The Sun.
London, England, 1853-01-04 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS--(THIS DAY.)

EXTENSIVE ROBBERY BY A SHOPMAN.
John Hooper, aged 22, and Jane Prescott, aged 25,
were indicted, the former for stealing a quantity of
silk, sundry silk handkerchiefs, and other articles, of the
value of 151., the property of Mr. Edward Lloyd, his
master ; also for stealing a number of silk handker-
chiefs, value 51., the property of Mr. Francis William
Lark, his master ; and the latter with feloniously re-
ceiving the same, well knowing them to have been
stolen.

The male prisoner pleaded guilty.
Mr. Sleigh appeared for the prisoners.
The case has already appeared in the police accounts
reported in the Sun newspaper, but we may as well
state that the female prisoner is blood sister to the male
prisoner, who lodged in the same apartments with her
and her husband. The prosecutor, having missed a
great quantity of goods, watched the male prisoner, and
seeing him leave his shop with his pockets rather bulky,
went, in the company of a police constable, to his apart-
ments, and there, in the female's boxes, a large quantity
of silk and other articles, belonging to the prosecutor,
,were found. Upon searching the male prisoner, the
things named in the indictment were found upon him.
When Prescott was searched at the station-house, nine
duplicates were found, and she told the female searcher
to destroy the duplicates, for she Lad pledged the things
for her brother, who had robbeei his master.
Police-constable Evans stated that, while he was
searching the female's rooms, she went and washed her
hands in a basin. After he had locked up the premises
he went back and searched the basin, and found
therein a duplicate, relating to some silk which had been
stolen.

The Assistant Judge having summed up, the jury
found the prisoner guilty, and the learned Judge sen-
tenced the male prisoner to 12 calendar months' hard
labour in the House of Correction upon the first indict-
ment, and to six calendar months upon the second in-
dictment. The female prisoner was sentenced to nine
calendar months' hard labour upon the first indictment,
and to be further kept in custody for one day upon the
second.

SECOND COURT.
(Before Mr. Witham.)
Edith Stevens, aged 17, was indicted for stealing six
mantles, a book, a gown, and other articles of the value
of 81., the property of Mrs. George Haydon, in her
dwelling-house.

It appeared from the evidence of the prosecutrix, who
resided in Skinner-street, Clerkenwell, that on the night
of the 3d of November, she took the prisoner into her
apartments, and gave her a night's lodging. The next
morning she left the prisoner in her room while she went
to Smithfield, and upon her return the prisoner was gone
away taking with her the whole of the property named
in the indictment. When she was taken into custody
she had on a silk gown belonging to the prosecutrix,
and which was new when she bad taken it away.
The learned Judge having summed up, the jury found
her guilty of simple larceny, and she was sentenced to
four calendar months' hard labour in the House of Cor-
rection.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT-(THIS DA Y.)

OLD COURT.
(Before the Recorder.)
Lionel George Thompson, a young man of gentlemanly
appearance, described in the calendar as a ship broker,
pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging him with
obtaining money under false pretences.
Mr. Bodkin and Mr. Parry prosecuted, and Mr. Ser-
geant Wilkins defended.
This is one of the cases of defrauding emigrants of
their passage-money, which have lately been so much on
the increase. From the statement of the learned coun-
sel, it appeared that the prisoner had constituted himself
an agent for the Black Ball line of emigrant vessels sail-
ing from Liverpool to Australia, under the title of
"Thompson Brothers," having an office in Beech-court,
Lime-street. In this capacity he had had considerable
dealings with Messrs. Barnes and Co., the Liverpool
agents of the Black Ball line, and had transmitted to
them large sums of money received by him as passage-
money, from the emigrants who had engaged berths
from him in London, in their vessels.
About the month of August last, however, several in-
stances occurred of persons pres enting themselves to the
agents at Liverpool, having engaged berths from the pri-
soner, and in possession of his certificates of payment,
but on whose account no remittance had been made by
the prisoner, who, it was afterwards discovered, had
used their payments for his own purposes. Of course,
under these circumstances, the passages were refused,
and the unfortunate emigrants found themselves de-
ceived in their expectations. Proceedings against the
prisoner were commenced by some of 'them, when at-
tempts were made to buy them off by refunding the
money, but they became so numerous that the prisoner
was obliged to abscond. Diligent inquiry being made
after him, he was at length apprehended, and after se-
veral examinations he was committed for trial.
The case was proceeding when. we went to press, and
would probably continue during theagreater part of the
day.

NEW COURT.
(Before the Common Sergeant.)