The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-09 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

(Before the Assistant-Judge, Mr. Sergeant ADAMS,
• and a Bench of Magistrates.)
The September general session of the peace for the
counts of Middlesex commenced on Tuesday at Hicks's
Hall, Clerlienwell-green. The calendar contained the
names of 118 prisoners for trial, of whom 100 were
committed charged with felony. Of that number twenty-
two prisoners were between the age of 16 and 10 years.
A Nannow ESCAPE.—Previous to the opening of the
court the prisoners whose trials are expected to come on
in the course of the day are conveyed from the prison
van to a cell beneath the court, to which there is a com-
munication by a private staircase. By some accident
the door opening into the dock was left unbolted, and
one of a batch of prisoners just placed in the cell, after
reconnoitring the position, finding, egress easy, and the
coast clear, quietly put on his hat, and passing through
the court, succeeded in making his escape. The pri-
soner's name was Rice. He was charged with stealing
goods to the value of -10 s., and, it appeared, was an old
offender, having been previously convicted on two occa-
sions. ;He would doubtless, if again found guilty, have
been transported for ten years.
JUVENILE OFFENDERS.— William Brown, aged ten
years, was indicted for stealing a cap, value 2s. 6d., the
property of George Massey, the elder. The prisoner
pleaded Guilty.

The Learned JUDGE briefly referred to the previous
sentences which had been pronounced upon this boy for
criminal offences of a comparatively trivial character,
and which he had committed in all probability from the
absence cf parental control and instruction, for he was
unfortunately an orphan, and appeared neither to have
friends nor relatives to interest themselves in his behalf.
These were circumstances which led the Court particu-
larly to commisscrate the case, and to regret the state
of the law which rendered it imperative upon the Bench
to consign the child to a prison. There was only one
satisfaction which the magistrates of the county expe-
rienced, that they had done everything which was in
their power to render the time passed by such children
within the walls of their county gaols of advantage to
their intellectual, moral, and religious improvement, but
that object it was most difficult to effect without losing
sight of the discipline and wholesome fear which should
be inseparable from criminal punishment. The truth
was, the two objects were incompatible ; but until the
Legislature provided asylums proper for the reception of
this class of children, the Court had no other course
to adopt. They had established good schools in their
county gaols, but if a proper education, with other ad-
vantages, were given to all criminal children of tender
years incarcerated in them, it was impossible not to see
that that would be a premium for the commission of
offences, that the gaols would be divested of a wholesome
terror, and diverted from the purpose for which they
were erected and maintained.

The prisoner was sentenced to imprisonment for six
calendar months in the Westminster Bridewell.

Henry Fackrell, aged 12 years, was indicted for steal.
ing four sovereigns and other moneys, the property o
Joseph Fackrell.

The boy pleaded Guilty.
The Learned JUDGE inquired into the circumstances
of the case, and finding that the prosecutor was the
child's own father, he questioned him as to his method
of training the boy. The father said he had educate'd
him, and that he had previously displayed thievish
propensities. The mother was living, and he had three
children younger and one older than the prisoner,
The Bench consulted, after which,
The Learned JUDGE said that he was almost inclined,
whenever a parent thought it necessary to bring his
child to that court, to pass a very severe sentence: Some
parents thought it a very flue thing to bring their erring
children before a magistrate, and rid themselves of the
responsibility of their punishment and reformation, for-
getting that by so doirg they stamped the brand of a
criminal upon them for life. The Court sentenced the
prisoner to confinement with hard labour in the'House
of Correction for six calendar months, one month of
which was to be spent in solitary confinement.
lionitEnv AT Bow FAIR.— William Warren was in-
dicted for stealing a watch, value 31, the property of
Henry Trower, from his person, upon the 25th of Au-
gust last.

