The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-06 00:00:00

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT

OLD COURT.

Joseph Heaviside sv-rendered t 3 answer an indict-
ment charging him with the offence of 'misdemeanour.
From the statement of the Learned Counsel for the
prosectrion, and the evidence that was adduced, it ap-
p tared that the defendant was the mate of a Nessel call, d
the Nunez, and the o`fence R ith which he was charged
was having committed a series of assaults upon a lid
named John Huggard, who was an apprentice on board
the vessel. According to the statement of the prosecutor,
a rather weakly but intelligent boy, he sailed from
Shields on a voyage to Alexandria with coals, and when
they were near Gibraltar the defendant beat him severely
with a rope's-end, and when they were in the harbour of
Alexandria, and the coals were being discharged, he was
set to " trim" the lighter, that shovel the coals level
as they were discharged from the vessel, and because
he was not strong enough to do it, he said the mate
pelted him with large pieces of coal, which made wounds
on both his legs, and that the captain put bluestone into
the wounds, and he also said that after this, and while
his legs wt re very bad, the mate used to jeer him, and
tell him to go aft and "get his bluestone." He likewise
said, that because he could not learn the compass the
defendant used sometimes to give him a couple of dozen
blows on his hand with a shoe, which made his hands
very sore, and caused lumps to come upon his wrists.
In cross-examination, the boy admitted that he might
hare d—d the black cook, and that he had said he should
like to leave the ship. He likewise said, that on the occa-
sion when he was struck with the rope, he had been
ordered to see that the cook did not waste the water
when he served it out, and that he neglected to do so,
and told the mate that he had "turned in" instead.
Mr. Brown, the medical superintendent at Stangate
Creek, proved that on the arrival of the vessel in England
he examined the person of the witness, and found some
sores about his ankles, but in answer to a question from
the Court, he said he did not think they could have been
osceceamseiodnetod
hiinm
mthe oreway
like sttahteediebjy the
boy,
or3,but they
that
wo oldheoc-
casioned by the ;friction of a shoe upon a tender skin
irritated by salt water.

Mr. CanicsoN, in addressing the jury for the de-
fendant, argued that it was a most trumpery charge ;
that with regard to the story about throwing the coals it
had been negatived by the evidence of the surgeon, and
as to beating with the rope, the defendant was perfectly
justified in inflicting it, by reason of the complainant's
neglect of his duty in not reporting to him, upon so im-
portant a subject to a ship at sea, as the waste of the
water that was on board.
The RECORDER having summed up, the jury, after
deliberating a short time, returned a verdict of Not
Guilty.
Mr. PAYNE applied to have the defendant held to
bail, to answer any indictment that might be preferred
against him. He had committed a great many other
assaults upon the boy besides those which formed the
subject of the present indictment.
Mr. CLAniesori objected to this, as the vessel was about
to sail. He said the captain of the Nunez was ready to
cancel the boy's indentures, and that would ( ffectively
prevent the parties from coming into collision in future.
The mother of the complainant having consented to
this course, the indentures were cancelled, and the de-
fendant was then discharged.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MANSION-HOUSE.

