The Sun.
London, England, 1852-02-25 00:00:00

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.
(Before the RECORDER.)
John Gilbert, 34, a person of respectable appearanze,
was yesterday indicted for feloniously forging an aeceet-
ance to a bill of exchange for 1001, with intent to tie-
fraud the London Joint Stock Bank.
Mr. Clarkson conducted the prosecution. The pfi-
goner was defended by Mr. Ballantine.
The circumstances under which this charge was pre-
ferred were of rather a peculiar character. It appearei
that the prisoner, who carries on the business of au en-
gineer, had been employed by Mr. Orr, a bookseller is
Paternoster-row, in May last, to put up some machinery
in his printing-office, which amounted in value to 183/.
ee. 31. It appeared to be the usual custom of the trade
that a bill at nine months' date should be given for such
a job, but upon the representation of the prisoner that
it would be inconvenient for him to receive a bill at fueh
a long date, Mr. Orr consented to give him one at six
months, with the understanding that it should be se-
no wed when it arrived at maturity for a further period
of three months. Upon this bill becoming due, a portion
of it was paid, and Mr. Orr gave the prisoner a fresh
bill for 1101., which would become due on the
4th of February. The offence imputed to the prisoner
was that he had forged a duplicate of this second bill,
which ho handed to a gentleman named Davis, who dis-
counted it, and it was then paid by him into the Union
Beni( of London, where he kept an account. It appeared
that on the day before the bill became due, the prisoner
called upon Mr. Davis and handed him the amount, re-
questing him towithdraw the bill from his bankers, as
Messrs. Orr wished it to bo hold over for a few days.
Mr. Davie accordingly went to his bankers for the pur-
pose of getting back the bill, but unfortunately for the
prisoner it had been taken out by the clerk of the bank,
and it turned out that it was presented at the London
Joint Stock Bank, where it was made payable; and, no
suspicion being entertained of its genuineness, it wes
paid. Inquiries were sub‘equently made, which resulted
in the apprehension of the prisoner and his commital
upon the present charge.
Mr. BALLANTINE made a most ingenious address to
the jury on behalf of the prisoner, and he contended that
upon the facts they could not come to the conclusio❑
that the prisoner had any intention to defraud either Mr.
Davis or the banking company, and he urged that, al-
though he had undoubtedly acted in a very foolish and
improper manner, still that he was not guilty of the crime
of forgery, and ought not to be convicted of that offence.
Several witnesses were called, who gave the prisoner
an excellent character, extending over a lengthened
period of time.
The Learned JE9DGE having summed up, the jury
after a short deliberation found the prisoner Guilty of
uttering the forged bill, but they at the same time
strongly recommended him to the merciful considera-
tion of the Court, because they believed he had no in-
tention to defraud.
The RECORDER said that this verdict amounted to one
of not guilty, and he thought the jury had better rs-
consider their verdict.
The jury again deliberated, when they returned a
verdict of Guilty, coupled with a strong recommenda-
tion to mercy; but judgment was respited, to give the
Recorder an opportunity of consulting the judges with
regard to the propriety of his rejecting the first verdict
that had been delivered.
William White, 18, a respectable-looking youth, was
indicted for stealing eleven rings, valued at 3001., the
property of Christopher Walton.
Mr. Robinson prosecuted; Mr. Ballantine was counsel
for the prisoner.
The prosecutor is this case is a jeweller carrying on
business in Ludgate-street, and it appeared that about
dusk, on the evening of the 17th of October, the pri-
soner went into the shop, where Mr. Walton was alone
at the time, and made inquiries for some shirt-studs.
The prosecutor told him he had none of the description
he mentioned, and he was going towards his counting-
house when he observed the prisoner still lingering by
the counter, and his suspicion being excited he went up
to him and collared him, and asked him what he was
doing. The prisoner made some excuse, and the pro-
secutor not missing any property at the moment, be
allowed him to leave the shop. Very soon afterwards
Mr. Walton observed a diamond ring upon the floor, and
this exciting his suspicion he examiaed his window, and
then ascertained that a tray of diamond rings had been
stolen. A description of the prisoner was given to the
police, bat nothing was heard of him until a month
afterwards, when he was taken into custody at Birming-
ham, and upon the prosecutor seeing him he immedi-
ately identified him as the person who was in his shop
on, the night of the robbery, and by whom it must have
been committed. The shupmen of the prosecutor also
recognised the prisoner as having been to the shop
several evenings about dusk, making inquiries about
studs ; his object, no doubt, being to see where the
♦aluable property was kept, and to arrange the best mode
to get possession of it.
The jury returned a verdict of Guilty; and it appeared
that the prisoner was convicted in 1840 of a shop robbery
of the same character, and sentenced to a year's impre-
sonment.
An officer attached to the Birmingham police in-
formed the Court that the prisoner was taken into cus-
tody in that town for being found, under suspicious cir-
cumstances, in a jeweller's shop; but as no felony had
been actually committed, the magistrate convicted him
unfit:leerily, and sentenced him to three months' hard
labour. At the expiration of his sentence he was taken
into custody upon the present charge.
The RECORDER sentenced him to be transported for
seven years.
James Bartram, 23, a private in the Royal Artillery,
pleaded guilty to the charge of stealing two silver spoons
and forks the property of his master, Sir Thomas Down-
man, an officer in the same regiment.
It appeared from inquiries made by the Court, that
the prisoner had borne a very good character in the re-
giment up to the time of the transaction in question, and
the RECORDER taking this circumstance into consi-
deration, sentenced the prisoner to be kept to hard
labour for three months.