- Mr. O'Brien defended the prisoner.
The prosecutor, accompanied by his wife, it appeared,
walked into the fair in the evening, and had not been
there many minutes when they were surrounded by a
gang of ruffians, who hustled the prosecutor, and upon
his attempting to get away from them one of their num-
ber seized his watch chain, and drawing his watch out
of his pocket, twisted it off the guard. He never lost
sight of the prisoner till be gave him into custody.
The jury found the prisoner Guilty.
The Learned JUDGE said that he was a very notorious
character, and bad only recently been sentenced to nine
months' imprisonment. From the circumstances which
had come to his knowledge, he evidently belonged to a
desperate gapg. The sentence of the Court was, that he
be transported beyond the seas for the term of ten
years.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MANSION-HOUSE.

On Saturday last, a felloW named Dennis Shine: who
had been sentenced to imprisonment for the term of 18
months for a most desperate assault, contrived to escape
from Giltspur-street Compter, after having undergone
nine months of his sentence. He had, while the brick-
layers, who have been at work at the top of that prison
were absent, managed to reach the roof by their
means of access, and after having stripped off his prison
jacket and shoes, to slip into a neighbouring house at
the garret window, and to escape through the house and
out the hall door without interruption. Shortly after
one o'clock the escape was discovered, and officers were
dispatched to watch the different neighbourhoods in
which the friends of Shine resided, as he had not a far-
thing in his possession, and would have been compelled
to seek the assistance of those who knew him, or return
to his old quarters or perish. The calculations of the
police were correct. After having undergone incon-
ceiveable fatigue in evading pursuit, he gave himself up
on Sunday morning, and was reconducted to the Comp-
ter. He contrived immediately after his escape to reach
the house of one James Conway, with whom he had
been well acquainted, and to obtain a coat, waistcoat,
and hat there, with which he expected to be able to dis•
guise himself, but that manoeuvre put Conway to incon-
venience without in the slightest degree benefiting Shine.
Conway was apprehended and charged with having
been an accessory after the fact, to the escape of Shine,
by accommodating him with the clothes. The state-
ment of the witnesse,-, went no further than proving that
the prisoner called at Conway's lodgings, and prevailed
upon Conway's wife, by operating upon her fears, to let
him have the clothes, and that at the time Conway hi:lt-
self was absent.

It appeared, from what took place during the exami-
nation, that even amongst the friends of Shine there was
so great a terror of his savage disposition, that affection
could have had very little to do with his absence from
the place to which justice had consigned him. Indeed,
he admitted, as was stated by one of the officers of the
prison, that fatigue, sore feet, hunger, and that sort of
awkward sensibility which " makes each bush an
officer," completely beat him.
Conway, who said he had no notion that the man
had escaped until informed of his visit, and of the free-
dom which he made with the wardrobe of the family,
was at once discharged.
Mrs. Ann Tomlinson, the wife of Mr. Tomlinson, of
Lower Thames street, was charged with havinc, used a
candlestick and a chair upon his head and back on the
the night before, by way of correcting him.
The complainant stated that his wife returned tome
on Sunday night in a state of the most awful intoxica-

tion, distil-64 every one in the house, used the weapons
he had described in the way he mentioned, and threa-
tened to set fire to his bed, and to burn him and every
one else in it except herself to death.

Alderman WiLioN—What did you do all this while ?
The complainant—l ran out naked into the street and
sprang a rattle.
Alderman WlLsoN—What! naked?, The complainant
—As naked as a bird or a babe just born.
Alderman WlLsoN—Why, I wonder you were not
taken into custody by the police yourself for such
an act.

The complainant—l couldn't run after her in any
other way at the time, for she tore every stitch off me.
She was so violent that she didn't leave a morsel of a
shirt on me, and I wasn't going to let her escape, when
I knew my life was in danger. I wonder she didn't tear
the skin off me at the same time.

The defendant, in a very mild tone, denied the cor-
rectness of her husband's accusation of her, and recri-
minated upon him the charge of having kept her upon
short allowance, while he was pampering himself with
civic luxuries.

