The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-06 00:00:00

CRIMINAL COURT.-(THIS DAY).
NEW COURT.

(Before the RECORDER.)
Anne Sykes and Mary Turner were placed at the bar,
charged with committing a robbery on the persona of Mrs.
Wilberry, Mrs. Williams, and a servant, on the night of the
31st ult.
It appeared from the evidence, that upon the night in
question the three prosecntrixes were returning from the
Pavilion Theatre, when the two prisoners came up to them,
and feigning to fight with each other, jostled the prosecu-
trixes and separated them, and with the assistance of two
men, who came up at the time, robbed them of a veil, a purse,
and some other articles.
The CoVAT told the jury that the question they had to dis-
pose of was this, whether they had premeditated this robbery
and had adopted this plan for carrying it into execution ; or
whether they had really quarrelled, and had accidentally
come in contact with the three prosecutrixes, and that they
in consequence had lost those articles. If the jury believed
the latter to be the fact they should acquit the prisoners.
The jury found a verdict of Guilty.
The Count', in passing sentence upon the prisoners, said
that the statute under which they stood indicted gave the
Court no discretion as to the period of time for which they
should be transported, if they were to be sent out of the
country, and he should say he did not think it would be
safe to pass a less severe sentence. The statute in question
provided that if the sentence was to be imprisonment it
should be for a period of time not longer than three years,
but if the sentence were to be transportation, then it should
"be for a period not less than 15 years. 'He was, however,
aware that there was now a Bill before Parliament for the
purpose of limiting the duration of that period ; and in the
mean time if a petition should be sent to the Secretary of
State praying fur a mitigation of the sentence, the Court
might be inclined to recommend the petition to a favourable
consideration—but the sentence of the Court now was that
the prisoners be severally transported for 15 years.
The Learned RECORDER, when the prisoners were removed,
called upon the Clerk of the Arraigns to make a minute of the
observations he had just made. He said, the reason he did
so was, that he had often had occasion to observe, when peti-
tions were sent to the Secretary of State for mitigation of
the period for which parties were sentenced to transportation,
that the observations set forth in those petitions as having
been made by the Court were extremely perverted, and many
expressions were put into his mouth that he had never used.
He, therefore, thought it right to say this publicly, and to call
upon the officer of the Court to make a minute of what he
really did say.
Francis Wen stood indicted for an assault upon police-
constable Knight, of, the It division of police, stationed at
Deptford, on the 15th February.
It appeared from the evidence, that upon the day in ques-
tion, a mob had collected, and were assaulting another police-
man, who has since died, when the prisoner struck him .with
a broom-stick over the eye, and exclaimed, 'You
knight, you are reckoned up; look out."
Thejury found the prisoner Guilty, and the Court Ben~
tenced him to three years' imprisonment, with hard labour in
the House of Correction.
Ellen
.Marks, aged 20, an exceedingly smart, pretty looking
young girl, was placed at the bar, charged with stealing a
gold pin, a spoon, a workbox, boots, &c., from Edward
Elmes.
It appeared from the evidence of the prosecutor that he;
met the prisoner in the capacity of servant in a house where
he worked as foreman, and induced her to go and live with
him, which she did, as his wife, for about a fortnight, when
lie missed the articles in question; he had previously given
her notice that she should leave him ; he had discovered
that she had become intimate with another man.
When the prisoner was first placed at the bar she assumed
an air of indifference ; but the moment the prosecutor
entered the witness-box she burst into tears, and continued
for some time to sob convulsively.
Several witnesses were called, who gave the prisoner an •
excellent character, two of whom deposed that the prosecutor
told them he intended to marry her.
The jury acquitted the prisoner. There was a second in-
dictment, which was not sustained.
When the prosecutor was called to depose to the second
indictment, he complained that attempts had been made by
the witnesses to give him a bad character.
The COURT said it would be difficult far the witnesses to
give him a worse character than he had given himself.