The Sun.
London, England, 1848-12-23 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

(Before Mr. Sergeant ADAMS, Assistant Judge, and
a Bench of Magistrates.)
JUDGMENT.

On Thursday George Joseph Murray, alias
Bradley, alias Williams, who had pleaded guilty
at a former sessions to three indictments, charging
him with being the keeper of three houses of ill-fame,
one situate at 54, Curzon-street, May-fair ; one at
6, Shepherd-street, Oxford market ; and the other
at 7, Eagle-street, Red Lion-square, was this morn-
ing brought up for judgment.
Mr. CLARKSON applied to the Court for its consi-
deration in this matter. The defendant was suffering
from disease of the heart, and was otherwise afflicted
with bad health. He held in his hand a certificate
from the medical gentleman who had attended the
defendant, wherein he stated that his patient was in
such a bad state of health that, were he to be confined
in prison, the most serious consequences might result
to him. Under these circumstances, the Learned
Counsel urged that much leniency oight in the case
of the defendant to be exercise& There was a most
material fact, too, which he felt bound to mention to
the Court—namely, that the defendant had determined
to give up the keys of these houses.
Mr. BALLANTINE, who appeared
.for the prosecu-
tion, said that his instructions were, that the case of
the defendant was not one in which they could
interfere in mitigation by recommending him to the
merciful consideration of the Court. It was not the
case of a man who was the keeper of one house only
of this description, but one where the defendant had
long been known as the keeper of a number of houses
of a similar character; and he was also known to
have amassed a considerable fortune by that course
of traffic. It was utterly impossible, therefore, that
the prosecutors could recommend the defendant to
mercy.
The Learned JUDGE said, here was a man at the
bar of that Court who, in 1843, had been indicted for
keeping a brothel ; in 1844 he was again indicted,
but in that instance he escaped punishment ; and in
1845 he was a third time submitted to a similar
proceeding, but here again he escaped. All these
prosecutions had been for keeping houses of ill fame.
Here the same man was a fourth time charged,
not with keeping one, but three, of that class of
houses, and it was utterly impossible that such
a man could be permitted to escape. The
defendant was described also as a man of wealth, all
made by these detestable means. That, too, was a
circumstance which could not be overlooked ; for
bow many unhappy persons might not the amassing
of those gains have been the ruin of 1 In ordinary
cases of this nature, where the keeper of the house
was not known, the Court visited him with imprison-
ment and hard labour for three months ; and where
he bad been previously know in the traSc, then the
sentence was usually six months. But in both these
instances it was where the defendant was connected
with one house only. Thus the custom of the Court,
to which he had alluded, could not altogether be taken
as a precedent on the vresent occasion. It was utterly
impossible that the Court could visit the defendant at
the bar with any leniency. The sentence upon him
would, therefore, be of a severe character. He should
impose a heavy fine upon him, in addition to a term of
imprisonment. The sentence on the defendant, in respect
of the indictment for keeping the house No. 7, Eagle-
street, was, that he be imprisoned in the House of Cor-
rection, Coldbath-fields, for six months, and pay a fine
to the Queen of 1001.; the sentence in respect to the
house No. 6, Shepherd street, Oxford-market, was
three months' imprisonment in the same prison, to
commence at the expiration of the above six months,
and to pay a further fine of 50/. ; and then with re-
gard to the house No. 54, Curzon-street, the Court
would require the defendant to enter into his own re-
cognizance of 1001., and two sureties for 401. each, to
come up and receive judgment when called on to do
so. The effect of this would be, that if the house
were not opened again as a house of ill fame, the
defendant would hear no more of the matter ; but, on
the e other hand, if the house were to be again applied
such a purpose, then most assuredly he would re-
ceive a very heavy sentence.
The defendant said that all the houses had been
closed for some time.
The Learned
opened again to-morrow. JUDGE—yes, no doubt, and may
be
The defendant—No, I have given up the leases,
The Learned JUDGE—WeII, that remains
to. be
proved.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE,.
SOUTH WA RK.
John William.y, a young man in the employment of
Messrs. M•Leod and Adams, brewers, of Clapham,
was brought before Mr. Secker, charged with driving
a horse and a wheeled chaise over Louisa Iles, house-
keeper in the service of Mr. Hawkins, of Albion-
place, Blackfriars, and causing her death.
Sarah Ball, of No. 71, New-street, stated that she
sold fruit at the corner of Charles-street, Blackfriars •
road, and that on the previous afternoon, about half-
past four o'clock, as she was attending to her stall,
she saw a female in the act of crossing the road. Be-
fore, however, she had time to reach the opposite side,
witness observed a horse and chaise coming along at
a rapid pace, from the direction of Blackfriars-bridge,
and saw the horse run against the woman, who was
knocked down, §nd the chaise passed over her.
Witness immediately ran to the woman's assistance,
but found she lay on the ground without moving,
and to all appearance dead, and she then observed
that the driver did not stop to ascertain what in-
jury he might have caused, but proceeded on his
road at a swifter pace than he was Previously driving.
The witness added that some persons ran after the
chaise, and succeeded in stopping the prisoner before
he got as far as Rowland Hiil's Chapel, and he was
given into custody; that she subsequently was in-
formed that the woman who who was run over, and
whose name and place of abode were unknown at
the time, died in the surgery of Mr. Jones, whither
she was conveyed after the accident.
James Richardson said that he was walking along
Blackfriars-road at the time of the accident, anti saw
the prisoner whip the horse after the woman was
run over, evidently with the intention of making his
eses.pe. Witness however, pursued him, and sue-
ceedecl the reigns of the horse, and stop- .