A man named Rob'rt Thompson, who was known in
the neighbourhood of Stag-alley, Bartholomew-lane, at
the time of the railway fever, was brought before the
Lord Mayor yesterday in the custody of a policeman,
charged with having stolen a banker's receipt for money
on account of a railway company.
Mr. James Hitchin, of Newington-terrace, Brunswick-
place, Dover-road, stated that he was a gentleman out
of business, and that to the best of his recollection, on
the 17th September last, at about one o'clock, the pri-
soner came to him at the Hall of Commerce, to which he
was a subscriber, and had him called out. The prisoner
said that he came from Mr. Gibbons, who was known to
witness, for the banker's receipt for the d posits on 40
shares in the British and Irish Union Railway. The de-
posits were 3/. per share, amounting hi the whole to 1201.
Witness, believing that the prisoner was duly authorised
to receive the document, went to Mr. Brown, of Thread-
needle-street, procured the receipt, and handed it to the
prisoner, who waited for him outside the Hall of Com-
merce, and stated, upon being put in possession of it, that
he had to go as far as Westminster, and would return in
an hour or an hour and a half. Witness waited in
anxious expectation until five o'clock, but the prisoner
never returned, and witness then went to the house of
Mr. Gibbons, of Collet-place, at the East-end, oil and
colour manufacturer, to ascertain what could be the cause
of the delay. Mr. Gibbons said that he had neither
given the prisoner authority to get the banker's receipt,
nor even seen the prisoner at all upon the subject. The
prisoner disappeared altogether for some time, but wit-
nE determined to punish so flagrant a violation of
honesty and good faith, and never dropped the pursuit
until he succeeded in apprehending the " stag.'
The Lone MAYOR—Was it not an unusual course to
give a banker's receipt for money without a written ap-
plication or order from Mr. Gibbons ? Witness (as our
reporter understood the witness)—No. Mr. Gibbons
was to sign the deed upon producing the receipt.
The LORD MAYOR—And you did not require any
authority from Mr. Gibbons ? Witness—No. I never
thought that any was at all necessary.
The LORD MAYOR—And you have lost 1201. by the
disappearance of the receipt ? Witness—That was the
deposit-money I paid ; but my loss in the affair was
Hot That was the amount of the value of the shares.
They were bought in against me at Liverpool at 31
premium, and I have spent 101. more in my endeavours to
bring the prisoner to justice.
An attorney who attended for the prisoner, and who
evidently thought he could make people look at the
complaint as a mere joke, said he had a question or two
to ask of the witness, if the Lord Mat or considered that
the case required any inquiry at all.
The LORD MAYOR having intimated that he looked
upon the charge as being one of rather a serious kind,
The prisoner's attorney—Pray, was the allotment of
the shares made to you ? Witness—No. I purchased
the letter of allotment.
The prisoner's attorney—The Act says that the party
to whom the allotment is made must be the person who
is to sign the deed, and that he alone is responsible.
Now, there is nobody at all responsible.
The LOAD MAYOR—But that question has nothing to
do with this. This gentleman was induced by the repre-
sentation of the prisoner to part with his property. It
does not signify what sort of property is in question.
It was of value to the owner.
The prisoner's attorney—l think the name of the
person to whom the shares were allotted was Fletcher,
was it not ? Witness—l think it was.
The prisoner's attorney—You think it was. Are you
not sure of it ? Witness—Yes, I can swear the name
was Fletcher.
The prisoner's attorney—My Lord, these things were
never shares. There was no deed signed, fur nobody
knows anything of Mr. Fletcher.
The LORD MAYOR—That does not signify one far-
thing. The banker's receipt everybody must know is
valuable security for the deposits. There may be quite
enough in this business to justify the commitment of
the prisoner to the Central Criminal Court for the
robbery.
The witness—l request your Lordship will remand
the prisoner for a few days, until I shall have the op-
portunity of producing Mr. Gibbons.
The prisoner's attorney—My Lord, I hope you will
call upon the prosecutor to produce the R,..verend Wm.
Fletcher, to whom the shares he claims as his are said to
have been allotted.

The LORD MAYOR—You may produce him upon
your side, if you please, as your witness, or Mr.
Ilitchin may call him upon his.
The prisoner's attorney--My Lord, it is quite clear
that this is altogether a stagging job. There is no
principal who can be acknowledged as entitled to sign
the deed.
The LORD MAYOR—It is time that the " stags" should
be brought to justice. I hope we shall be able to
stag" some of them here.
Remanded till Wednesday.
A poor woman, named Margaret Wright, upwards of
70 years of age, was brought before the Lord Mayor by
Captain Kincaid, the governor of Bridewell hospital.
Captain Kincaid said that the old woman had been
some time since committed to Bridewell for two months,
for having broken a window, and was sent, upon being
discharged from that prison, to the City of London
Union, in Cannon-street, for the purpose of being con-
veyed to her parish in the country. By her own ac-
count, after she had remained at the Union-house at
Peckham for a fortnight, she was discharged, although
she was anxious to be allowed to remain at that asylum.
The LORD MAYOR—She did not discharge herself ?
Captain Kincaid—She says she wished to stay there,
for she was in a state of utter destitution, and that the
authorities would not allow her to remain beyond Mon-
day morning.
The LORD MAYOR—I must say it is very discreditable
to the authorities of the large union of the City of Lon-
don to hear such complaints. They will not take the
trouble to make inquiry into the cases brought before
them, and thus the poor are doubly afflicted, and an
enormous increase of expenditure takes place. I have
this day received an account of the mischief done in the
breaking of windows during the last year, by persons
who came here in consequence,' in most instances, of the
defective system of the City of London Union.
From Ist Jan. to 31st Dec., 1845.
Total number of persons charged before the
Lord Mayor with breaking windows
Total number of panes of glass broken by the
above
Total estimated value of the above .•..• £44 13 0
Of that number persons charged with breaking
windows of the Manion-house B2
Number of panes broken at the Mansion-house 103
Value of glass destroyed at the Mansion-house £2B 12
The LORD MAYOR observed that the amount of the
expense incurred, according to the list he had read,
would have diminished the expenses to which the City
was subjected by the extraordinary conduct pursued by
the authorities of the union.

