The Sun.
London, England, 1839-04-05 00:00:00

Tahl SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 1889.

WESTMINSTER SESSIONS.

Ann Lock was indicted for stealing a washing tray, the
property of Richard Creedy.
The prosecutor swore to the property, and said the pri-
soner lodged in the same house with him.
William Morley, a pawnbroker, bought the tray of the
prisoner for one shilling.
The prisoner in her defence said she had never seen a
tray like the one produced during the two years she had
lived in the house.
Mr. WALEsev (who had taken the chair which had
been vacated by Mr Sergeant Andrews) summed up the case.
The Jury found the prisoner Guilty, and she was sentenced
to two months' imprisonment with hard labour.
James Thompson, aged 20, and James Welch, aged 17,
were indicted for stealing 3 cwt. of lead, value 305., the
property of John Johnson and another on the 21st of Ja-
nuary last.
Policeman B 110, saw the prisoner Thompson in Peter-
street, on the day in question, come out of a house No.
52 ; he had a baker's barrow wheeling out of the house.
Witness asked what he had in his barrow, and he said
nothing. Witness looked into the barrow, and found
some lead co►ered with a sack, he took the property
and the prisoner to the station house, then went to
the house No. 52, and saw AL.. Sherborne ; he asked
Mr. Sherborne to go up stairs with him. Mr. Sherborne
ran out of the house, and witness went to the top of the
house and found some lead there rolled, and the appearance
of lead having been cut away. Had seeriWelch within 200
yards of the place where he had met Thompson on the
same evening, about ten minutes before. He took Welch
into custody. Searched Thompson at the station-house,
and found a knife and some nails. Compared the lead in
the barrow with the lead on the roof of the house, and it
matched.
Cross-examined by Mr. PAINS, on behalf of the priso-
ner Thompson—Could not tell how he let Mr. Sherborne
go. He had been examined before the Magistrates, and
bound over. Understood Mr. Sherborne had been remov-
ing fixtures. Swore before the Magistrates that the knife
had the mark of lead on it. The knife had been laying by,
and the mark might have been obliterated.
Frederick Brown is an agent of the prosecutor's. Was
employed to let the house, 52, Peter• street, and let it to
a person named Sherborne. Examined the house on the
24th of February, and found the lead of the centre gutter
nearly all gone. Mr. Sherhorne bad no authority to remove
the lead. The value of the lead taken away was about Si.
Cross.examined by Mr. PAYNE—Mr. Johnston's name
is John. There is another partner. Did not let the house
with fixtures. Ilan not seen Sherborne since he was be-
fore the Magistrates.
John Sherborne was called but did not answer.
Mr. PAYNE addressed the Jury for the defendant, and
commented severely on the conduct of the police in detain-
ing Welch, and in letting Sherborne escape, who, he con-
tended was .he real culprit, the prisoner Thompson being
merely employed as his servant.
The Jury here interrupted the Counsel, with a view of
giving their verdict.
The CHAIRMAN said the Jury must hear him be fore
they gave their verdict.
Mr. PAYNE said that this was conduct unknown in the
Superior Courts, and he hoped the Jury would in their
own minds answer any observations that might be made by
those in high places.
The Jury said they had made up their minds, but that
they bad no objection to hear the Learned Chairman.
The CHAlRMAN—Gentlemen, it is your duty to do so.
Mr. PATHS commented, in severe terms, on the conduct
of the Chairman, in preventing the jury giving their ver-
dict, and said that he at all events would not waste their
time, whatever others might do.
The CHAIRMAN said that lie had heard, with some sur-
prise, the declamatory speech of the Learned Counsel.
He felt convinced that the Lord Chief Justice of the
Court of Queen's Bench would have thought it obligatory
on the jury performing their duties, on their oath, to listen
to the summing up of the Court, as this was a case requir-
ing great consideration— with regard to Welsh, he agreed
that there was no cause against him. The Learned Chair-
man then summed up the evidence as to the prisoner
Thompson, and dwelt on the fact of his having denied
there was anything in his barrow.
Mr. PAYNE attempting to interrupt,
The CHAIRMAN said he should not enter into any alterca-
tion with the bar, because he had seen the ill effects of it
in other places, but those interruptions were excessively
disagreeable at the conclusion of the summing up.
Mr. PATNI asked the Chairman to tell the Jury it was
their duty to acquit, if they had any reasonable doubt.
The CHAIRMAN—They know that as well as you do.
The Jury acquitted both prisoners.
The CHAlRMAN—Gentlemen, I happen to know, what
you do not, that James Thompson is as incorrigible a rogue
as any in the City of Westminster.
Mr. PAYNE—That I beg to deny, I have witnesses to
his character.

Hannah Jones was indicted for stealing sundry articles
of wearing apparel, the property of Richard Evans. The
prosecutor's wile missed the articles which were found on
the prisoner, who lodged in the same house, by the police.
The Jury found the prisoner guilty, but recommended
her to mercy, and she was sentenced to one month's im-
prisonment and hard labour.
Mr. BALLANTYNE rose to move, on the affidavit of
Samuel Evans, that the estreat be taken off his recog.
nizances, as he had not kept out of the way to avoid taking
his trial on the charge to which he bad that day pleaded,
but on account of a verdict of a Coroner's Inquest in ano-
ther case.

