The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-05 00:00:00

MIDDLES.

'S.—Oct. 4.

(Before Mr. Sergeant Adams, Assistant Judge, and a

Bench of Magistrates, at Clerkenwell.)
William, Buck, aged 29, and Thomas Lee, 52, were
indicted for unlawfully breaking and entering the
dwelling-house of Peter Richardson, with intent to
steal the goods and chattels therein being, and also for an
assault on Ann Bastable, to resist their lawful appre-
hension.

The prosecutrix in this case, Mrs. Bastable, resided at
No. 2, Andrew-row. London-fields, Hackney, and on
Monday, the 12th of September, about a quarter past
three, was lying in her bed room, cc hen two men (whom
she declared were the prisoners) entered the room. One
of them exclaimed, on seeing her, "Oh, God, there's a
woman," and both rushed out of the room. She jumped
up and laid hold of both of them by the collar, but the
man whom she believed to be Buck struggled with her
and nearly threw her over the balusters, got away, and
ran down stairs and out into the street. She then laid
hold of Lee, saying that if she had lost one she would
have the other, but he struck her a violent blow on her
arm, and, with an abusive epithet, told her to let him
go. She replied that she would not, and would die
before she would let him go. He grasped her, however,
by the throat, and compelled her to loose her hold, and
got away into the street. She followed, calling out
"Stop thief," and Leo was stopped by a butcher lad,
but he got away, and then prosecutrix again caught him,
and held him in spite of his resistance until assistance
came, and he was given into custody of police constable
Alsworth, 71 N. On being searched at the station-
house there was found on him seven skeleton keys,
one of which fitted the lock of, the front door of the
house, and by which they must have entered, as the
door was locked, and a " jemmy." The prosecutor ob-
served very accurately the clothes which the other man
wore, and gave a description of them to the police. He
had got clean off, but the next day, whilst the prosecu-
trix was at the Worship-street police court to prefer the
charge against Lee she identified him in the person of
Buck, who was standing outside the court. She, how-
ever, noticed that he had different clothes from the pre-
vious day, and the policeman after taking him into cus-
tody, went to Buck's house, and there found a suit of
clothes answering to her description, and which she
identified as the one which Lee's companion had on
when they entered the house. A skeleton key was also
found there. It was also shown by the evidence of John
Lee, a waterman, on a cab-stand, near the police-station
in Robert-street, to which Lee was taken, that immedi-
diately after Lee was brought there by the policeman,
Buck, who must have followed him, came and stood for
some minutes at the corner, looking earnestly at the
station; but the constable coming out again, ho directly
vanished. He described Buck as wearing the clothes
which were found after his apprehension in his house,
and one of the witnesses for the defence admitted that
on the day this transaction occurred lie wore the
clothes produced. An apprentice, who was passing
at the time, saw one of the men running away, and be-
lieved him to be Buck, and that he was dressed in the
same clothes.

Buck had hitherto borne a good character ; and Lee,
in his defence, declared that he (Buck) was a stranger
to him and an innocent man.

The jury returned a verdict of guilty against both pri-
soners, and they were each sentenced to one year's im-
prisonment with hard labour.