The Sun.
London, England, 1862-11-05 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS, Nov. 4.

(Before Mr. Bodkin, Assistant-Judge.)
Charles Clark, 32, George Edwards, 22, and
Henry Cole, 22, were indicted for stealing two
paintings, value 190 guineas, the property of James
Partington and William Turner, in the dwelling-
house of William Turner.

Mr. Besley prosecuted; Mr. Collins appeared for
Cole; the other prisoners were undefended.
Waiter Holmes, police-sergeant, 3 F, stated that
between five and six o'clock on the evening of Mon-
day, Oct. 20, he was in West-street, Five-dials,
where he saw the prisoners and another man, and
he watched them for a considerable distance to
Birdcage-walk, where he lost sight of them. He
returned to the Five-dials, where he apprehended
a man for picking pockets, whom he took to the
station-house, and afterwards on passing through
Long-acre he met the prisoner Clark carrying two
paintings, which he produced. Prisoner was
stopped, and witness asked him where he got them,
and not giving a satisfactory answer he was taken
into custody. He resisted a good deal, and it was
with difficulty that he was got to the station-house.
The witness then returned to the Five-dials, and hav-
ing waited there some time he saw Edwards, and he
took him also into custody for being concerned with
Clark in stealing the pictures. Subsequently, from
information he received, he apprehended the pri-
soner Cole on the night of the 24th of October. He
told him he suspected him of being concerned with
Clark and Edwards in stealing two pictures, and
he said he was not, but was at Alec Keene's the
whole of the evening, which witness told him was
false.

Sergeant Joy said about ten minutes before seven
o'clock on the evening of Monday, the 20th of
October, he saw the prisoners Edwards and Cole in
conversation together in Brewer-street, Golden-
square, from 200 to 300 yards from the house of
Mr. Partington, the prosecutor, and the prisoner
Cole was carrying two paintings, and afterwards
gave one of the paintings to Edwards. He followed
them, and saw them look into several public-houses,
but finally lost sight of them in Crown-court. He
saw Sergeant Holmes the same evening and told
him what he had seen.

Mr. James Partington, of No. 17, Golden-square,
picture dealer, said on the afternoon of Monday the
20th of October he saw the two paintings produced
safe in his front parlour, and he valued them at
190 guineas. He locked the parlour door about six
o'clock that evening, and left the paintings there.
On the following morning he missed the paintings.
Mr. Collins made a very able defence for Cole, but
The jury found all the prisoners guilty.
A previous conviction was put in against Clark,
who was convicted of burglary at the Central Cri-
minal Court in 1857, and sentenced to penal servi-
tude for four years.
Walter Holmes, 3 F, said he had known Clark
for years as the companion of housebreakers, and
had known Cole for twelve months to be associated
with the same companions. He had seen the pri-
soners repeatedly together.
The Assistant-Judge sentenced Clark to be kept
in penal servitude for five years, and Edwards and
Cole to be imprisoned and kept to hard labour for

eighteen months each. _
Thomas Inwood, 44, was indicted for feloniously
receiving 50 knives and other articles, value £B,
the property of John Kearns, well knowing the
same to have been stolen.

Mr. Pater (instructed by Mr. Warrand, solicitor
to the Association for the Prosecution'of Swindlers,
&c.) prosecuted.
It appeared from the evidence that the prosecutor
is a manufacturing cutler, carrying on business at
125, Oxford-street, and on the 12th of June he missed
a quantity of knives from his stock, he having seen
them safe on the 11th. Suspicion of theft fell upon
a son of the prosecutor, who was taken before Mr.
Knox, at Marlborough-street, and charged with
stealing them, but the evidence being deficient, after
being two or three times remanded, he was ordered to
be discharged. On the 13th June the prisoner went to
the house of Mr. Fenwick, a cutler, residing at 29,
Red Lion-street, Clerkenwell, and produced a quan-
tity of table-knives and handles, which he offered for
sale. Mr. Fenwick was struck at the lowness of the
price asked, taken into account the quantity of the
articles, and seeing the name of the maker on them he
determined to keep them in his possession to ascer-
tain that they had been stolen. After he bad com-
pleted the purchase he told the prisoner he believed
the knives had been stolen, when he at once admit-
ted he got them on "the cross„' and said if Mr.
Fenwick would send them away immediately they
might make a pound or two of them. Therefore, at
the time of these dealings, there could be no doubt
whatever the prisoner knew they were stolen. Mr.
Fenwick immediately corresponded with the prose-
cutor, informing him of whet he had got, and there
was not the slightest reason for supposing but
that he entered into the apparent purchase for the
purpose of completing the case against the prisoner.
Several witnesses having proved these facts, the
jury found the prisoner guilty of receiving the
articles, well knowing them to have been stolen.
The Assistant-Judge sentenced the prisoner to be
Imprisoned and kept to hard labour for six months.
(Before Mr. Payne.)
' -

Thomas Wiltshire, 42, was indicied for stealing
two florins and other moneys, theproperty of George
John Jones, from his person.
The evidence showed that the robbery was com-
mitted near to a beer-shop, at the corner of Mul-
berry-street, Cr mmercial-road East, by three men,
and the prosecutor swore that the prisoner was one
of them. He was convicted, and, pleading great dis-
tress and an inability to obtain anj work to do as a
dock labourer, Mr. Payne ordered that inquiries
should be made as to the truth of his statement.
James Braybrook, 92 A, said he had made in-
quiries, and he ascertained that the statement of the
distressed condition of the prisoner was correct. He
was a dock labourer, and great numbers of them
would stand about for days unable to obtain em-
ployment. He had four children, one 14 years of
age, insane, one aged 10 years, another three years
and a half old, and another 15 months, together
with his wife. When the husband was taken into
custody, the family were living at 5, George-yard,
Spitalfields, but as the wife could not pay An arrear
of 3s. for rent, the whole family were turned into
the street. A poor woman, however, living at 14,
New-court, George-yard, Whiteehapel, had compas-
sion on their distressed condition, and gave up a
room in her house in which the unfortunate family
could take shelter, and where they had ever since
remained. There was not a single article of furni-
ture in the room, and the only thing they had to
lie down upon was twopennyworth of cane shavings
which the poor landlady had purchased for them.
There was not a scrap of food of any kind in the
room, and the prisoner's wife and children were
all but naked, and there was not even a fire-place
in the room. The room was nine feet long and
seven feet broad, and for some days the prisoner's
wife had endeavoured to get a morsel of bread for
her children by selling matches.
Mr. Payne asked the prisoner if he had anything
to say to the Court.
The prisoner said until this charge he had never
had a speck or stain upon his character, and that
he worked for the support of his family when he
could obtain work to do.
He admitted thit he had
lately taken drink;
mercy on him he would never touch it again as long
as he lived.
The police-constable said the prisoner's wife was
present, upon which Mr. Payne ordered her to come
forward, and her appearance excited general com-
miseration. She appeared to be nearlyhalfstarved,
and had scarcely any clothing upon her.
Mr. Payne hoped that when the prisoner came
out of prison he would abstain from drink a 1 to.
gather, and he should sentence him to he imprisoned
,
and kept to hard labour for four months.
The wife strongly appealed to his lordship for