The old woman, in answer to questions put to her by
the Lord Mayor, said that she had two brothers in Cum-
berland, farmers, and she believed they would now have
no objection to support her. She had, when only four-
teen years of age, thought for herself when she was
in-
capable of judging, and married a soldier, and her family
looked down upon her, but she hoped they would (those
who remained of them), now that :he was aged and in-
firm and destitute, forgive and assist her.
The LORD MAYOR said hel would take care that the
poor creature should be safely and comfortably conveyed
to Cumberland. His Lordship said he could not take a
better opportunity of returning his most grateful thanks
to the press for the able manner in which they had re-
sponded to his call for assistance in rendering service to
the poor children who were to be seen about the streets
in a friendless and deplorable condition. He had received

a great rumber of valuable communications npon the
subject, and he had not the slightest doubt that a remedy
w uld in a short time be applied, and in all probability
efficaciously, to the alarming evil.
Mr. James Young, the master of the Fairy steam-boat
was summoned for that, being in the command and ma-
nagement of the Fairy :team-boat in the Thames, he did
on the 29th of December, wilfully and carelessly nevi-
gate such vessel, whereby certain danger was incurred
by persons on board another steam-vessel, contrary to
the rules and regulations laid down by law.
Mr. Thomas Gun, master of the Ant steam-vessel,
said that on Monday, at one o'clock, on the passage from
the Adelphi to London-bridge, and as he passed Lon-
don-bridge, the Fairy came on his quarters, and forced
the nose of his vessel upon the Bridegroom steam-vessel,
on her passage to Chelsea, and if the Bridegroom had
not gone astern, great damage and danger would have
been incurred.

Mr. Banyan (from the Watermen's and Lightermen's
Company) stated that the rules and bye-laws had been
only just published, and the owners, &c., of the steam-
vessels were nut yet aware that they had been sanc-
tioned. It was proper to state that Baron Platt, to
whom the rules and bye-laws had been submitted, had
confirmed them on the 22d day of December.
The LORD MAYOR said he should go no further in
this case, as the rules and bye-laws could not be well
known, but he should punish in all future cases ; and
he directed that copies of the rules and bye-laws should
be published for the instruction of all parties. He more
particularly called the attention of the masters of those
vessels who had been in the habit of racing and over-
loading, to the orders to which he alluded. He should
most positively put every one of the regulations in
force, and give no quarter.
WES7'AfINSTER.
John Watson Cusworth, a mechanic, was charged with
stealing 5L
The accused, who was formerly assistant-secretary to
an Odd Fellows' Lodge, held at Mr. Ilessen's, the Two
Chairmen, Dartmouth-street, Westminster, was en-
trusted with 51. on the 17th of last June, to send to the
Loyal Bush Lodge, near Manchester. It was subse-
quently ascertained that he neglected to remit the money ;
and it having been ascertained that he had gone to
Liverpool, a warrant was obtained against him at this
Court, and he was apprehended on Saturday by Collar,
one of the warrant officers.

In defence, the prisoner alleged that he had inclosed
the 51. note in a letter addressed to the " N. G.," and sent
it by post, at the Lodge at Manchester.
A solicitor, who appeared for the prosecution, asked
for a remand, in order that witnesses might be brought
from Manchester to prole that the money had not been
remitted.

