The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-09 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

(Before the ASSISTANT-JUDGE and the usual Bench of
Magistrates.)
John Franklin and Charles .Sibne were indicted for
stealinc, a printed book, value 18s., described as the pro-
perty of Alfred Sharp.
The charges having been clearly proved, the jury found
them Guilty, and

- -
The Court sentenced each to seven years' transports
tion.

Joseph Smith, IS, and George Swain, 18, were indicted
for stealing two pewter pots, value 25., the property of
Penelope Rod way.
From the evidence it appeared, that about two o'clock
in the morning of ;the 18th December, both prisoners
were met on the road Lear the prosecutor's house. The
officers perceiving something bulky about their persons,
asked them what they had upon them, when Swain said
they had two pots which they had found ; they then
produced the two pots in question, when the officer took
them into custody, and subsequently ascertained that the
pots had been stolen froze the Red Lion.
The ostler, at the Red Lion, identified the pots as
the property of Mrs. Rodway the prosecutrix.
The jury returned a verdict of Guilty ; and the
Court sentenced each to three months' imprisonment,
with hard labour.
The grand jury having terminated their labours at
half-past one o'clock to-day, the Foreman addressed
the Judge, and said he was requested by his brother
jurors to express their unanimous opinion that, from
the nature of the cases tried in that Court, they con-
sidered it was waste of their time, as well as that of
the Court, in sending such cases before them fur in-
quiry as could be summarily disposed of by the police
inagistretes.
The AWSISTANT-JUDGE differed very much with the
opinion of the jury as far as regarded the system of trial
by Jury, as there was no other tribunal by which jus.
tice could be done to: prisoners but by sending them be-
fore a petty jury for trial. his Lordship entered at
great length into the merits of trial by jury, during
winch he illustrated his arguments by various instances
in which, if summarily convicted, the persons would
have suffered innocently, and which we have noticed on
many previous occasions.

SURREY QUARTER-SESSIONS.
(Before Mr. PuckLE and a Bench of Magistrates.)
On Wednesday the trial of prisoners for felony com-
menced at the Court-house, Newington. The calendar
contains the names of 29 persons for felonies, independ.
ently of several more for misdemeanors, and the latter
part of the week will be occupied in the hearing of ap-
peals, chiefly relating to the removal of paupers.
Harriet and Mary Loader, of the respective ages of
20 and 24, were severally indicted for plundering a Mrs.
Hixon, of Croydon, of a great quantity of clothes and
and other property.
From the statement of Mr. Taylor, counsel for the
prosecution, and borne out by the evidence of the wit-
nesses, it appeared that the prisoners, who are sisters,
were in the service of Mrs. flixon, the prosecutrix, That
lady having, on a recent occasion, missed some of her
property, an examination took place, during which
several of the missing articles were found ii the pri-
soner Harriet's box. On a further search, another por-
tion of the property was discovered concealed in a place
to which both the prisoners had access, and this led to
their apprehension.
Mr. CHAarrock, who defended the prisoners, con-
tended that the charge was not established against the
prisoner Mary, and in the course of the defence said
that both the prisoners had borne excellent characters
up to the period of the present transaction.
The jury found Harriet Loader Guilty, and Acquitted
her sister.

