The Sun.
London, England, 1841-08-26 00:00:00

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.

(Before the RECORDER.)
Emma Walmsley, aged 18, was indicted for feloniously
stealing three bank-notes of the value of 201., and one
sovereign, the property of Victoire Givry, in the dwel-
ling-house of Harriet Young.
Mr. C. Phillips-defended the prisoner.
The prosecutor lodged in the house of Mrs.
Young, and the prisoner was her servant. The
money was kept in a box in the prosecutor's
room. The prisoner was suspected, as she had purchased
a great quantity of things about the time the money was
missed. These she stated she had from her relations,
who, it appeared, were in very good circninstnnees:' As.
soon as the loss was discovered, Mrs. Young went to the
prisoner in the presence of the prosecutor, and told her
it would be better for her to confess, and she said she
knew nothing about it, but that she had taken a few ar-
ticles out of the box. This she afterwards denied, and
said she had them from her grandmother.

Mr. Titulars addressed the Jury on behalf of the pri-
soner, contending that the evidence tendered was not
legal.
The Learned RECORDER summed up the evidence,
and told the Jury that the sat'est course for them to pursue
would be to acquit the prisoner, as the course adopted
towards the prisoner by the witnesses for the prosecu-
tion was not legal. The Jury then acquitted the prisoner.
The RECORDER then addressed the prisoner, and said
that had the witnesses been more discreet, and had the
fact of his having gone to the box of the prosecutor been
legally and satisfactorily proved, he should have felt it
his duty to have sent 1-re-r out of the country. He hoped
her present situation would be a lesson to her for the
future.

Henry Crane, aged 22, shoemaker, was indicted fbr
feloniously breaking and entering the dwelling-house
of Edward Carruthers, and stealing one work-box, one
teacaddy, and one watch, his property.
The prosecutor lives at Brentford, and the prisoner
was formerly his servant. On the 13th of August he
missed the property named in the indictment, and gave
information to the police. The prisoner was taken into
custody, and on his being searched several pawnbrokers'
duplicates were found upon him, which on being taken
to the pawnbrokers were found to be for the missing ar-
ticles. The pawnbroker proved that the prisoner pledged
the articles which were sworn to by the prosecutor.
The prisoner being called upon for his defence said, it
was his first offence, and he begged his sentence would
be a light one. _

The RECORDER having summed up the evidence the
Jury immediately reatrncd a verdict of Guilty.
The prisoner was sentenced to ten years' transporta-
tion, being the lightest punishment the law awards to
this offence.

Thomas Grant, aged 19, was indicted for feloniously
stealing 29 silver spoon, two ladles, 12 forks, and four
knife rests, value 301., the property of William Abbot,
Esq., in his dwelling-house.

Thomas Body stated that he was servant to the prose-
cutor, and had the care of the plate. On the 11th
August he missed the plate, in question, and gave infor-
mation of the loss to the• police, and the prisoner was
subsequently taken into custody.
Edward Knight Maddox stated, that he was on a visit
at the hOuse of Mr. Abbott, the prosecutor, and on the
11th August he saiv.the prisoner coming from the house,
and saw him drop two spoons. Saw him in conversation
with a boy, and pOrsued him ; and came up to a hedge
where the prisoner hid himself. Did not succeed' in
capturing him. It was close to the house of the pro-
secutor. The boy, has not been taken into custody.
William Glabill, the police-officer who took the pri-
soner into custody, stated that he found several spoons
and forks under the hedge where the prisoner hid him-
self, which place was pointed out to the witness by Mr.
Maddox.

Another officer, also deposed to having found several
articles of plate in a lane near the hedge.
This being the case for the prosecution,
Mr. BALLANTINE addressed the Jury for the prisoner,
and the Recorder having summed up, the Jury returned
a verdict of Guilty, and the prisoner was sentenced to
ten years' transportation.
The prisoner had .been previously convicted, and sen-
tenced to two years' imprisonment.
(Before Mr. Justice ERSKINE and Mr. Justice COLERIDGE.)
IVna. Beckwith, aged 19, and Harriet Foot, aged 21, were in-
dicted for feloniously counterfeiting the Queen's current coin.
The fact was clearly ptpved against the male prisoner, but the
Jury did not think the evidence sufficient against the female.

Mr. Justice ERSKINE then sentenced the prisoner to 15 Years'
transportation.

John Errington, aged 34, was indicted for feloniously carnally
knowing and abusing Susannah Heskins, under the age of ten years.
Mr:BODKIN conducted the case for the prosecution.

Susannah Heskins was called, and placed upon the table in the
Court, and a thrill of horror ran through the Court, as she appeared
to be under the age of five years. From questions the Learned
Judge put to her he thought the Court could not proceed on her
evidence. The poor little girl was still labouring under a loath-
some disease, the result of the cffence charged.
The facts are totally unfit for publication.
The prisoner was found guilty of the whole charge, and
The Learned JUDGE, in passing sentence, said that he had been
guilty of a most unnatural offence, by which he had forfeited his
life to the laws of his country. He should be wasting the time
of the Court by addressing many observations to him (the prsoner)
who had proved himself of so abandoned a mind. Under
all the circumstances 'of the case, the full penalty would
not be carried intoeffeet, although judgment of death would be re.
corded against him. But he must not expect to be spared his life
but by the sevi rzst punishment the law could inflict, short of death,
and it was not fit that he should remain in the country. Enough
had transpired to make the Court believe that that was not the first
time he had been guilty, of such a crime, and the language he
had used, in reply to the language of indignation addressed to
him by the friends of the poor child, showed that he felt no contri-
tion for what he had done, and. led the Court to believe that he
was a man whose unnatural passions had led him to commit the
offence. In this particular case there seemed to be an addition to
this—a selfishness of purpose, common indeed to parties in the
lower grades of life, who suppose that by having connection with a
child of tender years they thereby free themselves from disease.
He (the Learned Judge) never failed to make it public when cases
of this description were brought before hint how mischievous
and at the same time how perfectly groundless that notion was. He
(the prisoner)' had contracted a loathsome disorder, which he had
no objection to cast upon the poor child, and, as far as her age was
capable, contaminated her mind. He must rest assured that he
would leave his native laud for the rest of his days.
The prisoner, who pbssessed the most forbidding and ferocious
ountenance, was tben removed from the bar.