The complainant—My Lord, she is quite angelical
when she pleases. She won't talk above her breath,
but by this, (striking his fist violently upon the table),
she'll murder me if you don't protect me.
The defendant, in a still milder voice than that in
which she began her defence, submitted to the Magis-
trate that her husband was only displaying a little of his
gentleness of disposition, and that some notion might
be formed of his conduct at home, when he could not
control it even in the presence of the Magistrate, be-
fore whom he had brought so degrading a charge against
his wife.

The complainant—There it is, my Lord. You see
how kind and pretty her Ards are.—(Great laughter.)
But, my Lord, you must come home to see her in her
real character. She is, and no mstake, the devil him-
self.-(Laughter.)

• ••
Alderman WILSON regretted to perceive such symp-
toms of animosity, and asked the complainant whether
he could swear that he considered himself in danger from
his wife's violence ?

The complainant—ln danger ! Why the was near
knocking me over head and heels wtth the chair. I
swear, solemnly, that my life's not worth a button while
she's at liberty. In danger ! Why I have no chance
with her at all.

Alderman %YrLsox—Well, I shall restrain her for
some time at any rate. I shall make her find sureties
to keep the peace towards you for three months.
The defendant—l thank you, my Lord.
Alderman WILSON—She must find two sureties in 101.
each to keep the peace towards you for that term. But
you'll come here in a few days and beg to hare her
discharged.—(Laughter.)
The complainant—No, I won't.
Alderman WlLsoN—Yes, you will. You'll bail her
out yourself. I know you will.
The complainant (striking the table, but not a hard
knock)—No, never. Ho then walked solemnly out of
the Nom, casting a glance at his wife in which it was

easy to see that the avenging spirit was already dying
within him.

WORSHIP-STREET.
William and Reuben Bray, two muscular labouring
men, and Mary Anne Bray, wife of the first-named pri-
soner, were placed at the bar for final examination,
charged with having assaulted and wounded police-
constable Hussey, ii 214, whereby his life had been
seriously endangered.
Several witnesses were examined, from whose evidence
it appeared, that between five and six o'clock in the
evening of Tuesday, the 26th ult., as police-constable,
K 196, was on duty in Manchester-street, Bethnal-green,
he observed the three prisoners knocking violently_at
the doors of several houses' and on requesting them to
desist, be was attacked by one of. the male prisoners
with such ferocity that he felt it necessary to hasten off
for assistance. Having met the constable Hussey in an
adjoining street, they both returned to the spot, where
the prisoners still kept up the same riotous behaviour,
and the second officer was about to seize the mo .t violent
of the three, when the prisoner, William Bray, wrested
his truncheon from him, and struck him such a violent
blow on the head that he was felled to the ground, and
rendered insensible. Finding himself unable to contend
against such powerful assailants, the other officer has-
tened once more to procure further aid, but before he
returned several" other policemen very opportunely ar-
rived, and found the three prisoners beating and kick •
ing the officer Hussey, who was lying on the ground
completely helpless and covered with blood. After a
severe struggle the prisoners were ultimately over-
powered, but it required the united efforts of nearly a
dozen policemen to convey them to the station-hoese.
Mr. Mears, the divisional surgeon, described the na-
ture of the injuries the officer had received, from the
effects of which he had ever since been confined to his
bed, and continued for several days in a state of immi-
nent danger.
Mr. Heritage, who appeared for the defence, strongly
urged. the Magistrate to deal summarily with the case,
in consideration of the previous good character of the
prisoners, but
• Mr. BROUGHTON said that the offence was of far too
serious a character to be summarily disposed of, and he
should commit the two male prisoners to Newgate for
the assault, but permit the woman to be discharged.
In the course of the day, Mr. Thomas Graeber, soli-
citor, of Billiter-square, accompanied by two of the
churchwardens of St. Matthew, Friday street, who, were
alleged to have sanctioned the removal of the extensive
deposits of broken coffins and human bones from the
vaults of the church, in. Friday-street, to the field ad-
joining the Regent's Canal, where they were found pub-
licly exposed, presented himself in Court, and intimated
to the Magistrate, that in consequence of the serious,
statements which had appeared in the. public papers
relattie to the above transaction, his clients had felt, it
their duty to -come forward at once, and express their
readiness to furnish every information on the subject
whenever their attendance was required, and they confi-
dently expected to put quite a different, complexion on
the case, and to afford such an explanation as would be
considered in every respect satisfactory.
Mr. BROUGHTON said that it would be premature at
present to offer any observations on the subject, as the
investigation would be resumed on Friday next, when
every opportunity would be afforded them to offer what-
ever explanation it was in their power to furnish.
WOOLWICH.