The prosecutrix recommended Harriet Loader to
mercy, and the CHAIRMAN, in passing sentence on her,
observed that, but for that circumstance, the Court
would have considered it their duty to have transported
her, for there could not be a more heinous offence than
a servant robbing an employer.
The prisoner was then sentenced to twelve months'
imprisonment and hard labour in Brixton House of Cor-
rection.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
BOW-STREET.
William Edwards, a young man of 17 or 18 years of
age, was charged before Mr. Hall with stealing a cash-
box from a public-house in High Holborn.
John Creedy, the landlord of the public-house, said
that on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, from
about twelve o'clock to three, the prisoner was in the
bar-parlour of his house with some other persons, when
he had occasion to send for the cash-box, in order to
give a sovereign to a person to whom he owed that sum.
There was in the box a 5/. note, and, he thought, One
sovereign. He could not say whether it was before or
after he gave the sovereign to his friend that he counted
the money. After the prisoner had left the house he
missed the cash-box, and immediately gave notice to
the police. The box now produced was the same, and
contained his (witness's) license, and some other papers,
his property.
William Bradley, a City policeman, in private clothes,
said, that having received information, from which he
suspected that the prisoner lodged at 7, Neville's-court,
Fetter-lane, he went to that house at nine o'clock last
night, and was shown into the first-floor front room, by
the landlady, who opened the door with a key. On
searching the room, he found the cash-box now produced
concealed in the bed. It contained the landlord's license,
and some other papers now produced, but no money.
Richard Hubbard, F 82, spoke to taking the prisoner
in custody at a " hell" in the Strand, at two o'clock yes-
terday morning. He found on him a steel purse, con-
taining 31. in gold, and five half-crowns.
There being no evidence to prove that the prisoner
lodged at the house in Neville 's-court, Mr. HALL de
sired that the prisoner should be put back, while a
constable went to the house to tell the landlady to attend.
In the meantime, the prisoner sent for a solicitor, in
whose service he had been for three years, and who
he said would give him a good character, but this
gentleman said he could not give him a good charac-
ter, as, at the end of the time when he was in his service,
he absconded with 201. of his money. However, from
pity, he was induced to compromise the matter, and he
now regretted that he had not prosecuted him.
A policeman, who had made inquiries as to the pri-
soner's character, stated that he had so misconclucted
himself, that his father, who gave him a very bad cha-
racter, had been obliged to discard him, but was now
paying his rent at the house in Neville's-court.
Mrs. Skey, the landlady of the house in Neville's -court,
proved that the room wag rented by the prisoner, and that
lie lodged there alone.
The prisoner was committed for trial.
WORSHIP-STREET.
George Samuel Abrahams, described as an auctioneer
and bill broker, was charged with embezzlement, &c.
Mr. Heritage, who appeared for the prosecution, said
that the first charges he was instructed to bring forward
against the prisoner were preferred by a licensed vic-
tualler named Collins, then in attendance, and were
marked with features of a very peculiar and aggravated
character. The prosecutor had formerly been the pro-
prie ter of a house in Wellclose-square, callsd the Maho-
gany Bar, where he carried on an excellent business
until the 29th of June last, when the foundation of his
house suddenly gave way, and the entire building fell
down so instantaneously, as scarcely to leave time for the
inmates to escape with their lives. The prosecutor in
consequence of this misfortune was reduced to a state of
temporary distress and embarrassment, and several of
his friends and neighbours having proposed to get up a
subscription on his behalf, the prisoner, with whom
he had been previously rather intimately acquainted,
and who affected deeply to commiserate his situation,
volunteered his services to collect the subscriptions,
which ha had since done, to the amount, as far as
could be ascertained, of at least 45/., the whole cif
which, with the exception of about 6/., which had
been obtained from him by stratagem, he had appro-
priated to his ewn use. The prisoner had ever since
kept out of the way, until the preceding evening, when
he was apprehended upon another charge by Holland,
the warrant-officer of the Court, who afterwards
searched his house, and discovered therein a geld ring
and brooch, several volumes of Shakspere's plays, and
other articles, which had been since identified by Mr.
Collins, who had missed them at various times while the

prisoner was in the habit of visiting him and professing
the utmost sympathy for his unfortunate situation.
Holland, the warrant officer, produced the several
articles above referred to, which were identified by Mr.
Collins as having been taken from an apartment he had
occupied, and to which the prisoner had access while en.
gaged in collecting the subscriptions on his behalf.
On being asked if he wished to give any account of
his possession of the property, the prisoner-said that the
books had been lent to him by the prosecutor himself,
and that he had purchased all the other articles in Petti-
coat-lane.

Another charge was brought against the prisoner, and
Mr. BROUGHTON said he had no hesitation in remand-
ing the prisoner until Saturday next, but had no objec-
tion to accept substantial bail for his appearance.
LAMBETH,
Edward Edwards was placed at the bar, before the
Hon. G. C. Norton, on a charge of attempting to defraud
Frederick Gidney, a beer-shopkeeper, in the Waterloo-
road, of half-a-sovereign. On the preceding evening the

