The Sun.
London, England, 1807-09-15 00:00:00

LONDOiv SESSION&

Yesterday the Sessions to the "City of London
were opened in the usual form by the Right Hon.
the Loeb MAYOR, RecORDER, and the- Bench of
Aldermen. After a'Traverse Jury was sworn,
Daniel Grant was tried for a violent assault upon
two constables of the city, of the names of Groves
and Swat:sail, whilst engaged in the execution of
their respective duties.
rt appeared, from the testimony of the two Of-
ficers; corroborated by the evidence of a soldier of
the East London Militia, that the Prisoner, Grant,
had, between the hours of ten and eleven, on the

night of the 3ist of May last, been guilty of a vio-
lation of the public peace, in Itshopsonte.street,
contiguous to a public-hotise frequentd by suipi-
cious and improper charaders, and from, such rea-
sons designated Tlm 'Nest. That in pursuance of
their duty, the Officers interfered, and desired the
Prisoner to depart; but were told by hiM, that he
neither cared a damn for them or the Loan MAyint,
an t oat he would net depart at their desire. On the-
Constables' proeeeding to take him to the watch-
house, the Prisoner cried out to a licentious mob,
that was collected, "Mast rgo ? must I go ?" This
appeal excited the interest of the multitude, 'and the
Officers Were violently assaulted. • •
The Priioner, at several times, cried out, " Now
is the tim&---cut thetn,r and frequently struck at the
Officers. When they arrived at the watch-house,
blood was perceived to issue from Swabsall, and on
examining, it was found that he - was cut by some
sharp instrument, through his cost, 'waistcoat, and
shirt. No evidence was produced on the part of
the Defendant, and the Jury, without hesitation,
found hint guilty on the two, counts of 'fthe
incliet-
ment.

After a suitable admonition from the Ilecorder,
upon the lenity of the Prosecutors, in not bringing
a capital.charge, the Prisoner was sentenced to an
imprisonment of twelve calendar months, in •the'
gaol of Newgate, 'for the assault upoh Groves.
And after the expiration of that tartly, to a further
imprisonment of twelve months for the assault upon
Swabsall. •
Artstitvirr TO SHOOT A VIER/ FF!S OFFICER
The Rev. P. Gerrans wa3 next arraigned tor a
violent assault upon William Jones, by firing ai him
a loaded pktol, on "the 6th of May last, in Fen-
church-street.
The'Commotsi;Sra 3 RANT 'opened the prosecution
on the part :of the Crown. , He had in; regret, that
it,person belonging to so sacred a profession as hat
of which the .Defindant. was a Member, ahoUld
j •
have attempted,.(witliout any justifiable causer. te•
take ;oily the :life: of' a fellow-creature:.' Indeed,
'in: regulating the co,ptikititig passiiins oe:•humans
nature, • where ..was forbearance- to be expe6led,
unless the example was afforded .4 that profession-
whoSe more innuidiate .province it was 16-instruti
Christians in the 'perfortnance of their moral duties,

and to exhibit peace and good-will to ,all.niankind

The Learned Gentleman then stated the nature- of
- Vie evidence which would be adduced ; and -oh-'
s:!rved, that • the law pesitively provided that
when, in consequence of mistake ,or misdireCtion,
An Officer, executing a process of the.laW, shall
mistake the person, an aßion for the injury $ll4ll
lie wlib the injured
,individual. And though the
law had not attached the crime of murder to the
slaying of an Officer when, Improperly exceeting
a process of law, yet it has ever considered such an
aggression as a very severe and aggravated a& of
criminality. In the present case; as far he ~vas ju.
strated, he could not anticipate any thing like a de-
fence, . unless it was the want of conseinuSness in
the individual at the moment the wanton assault was.
perpetrated. If such should appear, there was a
jurisdi6tion given to that Court to provide as well
for the situation of the Defendant as for the claims
of thepublic safety; Be. then proceeded to produce
evidence. - •
Wm. Jones being sworn, deposed, that he was
a ticket porter,- at the George and Vulture, Corn-
hill ; that between the hours of fem. and five, on
the evening of the: tith ofMay last, ho was engaged
by a Mr. Pokes (whom he since knew to 'he a She-
riff Orlicer),:to go, with him to Fenchurch-street.
When arrived•there, he saw Mr. Barber; whom' he'
then knew to be an Officer, standing in an ironmon-
er's shop.,_ at: No. 62. He heard Barber say to
Pokas, I see you- have brought matt with you ;
replied Pokes. Witness was then desired
proceed up stairs. He did not know the nature Of
the busipess, bat presumed it was to bring down
. some parcels. Pokastold him not to be it Uwe, When
Witness heard this advice, lie procee3ed•more eau.,
tiously and-when tie got 'up within a step or two
of the landing, he saw the Defendant, with whose
per,on he wad ticquainted, and whom be had .fre
quently seen in` his clerkal habit, advance towards
Witness -then stopped, and the Clergyman
earnenp to him; levellecl pistOl nt ides, andfired.
Not a word passed between him and tlp, Defendant.
The :ball entered' his right site; about six inches
from his back. He did not fail, .bntrettirned
stairs, and was taken to the Hiispital, where he was
confined. six. weeks. He never exchenge&a word
with the Defendant, nor could thee be any ground
of eternity between them. , .‘
On his Crcri-exmitration, he said that the dOor
between the shop and the .passage was ferced by the
Officer Barber, bit that there was no great crlish.—
He could not say whether the Officers Inflow ed Mtn.
up stairs or not.: • • •
Mr. Pokes, •the Sheriff's Officer, was next celled,
but ,was not in COurt.
The nest Witness was Mr. Barber, a Sheriff's
Officer. He deposed, that oti the 6th of May he
went, with, Pokes to-arrest a person of the name• of
Gerard or Garard, tut-deem execution ter 1.201,
That on their way to Fenehurch-street, Pa its' said
he was acquaipto with the person of the man de-
signated in the warrant; Upen:that assertion
ness depended,
Question front' the Jury—Did you read the naive
on the •door of the Defendants house Not
until next day. • •
Pakas:had the writ in his possession ; when they
-
. weut up to_ Itlio-,drawin of the Defetidabt,
g-room'
said goalettlingwhiett Witness -did tint hear ;
bit ii;fieh he, Ltit4. E914,-;slaii they had an .eiteeution
~y;„eeit hied. the Defendant ,replied in .very bad

