The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-07 00:00:00

TAUNTON.

The town of Taunton was visited on the night of Mon-
day, or rather early on Tuesday morning,by a severe shock
of an earthquake, and hundreds of the inhabitants ware
thrown into a state of terror. About 20 minutes past three
o'clock they were suddenly awakened from their slumbers
by a violent shaking of the beds on which they lay and a
jingling of furniture in the bed-rooms. In some case per-
sons believed that their houses were about to tumble to the
ground, the windows shaking violently; others were raised
from their beds, and in some instances furniture was thrown
about the rooms. Numbers did not again retire to rest,
and went into the streets to ascertain the cause. Great con-
sternation was caused at the County Gaol, the alarm being
no less intense on the part of the prisoners than on that of
the Governor and the officials, the latter believing that the
prison was about to fall. A like alarm prevailed at the
Union Workhouse and other public buildings. Through-
out Tuesday this alarming circumstance has formed the
general subject of conversation.

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS—Oct. 6.

(Before the Assistant-Judge.)

Thomas Standall, 24, described as a barman, of very re-
spectable appearance, was indicted for feloniously receiving
a gold watch, value £7O, the property of Henry Thomas
Birks, well knowing the same to have been stolen.
Mr, Ribton (instructed by Mr. Holt) prosecuted ; Mr.
Poland (instructed by M. Abrams) defended the prisoner.
Mr. Ribton, in opening the case, said the prosecutor in
this case is a gentleman residing at Fulham, and he carried
on the business of a merchant. It appeared that the pro-
secutor on the morning of the Doncaster St. Leger race
went to the Great Northern Railway Station at King's-
cross to go to Doncaster. He supposed that he lost his
watch at the stationtibut it would appear by his evidence
that he identified the watch found on the prisoner as the
one he had lost. Mr. Adams, the watchmaker, who made
the watch, would also identify the watch as one he had
made for a Mr. Stewart, who was going abroad about 18
months ago. The present state of the watch, however, was
quite different to what it was when he sold it to Mr.
Stewart, for at that time it had a white face set with dia-
monds, but it had been since altered by having the face
gilt and the diamonds removed. The name of the maker
had also been removed, and the name of Dent inserted on
the face instead of the original name, Adams. It would
also be proved that a person named Kennett had received
the watch from the prisoner, and at his request had altered
the number and the name from Adams to Dent. Having
detailed the evidence, he said he thought after the jury bad
heard it they would be driven to the conclusion that the
prisoner was guilty,
The prosecutor said he lived at Ranelagh House, Ful-
ham, and was a merchant. The watch produced was his
property and he lost it on the morning of the St. Leger
race day at the King's-cross Station of the Great Northern
Railway. This was ou the 16th September. A man who
was in the carriage with the prosecutor produced the ring
of a watch. It was the ono which belonged to his watch.
He then looked for his watch, and missed it from his pocket.
He gave £7O for it. The dial plate on the watch is the same
as was on it when he bought it. It was white when he
bought it, but it had since then been gilded. He identified
it by the basket of flowers upon it, by the places where the
diamonds had been ; also by the engraving upon it. The
plate produced was that on which the diamonds were placed.
They were 12 in number, and there was one diamond to each
hour. He could swear to the case of the watch, and to the
best of his belief there were the initials " D. K." upon the
case. He purchased the watch of Mr. Stewart, a friend of
his, and was quite positive the maker's name was upon the
watch.
Thos. Adams, said he lived at 36, Lombard-street, City,
and was a watchmaker. He had not the slightest doubt
that the watch produced was his manufacture, and he sold
it to Mr. Stewart, a civil engineer, about 18 months ago.
The watch has a silver• plate now, but it was a white plate,
surrounded by diamonds,when ha sold it to Mr. Stewart.
It was worth 70 guineas. Tho plate on the watch was the
same that the diamonds were set in. There was a pecu-
liarity in the make of one stud, and he had not the?
slightest difficulty in identifying the watch. The " ,
and "a" for " fast" and "slow" had not been altered. The
letters were engraved out of his house. Ho did not swear

to the watch by these letters, but by its general appearance
and many other peculiarities of it. He had not the least
doubt it was the watch he had sold, and belonged to Mr.
Stewart.