Captain John Patterson, of the collier brig Volunteer,
from Cardiff, appeared to show cause wby he refused to
pay three of his crew, named Charles Smith, John
Chapman, and John Thomson, able seamen, their full
wages.
Charles Smith, who acted as spokesman for his mess-
mates, stated that on the 10th of August they shipped
on board the Volunteer at Cardiff, for Landon and back,
at 41. 10s. per month. They signed articles on these
terms. As soon as the brig reached London the master
(Patterson) discharged them, leaving them to get back
to Cardiff in the best way they could. The defendant
offered them the wages due to them, but left them to get
home to their wives and families as they pleased. On
telling the defendant of the agreement entered into he
threatened to kick them over the side of the vessel.

Captain Patterson produced the articles, and said that
it would be seen nothing was mentioned of the voyage
back at all, and that there was their mark attached to

it; he Lad only acted in accordance with his orders from
the owners.

Smith raid the captain read the articles over to them
very differently, and they -signed their marks (not being,
able to read and write) with the understanding that the
voyage was from Cardiff to London and back. This was
always their practice. They bad been five days without
money to purchase food.
The defendant at length offered. to ship them home,
but they refused to go after such treatment. The cap-
tain said he was bound to act by the magistrate's deci-
sion, but the owners desired him to discharge them at
the end of the voyage.
Mr. TRAILL said that articles ought to be read over in
the presence of the crew, then defendant could prove by
one or more of them. The magistrate then ordered the
residue of the wages to be paid.
The balances being paid, the parties withdrew.
.HAMME.RS.II/11TIL
- -

John Welham alias Greenwood, George More, George
Gardener, James Gardener, and John Jackson, alias
Smith, five members of a gang of thieves, known as
" Greenwood's Westminster Gang," were brought up
before Mr. G. Clive, the sitting magistrate, for final
examination on the following charge of burglary:—
Thomas Sapp deposed that he was one of the park-
keeperr, residing at Hyde4ark- gate, Kensington. About
five o'clock on the morning of Tuesday, the Ist inst., he
left the gate-house and went within the park, by tl e
side of the high road, to unlock the gate by the Half-
way house. On the way he saw the prisoners Jackson
and More by the nursery of Messrs. Gray and Co., on
the other side of the high road. The prisoner More had
a picture in a gilt frame under each arm, and Jackson
was en a little before him. On passing Park-house
they turned into the meadow at the side of the road on
which Ennismore-gardens are about to be built, and as
he passed he saw them standing behind some pales. Wit-
ness then went on, and unlocked the gate by the Half-
way-house, and as he returned he saw toe same two pri-
soners together at the end of Park-house-wall, without
the pictures. They then came out into the l;igh road
again, and went down it until they met the other
three prisoners, a distance of about one hun-
dred and fifty yards, and after a little conversation the)
turned back, the five together, and walked towards the
meadow. • Witness was at that time unlocking the small
gate opposite the Countess of Blessington's, after which
he went home and unlocked the carriage gates. He
then went out into the high road, when he saw the five
prisoners coming buck from the direction of the meadow
along the high road until they came to Gore lane, lead
ing to the Brompton-road, down which they turned, and
witness lost sight of them. Witness went immediately
in search of a policeman. Witness assisted the police to
search in the, meadow for the pictures, when they found
the two produced under a large mortar board, which was
covered over with a number of tiles. Witness had no