Mr. NORTON—What do you do for your living ?
Prisoner—l attend Smithfield on the horse-market
days, and get good bargains of nags for gentlemen, and
some others ask my opinion of cattle and give me a trifle.
Mr. NORTON—Are you a horsedealer, as I find you
have so described yourself in the police sheet ? Prisoner
—Not exactly a horsedealer, though I bees a tolerable
judge of a beast.
Mr. NORTON—WeII, what have you got to say to your
attempt to defraud the prosecutor of ten shillings, and
having in your possession those gilt pieces resembling
sovereigns and half-sovereigns ? Prisoner—They are
only counters to mark the game of cards with, and think
ing there might be some bother about them, I gut rid of
them ; but they are not base coin ; I'd scorn the action to
have anything to do with base coin.
Mr. NORTON —I find that there has been a bank-note
found upon you ; do you choose to give any account as to
the manner in which you became possessed of it ? Pri-
soner—Oh, yes ; a ballad-singer gave me that, and I
had it about me for six or seven mouths.
The note here alluded to is one of the Bank of Ilindos-
tan for 16 lass of rupees, dated 1839, and on it are writ-
ten the name of Wigram and Co., Sept. 5, '45, and Crau-
ford, Colin, and Co.
The prisoner was remanded to Saturday.
SOUTHWARK.
William Barton was brought before Mr. Cottingham,
charged with stealing a watch from the person of
Mr. Frederick Arthur, in a tavern in Duke-street,
Westminster.
The complainant stated that on the preceding day he
went to dine at a tavern in Duke-street, and that after
dinner he laid his head on the table and went to sleep.
When he awoke, which was in about an hour afterwards,
he discover. d that his watch had been taken out of his
waistcoat pocket, the guard having been cut evidently
with a sharp instrument.
A valuable watch was here produced by Cox, shorn-man
to Nfr. Tarrant, the pawnbroker, of Charlotte-street,
which the complainant identified as his property, and
to be the same of which he had been robbed as above
described.
Cox stated that on the preceding day the prisoner
came into his employer's shop, and producing the
watch, wanted him to lend 30s. on it in pledge. Wit-
ness observing that it was a valuable watch, and sus-
pecting that the prisoner had come dishonestly by it,
questioned him on the subject, and his reply at first was,
that it was his own property, but he afterwards ad-
mitted that it belonged to a captain in the army, who,
having expended all his ready cash, had, therefore,
employed him (the prisoner) to pledge his watch to raise
the wind. Witness suspecting the truth of all that had
been asserted on the occasion by the prisoner, gave
him into custody, and soon afterwards the owner of the
watch came forward and claimed it as his property.
In reply to Mr. COTTINGHAM, the complainant said
that while he was at dinner in the tavern, he had a
distinct recollection of seeing the prisoner enter the
room, and he had no doubt he afterwards availed himself
of the circumstance of his falling asleep, to plunder him
of his watch.
The prisoner was committed for trial.
Mr. Thomas Walker, described as a merchant, was
charged with committing a violent assault on a Mr. Pad-
more, of High-street, Marylebone.
The complainant said that some time since he ad-
vanced the sum of 58/. to a clergyman's widow in
Stamford-street, to enable her to purchase some fur-
niture for a house which she was about to let out in
ready-furnished lodgings. At the period of banding
over the loan, he obtained from the lady a bill of sale
by which he was empowered to dispose of the furniture
if she failed in repaying the sum advanced to her.
He had of late made repeated applications for the
money on account of the improper manner in which
the affairs of the widow's house were conducted, and
finding that they were unavailing, he therefore
on that day put the bill of sale into execution,
by taking a cart to the house for the purpose
of removing the furniture. While he was superin-
tending the removal of the goods, the defendant, who
acted on the occasion as the widow's champion, rushed
upon him, seized him by the collar, struck him violently,
and threatened to annihilate him if he dared presume
to touch the furniture, and his conduct was so outra-
geous, that he was compelled to call a policeman and give
him into custody. The complainant here produced the
bill of sale authorising him to dispose of the lady's goods
in the event of the non-payment of the money he alleged
he had advanced to her.
Mr. COTTINGHAM asked the defendant why he acted
with such violence towards the complainant, who ap
peered to have been justified by law in having acted as he
had done, in the removal of the goods.
The defendant, who seemed considerably excited, ad-
mitted the assault, but declared the provocation was so
great, and he felt so thoroughly disgusted at the conduct
of the complainant, that he could not control his temper,
and certainly did give hits a shaking.