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS. Feb. 24.
(Before Mr. Sergeant ADAMS, Assistant Judge, at the
Guildhall, Westminster.)
THE EFFECT OF SUMMARY CoNvicTioNs.--James
Cook, 15, a diminutive urchin, was found Guilty of a
charge of having stolen a coat, the property of Ann
Ellwood.
This boy, although now scarcely 15 years of age, hod
been summarily" convicted and sentenced to imprison-
ment about twenty times, and had, in fact, spent the
greater part of his life in prison, besides baying been
tried once for felony in this court.
The Learned JUDGE, after observations on the inuti-
lity of summary convictions, which only tended to fatei
liariee children with prisons, sentenced him to be
transported for seven years.

SECOND COURT.
(Before Mr. WITHAM, Deputy Assistant Judge.)
PICKING POCKETS AT THE OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.
—Mary Ann Wilkinson, 33, and William George Ralph,
were indicted for having stolen the sum of Bs., the moneys
of a female whose name is unknown.
From the evidence of a police-constable it appeared
that on the afternoon of the 3d instant, shortly before
the return of her Majesty from opening Parliament, he
was on duty in plain clothes near the Horse Guards,
where a groat crowd of persona were assembled. Whilst
there he saw the two prisoners very busy amongst the
people, the female resting her arm upon the boy's shoul-
der. The boy shortly afterwards made an attempt to
pick a lady's pocket, but without success. He then
watched them go up to a second female, and in a moment
he produced something of a dark colour, which he
handed to the female prisoner, and they walked away
together. Upon this he went up to both prisoners, and
found money in the woman's hand. He questioned her
as to the amount, but her answer did not give the correct
sum, and in answer to further questions as to what
other money she had in her possession, she said that she
had only about a shilling's 'worth of copper, hut upon
being searched at the station-house a purse, coniaining-
two sovereigns and ss. 6d. in silver, was found upon
her. She denied all knowledge of the boy, hut it was
subsequently ascertained that he was well known to her,
end had lived at her house for three weeks.
The jury found both prisoners Guilty, and they were
sentenced to imprisonment with hard labour for six
calendar months.
Frederick Poole, 19, and Robert Johnson, 21, were
dieted for unlawfully attempting to steal a gold watch,
the property of a man whose name is unknown.
Mr. Sleigh defended the prisoner 3.
This was another transaction arising out of the visit
of her Majesty to the new Houses of Parliament for the
purpose of opening the session. Both prisoners attacked
a gentleman in Parliament-street, and drew a gold watch
out of his pocket, but being retained by a guard chain
they did not gain complete possession of it, and a police-
sergeant being on the alert, and watching their
had gentleman
notu
done
rso0:
move-
ments, took them into custody. The
Liaised to attend to press the charge, hot
and it vras believed that he had been kept out of the way
by other members of the swell mob.
Mr. SLEIGH addressed the jury at length, contending
that in consequence of the crowded state of Parliament-
street at the time the question of identity was not suffi-
cientlyne made out to warrantthem in convicting .
prisoners on the unsupported evidence of the police
constable.
The jury found both the ea they
prisoners Guilty, s
were sentenced to six months' hard labour.

- POLICE INTELLIGENCE'
GUILDHALbL:
Petrel, was again
William Southwell, mate of thew James
brought up, on the charge
er°fThajoartiugelsl,Yaenadsttihneg deposi-
Harman Crisp into the River
was formally committed
lions having been pre
for trial, and the City _5,.74
parteicitor directed to prosecute.
Up/ /Veda were placed at the bar,
J. Wallace and '-' With others not in custody, with
the former charged, Y+
premises of 145, Fleet-street,
large quantity of wearing ap-
parel, and stealing and the former with being found •
in
therefrom a
value 40/. ;
parel, v
colon of the property.
unlawful P°". .
evidence was given to show that the priso-
Further e
though apprehended at different times and sepa-
Eters, -
rate places, had been living together as man an,' wife
for some time past.
George Durham, 57 F, said that on the morning the
female prisoner was apprehended she was taken to Bow-
street, and while in the waiting-room she made a state-
ment, which ho had not before given, as it would have
put the male prisoner and his companions on their
guard, and thus have defeated the ends of
justice. Neal said to witness, " Have you got g
prosecutor for the things ?" He replied that he had,
and she then said, " Because I'm - if I suffer ;or
all. The job was put up by three others, and they are a:.
bad as I am. It's my old man Joe (meaning the prisoa7..
Wallace.) You know him (witness assented), Band
a boy we call Ted, and another man we call Shay 12_1
e jusb
You must have seen Joe this morning, for I . TT_
vane' "'
been in with him, and he stood a glass of port