The Sun.
London, England, 1860-04-04 00:00:00

William
Hands said he resided about a mile and a quarter
from the defendant Steplee. He became aware that he had
a cow in a very diseased state which he was about to have
killed and dressed for London market as human food. After
the cow was killed he saw it. It was in a dreadful state of
disease. The stench was awful. It was quite unfit for
human food. He sent information to the authorities which
led to the present prosecution.

A farm servant, named Johnson, was here called, and
on examination by Mr. Sergeant Parry, said the cow ap-
peared to him to be healthy eight or ten days befor) she
died. He did not see anything wrong about her.
Sergeant Parry—Was the cow milked the day before she
died ?
Witness—Yes.

Mr. Sleigh—ls the milkmaid here ? (Laughter.)
Sergeant Parry—Oh yes; I shall be happy to introduce
my learned friend to her. (Laughter.) He will find her a
very nice sort of person. She will prove that the last time
she was milked— (roars of laughter)— of course I mean the
cow—(laughter)—she was in a very healthy condition.
(Laughter.)

Another witness, a slaughterman, said he told the de-
fendant Staplee that the cow was unfit for human food, and
that he also warned the defendant that if he sent the car-
cass to London he would hear further about it. Staplee,
however, after the caution, said it would go.
The witnesses were cross-examined by Sergeant Parry
to show that when the animal left Northampton it was
quite fit for human food.

The trial was proceeding when we went to press.

THIRD COURT.
The Common Sergeant was occupied the whole of the
morning disposing of the Mint prosecutions, of which there
are in the calendar no less than 40---viz., 3in the City, 26
in Middlesex, 1 in Essex, and 10 in Surrey.
The proceedings were entirely devoid of interest.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—(This Day.)
_.._

MARLBORO UGH- STREET.
PICKPOCKETS IN COVENTRIC-STREET.—Henry Thomp-
son, address refused, and John Hunter,
M living in Golden-
lane, St. Luke's, were charged before
r. Beadon, by Ser-
jeant Jay, 9 C, with attempting to pickpockets in Coventry-
street.
The sergeant said that about half-past 10 the previous
night he saw the two prisoners and another man following
a lady and gentleman in Coventry -street, at the time all
walking abreast. He then noticed the prisoner Hunter
leave the others and go behind the lady and gentleman, the
others acting as a cover to him. He then saw Hunter lift
the gentleman's coat tail, and then leave the gentleman,
but the prisoners afterwards followed the gentleman to the
corner of Princes-street, where Hunter again tried his
pockets, and the gentleman spoke to them, when they all
made off into Leicester-square, where they joined one an-
other again and walked on to Ben Caunt's, where there
was a large crowd assembled, when he succeeded in taking
the two prisoners into custody, but the third escaped. He
had seen Hunter frequently with thieves. Thompson re-
fused his address.

Mr. Beadon (to Thompson)—Where do you live ?
Thompson (fumbling in his pocket as if for his card)
said, "he f orgot where it were. It was a wilier near the
Elephant and Castle." (Laughter.)
Hunter said he lived in the City (Golden- lane).
Mr. Beadon said he should remand them for a week to
see what was known of them.

THAMES.
ROBBERY AT A LINENDRAPER'S SIIOP.—Two young
women, named Ellen Markham and Mary Briant, were
brought before Mr. Yardley, charged with stealing 44 yards
of cotton print, the property of Messrs. Haddock and Til-
by, linendrapers of Grosvenor House, Grosvenor-place,
Commercial-road East, where several robberies have been
committed owing to the mischievous practice so often con-
demned by the magistrates of this court of exposing goods
for sale on chairs upon the pavement outside the shop.
It appeared that a boy named Linford was watching the
goods exposed for sale yesterday evening, and saw the
woman Markham looking at some cotton print, and ex-
amining it. About an hour afterwards he saw the prisoners
running past the shop and down Grosvenor-street, and at
the same time missed two pieces of cotton print from a
chair. He followed tho prisoners, and saw them enter the
Green Dragon tavern, near Stepney Church. He waited
some time, and when they came out they
proceeded towards Mile •cud-road, and entered a
beer shop. The boy waited until he saw a
police-constable and gave them into custody. The property
was not found upon them. On returning to the Green
Dragon the five pieces of cotton print belonging to the pro-
secutors were found under a form in the tap-room, where
the prisoners had been.

Miss Ellen Moore, the barmaid at the Green Dragon,
said the two prisoners entered the house and called for a
half quartern of rum. One had something concealed under
her apron, and the other something secreted under her
shawl. They went into the tap-room, and after they had
quitted the place two pieces of cotton print were discovered
under one of the seats.

The property was produced and identified by the boy
Linford.

Inspector Griffin said the woman Briant had been in cus-
tody for shoplifting and also for uttering base coin.
Roche, the gaoler of the court, said that Markham had
been summarily convicted before, and he believed more
than once.

The prisoners pleaded guilty.
Mr. Yardley said Markham appeared to be the leader in
this affair, and was an old offender, and he should make a
difference in the punishment of the prisoners. Ho sen-
tenced Markham to be imprisoned and kept to hard labour
for six calendar months, and Briant, who was not known
before, to four months' imprisonment and hard labour.
He was glad to hear that no expenses were allowed at the
Sessions where shopkeepers exposed goods for .sale outside
their shops, and he would allow none in this ca, se.

His Royal Highness Prince Alfred will be con-
firmed on Thursday next in the private chapel of Windsor
Castle,

NEW COURT.
(Before Mr. Justice Channell.)
uNWHOLESOME FOOD.
William Staplee and George Chesterfield, the former a
farmer, and the latter a butcher, residing at Northampton,
su9irendered to an indictment, charging them with having
sent a carcass to Newgate-market in a state unfit for hu-
man food, well knowing it to so.
Mr. Sleigh appeared on the part of the Commissioners of
Sewers to prosecute; and Mr. Sergeant Parry and Mr. F.
Atkinson defended.
Mr. Sleigh said the present prosecution was instituted
by the Commissioners of Sewers against the defendants,
Staplee and Chesterfield. The former was a farmer, resid-
ug atj Northampton ; and the latter was a butcher,
carrying on business at the same place. Re
should be able, he thought, to show in evidence that a short
time before Christmas last the defendant (Staplee) had a
cow in a very bad state of health, and he sent for Chester-
field for the purpose of having the animal killed and
dressed as human food for the London market. The
animal, on being killed, was found to be so very much
diseased that it ought to have been destroyed; but, instead
of which, it was packed and sent, by order of Staplee, to
London, directed to a tradesman carrying on business in
Newgate-market. The London tradesman, on unpacking
the carcass, found the meat in dreadfully putrid
state, and quite unfit for human food. He should
be able to prove by the evidence of two persons that the
stench was overpowering, and quite unfit for human food.
He should also prove that the defendant Stapler, paid for
the carriage of the animal to London, and also that the
ticket was in his handwriting.