The Sun.
London, England, 1848-01-19 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

(Before Mr. WALESBY and a Bench of Magistrates.)
The January adjourned sessions commenced yes-
terday at the Sessions House, Clerkenwell-green,
before Mr. Walesby, who presided in the absence of
the Assistant Judge. The calendar contained the
names of 96 prisoners fur trial, 25 of whom stood
charged with felony, and 11 with misdemeanour.
Only two of the whole calendar were described as
being able to read and write well, 39 were imper-
fectly instructed in these acquirements, 15 could read
only, and 38 were destitute of both.
The Grand Jury having been sworn, the Learned
Chairman addressed them briefly on the nature of
their duties, and they then returned to thier room.
John Poole, John Smith, John Barrett, Thomas
Williams, James Johnson, and Thomas Miles, railway
labourers, were indicted for stealing a loaf of bread,
value 31d., the property of Charles Butler.
Poole and Smith pleaded guilty.
The prosecutor clearly proved the fact with respect
to Smith and Poole, whom he said came right into his
shop, 64, Marylebone-lane ; Poole took the loaf, and
immediately joined the other four prisoners, who
were waiting outside the door. These men, however,
denied that they had any knowledge of the theft.
The Learned CHAIRMAN, in laying the case before
the jury, said that it was a most painful spectacle to
see six men reduced to such a state of distress as to
be compelled to take 3id. worth of bread to appease
the cravings of nature. There was no doubt that
they were hungry, and he repeated, that it was la-
mentable to think that in London, where so much
wealth existed, and where luxuries of every descrip-
tion abounded, these poor men should be driven by
want to commit crime. A case came under his
notice as a visiting justice of the Westminster House
of Correction, in which a poor man was convicted of
a similar offence. He was at once admitted into the
infirmary in consequence of his exhausted condition.
He had not, however, remained there long when he
died. A coroner's jury was summoned to inquire
into the cause of death, and they brought in a ver-
dict, " Death by starvation." The offence with
which he was convicted was for taking a loaf of
bread. This, he said, was enough to make one's
heart bleed, and he would not trespass on the jury
with these observations but for the purpose of calling
the public attention to the matter through the me-
dium of the press. They did not sit there to admi-
nister justice only, but to listen to the voice
of humanity, as well as for the protection of the
public.

- The jury found them Guilty, but strongly recom.
mended them to mercy. _ _

The Learned CHAIR-MAN then said the worst feature
in the case was the fact of their going about in parties
of four and six, to the terror of the peaceable in-
habitants. Such proceedings must be suppressed,
because if they were in want of bread they could have
applied to the proper place for administrating relief to
those in want.

One of the prisoners hereupon said that they had
been wandering about for two days without tasting
a morsel of food, and soaked through with rain.
They had been taken to the Marylebone police-
station by a policeman, but they were told there that
there was only one relief ticket for disposal.
The Learned CHAIRMAN said this was not the first
time he bad heard charges of this sort made by pri-
soners, but which were afterwards found to be in-
correct and unfounded. It was, therefore, necessary
that these charges should be made public whenever
they were made in open Court. He then said that
the Court would take into consideration the recom-
mendation of the jury, but nevertheless it could not
deviate from that course most consistent with its
duty. Justice as well as mercy should be exercised,
and they must be taught that whatever was the state of
destitution to which they were reduced, that they were
not to seek or obtain relief by illegal means. The sen-
tence on each was one month's imprisonment with
hard labour.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
BOW-STREET.

Charles Wheeler, a clerk in the Lonclon Joint-stock
Bank, Pall-mall, was placed at the bar for further
examination, charged with stealing a 5001. note, a
300/. note, another 5001. note, and several other large
sums, belonging to his employers. -
Mr. Mullens attended as before for, the prosecu-
tion ; and Mr. Clarkson appeared for the prisoner.
Charles Buttlar, clerk to the London and Westmin-
ster Bank, in St. James's-square, depos4Vaat on the
14th of July last he presented a charge at the London
Joint-stock Bank, in Pall-mall, amounting to about
3401. 9s. sd. He had no draft to the amount of 505/.
on that day.
Mr. Robinson, clerk in the Western Branch of the
London Joint-stock Bank, repeated his former evi-
7e. that the prisoner was a clerk in that establish-
ment from to January last ; it being his duty to
pay and receive moneys aer:,‘!4 the counter and keep
aecountsiof the same in his cash books. There were
certain entries in theselbooks of certain amounts re-