The Sun.
London, England, 1847-12-29 00:00:00

BOW-STREET.

William Appleton, formerly an assistant to Messrs.
Shoolbred and Co. linen drapers, Tottenham court-
road, was charged with having embezzled several
sums of money collected by him on behalf of his em-
ployers.
The prisoner went into the prosecutors' employ in
January last, and soon after that period was sent
with goods to different persons, from whom he was
authorised to receive payment for articles delivered.
In one of the cases proved in evidence the prisoner
bad received 21. 19s. from a lady at West Moulsey,
in Surrey, although he only accounted for 30s. to the
cashier of the establishment ; and on another occasion
be received lls. from the housekeeper of Lady Wight-
man, of Eaton-place, Belgrave-square, without ren-
dering any account whatever of the same to his em-
ployers. The receipts presented by the prisoner were
produced in evidence against him, and also certain
letters which he had himself written upon the
subject.

The prisoner was fully committed for trial, and,
there being other similar charges against him, Mr.
Jardine refused to admit him to bail.
WORSHIP-STREET.

A thickset young fellow, named Thomas Smith,
recognized by the police as an an old acquaintance,
was charged with the following aggravated outrage
upon an elderly person named Taylor, a copperplate
printer, in Britannia-street, City-road.
The prosecutor, who exhibited a fearful cut over
the left eye, another down the forehead, and whose
right eye was almost entirely closed, stated, that
having entered the parlour of a neighbouring public-
house on the preceding evening to peruse the news-
papers, feeling much fatigued, he dropped asleep, but
was shortly afterwards awoke by a man's hand being
thrust into his waiscoat pocket, where he had placed
his money. The prisoner at the same moment walked
quickly across the room to an opposite table, on which
he buried his face in his hands, pretending to be
sound asleep;
.but, rapidly as it was done, it
was not enough so to escape the witness's observa-
tion, who raised his head and charged him with the
attempted robbery. The prisoner, who affected to be
very indignant, instantly got up, and after loading
him with the foulest abuse, commenced beating him
about the head and face in such a brutal manner that
it was only with great difficulty that, upon escaping
from him, he could stagger to the front of the bar to
seek the protection of the landlord. Before the latter
could interfere, however, the-prisoner again attacked
him, knocked him down with several blows in rapid
succession, and ran out of the house; but information
of the outrage having been furnished to the police, he
was in a few hours after traced to his lodgings by one
of the officers, who burst in his door, which he had
barricaded, and secured him.
When called upon for his defence, the prisoner de-
clared that the charge of attempted robbery was
without the slightest foundation, and originated in th•
drowsiness of the prosecutor, whom he had certainly
beaten more severely than he intended, but he consi-
dered himself justified in retaliating under such a
serious accusation, and hoped the magistrate would
let the case stand over to afford him an opportunity
of producing witnesses in refutation, and to depose to
the excellence of his character.

Mr. HAMMILL, therefore, adjourned the case for
several hours, at the expiration of which the prisoner
was again placed at the bar, but the description of
witnesses now in attendance was quite the reverse of
those the prisoner had anticipated, for Inspector
Pascoe, of the N division, stood forward and recognised
him as having been, to his knowledge, for years past,
the constant associate of thieves and the very worst
characters in that and the adjoining district, while two
other officers proved that he had not been long since
convicted upon a charge of burglary, and sentenced
to six months' hard labour for it : and that he had
also been in custody for committing a brutal assault
under nearly parallel circumstances, on a previous
occasion.

It was acknowledged that another person was in
the room at the time the alleged robbery was
attempted ; and though no suspicion could be enter-
tained against him, as he was stated to be a friend of
the prosecutor, yet as he was not in attendance to
formally prove he was not the person who had made
the attempt,

Mr. HiMMILL determined to deal with the case as
one of aggravated assault, and, after commenting upon
the prisoner's brutality, sentenced him to pay the
highest amount of penalty, namely, 51., or, in default,
to undergo two months' imprisonment in the House
of Correction ; and, as he could not pay the fine, he
was carried off in the van.
CLERKENWELL.

Dennis Brien, a powerful-looking Irishman, was
charged with having committed a cowardly and
violent assault upon Mr. Edward Cowell, of the
Bricklayers' Arms, Whitecross-street, St. Luke's;
and also with having brutally assaulted policemen
246, 125, 147, and 31 of the G division, who were all
severely injured.
It appeared that on Monday night, about half-past
11 o'clock, the prisoner and about a dozen of his com-
panions were observed walking in Whitecross-street,
and behaving themselves in a most violent manner,
and on their arrival at the house of Mr. Cowell, they
entered, and conducted themselves outrageously.
The police then interfered, and a dreadful riot ensued.
The landlord was attacked, and at length the prisoner
struck him a tremendous blow on the eye, upon
which he was seized by constable 246 G, who was
immediately knocked down, and jumped upon whilst
he was on the ground. The prisoner next attacked
the other officers with great ferocity, and inflicted
serious injuries, they being since under nit dical treat-
ment, and quite unfit for duty.
Inspector Gibbs produced certificates as to the dan-
gerous state of two of the officers injured.
The prisoner was remanded.
Another Irishman, a labourer, named Daley, was
charged with breaking a plate glass window, the pro-
perty of Mr. Cooper, of the Pied Bull, High-street,
Islington.
It appeared that an immense mob of Irishmen col-
lected together on Monday evening, and went about
demanding Christmas boxes. They besieged Mr.
Cooper's house, and conducted themselves like savages,
and the prisoner, on being prevented entering the
house, wilfully and maliciously broke the plate-glass
window, value 21. The conduct of the mobe was so
disgraceful and violent, that the police was called upon
to interfere, when an attack was made upon them,
which led to a desperate conflict, in which both sides
suffered severely. The police, in self defence, were
obliged to use their staves, and some of them were so
dreadfully injured that they are now unfit for duty,
and under medical care.
The prisoner was ordered to pay the 2/. for the
damage done, or receive a commensurate term of im-
prisonment.
Nearly the whole of the day was occupied in the
hearing of charges of drunkenness and assault of
little or no interest.