..„
doubt but they were the two pictures he saw the prisoner:-
More and Jackson carrying. Witness also found one of
the handsome china chimney ornaments and the roll of
brown holland produced in Hyde-park, within the -rail.
ings, just under the coping-stone. All the prisoners
had passed and repassed the spot.-
'Dunbar, T 91, corroborated the evidence of the pre-
vious winless as to the finding of the pictures. Witness
also found the ivory work-box produced, and in it
several letters addressed to " Henry Duesbury, Esq.,
No. 1, Upper Gore, Kensington." Witness accordingly
went to Mr. Duesoury's house, which was about. 200
yards distant. lie found one of the drawing-room win-
dows open, and on going into the drawing-room he saw
both foot and hand marks on the window-sill, both out-
side and inside.

Amos, T 151, deposed to having assisted the two
previous witness in searching the meadow, both
on the morning of the burglary and on the
following day. On the latter, witness found the china
standing dish, the chimney ornament, the card case, four
D'Oyleys, and four damask table napkins, produced.
The latter have Mr. Duesbury's name on them.
Sergeant Skelton, B 4, gave testimony as to the ap-
prehension of the prisoners.
Sarah Hailes deposed that she was cook in the ser-
vice of Mr. Duesbury. The drawing-room windows
look into the high road. On the Monday night witness
shut the drawing-room doors. It was not the custom
to shut the drawing-room window, it being sixteen feet
from the ground. The next morning she found the
room had been entered by means of the window. The
pictures, china ornaments, and other articles produced
were all the property of dr. Duesbury, and were of the
value of 501. and upwards.
The prisoners' all denied any knowledge of the rob-
bery, and behaved with the greatest levity.
The police said the prisoners Jackson and Welham had
been before convicted, and the others were well-known
thieves.

The prisoners were fully committed to Newgate for
trial.

PUNISHMENTS IN THE FRENCH ARMY.--in
official report on punishments in the French army, during
1845, contains the following:—Of 334,091 men, com.•
prising the municipal guard and the fire-brigade, such
being the effective force of the army, 4,100 men had
rendered themselves ameanablo to punishment, or
a proportion of 1 in 84. Of this. number 2,987
wore sentenced, which gives aproportlon of 1 to 112.
The number of condemnations t 9 peines afflic•
elves et infamantes, that is to say, death, imprison
ment, herd labour, solitary confinement, was 420. Con.
demnations to peines correctionnelles were 2,567. The
peines infamantes inflicted were as 1 to 795. The peines
correctionnelles, 1 in 130. Of 90 capital sentences, 85
were commuted by the royal mercy. Of the five
who suffered death, one was for the assassination of a
Frenchman in France, one for the murder of a French-
man in Algeria, one for insubordination, in Algeria,
and two for acting as spies against the French in Algeria.
Among the volunteers the proportion is 1 accused in 27,
and 1 condemnation in 35. Among the recruits the pro
portion is 1 accused in 103, and 1 condemned in 148.
Substitutes, 1 accused in 51, and 1 condemnation in 68.
In the cavalry, 1 condemnation in 134 ; in the infantry,
1 in 108. ' Artillery, 1 in 104; in the engineers 1 in 231.
Among the veterans 1 in 177. Among the staff and
scholars from military schools not a single case of repri-
mand. In the fire-brigade at Paris 4 condemnations in
653 men. The municipal guard only had 3 condemna-
tions in an effective corps of 3,158 men. Among the
gendarmerie, in 15,000 men there was only one case of
reprimand and one condemnation.

SLEEPY VETERANS.—A curious notice is posted on
the chapel door of Greenwich Hospital, stating that
complaint has been made that many of the pensioners
are in the habit of sleeping during divine service. The
bcatswains are therefore directed to wake them, unless
the y are very old and infirm, and especially during the
reeding of the creed, and to report all such offenders to
he captsia of the week.

