The Sun.
London, England, 1841-12-04 00:00:00

NEW COURT.

The Court was occupied the principal part of the morn-
ing in trying trifling cases of uttering base coin, none or
which possessed any features of general interest.
Matilda Bruce, twenty-one, was indicted for embez-
zling and stealing the sums of 41. 10s., 31.65.; and li. 10s.,
the property of John Aveny, her master.
The prisoner, in the early part of the morning, pleaded
not guilty to the indictment, but on being placed at the
bar to take her trial, she requested leave to retract her
plea for that of guilty.
Mr. CLARKSON, who appeared for the prosecution,
said that he had been instructed to state that the prose-
cutor entertained no ill feeling towards the prisoner.
From what he had heard ofler character and family, he
believed that this was her first offence, and that she bad
been induced in a moment of temptation to the commis-
sion of it.

Mr. PHILLIPS appeared for the prisoner, and called
witnesses to her character, all of whom spoke to her for-
mer honesty and previous; good conduct.
The Learned JUDGE then addressed the prisoner,
and said it was painful to pass a severe sentence on a
person so young, and upon one who had hitherto borne
so good a character. In the early part of the Session
he had sentenced a young man to eighteen months' im-
prisonment ; but her sentence would not be so heavy,
although she had been guilty of a great breach of trust.
The case was not so bad, perhaps, as the one to which
he had alluded. The prisoner was then sentenced to
twelve months' imprisonment and hard labour.
The prisoner, who appeared a very respectable young
woman, wept bitterly during the whole of the proceed-
ings,' and buried her face in her handkerchief. We un-
derstood that she had been engaged as shopwoman to the
prosecutor.

• POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MANSION HOUSE.

A ragged fish-dealer, named Stephen Berry, was
brought before the Lord Mayor, charged with having
stolen a lot of dried haddock out of the shop of a sales-
man,n along the
•
in the neighbourhood of Billingsgate.
that,
ter walk out of the sas he was passinap, and he,
strAeet,
at the same time, observed that the shopman was at some
distance within, and with his back to the street, so that
phorete sawr stated,
the
prisoner
a robbery' might have been effected without his notice.
Judging from the cut of the prisoner, and the manner
in which the man was conveying away a lot of fish, that
it was got at too cheap a rate, he ran in, and asked
whether his suspicion was just, and he and the shopman
soon collared the prisoner, who, upon turning a corner,
walked as boldly as if he had made the purchase. The
prisoner said he had paid for the lot, and pointed out a
shop in a different part of the street, from which he said
he had had it.
The LORD MAYOR—Why, Mr. Berry, you often pay
us a visit. Prisoner—Never here, my Lord. It's true
I've been to see you in Freeman's-court, Cornhill, when
I've jobbed for you.
The Loan MAYOR—I have seen you. at Guildhall
Office. This is one of your old tricks, Mr. Berry.
Prisoner—Tricks I No, your Lordship, I never played
a trick in my life. I've being doing upright business in
Billingsgate these twenty-two years.
The Loan MAYOR (to the shopman)—Do you know
anything of the prisoner ? Shopman—No, my Lord, I
never saw him before in my life.
Prisoner—Lord ! Do you hear that ? Why didn't I
go in and pay you down two bob for the haddocks as
they stood.
__ _

Shopman—Never. You never paid me a halfpenny in
your life.
Prisoner—Pon, pool Come, you know I did. All I
had was 3s. Gd. in the world, and you agreed to let me
have them for the two bob, and I put the silver shillings
into your hand.
Shopman—The price of the lot was 4s. Gd. to 55., so
that I could not have taken so small a sum.

Prisoner—All I know, my Lord, is, that the young
man did take the two bob, 'selp me G—d!—(A laugh.)
But how could any one believe him? Why he says he
don't know me; and I'm blessed if I aint been buying
fish on him for years. There !
The Lou) MAYOR—You sell your fish cheap, Mr.
Berry? Prisoner—l do, my Lord, as cheap as any
dealer, and as good, though I say it.
The LORD MAYOR—You can afford to sell it cheap,
for you get it very cheap.—(Laughter.)
Prisoner—Why, my Lord, I get it as cheap as I can.
/The LORD MAYOR—Exactly so. 'Tis for getting it at
so cheap a rate that I shall send you to the treadmill.
Prisoner—You don't-mean that, do you, my Lord ?
The LORD Mevoa—You shall certainly go either to
the treadmill or the Old Bailey. Which do you prefer ?
Prisoner—l'd rather just go between the two my Lord,
if you'll allow me.—(A laugh.)
The LORD MAYOR—I shall save the trouble and ex-
pense of a prosecution, and commit you to the mill.
Prisoner—But what are yon going to do with my fish?
The LORD MAYOR—The right owner shall do as he
pleases with that.
Prisoner—Then I suppose you'll order him to give me
up my two bob.
The Lone, MAYOR—NO. But you shall have your two
months.—(Great laughter.) He stands committed to the
treadmill for two months.
Prisoner—That's hard, my Lord. I'm very sorry
you put such a wrong construction upon the affair. 'This
is a nice business. I'm robbed.of my money and my
fish, and then I'm sent to the mill.—(Laughter.)—Com-
mitted.

MARLBOBOUG H-STREET.
Mr. William Crofts, the landlord of the Bull public-
house, in Great Windmill-street, Haymarket, was
brought up on a warrant, charged with committing a rape
upon Sarah Stevens, the wife of William Stevens, of No.
1, Angel-court, Great Windmill-street, porter.
Mr. White, of No. 2, Hatton-garden, solicitor, at-
tended on the behalf of the prisoner. The prosecutrix,
who was an ordinary looking woman, about 35 years of
age, stated, that she had been in the habit of going to
the prisoner's house for the last two or three weeks for
beer, 4nd occasionally borrowed a newspaper. On Thurs-
day, between two and three o'clock, the prisoner called
at her lodgings fur a newspaper she had. Her husband
was out at the time. She first spoke to the prisoner at
the street door, and on her going clown stairs he fol-
lowed her, uninvited, into the front kitchen, which was
the room she occupied. He shut the door after him, and
asked her if she had any children; and on her replying
that she had not any living, he took off his hat and pitt
it on the table, and then seized her in his arms,
and forced her against a bed that was folded
up on an arm-chair. The prisoner then went away ;
and in a short time afterwards her husband came in,
and seeing the room in confusion, and that she was
crying, he questioned her as to the cause, and on her
hesitating to tell him, he seized a razor, and swore that
he would cut her throat if she did not inform him of the
whole truth, and fearing that he would actually carry
his threat into execution, she related all that had passed,
and by her husband's desire she carne to this office, and
obtained a warrant against the prisoner.
The prosecutrix underwent a strict and searching
cross-examination by Mr. White, in the course of which