The Sun.
London, England, 1858-03-03 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

OXFORD CIRCUIT.—OXFORD, Maui" 1.
CRIMINAL COURT.
(Before Mr. Baron Watson.)
G. A. Bennett, aged 19, clerk, was charged with
stealing several banknotes and other money,
'amounting altogether to 381., and also jewellery,
the property of James Hissey, at Caversham, on
the 10th of June, 1857.
Mr. Somerset appeared for the prosecution ; Mr.
Cripps defended the prisoner.
It appeared that Mrs. Hissey was a young and
rather pretty-looking woman, living separate from
her husband in a cottage at Caversham, with one
young child. The prisoner, a well-dressed young
man, went to Caversham, with the intention of
getting a situation as a master at a school in the
neighbourhood, and went to lodge at Mrs. Hissey's
cottage, which contained two bed rooms and one
sitting room. There was no servant, but a woman
from an adjoining cottage was in the habit of coming
in daily to perform the household duties. The
prisoner continued to live in the cottage for about
a fortnight, and during that time he occasionally
took his meals with Mrs. