The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-09 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

(Before Mr. Creasy.)
There were seven cases in the bail list issued yes-
terday morning.
William Leonard, 28, shoemaker, and Thomas
Wilkinson, likewise a shoemaker, and carrying on
business at 25, Great Wild-street, Lincoln's-inn-
fields, were indicted for stealing, and also for felo-
niously receiving, five pounds of leather, the pro-
perty of William Almond and another.
Mr. W. Cooper appeared for the prosecution ;
Mr. Ribton defended Leonard, and Mr. M'Donnell
was for Wilkinson.
__

It appeared that Holmes, a detective of the F
division, watched the prisoner Leonard, from an
establishment belonging to the prosecutors, who
are contractors to the Government for army accou-
trements, in Dean-street, Soho, to the shop kept by
Wilkinson, with a bag containing something bulky.
The constable went in and made some inquiries as to
what Leonard had brought; Wilkinson gave evasive
answers, but at length admitted that there were some
pieces of leather which Leonard had left in his bed-
room. Leonard had been in company with a person
in Messrs. Almond's employment just before he left
with the bag.
Witnesses were called as to the previous good
character of each of the prisoners.
Mr. M'Donnell addressed the jury for Wilkin-
son, and Mr. Ribton for the other prisoner.
Wilkinson was acquitted. Leonard was found
guilty, and sentenced to four months' hard labour.
Bridget Driscoll, described as a widow, was in-
dicted for feloniously receiving from Ann Bailey,
nine sovereigns and other moneys, knowing them
to have been stolen from one Job Wilson.

Mr. Le Breton was.cfor the prosecution ; Mr.
Sleigh defended the prisoner.
The principal witness in the case was the Ann
Bailey mentioned in the indictment, a prostitute,
who lived in a brothel kept by the prisoner, in
Ann-street, Limehouse. She stated that she got in
company with Wilson, the prosecutor, a seaman,
belonging to the Polar Star, trader, at a public-
house, and after indulging in drink she took him
to the prisoner's house. The prisoner knocked at
the door after Wilson had fallen asleep, and told
her in Irish not to remain with that man, for he
had only a few shillings, to take his money, and
she would then turn him out of the house. The
witness then took his purse and quitted the room,
when the prisoner snatched the purse from her
hand, and afterwards turned the witness out of
doors, undressed as she was. She said the purse
only contained a few shillings, but really it con-
tained £9 125., and afterwards she admitted the
amount, and ofered the witness part of it to go
into the country with until the prosecutor's ship
had sailed, but she refused to have any part of it,
and, on the contrary, searched for and found out
the prosecutor, and told him all about it. She told
the prisoner what she had done, and again she
wished her to go out of the way, as it would be
better for them to have the money than for that
Dutchman to take it to Hamburg ; but she
would not listen to her overtures, and at
once went and gave herself up to the police.
Her evidence was fully corroborated by that of
another prostitute, who lived in the same house.
When the prisoner was taken into custody she
declared that neither Bailey nor the sailor had been
to her house at all; but the prosecutor bore out the
girl's statement, and proved that the purse con-
tained coin amounting to £9 12s. The policeman
found on the prisoner a savings bank book for £43,
which amount had been deposited in sums varying
from £4 to £l3.

Air. Sleigh urged that the evidence was Rnworthy
of belief, and prompted by feelings of revenge.
The jury found the prisoner guilty.
The policeman asked what he was to do with the
bank book ?

Mr. Creasy said he could not advise him, but
strictly it was forfeited to the Crown.
The prisoner was sentenced to ten months' hard
labour.

Joseph Hobbs, 22, pleaded guilty to a charge of
feloniously cutting and stealing a leaden pipe, the
property of the corporation of London, in the new
Copenhagen cattle market.
Sentence was deferred. _

Mr. Sleigh appeared for the prosecution.
Henry John Ariel, a respectable young man, was
indicted for embezzling several sums of money re-
ceived by him on account of Augustin Lay Cowen,
an ironmonger, of Edgware-road, his master.
He was sentenced to six months' hard labour.
Mr. Sleigh prosecuted; Mr. Ribton appeared for
the prisoner.
John Slater, M, ogerk, pleaded guilty to several
charges of embezzling money, received by him on
account of Messrs. Esdaile, of the City Saw Mills,
Wenlock-road, City-road. The sums laid in the
indicted amounted to £4O 15s. 9d. But there were
others. lie had been in the prosecutors' service
about six years, and a great deal of their money
passed through his hands. He was strongly recom-
mended to mercy.

