The Sun.
London, England, 1863-02-11 00:00:00

-RAILWAY BILLS.

Yesterday the standing orders were complied with
in the following cases :—Great Northern, to make
arrangements with respect to the Cheshire Midland,
and other lines in Cheshire Midland, and other lines
in Cheshire, and to raise £220,000; the London,
for power to extend the Pimlico Railway to Chel-
sea and Kensington, and to raise £700,000; Nor-
wich and Spalding, to enable the Great Northern
to work and lease it; Andover and Redbridge, to
transfer the line to the London and South Western
Railway; Leominster and Kington, to enter into
w .rking arrangements and lease or sell their line
to the Great Western and West Midland; West Mid-
land, for a branch in Glamorganshire, to relinquish
the Stratford and Moreton Railway, and raise
£150,000 ; Ilfracombe, for the construction of this
line at an estimated cost of £170,000; Great Eastern,
for an extension between Chatteris and Ramsey, and
to raise an additional sum of £53,000 •
asbcek
Northum-
berland Central, extensions from '
the wn
Railway to the Berwick and Kelso branch of the
and t
North Eastern to the Coldstream-bridge over
the Tweed, at an estimated outlay of £260,000;
Milford, to purchase lands, complete works, and
arrange with other companies
LondoLn n and
London, Tilbury,
and Southend, for arrangements; with
I Blackwall and Great Eastern; Bristol Port and
1 Channel Docks, at an estimated cost of £295,000.
tThe non -compliances were the Midland, for new
lines and additional powers, and the Albert Station
and Mid-London Railway.

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS—Feb. 10.

(Before the Assistant-Judge.)
Henry Harding, 19, servant, and Dudley Cooper, 31, ser-
vant, were indicted for stealing three gold watches, seven
gold bracelets, 14 rings, and other articles, value £7OO, the
property of Edward T. Bainbridge, in his dwelling-heuse.
Mr. Poland prosecuted. Mr. Kemp defended Harding,
and Mr. Sleigh appeared for Cooper.

Mr. Poland having briefly opened the case,
Mr. W. Thomas Bainbridge, the prosecutor, said that he
lived at No. 3, Cumberland-street, Hyde-park, and that the
prisoner Harding hal been in his service for a month as
footman. On the 14th of January he absconded from his
situation, and after he was gone he received a communica-
tion from Mrs. Bainbridge. Witness made an examination
of the premises, when he found that a jewel case was miss-
ing, containing three gold watches, seven gold bracelets,l4
rings, a brooch, a pair of gold ear-rings, and several other
articles. He gave information to the police as to the rob-
bery which had been committed.