A solicitor, who appeared for the prosecution, asked
for a remand, in order that witnesses might be brought
from Manchester, to prove that the money had not been
remitted.

Mr. Born inquired whether the accused was a memb?r
of the society at the time the money was entrusted to
him, and having been answered in the affirmative, said
that, in his opinion, a great difficulty presented itself in
the matter as part of the money, it might be alleged,
was prisoner's own, he being one of those who con-
tributed to the fund.

The solicitor thought that that was rather a question
for anotker tribunal than for the magistra:o's considera-
tion.

Mr. BOND disagreed with the professional gentleman.
It was, he considered, his (the Magistrate's) duty to take
care that there was a legal charge against a man before
he sent him for trial.

The prisoner having, in answer to Mr. Bond's inquiry,
said that he could find sureties,
Mr. BOND consented to take bail, provided notice was
given, for his appearance in a week.
'We are requested to acknowledge the receipt of 10/.
from the Goldsmiths' Company, for the poor-box.

MAieLBOROCGR-STREI7;T.
Robot Wood Ashdown, John Hart, alias Bullock, John
Thompson, alias Weeks, - Lawren, alias Lawrence,
John Belasco, F. Neine, George Sampson, John Mason,
Frederick Ralph, and Lewis Gerhard, were brought be-
fore Mr Maltby, charged by the police with being gam-
hien., and with having been found in a common gaming-
house in Castle street, Leicester-square. The visit, on
Saturday night, by the police, is the recond visit of the
sort within a short period.
Superintendent Beresford, C division, proved that the
police had received information, and that the proper
legal steps had been taken to warrant their entry into
the house. About 12 o'clock on Saturday night, he
took a number of constables to the house, and, after a
short delay, obtained an entrance to an upper room,
where the defendants wore assembled. There were no
gambling implemenis visible, but some dice, cards, and
boxes were afterwards found in various parts of the pre-
mises. The upper room was very difficult of access.
The only way of admission was through a sort of trap
door, which was secured inside- by two strong bolts.
Persons wishing to enter the rocm rang a bell, and if
they were known the trap door was lifted up, and they
were admitted.

Police-sergeants Wholl and Gray, proved the appre
hension of the prisoners, and stated that they were all
known as gamblers.
The defendant Lawrence denied this. He said he had
only just returned from America.
Whall produced a china dice-box which he found in
the room. Police-constable Thompson, 47 F, found two
dice in the fire-place and a bank-box. Inspector Par-
ker found two dice in the, yard, one false, and the su
perintendent found a pack of cards on the roof of the
beer- shop.
Police-constable C 178 said he was told by his super-
intendent to go to the gambling-house in Castle-street,
at twelve o'clock, and to see and hear all he could. Wit-
ness went on the roof of the house and opened a trap-
door, which gave him a view of the gaming.room and its
inmates. Bad been there a very few moments when one
of the persons in the room called out " Here's the police
coming ; they will be here in a moment, put everything
on one side." Witness then saw some one throw a pack
of cards on the fire. Another person in the room said,
"Let us go out this way," meaning by the window ; but
some one answered, " No ; let us burn all the lot, and
stand our ground, and then they can't hurt us." The
police then entered the room, and took all present into
custody.

Ashdcwn, who was supposed to be the proprietor,
said he opened the door as soon as summoned to do so
by the police. lie doubted the possibility of the con-
stable seeing anything that_passed in the room from his
place at the trap-door.

- The defence Of Lawrence, Ralph, Neine, Hart, Samp-
son, Williamson, Gerhard, Ashdown, and Thompson,
was that they merely went to the place for a cup of
coffee ; Belasco said he went to collect a debt.
Three others, who had a lawful excuse for being in
the house, were discharged ; one released on bail did not
appear. . _

Mr. MALTBY inflicted a fine on the ten defendants o
40s. each.