Mr. Creasy said he was not sure that it was not
his duty to pass a sentence of penal servitude ; for
these embezzlements by confidential clerks were
ofiences which, from their nature, required to be met
with a severe punishment. Under all the circum-
stances of this case, and considering the recommenda-
tion that had been made to the court, the sentence
was hard labour for one year.
Mr. Cooper was counsel for the prisoner, Mr.
Sleigh for the prosecutor.
(Before Mr. Payne.)
Wm. Clarke, 17, labourer, was indicted for felo-
niously breaking and entering the dwelling-house
of Henry Eddie, and stealing therein three silver
spoons, value £2 55., his property.
Harriet Wright said she was in the service of
Mr. Henry Eddie, of No. 1, Laurie-terrace, Campbell-
road,
Hornsey, and on the 15th of August she was
in
out of of upper
hearing a noise she looked
andand saw the prisoner running
o
up the area steps with a basket in his hand. She
the
window,
n room,dow
missed the spoons from the dining-room table, which
had been safe there only a few minutes before.
Wm. Haggarty, police constable, 481 K, said he
went to the White Horse public house, a quarter of
a mile from Laurie-terrace, where he found the pri-
soner in the tap-room in company with two other
persons, and immediately the prisoner saw him he
ran into the water-closet. The witness followed
him, and asked him what he was doing there, to
which he made no reply. He was taken to the sta-
tion-house and there the former witness identified
him as the person who had ran out of her master's
house with the basket. A search was subsequently
made, and the silver spoons were found in the water
closet.

The prisoner, in his defence, denied having been
in the house at all.
The jury found the prisoner guilty.
A previous conviction having been proved against
the prisoner,

Mr. Payne sentenced him to be kept to hard
labour for 18 months.

Joseph Boswell, 23, painter, was indicted for
stealing a timepiece and other articles, value £6,
the property of Mr. Philip Heath, in his dwelling-
house.

The prisoner pleaded guilty, and being identified
as an old thief, was sentenced to penal servitude for
four years.

Samuel Bywater, 30, plasterer, was indicted for
stealing 171bs. of copper-plates, value 155., the pro-
perty of John Mitchell.
The prosecutor is, a printer, carrying on business
in Wardour-street,- 'Soho, and the premises have
been for some time under repair, the prisoner being
employed there. A man named Joseph Park, a
rag•dealer, living at No. 5, Grafton-street, Soho,
purchased the plates of the prisoner, and gave him
I ls. for them, he stating that they were his own.
The prisoner pleaded guilty to the indictment.
The witness Park was sharply questioned by Mr.
Payne as to his receiving these plates. He said he
bought them in a fair way of trade, and booked
them, and also told the policeman that he had
bought them. He had known Bywater before.
Mr. Payne—lt is rather lucky for you, Mr.
Park, that nothing further will be done with you
than I refuse you your expenses. A little more
and I should have directed you to be prosecuted for
receiving this property, which is quite fit for its
proper purpose. You are almost as guilty as the
prisoner.

anTdhheajp.drislaobnoeurrwfaosrthneinnesemnotennthces.d to imprisonment
Rebecca Gilman, 43, needlemaker, was indicted
for stealing two pillows and other articles, the pro-
perty of Harriet Henderson.
The prosecutrix is a poor widow, living at No.
9, Charlotte-place, Clerkenwell, and twelve months
!Igo the prisoner engaged her ready-funished lodg-
ings, and remained there for about five weeks. She
left without giving any notice, and when she was
gone the room was examined, and it was found all
but empty. Amongst the articles missing were
two pillows, a pair of sheets, a pair of blankets, a
swing glass, fender, three saucepans, a chair, and
two flat irons. The prosecutrix saw no more of the
prisoner until last Saturday week, when she acci-
dentally met her in the street, charged her with the
robberz-, and
gave her into custody.
Webster, 40, pleaded guilty to stealing
The Jury found the prisoner guilty.
Mr. Payne sentenced her to be imprisoned and
kept to hard labour for nine months.
George
a pair ef shoes, value Bs. 6d., the property of Henry
Hussey.
The prison officer proved that the prisoner was
convicted in 1851 of felony, and sentenced to im-
prisonment for three months ; again in 1852, and
sentenced to six months ; again in 1852, end sen-
tenced to twelve months' imprisonment ; main in
February, 1864, and sentenced to four years penal