Edmund White, police-sergeant 16 D, said, from infor-
mation he received on the 15th of January, he went in
search of the prisoner Harding, and on the 20. h he met him
in company with Cooper at Notting-hill. He followed them
to No. 7, The Mall, Kensington. He was accompanied by
police-constable Isaacsois. Both the prisoners went into
the house. Witness and Isaacson entered the house, when
Cooper met them at the door on the first floor and asked
witness what he wanted, He told him that he was a police-
sergeant, and that he wanted some one who had just entered
the house with him. He thereupon began to move about,
when witness pushed by him and went into the room.
Harding was sitting on a chair near the fire-place. Wit-
ness went up to him and said, " Joe, I want you on sus-
picion of being the person who absconded from Mr. Bain-
bridge's on Wednesday, stealing a quantity of jewellery."
He said, "You are mistaken; I know nothing about it."
Cooper had hold of the handle of the door, when Isaacson
pushed him from the door, and Cooper put his hand into
his right hand pocket and pulled out a gold bracelet, which
he threw to the opposite side of the bed. Isaacson then
took hold of Cooper, upon which Cooper seized Isaacson by
the throat, and said, "I'll choke you, you -, if youdon't
leave go," Witness went over to Cooper with his staff,
which he threatened to use if he did not leave go of the
constable. Cooper's wife and two or three others in the
room begged of him to leave go, and witness was about to
strike hill, when he said, "If you don't strike me I'll leave
go," and he did so and sat down, 'Witness turned round and
saw the window open, with Harding on the balcony, just in
the act of putting one leg over it. He seized him by the
collar and said, "If you attempt to move an inch I'll kill
you." He said, "Pray don't hit me, and I'll go in and
remain quiet." Further assistance arrived, and witness
searched the room. He told the prisoners that he was
going to search their persons to see if they any of the
property that was stolen in Cumberland-street. He
said, " Well, what I have about me don't belong to me."
In his waistcoat pocket witness found a gold watch and
a piece of chain, another part of a gold chain, a set of
gold studs, and two purses, containing upwards of £34.
He then searched Cooper, but found nothing relating
to the case upon him. He afterwards searched the
room, and under the bed he found a leather portmanteau,
with a small box inside containing a suit of plain clothes,
which Mr. Bainbridge identified as belonging to his son.
They were both taken to the station-house, and charged
with stealing this property. Harding then said, "It's all
right, it is their clothes; I made a mistake and put on the
wrong ones."
Mary Ann Jones said she was housemaid in the service
of Mr, Griffiths, Crown-lane, Streatham, and knew the
prisoner Cooper. He was in her master's service on the 20th
Dec. last as footman, and remained until Thursday, Jan.
20. He passed by the name of Martin. On the evening of
Jan. 19 Harding came, and Cooper saw him in the kitchen
for a few minutes, and then they went together into Cooper's
room. She saw no more of Harding. The next morning
Cooper showed her a watch so small that a shilling would
cover it. Witness put a shilling on the watch and it covered
it. A square locket was attached to the watch. He said he
was going to send it into the country that day. He left that
morning a little before 11, and said he would be home to
dinner at 6, but he did not return. He showed her a loose
diamond some days before.
Thos. Tingey, assistant to Mr. Chapman, pawnbroker,
High-street, Kensington, produced a signet ring, pledged
on Jan, 15 for 3s. by the prisoner Harding.
Geo. White, assistant to Mr. Wells, High-street, Ken-
sington, pawnbroker, said on Jan. 16 he received the pencil-
cased in pledge, and on Jan. 19 a piece of gold chain. Hard-
ing pledged the chain.
The prosecutor, Mr. Bainbridge, was recalled, and said
among the articles lost was a very small watch, which was
the exact size of a sovereign. A shilling would cover it
well. There was a vinaigrette and some "charms" attached
to it ; it had a silver face and black figures, and belonged to
Mrs. Bainbridge. The ring produced by the witness Tin-
gey belonged to him. Mrs. Bainbridge also had pencil-cases
like those produced.
Geo. Isaacson, police-constable 264 D, corroborated the
evidence of Sergeant White as to the assault committed
upon him by Cooper.

Sergeant White was recalled and said, after the appre-
hension of the prisoners he went to a place in Hampshire,
and there saw a woman passing by the name of Cooper.
He received from her a letter addressed to her. It bore the
postmark of having left London on the 19th of January.
The letter said " Joe has left his crib, and has taken away
the jewel-case and three gold watches. If this goes all right
I shall have some money. I hope they will not catch him.
Be sure and burn this piece of paper."
Mr. Kemp then addressed the jury for the prisoner Har-
ding, and contended that he was a young man and was
really the victim of Cooper, who had been accustomed to
this sort of thing, and had got into situations by the means
of false characters.

Mr. Sleigh having addressed the jury on behalf of Cooper
The Assistant-Judge carefully summed up the evidence.
The jury found the prisoners guilty.
In answer to questiohs from the Assistant-Judge,
Sergeant White said that for three or four years the pri-
soners had been acting together, but there had been the
greatest difficulty in obtaining a conviction against either
of them, in consequence of their continually changing their
names, Harding going by the names of "Joe Taylor,"
" Wallis," and " Country Joe." Cooper went by the
names of " Munday," " Martin," and numerous other
aliases; and the robberies which they conjointly committed
were not discovered until after they had left the situations
which they obtained by the means of false characters.