John Thomas Kennett said ho lived at No. 11, Little
Queen-street, and was a watchmaker. On Monday, the 21st
of September, he received the watch produced from the pri-
soner. 'the watch then had' a white dial, and at the pri-
soner's request he had the dial gilt. He also altered the
number and the name from " Adams" to " Dent,"
order, and ha took oat 12 diamonds from the plate, and gave
them to the prisoner. He did not say how he became P"-
sessed of the watch. There was no bow on the watch, and
he put on a new one. by his

Inspector Mackenzie said that between 3 and 4 o'clock on

-
the afternoon of Monday, Sept. 28, from information he re-
ceived, he went with the last witness to 92, High
Holborn,
the Bull and Anchor Public-house. The prisoner was in
bar acting as barman, and witness spoke to the manager.
The prisoner came to the front of the bar and looked at
witness, and then went back. Another man came in and
looked at witness, and then went back into the front bar.
He saw the prisoner hand something across the bar to that
man. Witness then went inside the bar and called the pri-
soner to him, telling him that he was a police-officer, and
that he wanted that gold watch. He said 44' have not got
any gold watch." Witness told him that he had, upon
which the manager told him to give the watch up. The pri-
soner then went to the man to whom he had seen him hand
something, and the man handed back to the prisoner the
watch produced. Witness took possession of the watch, and
told the prisoner that he knew that it was stolen. lie said
he did not know that it was stolen until the following day.
Witness asked him if it was true that he had given £l4 for
it, and he said he had purchased it of a man who lived on
the Seven Dials, with whom he had several dealings. He
told him he must consider himself in custody
for receiving
the watch knowing it to have been stolen. He said it was a
job, and hoped he would speak to the prosecutor, and do
what he could to get him not to appear against him.
Henry Parker, police-sergeant 4 F, said he accompanied
Mr. Mackenzie and the witness Kennett to the Bull and
Anchor Public-house, and was directed by Mr. Mackenzie
to search the prisoner. He found a knife, six watch keys,
and £6 12s. upon him. He asked the prisoner where the
diamonds out of the watch were, and he said he had pawned
them at a Mr. Woods. He went there and found the
diamonds produced,

John Page said he resided at 93, High Holborn, and
was assistant to Mr. Wood, pawnbroker. He produced a
ticket for 26 rose diamonds, pawned on the 26th of Septem-
ber at their shop for 258, by a man who gave the name of
Thomas Brown, of No. 92, High Holborn.
This was the case for the prosecution.
Mr. Poland then addressed the jury for the prisoner, and
contended that the watch had come into his possession in
entire ignorance of it having been stolen.
The Assistant-Judge summed up the evidence, and
The Jury found the prisoner guilty of receiving the watch,
well knowing it to have been stolen.
John Shore, police-sergeant 11 F, said the prisoner was
charged on the 25th of June, at Bow-street police-court,
with receiving stolen cigars, the produce of a burglary. His
employer went to the prosecutor and begged him off from
prosecuting, but the case was quite complete against him.
In answer to a question by the Assistant-Judge,
Mr. Inspector Mackenzie said that the subject would be
brought before another ttikual. He further asserted that
the prisoner entered his last situation with a false character.
His master, however, kept him in his employ after he had
been charged with the felony, and ha knew it. The house
where the prisoner said he bought the watch was a regular
place for the reception of stolen goods.
Tho Assistant-Judge said the prisoner had been convicted
on evidence which had satisfied the jury that he had bought
the watch knowing it to have been stolen. This was a sub-
ject most important to a criminal court, for where persons in
a respectable station in life were engaged in such transac-
tions they became most dangerous to society. He sentenced
him to be kept in penal servitude for four years.
f
The Assistant-Judge ordered the witness Kennett to standorward, and on his going into the witness-box the learned
judge said the fact of his altering the number of the watch
and also the maker's name would justify an indictment
being preferred against him for being accessory after the
fact. He might go away that time, but he should refuse to
allow him any costs.
A gentleman stated that he attended from Mr. Dent's, the
watchmaker, and said it was the wish of Mr. Dent that
Kennett should be cautioned as to his conduct in altering
watches in such a manner.
The Assistant-Judge said he had already done so.
Sarah Bustin, 21, was indicted for stealing 11 teaspoons,
and other articles, the property of George Samuel Bustin,
her father.
Mr. F, H. Lewis appeared for the prosecutor. The pri-
soner pleaded guilty.
In answer to questions from the Assistant-Judge, the
prosecutor said ho was father to the prisoner, and lived at
No. 51, Huntingdon-street, Islington, and a few days ago
his daughter gave him a bundle of duplicates, relating to his
property, which she had pledged. She said she was very
sorry, but she could not help it. He missed 11 teaspoons,
2 tablespoons, and a pair of sugar tongs, all silver, from
one of his drawers. The silver articles were gone and plated
substituted. Upon making a further examination of his
premises, he missed two beds, four curtains, pillows, bolster,
and blanket.

Mr. F. H. Lewis said that in consequence of repeated
robberies the father of the prisoner was compelled to pro-