The Sun.
London, England, 1838-10-18 00:00:00

GUILDHALL.-(THIS DAY.)

George Abbott, who was remanded a few days ago on a
charge of having attempted to set fire to Aldersgate work-
house on the 2d October, was again brought up, when the
following additional evidence was adduced :
Joseph Ber.nefield, a pauper, deposed that on the day
previous to the fire he saw the prisoner in the hall of the
workhouse with a lighted piece of rag in his hand, and
asked what he was going to do with it. The prisoner said
he was going to do nothing, and witness thtn took it from
him. Two or three days before this he heard the prisoner
say he should like to see " the bloody union on fire." The
fire was observed about six o'clock, and twenty minutes
before that the prisoner was heard to ask Wm. Todd, one
of the wardsmen, for some tobacco. Witness could not
say how the fire originated.
The prisoner said he was very sorry to have any trans-
gression of this sort brought against him, but he did not
do the act.

Mr. Alderman MAGNAY-Why did you run away from
the workhouse ? Prisoner—Being alarmed at the fire—
there's where it was. I got the bit of rag to light my pipe.

Mr. Alderman MAGNAY said the case was very sus-
picious. and he thought the safest way would be to send
it to the Sessions, and let a Jury deal with the prisoner's
state o If he was then proved to be a dangerous
person, proper care would be taken of him.
Mr. Jones, surgeon to the workhouse, said that he had
always considered the prisoner as an imbecile and idiotic,
but never knew him do any harm previous to the occur-
rence. He had been under his inspection for five years.
As to running away from the workhouse, the prisoner had
done so a dozen of times to his knowledge.
Mr. Alderman MAGNAY said, that from the expression
used by the prisoner, it would appear that there was an
slon on his mind of a very dangerous tendency. If
punish !rd for running away and taking the clothes, he would
be at liberty again in a short time.

Mr. PAYNE—He cannot be sent to a lunatic asylum
without the certificate of a medical man. Can you :ay
that he is insane ?

Mr. Jones reried in the negative.
The prisoner was then committed for trial.

EXTENSIVE SYSTEM OF PLUNDER.—A marine store
dealer, named Lewis, residing in Addle-street, and a porter
of the name of IVood/and, were brought up under the fol-
lowing circumstances :
Peake, an officer, deposed that he saw Woodland in the
shop of Lewis yesterday afternoon with a quantity of canvas
and some string. The string was put into a scale and
weighed, and the canvass afterwards put behind the counter.
About five minutes afterwards he went into the shop and
asked Woodland where he had got the wrapper. He re-
plied that he did not bring it in at all, and turning to Lewis
said, "He can't say that, I brought it in." Lewis,
after hesitating a moment, said, " Yes, you did bring it
in." Witness then took him into custody, and searched
the how.,e of Lewis, where he found about 200 wrappers
with different marks, and not less than 500 without marks.
John Kershaw, another officer, stated that he saw the
canvass measured by Lewis. There were 42 yards, and
the string weighed 21bs.
Mr. Charles Jones, of 3, Bow Church-yard, Scotch car-
pet dealer, stilted that. the prisoner Woodland was in his
employ, and that he could identity the string, on account of
its having been cut into particular lengths. The wrappers
he could not speak to at present, but thought that one of
his men could.

Woodland, in his defence, said that he had only taken
two or three wrappers, which, along with the string, was
his perquisite.
Lewis said that he did not know that he was doing
wrong, and was sorry for what had happened.
The prisoners were remanded in order to allow time for
further inquiry.
An old offender, named James Sheen, was committed
for trial for having picked the pocket of a gentleman reA.d-
ing inWigmore- street, Cavendish-square, of a handkerchief.