Mr. J. S. Brooking one of the magistrates on the bench,
said that Cooper obtained a situation in his establishment
by means of a false character in 1857, and robbed him of
property to a considerable amount ; but he was unable to
obtain sufficient evidence to convict him, although he had
no doubt whatever as to his guilt.
Several other gentlemen, including Mr. Griffith; of
Streatham, and Mr. Plummer,of Gloucester-gerdens,Hyde-
park, also stated that the prisoner Cooper had got into their
service by means of false characters, and in every case his
employment had.beenfollowedby robberies to a considerable
amount.

Mr. Western Wood, M.P. for the City, who was also on
the bench, said that Harding was in his service in October
last, and after robbing him to a considerable amount had
absconded. A warrant was obtained for his apprehension,
but the officer who held it had been unable to find him.
The Assistant-Judge said the public were greatly in-
debted to Sergeant White for bringing these two men to
justice, who had escaped for many years. With the concur-
rence of the whole of the magistrates on the bench they
wished to mark their sense of the way in which they esti-
mated his conduct, by ordering that he should be paid a
reward of £5. (This announcement of the learnodAssistant-
Judge was warmly applauded by the magistrates.) The
sentence of the Court upon Cooper was that he be kept in
penal servitude for 14 years, and Harding for 10 years.
The prisoners having been removed,

The Assistant-Judge said he hoped that this case would
be the means of putting the. public on their guard in
respect to characters given to persons applying to them for
situations. In no instance ought they to receive a written
character without writing either to the clergyman of the
parish or to the police authorities to ascertain the truth of
the statements contained.

George Musselbrook, 19, was indicted for stealing two
gold-headed canes and other articles, value £5O, the property
of Christopher Knight Watson, his master and employer,

The prisoner pleaded guilty.

The prosecutor is the secretary to the Society of Anti-
quaries, who hold their meetings and carry on their busi-
ness at Somerset-house, and the prisoner was in his employ
.as footman from the month of December, 1861, until
October, 1862, when he went away. About the beginning
of January two gold-headed canes, a snuff .box, a miniature,
and a gold medal were missed. Information of the loss was
given to the police, and the prisoner was apprehended by
William Ackrill, police-constable 48 F, at the East India
Club in St. James's square, where he was then employed.
On being accused of the robbery, he said that he had taken
the articles, that he had burnt the canes and broken up one
of the knobs, which he had sold at a shop in Wardour-
street, Soho. He also said that be had taken the snuff-box,
gold medal, and rings, and sold them at the same shop. At
the station-house the prisoner said he had sold the gold
medal for £2 or £3, but the various articles stolen were
valued at upwards of £5O.

The Assistant-Judge ordered the prosecutor to stand for-
ward.

Mr. Ni atson then got into the witness •box. He said he
thought the conduct of the shopkeeper in Wardour-street
was most extraordinary, in purchasing articles of such value
from a boy whom he did not know, and without making
more inquiries about them. Among them was a medal pre-
sented to his (prosecutor's) grandfather, Bishop Watson, by
the Royal Agricultural Society, in 1807, for his improve-
ments in reclaiming waste lands. There was also a minia-
ture portrait of Bishop Watson, with several other valuable
articles, but few traces of them were to be found.
The Assistant-Judge ordered the shopkeeper's assistant
in Wardour-street to be called.
John Blundell said he was foreman to John Hearn, of
3, Wardour-street, Soho, gold and silver refiner. He ma-
naged his business and bought gold and silver, which were
melted down. He made entries of what he purchased, and
on looking at the entry under the date of June 26, 1862, he
fo
und that ho had purchased a quantity of gold from a per-

eon who gave the name of Musselbrook, and paid him £5
11s. ld. for it. He did not remember what the gold consisted
of, nor did he remember tho person of the prisoner. He had
no recollection of purchasing a gold medal, or the gold
knobs of two canes.

