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

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

(Befure the Assistant-Judge, Mr. Sergeant ADAMS,
and a Bench of Magistrates.)
The September general session of the peace for the
county of Middlesex commenced on Tuesday at Hicks's
Hall, Clerkenwell-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 NARROW ESCAPE.—Erevious 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
ran 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 -Ws., 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 OFFENDEBS.-- 147illiim. Brown, aged ten
years, was indicted for stealing a cap, value 2s. 63., the
property of George Massey, the elder. The prisoner
pleaded Guilty.

The Learned JUCGE briefly referred to the previous
sentences which-had been proncunced upon this boy for
criminal offences of a comparatively trivial character,
and which he had committed in all probability from the
ab;ence of 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 eofnmisstrate 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 advantag9- 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 properfor 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 Fachrell, aged 12 years, was indicted for steal-
ing four sovereigns and other moneys, the property of
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 educated
him, and that he had previously displayed thievish
propensities: The mother was living, and ho 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 fine 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 doing 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.
ROBBERY 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 nut 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 ho gave him into custody.
The jury found the prisoner Guilty.
The Learned JUDGE said that he was a very notorious
character, and had only recently been sentenced to nine
months' imprisonment. From the circumstances which
had come to his knowledge, he evidently belonged to a
desperate gang. 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'lB
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 houie 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 witnesses 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 hills-
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 visif, 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 having 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 home.
on Sunday night in a state of the most awful intoxica-
tion, disturbed 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 WILSON—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 charg6 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 Wohq talk above her breath,
but by this, (striking his fist violently upon the table),
she'll murder me if you don't protect me 4
The defendant, in a still tnilder 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, nation 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 complaihtnt—There it is, my Lord. You see
how kind and pretty her words are.--(Great laughter.)
But, my Lord, yntt Mist come home to see her in her
real charart-,-, She is, and no mstake, the devil him-
-a.—(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 cotnplainant—ln danger 1 Why she was near
knocitiiig hie over head and heels wtth the chair. I
swear, solemnly, that ray life's not worth a button While
shv's
.at liberty, In danger 1 Why I have nO Chance
with her at a
Alderman WILSON—WeII, I shall restrain her for
some time at any, rate. I shall make her find sureties
to Itheti the peace tower& you tor three months.
The defendant—l thank you, my Lord.
Alderman Mum—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 have her
discharged.—(Laughter.)
The complainant--No, I won't.
Alderman WILSON—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. lie then walked solemnly out of
the 04§filrg a glance at his wife in which it Was