LVNLILJN 7.110116.1 h
. At ki4v,

language, and said they weres both thieves and
damned scoundrels: Witine,s never Raw a person,
when arrested, so violent' tyAorel The I_,,fendant
then escaped through a sash 'door; and r_tn up stairs,
Pokas follewed, and witness after hilt when: they
were assailed by billets el- wood thrown • down at
them by the Defendant. They then withdrew,
Pokas to get another man-, and •WitnesS,remaitrM
outside the street-door,-, prevent Defendant's
escape.' When- Pokas-returned'with Jones,. 'Willies:4
remarked to the latter, that they had a very trotible.
some customer up.ltairs.• Witn6ss'followed4ones
up stairs, and, when about six steps from hitu; saw
Mr. Gerrans advance `with a pistol in each hand,
level the one in the right hand at Jones, and fiie,
without speaking a ward. There Was'nothinsr cider
said or done to provoke the violence of 'the De-
fendant, .but every thing vvai offered to the con-
trary. . •
On his cross-examination, witness admitted that
he did not know what conversation pasjed between
the Defendant and Pokai, when the latter first 'went
up to him, but there was not-time for ranch; says
Pokas never acquainted-him that the Defendant dv;
dared he did not owe two pounds to any man wiion
eartli Must 'suppose that -the Defendant 56.1,v him
follow Jones up stairs when he fired. A M. Betkett
was the Attorney • in' the -aEtion ;, and 'witnesi
mitted, that, in a card he received
,frtnu him, he was
informed, that theperson who they were to arrest
under this warrant had lately come into the neigh-
bourhood of Fenchurch-street, and had previously
resided' at Chelsea.

'Mr. POOLE, for the Defendant i ably expatiate-di:n.l
the aggravated 'conduct ; of the Otlicers, and on the
probable•misconception Which such fl'trespass might
have created in the mind or the Defendant.
also commented on the non.airpearanei
• fiCer, Pokas, upon whose testimony, with. that of
;others,: the Grand Jury. found the v.ras
strange and difficult to
.reconcile thecondua of the
Officers in arrestin4 man with whose; person
one of them professed to be .acquainted, and who
hh was resident in the, same street for twelveiyeara,
with the testimony of Barber, that the pvrsorp•de-
signated,in the,writ had,, lately come into thatpart,
of the city, and had, until within a short,timesilired,
at Chelsea. If such observations did; not attiount to
a justification, in his.opinion tiler went to miti-
gate tbe,Conduel of the Defendant.

. ,
As there watinoevidenea:produeed on "the part of
the Defendant,
The Recounutt summed up the evidence at
length, and concluded with strongly impreing
upon the Jury, -that no, appralension, either, as, .to
property or liberty, can lustify any man to take
away the life of a fellow-creature. The Jury,, after
some consideration, brought in a verdict of—Guilty.
The .;tietnesi 'an:saitti,.to ascertain whether
-airy 'mitigation was intended to be moved on the
ground of mental derangement) the Counsel for the
Deßatdatit said, they'had no such instrUaiens. Mr.
G.:l4ens tnenaddressed the Court, .evidently under
agitation, stid positively denied that there was any
man wounded ; he conceived the whole ideal,. and-
deliif:?cd :the
Sulteringi he had undergone. It was
:then evident that hu was far removed crOrn pale&
:mental composure. Sentence was po.aponecl,