The Sun.
London, England, 1846-11-27 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

On Wednesday William Hetddell was indicted for an
assault upon George Salter, the steward of one of the
steam-boats.

The prosecutor, very early in his evidence, began to
give a different version of the affair to that which ap-
peared in his statement before the magistrate at the
police-court, whereupon the depositions which he had
signed at that office were handed down for him to read
out to the jury. The prosecutor read very glibly until
he arrived at that part where he had commenced a dif-
ferent statement on the present occasion. He then made
a stop, and pretended that the writing was so bad he
could not make it out.

The Learned JUDGE—Come, go on; the writing is
very clear. Do you not find that you told the magis-
trate that the defendant, when you opened the door to
him, asked for his wife, saying that you had got her
there? Prosecutor—Well, I don't say that he did
say so.
The Learned JUDGE—NO, I know you do not say so
here; but did you not say so to the magistrate? Pro-
secutor—Thank you for the explanation and question,
but'l don't say that he did say so.—(Loud laughter.)
The Learned JUDGE—Come, sir, tell the truth. Was
tkis man's wife in your room when he came? Proscutor
—Why, I cannot say but she was. She had just come
in, and was telling me how her husband had been
thrashing Tee
her in Bow-street.
Learned JUDGE—Come, Sir, tell us how long had
she n living with you? Prosecutor—Why, about a
The Learned JUDGE—What! living with you as your
weekbhperhaps.
ewife—another man's wife? Prosecutor—Why, what
harm? they had been agreeably separated.
The Learned JUDGE—And she was living with you as
your wife? Prosecutor—Now, bow could she be my
wife when she was the wife of another man?
The Learned JUDGE—Why, by acting as a wife to
you, although not married to you.
Prosecutor—Oh—ay—thank you for the explanation
—yes, it might be so.
The prosecutor was ordered to stand down, and then
the policeman said that when ne arrived at the house the
woman was in the room, and the defendant, who had a
poker in his hand, said that the prosecutor had got his
wife, that he had come to fetch her away, that he had
given the prosecutor a good licking with his fist, but
had not touched him with the poker; and that upon exa-
mination of the latter instrument, he had been unable to
discover any mark of blood, although the prosecutor's
face was covered with that gory liquid, in addition to
which his head presented two fine full black eyes.
The Learned JUDGE, in leavinc, the case to the jury,
told them that in law the defendant was guilty of the
assault. The law did not allow a man, even though in
search of his wife, to commit an assault by thrashing
the man who might happen to be living with her. They
would have the kindness to say whether, in their
opinion, the assault had been committed with the poker
or with the fists.

The jury found the defendant Guilty of having cow,
witted the assault with his fists.

The Learned JUDGE sentenced him to pay a fine of
Is., and to be discharged; and, at the same time, told
the prosecutor, that if he had the hardihood to commit
the crime of living with other men's wives, it was not at
all unlikely that he would meet with a thrashing from
the husband ; at all events, he should be prepared for
such a visitation.

Yesterday Samuel Cohen, a Jew, carrying on an ex-
tensive business as a clothes dealer, surrendered upon
his bail, to take his trial on an indictment charging him
with stealing three pair of trousers and a quantity of
cloth, the property of John Burford.
It appeared that the prisoner entered the prosecutor's
sale-room, where there were a number of persons making
purchases, when he bought first a piece of cloth, then
three or four other articles, and went away, but a large
piece of cloth and three pair of trousers being missed,
he was followed and taken into custody. Upon search-
ing his bag at the station-house, the trousers and cloth
were found, placed alternately between the several arti-
cles he had purchased.
The Learned JUDGE commented upon the latter cir-
cumstance, and said it clearly showed that the property
could not have been accidentally taken.
A host of persons, of the Jewish persuasion, having
given the prisoner an excellent character, a verdict of
Guilty was returned, with a recommendation to mercy,
on account of his previous character, and he was sen-
tenced to three months' imprisonment, with hard labour.
Sarah Simpson was indicted for stealing a silver
watch, and a chain and Ley, the property of Thomas
Ashley.
The principal evidence rested upon the statement of a
child under ten years of age, who stated that she was
left in care of the prosecutor's house in Ball's-pond,
Islington, when the prisoner, who resided next door,
came in, and, after remaining a few minutes, went away,
and the watch, which bad been hanging over the mantel-
shelf a short time before, was missed. A pawnbroker's
clerk swore the prisoner pawned the watch at his
master's shop.
A similar verdict was returned by the jury, when it
was intimated to the Learned Assistant-Judge previous
to his passing sentence, that the prisoner was six months
advanced in pregnancy.
The ASSISTANT-JUDGE said that, owing to the state
of her health, and also in consequence of the recom-
mendation of the jury, he would pass a very mild sen-
tence upon her, which was that she be imprisoned and
kept to hard labour for six weeks.
Several jurors expressed their regret that the Learned
Judge should consider it to be his duty to attach the
punishment of hard labour to the imprisonment of a
female in her delicate condition.

The ASSISTANT JUDGE said the jury laboured under
a mistake, if they imagined the order of "hard labour"
would be carried into effect; it only conferred the neces-
sary authority upon the prison authorities.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE,
IPIARLBOROUGH-STREET.
Thomas Douglas, a child, was charged with stealing a
quantity of cigars from Mrs. Marsella's shop, 12, King-
street, Soho.
Harriet M'Dowall said she was sitting in the parlour
on Wednesday night, between 5 and 6 o'clock, when she
saw the prisoner in the shop with his hand in the cigar
boxes. He took up two handfuls of cigars, and gave
them to two boys who stood outside the door ; he re-
turned to the boxes and lifted other two handfuls, which
he succeeded in giving to the same two boys before the
witness was able to lay hold of him. The other two
boys escaped ; she caught the prisoner, who, by the ap-
pearance of the boxes, must have taken about three
dozen of cigars.
Police constable, 66 C., said he took the boy into cus-
tody, and produced some cigars which had been dropped
outside the door of the shop.
The defendant said he was nine years of age, and had
got no father. He seemed quite incapable of under-
standing the situation which he had brought himself
into.

Mr. HARDWICK appeared to be in difficulty about the
course he ought to take with the offender before him.
Ultimately he committed the prisoner to take his trial at
the Middlesex sessions.