The Sun.
London, England, 1822-07-22 00:00:00

THE NEW VAGRANT ACT.

BOW-STREET.—On Saturday five boys, and the same num-
ber of girls, the eldest of whom was not more than 17; and,
some much younger; were brought before 0. R. MINSHULL,
Esq., charged under the New Vagrant Act, with being rogues
and vagabonds.
Dawkins, one of the dismounted patrol, stated, that about
half-past one o'clock on Sunday morning, he met the prisoners
in couples,- going along the Green-lanes, near• Hornsey, in a
very riotous and disorderly manner, singing, and making a
great noise. Almost every gentleman's garden in that neigh.:
bourhood having lately been robbed and greatly injured, and
other depredations having been committed there, he thought it
his duty to apprehend them. The boys he knew little of, but
the girls, young as they were, he had ascertained were all pros-
titutes.

One of the county magistrates, who resides at Hornsey stated
that the inhabitants were greatly annoyed at night by the dis-
orderly conduct of such characters as the prisoners, and exten-
sive, and, in many instances, the most wanton, damage had
been done to the gardens and plantations.
The prisoners gave a very loose account of themselves.
Mr. MirtsuuLL, having. consulted the New Vagrant Act,
said, he should for the first time put a portion of its enactments
in force against the prisoners, who were very fit objects of
punishment. It would be well, perhaps,'fior the prisoners, and
those who were following the like course, to know that a clause
in the new Statute empowered officers toapprehend all " common
prostitutes or night-walkers," wherever they were found, and
also all persons of evil repute, or who, in the opinion of the
officers, are out upon any unlawful purpose after dark ' • and
a, Magistrate, upon such persons being brought before him,
to commit them for one month to hard
.labour in the House
of Correction. He should • commit all the prisoners for that
period ; and the Governor of the prison, he had no doubt, would
take. especial care to place them in the mill, the wholpome dis-
cipline which had already produced so:good an effect
The officer swore that, he believed the prisoners were out
with intent to commit felony,.and they were committed.

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

OXFORD CIRCUIT.—OxroRn, JULY 19.

NEWTON V. SEELY.

This was an action upon the warranty of a horse. The facts
of the case, as proved, were; that Mr. Newton had purchased
of the defendant, a horse-dealer, for 151. a grey horse, war-
ranted sound, with which he afterwards became dissatisfied,
and agreed to return it to the defendant on receiving a chesnut
mare. After keeping the chesnut mare for some time, she fell
down and broke her knees; the plaintiff then returned her to the
defendant, insisting that she was not sound, for that blindness
had caused the accident. The defendant refusing to take back
_the mare, the present action was brought. The evidence was
of a most contradictory nature, and the Jury, under Mr. Ba-
ron GiRROW'S dfrection,• immediately found a verdict for the
defendant.
MIDLAND CIRCUIT.—Non THAMPTON. •

R APE— William Meadows, the younger, TV/Manz Gent, the
younger, Redmond Middleton, Thomas Bates, Robert Ward,
and Charles James indicted for a rape on Ann NeTinan, were
put to the bar.
The particulars.of this offence, committed on the person of a
young woman, near Wellington, in this county, are alreadybe-
`'ove the .public, and must be in general recollection. In re-
porting this trial, we shall therefore state the evidence, and the
result as conacisc,iy.as possiblo, with a view to avoid giving that
shock to decency and moral feeling which the detail of an enor-
mity so grossly outraging every feeling of humanity would ne-
cessarily excite.
Ann Newman' the prosecutrix, stated the facts of the out-
rage, committed in a manner which excited universal sym-
pathy.
, The Learned JuncE.-was indefatigable in sifting the teati-
-mony with the' most scrupulous caution, and after elaborately
detailing to the. Jury every fact which had been stated in evi-
dence, and pointing out the weight and bearing of it;: as well
in favour of the prisoners as against them, the Jury, under
the directions of his Lordship, acquitted Ward, and found a
verdict of guilty against' the,other five, on whom sentence of
death was immediately passed.

NORFOLK ETRCUIT.-BEDFORD, JULY 19:
A CASE OF GREAT HARDSHIP.

John Carroll,' Patrick Carroll, and Thomas Ryan, three
simple-looking youngitishmen, were indicted for having vio-
lently and feloniously assaulted William Stokes on the King's
highway, putting him in fear of his life, arid taking from his
person ls. and some articles of wearing apparel, his property.
- Stokes was a boy of tender age, anil, before the case went
to the Grand Jury, from some intimation given to Mr. Justice
BEST, his Lordship summoned the boy before him. On exa-
mining him, without an oath, he acknowledged that he Iliad
been guilty of forswearing himself, and begged his Lordship to
forgive him. His Lordship, in a most feeling manner, admo-
nished him on the peculiar malignity of the crime he had com-
mitted. His Lordship then Sent for one of the Gland Jury, and
explained to him the grounds on which the bill was ii,rnorni.
[lt is proper to remark, that Mr. Hine, a respectable farmer,
living at Odell, set a collection on foot, and collected upwards
of mil. for the poor men, which was equally. divided, and they
were sent on their-way with gratitude to their benefactors depict-
ed on their countenances.] -