The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-03 00:00:00

THE CAREER OF A CRIMINAL.

At Bow-street, on Friday, George Roberts, a man
about 60 years of age, was brought up on a writ of Habeas
Corpus from Wandsworth Prison, where he is now under-
going a sentence of three months' imprisonment as a rogue
and a vagabond, on the charge of being at large before the
expiry of a sentence of transportation for life, which had
been passed upon him in the year 1842.
John Humphreys, the chief warder of her Majesty's
gaol of Newgate, stated that he had been a warder in that
gaol since 1836. He produced the certificate of the
conviction of George Smethurst at the Central Criminal
Court in 1837, for stealing from a dwelling-house. He
was sentenced to be transported for life. Witness
was present at the trial, which took place on the 24th
April of that year, before Mr. Justice Littledale, and
heard the sentence delivered. The prisoner at the bar
was the prisoner so sentenced. Both before and after the
trial he was under the care of witness, who removed him
from Newgate to Chatham, and placed him on board the
Fortitude, receiving hulk for convicts. The prisoner was
in Newgate again in 1842, and was tried and convicted,
under the name of George King, alias Smethurst, on the
charge of being illegally at large before the expiry of the
former sentence. He was again sentenced to transporta-
tion for life. In December 1851 the prisoner was again
in Newgate, in the name of George Reid, for burglary.
Witness produced the certificate of his conviction on that
occasion, which recited that he had been previously con-
victed of felony. He was then sentenced to fourteen
years' transportation. In 1866 he was again charged with
burglary, in the name of Roberts. While in prison wit-
ness recognised his face, but being deceived by the change
of name, was unable to remember what were his previous
convictions. He was tried at the Central Criminal Court,
pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to eighteen months'
imprisonment. After the conviction witness heard the
prisoner mentioned by the name of Reid, and was thus
reminded of his former history. Witness had no doubt of
the prisoner's identity.
Richard Kemp, warder at Wandsworth Prison, state'
mat he had brought the prisoner up on a writ of Habeas
Corpus from that prison, where he was undergoing the
sentence of three months' imprisonment as a rogue and
vagabond. Witness was present when the prisoner gave the
governor an account of his history. When transported for
life in 1837, he was sent to Hobart Town, where he was
one of the crew of the jolly boat of Sir John Franklin,
the governor of that colony. An opportunity of escape
occurred to him, and he made his way home. On his
second transportation in 1842 he was again sent to Hobart
Town. After some time he obtained a ticket-of-leave,
giving him the liberty of the colony. He then joined the
Hobart Town police. After remaining some time in the
force he again made his escape, and went to America. The
first night he spent in that country he was robbed of £5O
which he had saved. He then worked his way to France,
and thence to England. In 1851 he was again transported
for fourteen years, and again sent to Hobart Town. Here
he obtained as before a license to go at large in the colony,
and once more entered the police. But hearing that
his mother, who was possessed of some little property,
had died in England, he was again tempted to escape
and return to England, in order to look after that estate.
Witness knew that he was in England in May 1865,
having seen him at that time in Wandsworth Gaol under
sentence of three months' imprisonment for larceny under
the name of George Simmonds.

Mr. Vaughan said it was a most unfortunate thing for
the prisoner that he did not remain in Hobart Town,
which seemed to be the only place where he had acted
with any honesty.

The prisoner said that the term of his last sentence had
[tiny expired, and he did not think it was legal that a man
should be tried several times for one offence.
Mr. Vaughan : But in 1842 you were sentenced for the
term of your natural life, which sentence has not expired
for you are still living.

The prisoner was fully committed, but Mr. Vaughan
observed that it would be advisable to prove at the trial
that as a matter of practice the license for the colony did
not justify a convict in returning to England.

At theJudges' Chambers on Fridayitwasaseertained
that no further notice of bail had been given in Madame
Rachel's case, but it was said another application would be
made text week.

TUE NORWICH MURDER. —The magistrate It
clerk at Norwich has received a letter from Brighton pur'
porting to have been written at the dictation of Martha
Sheward, Sheward's first wife, of whose murder he hag
been convicted. The letter is either a silly hoax or a vex/
important communication.

A Liverpool paper of Friday says that at one of the
largest spinning and weaving establishments in the town,
nearly one-half of the whole number of 72,000 spindles, have
been got to work at the reductiGn of 10 per cent., together
with upwards of 800 looms out of the whole number of 1,420,
and the bands are returning to work every day.
We are glad to learn (says the Standard) that
Morgan Howard, Esq., has been invited to a public
banquet on Wednesday, the 14th April, at the hall of the
City Terminus Hotel, Cannon-street, as a slight acknow-
ledgment of the gallant and single-handed contest he
fought so admirably in behalf of the Conservative cause at
the last Lambeth election. The list of stewards is not only
numerous but influential, thus evidencing the general
interest that was taken in the late election for the borough
of Lambeth.'

The Liverpool Government emigration officials
issue monthly returns of the emigration from the Mersa,'
The latest quarterly return shows during the quarter the
number of emigrants who left the Mersey exceeded b/
5,310 the number who sailed during the same period of
1868. A great majority of the passengers who left Liver-
pool were English, the facilities afforded by the various line%
of steamers at Queenstown for Irish emigrants having
greatly reduced the numbers which at one time left via
Liverpool.

Cardinal Cullen, in a pastoral issued in Dublin on
Friday, annonnces that all Roman Catholics who attend
the Masonic ball, to be given to his Royal Highness Princei
Arthur, in Dublin, shall be excommunicated. The Cardinal,
passing into another subject, designates those Protestants
who oppose Mr. Gladstone's Irish Church Bill, and who
speak of kicking the Queen's Crown into the Boyne, as
fanatics. He does not, however, appear sanguine that
the bill will pass, because he says in reference to it that
the best-considered undertakings of man are -frequently.
defeated.

MR. DICKENS AND THE THEATRICAL PROFES.
SION.—The actors and actresses engaged on the London,
stage, desirous of having an opportunity of hearing one
of Mr. Dickens's readings, but being prevented by the
nature of their avocations from attending any entertaii",
ments in the evening, addressed a letter to Mr. Dickens;
requesting him to give what in their own parlance would
be called a morning performance. To this appeal Mr.
Dickens has replied in the following terms :—" To the
Ladies and Gentlemen, my correspondents, through
Mr. Clarke. Ladles and Gentlemen,—l beg to assure
you that I am much gratified by the desire
you do me the honour to express in your
letter handed to me by Mr. John Clarke. Before
that letter reached me I had heard of your wish,
and had mentioned to Messrs. Chappell that it would be
highly agreeable to me to anticipate it, if possible. They
readily responded, and we agreed upon having three
morning readings in London. As they are not yet publicly,
announced, I add a note of the days and subjects.
Saturday, May I.—' Boots at the Holly Tree Inn,' and
Sikes and Nancy' from ' Oliver Twist.' Saturday, May
The Christmas Carol.' Saturday, May 22.—`Sikes
and Nancy' from Oliver Twist,' and The Trial' frog'
!Pickwick.' With the warmest interest in your art, and
in its claims upon the general gratitude and respect, be•
lieve me, always, faithfully your friend, CHARLES 4
DICKENS, Vonloatek Koh
adnal. T. liarchit