The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-22 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

The sittings of the court, for the August General
Sessions, were resumed yesterday morning at the Guild-
hall, Westminster, by adjournment from Clerkenwell,
before Mr. Bodkin, as Assistant Judge, and a full bench
of magistrates. There were 82 prisoners for trial fur
felony, and 1 for misdemeanour. _

Mi.:Bodkin briefly charged the grand jury, after they
had been sworn.

Robert Thomas Ovenden, 47, described as an engraver,
was indicted on three charges of embezzling money
which he had received in his capacity of collector to the
committee for paving and lighting the parish of Saint
Clement Danes. He pleaded guilty to each of the
indictments.

Mr. Hull. who appeared for the prosecution, men-
tioned to the court that the whole amount of the
prisoner's deficiencies was between four and five hundred
pounds. .
Mr. Cooper, for the prisoner, said his client had been
collector more than ten years; and with reference to the
conduct, which had resulted in his occupying his pre-
sent position, he had from the first, when t-ie charge
was made, admitted his guilt ; he had now, as he had
all along desired to do, pleaded guilty to the charge, and
he had made all the reparation he could by assisting m
making up the books to show the amount of his
deficiency, and giving all the information he could as to
the ratepayers who had paid him the money.
Mr. Bodkin inquired if the deficiencies extended over
the whole of 10 years.
Mr. Hull said it appeared that the prisoner had only
recently misappropriated the parish money, and he had
certainly made all the reparation in his power. He had
offered to assign some property to the parish, and under
the circumstances the prosecutors recommended him to
mercy.
Mr. Bodkin asked if the assignment was made.
Mr. C. E. Lewis, solicitor, said he was clerk to the
board who were prosecuting the case, and they had not
taken the assignment because they. considered the sum
was too large to be compromised. The prisoner had
engaged in betting and gambling tranactions, from which
the deficiencies had arisen, and it had been going on for
the last two or three years. The prisoner's father had
died since these proceedings had been instituted. He
was a man much respected in the parish, and had filled
all the parochial offices.
Mr. Bodkin.asked if the prisoner gave any security
to the parish.
Mr. Lewis said there were three sureties given, but
one was dead, another was clearly insolvent, and he did
not knOwn much about the other.

Mr. Cooper said the prisoner had offered to make over
all he could to the parish.
Mr. Bodkin asked if the prisoner followed any trade.
_ _

Mr. Lewis said he was an engraver by business, but
he had not been actively engaged in it bince he had been
collector.

In answer to a question from the court, Mr. Lewis
said the prisoner's poundage, on the average of years,
was about 1001. a year.
Mr. Bodkin said the prisoner bad pleaded guilty to
three indictments, in which he was charged with em-
bezzling money which he had received on account of the
parish of St. Clement Danes. It appeared that he had
been defrauding the parish of sums of money which it
was now found amounted to something like 5001. This
was extremely hard upon the poor ratepayers, and the
fact of his having applied the money to horse racing did
not improve his position before the court. It was im-
possible not to regard this as a very serious case, but he
had been recommended to mercy by the prosecutors, for
his defalcations could not have arisen if a proper vigil-
ance had been exercised by those who had the duty of
supervising the accounts. The sentence was that the
prisoner be ►mprisoned and kept to hard labour for twelve
calendar months.

Mr. Holl applied for the costs.
Mr. Bodkin said the court refused the expenses in
cases where tradesmen carelessly exposed their goods,
and he should apply the same principle to this case, and
refuse the costs.

Mr. Holt urged that the parish had been compelled by
the magistrate to bring the case to this court. They
were desirous of proceeding under the local act to recover
the money under an order of the magistrate, but he, the
objected to the case being so disposed of,
and magistrate,sent
i it
here for trial.
Mr. Bodkin said that circumstance the more disen-
titled them to the costs, as it showed that they had no
real disposition to prosecute a man who had so grossly
misapplied public money.