The CHAIRMAN expressed a doubt as to the power of the
Court in this ease.

Mr. BALLANTTNE was of opinion that the Court had
the power.
On reference to the Act of Parliament, the CHAIRMAN
said he did not think the Court could interfere ; but he
would hear Mr. Ballantyne again on the subject should he
have anything additional to urge.
William Lemon was indicted for stealing two bushels of
horse provender, the property of Edmund Lucas.
The prosecutor is a coal-merchant, and the prisoner was
at his yard with his master's waggon. He searched the
prisoner's waggon, and found there certain horse provender,
consisting of oats, clover, and chaff mixed together, which
corresponded with the provender in the prosecutor's bin.
John Bailey is the prosecutor's horse-keeper—Missed a
quantity of provender from the bin at the time the pri-
soner was in the yard. Found the provender in the pri-
soner's waggon. It corresponded with that in the bin, but
not with that in the prisoner's nose-bags.
The prosecutor's clerk and servant corroborated this
testimony.
The provender was produced by the policeman, and also
a sample from the bin for the purpose of comparison
Mr. Thomas Marsh-ill, the prisoner's master, did not
supply him with any food of the description on the day
before, but there was a machine in his loft, and he might
have cut the clover himself, but he never had beans to mix
with it. He gave the prisoner a very good character.
The prisoner said he cut it up and brought it from
home, and the beans were the emptyings out of the drill.
The Jury found the prisoner guilty, but strongly recom-
mended him to mercy.

The CHAIRMAN called Mr. Marshall, who said the
prisoner was a man with a family, and he would not object
to take him hack again.. He believed it to be his first offence.
The CHAIRMAN having read the prisoner a severe lecture
on the nature of his offence, sentenced him to one month's
imprisonment with hard labour.
Maria Wright, aged 13, was indicted for stealing a pair
of trowsers and other articles, the property of John
Edwards.

The wife of the prosecutor deposed, that she had
employed the prisoner to nurse her baby, and she saw the
trowscrs drop from her person as she was walking across
the room. The trowscrs were kept in a box under
the bed, and the prisoner told her mother she intended
to bring them to her. The pawnbroker's clerk pro-
duced a frock which the prosccutrix swore to, and said
the prisoner had confessed to having taken it, and that. she
had induced the prisoner to confess.
The prisoner made no defence.
The Jury said they should wish the mother to be called.
The CHAIRMAN said he should wish it also. He had a
strong opinion on the case, and after the inducement to the
confession held out by Mrs. Edwards, the confession of the
prisoner could not be used against her; yet, independently
of that, they thought if there was sufficient evidence. they
must convict. _

The Jury found the prisoner Guilty, but recommended
her to mercy on account of her youth.
The CMAIRMAN having made inquiries into the circum-
stances of the girl's family, s,lntenced her to one month's
imprisonment without hard labour, in order to give an op-
portunity for inquiry into her case, with a view to her being
taken care of at her discharge.

Jane Walker, aged 15, Was indicted for stealing a pit-
cher, belonging to Elizabeth Harland.
The prosecutrix missed a pitcher which the prisoner had
offered for sale.

The policeman who took her into custody said, he had
asked her to confess. _ _ _

The CHAIRMAN-Then you exceeded the bounds of your
duty. I wish that the Metropolitan police should know
that it is no part of their duty to put prisoners upon the rack
and try to extort evidence. Stand down, Sir. •
The Jury found the prisoner guilty, and recommended
her to mercy.
The Governor of the gaol said he never knew a child of
such tender years behave so ill.
The CHAIRMAN sentenced her to three months imprison-
ment and hard labour, and said that should she he again
convicted she would be transported, as she was a no-
toriously bad character.
In Loth the last cases, the Court refused to allow the
pawnbrokers their expenses.
William Bowler and C. Johnson were indicted for steal-
ing a pair of boots, the property of Mr. G. Smith on 26th
February.
Mr. J. Webb, in Victoria-row, Pimlico, saw the pri-
soners in close confab on the day in question, they had a
pair of boots ; witness followed them up Brewer-street.
they tried to conceal them under the skirts of their coats;
he pointed them out to a policemen.
The witness was cross-examined by Mr. Payne.
The policeman produced the boots which were sworn to
by the prosecutor's formals.
Mr. PANE addressed the Jury for the prisoners and
commented on the conduct of Lieutenant Tracy in making
secret communications to the Court. He took this oppor-
lunity of sayin,g that notwithstanding his little brush with
him, there was no man for whom he had a higher respect
than for the Learned Chairman.
Several respectable tradesmen who had employed John-
ston gave him an excellent character. The Jury found
them both guilty, but recommended Johnston to mercy.
The CHAIItMAN, after the verdict was given, defended
Lieutenant Tracy from the observations of Mr. Payne, and
said that Bowler had been committed previously, and that
afforded grounds for making a distinction in the sentence,
which was on Bowler imprisonment for six months, bard la-
bour, with a week in each month of solitary confinement ;
and on Johnston three months' imprisonment with hard la-
bour—a week in each month of solitary confinement.
The Grand Jury were discharged in the course of the day.

The price of the 4 lb. loaf of wheaten bread at
!aria has been fired atls sous Od,), for the test fort-
night of April.