servitude. Since the expiration of the last sen-
tence he had been imprisoned five weeks.
Mr. Payne sentenced. the prisoner to be kept in
penal servitude for six years.
Joseph Grimes, 31, stoker, was indicted for steal-
ing a brass plate, value 10s., the property of Henry
Grace, the same being fixed to a building.
Mr. Ribton and Mr. Palmer prosecuted ; the
prisoner was undefended.
It appeared from the evidence that on the morn-
ing of the 14th of August, between two and three
o'clock, a police-constable named Townsend, 337 D,
was on duty in Praed-street, Paddington, and while
he was there he saw the prisoner leave a coffee-
shop, cross over the street, and walk deliberately
up to the door of Mr. Grace, a tailor, and wrench
from the door a brass plate, with the name and
business profession of the occupant of the house.
The plate had been fastened by two screws and
nuts inside the door. As the constable made his
appearance, the prisoner put the plate down by the
scraper and walked quickly away. The policeman
then followed him and took him in custody. (The
plate was produced, engraved " Grace, Tailor ;"
and although of considerable thickness, was much
bent by being wrenched from the door.)
The prisoner, in his defence, said he entered the
coffee-shop at 20 minutes past 12 at night, and was
there until he was taken away by the policeman,
with the exception of about two minutes, when he
went out with a gentleman to a neighbourinr,
coffee-house, to inquire if the gentleman could be
accommodated with a bed, and having ascertained
that he could not, the prisoner immediately returned.
Mr. J. H. Evans, the coffee-housekeeper, and.
Sarah Stevens, the manager, stated that a gen-
tleman came into the shop about one o'clock,
and wished to have a bed there. They were
unable to accommodate the gentleman, but in-
I formed him that they thought a neighbour on the
opposite side of the street would be able to do so.
Upon that the prisoner volunteered to show him
the place ; but in two minutes both the gentleman
and the prisoner returned to the house, were sup-
plied with coffee, and after that the prisoner never
left the house until he was taken away by the
police. Stevens afterwards asked the policeman
what he had taken the man away for ; and, on
being informed, she expressed her disbelief ut it,
as she said the man had not been out of the house
for more than two minutes, and asked him why he
had not taken the man while he was removing the
plate, instead of waiting so long. He replied that
he was smoking a pipe and was dozing at the time,
and that, if he had not taken the man, he should
have " lost his coat." She did not know what he
meant by that, unless it was that he would lose his
place. _

Townsend here said that since this transaction he
had appeared against the witness for having used
abusive language towards a neighbour.
Sarah Stebbings, the waitress at the coffee-shop,
gave similar corroborative testimony.
Mr. S. E. Palmer, for the prosecution, addressed
the jury, contending that the evidence for the pro-
secution ought to be relied upon, as there was an
entire absence of motive onithe part of the police-
man to fabricate such a charge against the prisoner ;
while on the part of the witnesses for the defence
there was the strong motive of resentment, inas-
much as the policeman had been subpcenaed and
appeared against them as a witness for using abusive
language to a neighbour, and therefore that their
testimony was not to be relied upon.
Mr. Payne summed up the evidence with great
care. _

The jury returned a verdict of not guilty, on the
ground that it was possible that the policeman
might have lost sight of the person who committed
the robbery for a moment, and thus been mistaken
as to identity.
Ellen Brown, 50, widow, was indicted for steal-
ing three handkerchiefs, and other articles, the pro-
perty of a laundress by whom she was employed,
and also for stealing a brooch and ring, the pro-
perty of Thomas Fletcher, her master.
She was convicted, and sentenced to nine months'
hard labour.

Mr. J. P. Doyle prosecuted.
The prisoner's daughter, an interesting-looking
girl, about sixteen years of age, was in court, and
seemed in the deepest distress, weeping bitterly
when her mother was removed from the dock. It
was stated that now her mother was taken away
from her, the conseqnence of a long course of mis-
conduct, the girl was left without a friend or rela-
tion in the world, and no home to go to. The
matter was mentioned to Mr. Payne, who directed
the case to be brought under the notice of the
Society for the Rescue of Young Women and Chil-
dren, Poultry, and an address, where a letter would
find the girl, was taken.