks before, when ha was paid off from his ship. He
was asked for his pass, and he said his mate had it. He had
directed Curtis, who had came out of the public-house, to be
taken to the station-house, ani afterwards Clarke was taken
there, both being drunk at the time. He there told them
both that he should charge them with being deserters, and
also with having the watch and chain in their possession
and not giving a satisfactory account how they became
possessed of it. Clarke said he was six weeks on furlough,
and Curtis said he had leave on that afternoon, and that
his time would be up on the following morning. Clarke
gave the name of Smith, but Curtis gave his right name.
The prosecutor, Philip Purcell, was then called, and he
said he was a sergeant of Marines at Woolwich, and be-
longed to the same company as the two prisoners. He
had known them for about nine months, but he could not
tell how long they had been in the carps. They were
quartered in a room opposite to the room he occupied, toge-
ther with 16 other men. On Saturday night, sth March,
he remembered going into their room, and he remained
there for about five minutes. He was certain that he saw
his watch at about twelve o'clock that night. The next
morning his watch wat missed, and Clarke went to his
room to take a cap and a key, which he said had been left
in his room, but he said nothing to him about a watch,
Some other evidence having been given,
Mr. Wharton addressed the jury on behalf of Clarke,

cont nding that there was no proof that he had stolen the
watch, and that Curtis had given it to him, stating that it
was found on his bed.

The jury found both prisoners guilty, but recommended
Curtis to mercy on the ground that he had spoken the truth
as regarded his term of leave.
Mr. Payne sentenced Curtis to be imprisoned and kept to
hard labour for 8 months, and Clarke for 12 months.

William Regan, who, with his two brothers, was tried
and convicted last session of an assault on policeman 167 F,
was brought up and placed at the bar.
It will be remembered that the two other prisoners were,
on their conviction, fined each in the sam of £5, and had to
enter into recognisances in the sum of £2O to keep the peace
for 12 months; but the other prisoner, William Regan,
being insolent in his manner, was ordered to be imprisoned
for four months, and to pay a fine of £5.
To-day Mr. Payne ordered him to be imprisoned and kept
to hard labour for 14 days (which will expire on Thursday),
to pay a fine of £lO, and to enter into his own recognisances
in the sum of £2O to keep the peace for 12 months. The
reason of this extra fine, coupled with the circumstance
above alluded to, was that there was a second indictment
against Wm. Regan for inflicting actual bodily harm on
Police constable Hargreaves whilst in the execution of his
duty.
At this session there are an unusual number of prisoners
committed for assaults on the police, awl a special day has
been named when those offences will be disposed of.