The Assistant-Judge said it seemed a most extraordinary
way of conducting this business, for the entries in the book
conveyed no information whatever as to the nature of the
articles. He wanted to know whether, being gold and silver
refiners, they always kept their fires lighted:
The witness said they did.

The Assistant Judge remarked that afforded a sufficient
explanation why the articles could not be traced, and he
could only tell the witness that if he went on in that way he
would soon have to take the place of the prisoner in the
dock. He would warn him to be very careful in future, or
he would find the consequences would be most serious to
him. He then sentenced the prisoner to be kept to hard
lab yar for two years.
Henry Bell, 19, tailor, was indicted for unlawfully as-
saulting and wounding Luke Rogers.
Mr. Platt prosecuted; Mr. Ribton defended the prisoner.

It appeared that prosecutor and prisoner were together in
the Freetrader beershop, Stepney, on the night of the 6th
January. The prisoner and his companions called him bad
names. The prosecutor pushed the prisoner away, when he
drew from his pocket some sharp instrument, with which
he stabbed him two or three times in the face. A person
named Wood, who was standing by at the time, witnessed
the prisoner stabbing at the prosecutor with a pair of scis-
sors, and on the previous night the prisoner had been heard
threatening to use the scissors if any thing was done to him.
The prisoner was found guilty of a common assault.
The Assistant Judge sentenced him to be imprisoned and
kept to hard labour for two months.
(Before Mr. Payne.)

William Johnson, 33, was indicted for stealing 10 fowls,
value 255., the property of Rhoda Lee.
It appeared from the evidence that on the evening of the
24th January, as Police-constable Burch, 267 K, was pass-
ing the rear of the Excavator beershop, in Devon's-lane,
Bromley, he saw nine dead fowls lying on the ground, and
one dead fowl in the pocket of a jacket which was lying
close by. The prisoner was found in a publichouse without
a jacket, and a short time before the fowls were found he
had been seen near to the spot where the fowls were kept.
The owner of the fowls spoke to him and asked him what
he was doing there, and he replied that he was looking for
an old sweetheart. The jacket was identified as belonging
to the prisoner, and a young man named Robert Pearman,
a blacksmith, proved that the prisoner had offered to sell
the jacket to his uncle for 2s.

The jury found the prisoner guilty.
Alfred Higham, 400 K, said he had the prisoner in cus-
tody on the 19th of December, 1857, for stealing sheet lead.
He was committed to the Old Bailey Sessions, convicted,
and sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment.
A previous conviction for burglary and several other con-
victions were proved against him.

Mr. Payne sentenced him N be kept in penal servitude
for 10 years.

William Peter Jackson, 38, and George Jones, 33, were
indicated for stealing a looking• glass value 305., the property
of Enoch Thomas.

Mr. Horry prosecuted; Mr. Dickie defended the pr -
soners.

On the night of the 16th of January the prisoneri and
another man went up to the shopdocr of the prosecutor,
No. 98, Charlotte-street, Fitzroy-square, deliberately took
down a looking-glass which was hanging by a string, and
walked off with it. A police. constable, who had witnessed
the whole proceeding, went after them, and took the glass
away from Jones. He then took both prisoners into cus-
tody.

The jury found the prisoners guilty.
George Lockyer, the prison officer, put in the following
convictions against Jones : —Three months in 1844 ; three
months, 1847 ; two months, 1848 ; nine months, 1850 ; two
months, 1854 ; three months, 1855 ; 21 days in 1860 ; six
months, 1861; and six months in 1862,—making nine con-
victions against him. The other prisoner was unknown to
him as having been previously convicted. Three of the
above convictions were in this court, and the others, under
the Summary Jurisdiction Act, at police courts.
Mr. Payne commented on the character of Jones, and
sentenced him to be kept in penal servitude for 10 years,
and Jackson to be imprisoned for 12 months.