COMMISSION OF LUNACY ON
MRS. CUMMING.
FOURTH DAY.
The proceedings in the above singular and extraor-
dinary case were resumed
.yesterday at the al°
Tavern, Kennington, at which the lady (Mrs. Cummieg)
was present, as before—Mr. James and Mr. Cole „ar
peering as counfs,-I for the commission ; and Mr. re'
tersdorff, with Mr. Parry, on the part of Mrs. Cummil
The first witness examined was a young lady name,
Lucia Wrixen, of Quebec-street, Montague-place, ".
stated, that having seen the reports in the newspapers
of the first part oethis inquiry, she wrote to her mother;
and was consequently brought to town, and introduce"
to Mr. Dangerfield, solicitor to the commission, by whris
she had been subpcenaed. In the spring of 1842 511..
Cumming called on her mother relative to a charade;
of a servant, and she remained about four hours. ljbee
conversation and conduct appeared very flighty: °it,
not only sat on the sofa, but in every chair In till,
room. She talked incoherently, frequently losing t e
thread of her conversation, and running from °I?.,
subject to another. " She expressed a wish," stliu
the witness, "to make our aequaintaacc, and #1,1,31;
cited us to her house, at Maida Vale. I
with my mother and sister. She called for us, ,a to
took us in her carriage. We were shown ill h
the drawing-room, in which I was very wilpent
surprised to fled there were no chairs oie'r
one—an easy chair—and she told is to make curse'?es
comfortable.—(Laughter.) She left the room, sta),;!11
away half an hour or more, and we were kept stanuln„'
all the while. She then returned, and some chairs weer
brought, and she afterwards brought some tea from bra
bedroom, and also a plate with shrimps. There "ice
,about a, dozen shrimps in the plate.—(Laughter.) the
were about two hours and a half at tea.. She did the
honours of the table. She poured out the first cuP;lg-
after about an hour and a half (Mrs. Cumming 121%- a
all the w)ile) she gave us the second eup.—ene%.roc,
laughter.) She said she kept the hens in herbdfc°ll,
and she brdught an tegg from her bedroom, saying
she saw all the eggs laid before her, and ttlat each ern
cost her half-a-crown. She took a silver salver from 'ts
sideboard, and fed the cats upon it, saying that her cote
were always fed upon silver. On that occasion sty
spoke to us of her family, saying that she had an 14
child, a daughter, seven years of age, who Was v
beautiful and very accomplished, and was adopted
i;t
a colonel and his family. She called upon us ulli.°ll,
three times afterwards, at our residence in
chester.street, once to abuse the servant. Her ..-a6
was very absurd, her mantilla fallina• off her shoultle'ii
and her bonnet covered with gwers inside are
out. She was not particularly clean ; her hands /v:t-' e
dirty, and her nails particularly so. At her house "e'a
had a little girl, whom she said was an orphan, a hocl‘s,a
to tremble in her presence. She said the little girl '4
some property, and that her aunts were contin°,,th
bothering her to get her property away. We at lell°a
discontinued her acquaintance, and when she called ag"
refused her admission. her
The witness, in her cross-examination, said that
sole object in coming forward voluntarily was to 1)r°:;$
this lady's insanity. With respect to Mrs. Cumrciv:re
bonnet, there were not so many flowers in it as there 0,1
in Covent-garden, but they were of as many hues old
varieties. Her eyes rolled most particularly ; she co
not show the jury how, but there was no one in Cello
whose eyes rolled like her's, nor had she seen any
persons do so who were of sound mind. CuOn this witness departing from the Court, Mrs. 0
ming proposed to kiss her.
Dr. Pritcb -d, nf th' -alder Vra

riteharu, one of the commissioners u_
Ashley's Lunatic Act, stated—l went with another °III:
missioner to examine Airs. Cumming, at York 11°%ei
and after examining her I was decidedly of opinion trtite
she was of unsound mind. The witness went on to stre,
the ground of his opinion, which was similar to the P
vious medical testimony. sa'
There was nothing material in the other evidence
duced, and the inquiry was main adjourned.