After some recrimination,
Mr. COTTINGHAM said, as the defendant had admitted
having assaulted the complainant, he should call upon
him to enter into his own recognisance in 40/., and find
two sureties of 20/. each to keep the peace.
WANDS WORTH.
Five men were brought from the Wandsworth Union
Workhouse, charged with refusing to work.
The prisoners had been admitted on the previous even-
ing, and were supplied with supper, bed, and breakfast,
after which.they were required to work four hours at a
hand corn-mill. They all worked for an hour and then
refused to do any more, alleging that it was a sufficient
amount of labour for six ounces of bread and an ounce of
cheese. This is the usual excuse made by these men; but
the fact is, that a prison is more preferable to these stat,.
.ng wretches than the union, the dietary is more ample
and nutritious, and it is for the sole purpose of being
placed in confinement that they refuse to work, and
destroy their clothing.
Mr. PAYNTER inquired ;into the condition of the men,
the majority of whom were agricultural labourers. After
pointing out to them the labour they would have to do in
prison would be much severer than that they were re-
quired to do at the union, he asked them if they would
go back and finish their task?
The prisoners pcsitively refused to do so, and said
they preferred being sent to prison.
Mr. PAYNTER said it was a most alarming fact, that
for several months past he had, by reference to his book,
been committing casual paupers to gaol, at the rate of
2,000 a year. The increase in the county-rate would
consequently be enormous, and would no doubt be felt
very severely. He saw no remedy for this state of
things. He had tried heavy punishments and light
punishments, but it was all to no purpose. It was evi-
dent that some remedy must be adopted, but what that
remedy should be he was at a loss to say. Ile trusted
that public attention would be drawn to the fact.
Sergeant Payne, 11 V, observed that one and all of
the prisoners who were brought to the station-house,
said they preferred being in prison than in the union.
Mr. PA YNTER— This ought not to be the case; a poor
man ought not to dread the workhouse more than a
prison, nor should he be treated, when he goes there,
worse than those who have committed a crime. I have
no alternative in this case but to commit the prisoners
for fourteen days each.
The prisoners were then committed.
THAMES.
James Brown, an Irishman, upwards of sixty
years of age, was charged, on a Custom-house informa-
tion, with smuggling 15 lbs. of foreign manufactured
tobacco, by which he had incurred a penalty of 100/.
It appeared that an officer named Dean had informa-
tion that certain persons were 'carrying and convey-
ing" smuggled tobacco, and he met the prisoner, who
answered the description of one of them, in the Com-
mercial-road on Tuesday evening with a small bundle,
which appeared very heavy for its bulk, in his hand.
The prisoner was smoking a cigar at the time, and
Dean asked him what he had got in the bundle. He
made no reply to this, but attempted to drop it behind
him. The officer seized it, and on finding it contained
tobacco very closely compressed, he took him into
custody, and again asked him what it contained, and
where he obtained it. The prisoner made some very
evasive answers, but at last admitted that the bundle
contained tobacco, and that a man who had promised
to meet him at Whitechapel Church gave him the
bundle to carry. Ile was conveyed to the station-
house, and upon searching him, six pounds of corn.
pressed tobacco was found in his pockets. The bundle
contained nine pounds.
After some further proceedings.
Mr. Bnonease said, my duty is to sentence you to pay
a fine of 100/ to the Queen, and be imprisoned until it is
paid. I have no power of mitigation, but the Commis-
sioners of her Majesty's Customs have, and if you can
make out a case for their merciful consideration, it will
be attended to.
James Hornblower, a shipwright, was charged with
committing a breach of the peace and using threeteniefs
language towaros Mr. Thomas Gil: Ler, of teetts.n-street,
Poplar.
Toe complainant stated that he was foreman ship-
wright in a ship-building yard at Blackwell. The pri-
soner had been occasionally employed in the yard, about

DIED.
On the 19th of November, 1845, at Sukkur, East Indies,
Major William Hunter, of her Majesty's 28th Regiment.
Oa the Ist inst., at Buarthan, Ruthin, John Davies, Esq.
On the 4th inst., T. H. Spencer, Esq., surveyor, of Everett-
street, Russell-square.
On the 4th inst., at Bishops Stortford, Herts, J. W. B.
Case, Esq.. aged 77.
On the sth inst, at Datchet, Julia Ross Peters, the second
daughter of James Warrington La Grange.
On the sth inst., in Stanhope-street, Hampstead-road, Mrs.
M'Willi qrn.

London : Printed and Published by MUIWO YOUNG, of
No. 112, Strand, Prix/ter, at ne Sun Offiee, No. 112,
Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the county of
Middlesex, Friday, January 9, 1846.