MARY LEBO...NE.
Mr. John Douglass, lessee of the Marylebone Theatre,
attended before Mr. Rawlinson, with the view of being
allowed to make a declaration, under the circumstances
below stated.—

It appeared that Mr. Doughus had purchased car-
, riages of different desceiptions, and amongst them was
the vehicle well known to most about town as being the
property of " Romeo Coates ;" the motto thereon was
in Latin, signifying " While I live I'll crow." Romeo's
"drag" was, with a number of others, placed for security
and convenience at Mr. Goldspring's, Copland-street,
with an understanding that he was to keep them in re-
pair, and on Wednesday last a distraint for rent was
made upon him (Mr. Goldspring). Mr. Douglass, who
had in his possession a receipt for all claim that could
have legally been made upon him up to the period of the
distraint alluded to, obtained the Magistrate's signature
to the declaration which had been 'drawn up, and Mr.
Douglass will no doubt, through the manner in which
he has proceeded, obtain the property which he claims.
WORSHIP-STREET.
Georgiana Dempsey, in an advanced state of preg-
nancy, was placed at the bar before Mr. Broughton,
eharged with cutting and wounding a young man mulled
John Pitt with a table-knife.
It appeared from the statement of the complainant
(whose lower jaw and one of his hands were covered
with adhesive plaster) that while seated in the tap-room
of the Queen's Head, Pitfieldstreet, Hoxton, on Satur-
day evening, the prisoner abruptly entered the apart-
ment, and without uttering a word or receiving the
slightest provocation, suddenly snatched up a knife
from the table, and stabbed at him three times in rapid
succession. The first of the blows inflicted a severe gash
in his lower lip, and the prisoner then made a thrust at
his left breast, the knife completely penetrating through
his coat and under garment ; but he succeeded in ward-
ing off the intended mischief by raising his arm, and
received a cut extending across all the fingers of his
right hand. The prisoner was then secured by some
persons in the room and given into custody, and witness
was conducted to the house of Mr. Packer, a neighbour-
ing scrgeon, who dressed his wounds, neither of which
was, fortunately, of a dangerous character.
The prisoner, who was greatly agitated and wept
incessantly, said that she had lived for a considerable
period with the prosecutor as his wife, but that he sud-
denly discarded her about three months ago, and, to
escape from her importunities, shortly afterwards gave
her into custody.
Mr. BaotrouTon said that, however much he might
feel disposed to compassionate the prisoner's situation,
it could not be taken as a justification of the desperate
conduct of which she had been guilty, and he must
therefore commit her to prison until the additional evi-
dence necessary to complete the case could be brought
forward.

LAMBETH.
Mr. Kerby, the superintendent, of the Northampton
police force, attended before Mr. Henry, to give some
facts relative to the prisoner Smith, alias Eales, who had
been committed from this Court on Friday last, o►' a
charge of going► to the house of Mr. Hamblin, and by
threats, presenting a pistol and dagger, extorting a 10/
not..

Mr. Kerby stated that Smith, alias Eales, had, in the
year 1842, been tried and convicted of a burglary and
robbery, near Towcester, and sentenced to ten years'
transportation, but had managed to effect his escape from
on board one of the hulks off Portsmouth. Besides this,
he (Mr. Kerby) held in his hands a warrant for his ap-
prehension on a charge of a daring highway robbery,
but he supposed there would be no use or opportunity of
serving it upon him, as the charge upon which he had
been committed appeared so conclusive, as to leave very
little doubt of his conviction.
Mr. HENRY thought it would be desirable, as the pri-
soner was so notorious a character, that Mr. Kerby, or
some other person conversant with the fact, should
attend at the trial, and give evidence of his former con-
viction.

Mr. Kerby replied that this should be done.
GREEN WICK
John Wilson, cook on board the ship Masden, of
Stockton-upon-Tees, Durham, was charged with stealing

a watch, appendages, and eight sovereigns, the property
of Captain Stowell, his employer.
Sergeant Booth said the prisoner, on giving himself
up, made a voluntary confession that he had left the ship
in the Pool, and had taken from the master's cabin the
watch and eight sovereigns, aid that subsequently he
was induced to give himself up to the police, as his con-
duct weighed so heavily on his mind. Witness had
since seen the captain, who stated that he missed fifteen
sovereigns as well as his watch, &c.; and he had no
doubt the prisoner had stolen the whole of it. The
captain had promised to be in attendance to prosecute,
but had not made his appearance.
Mr. JEREMY said, under the circumstances he should
remand the prisoner until this day, 1% hen the case could
be gone into. I❑ the meantime a summons would issue
for the captain's attendance. The prisoner was accord-
ingly remanded.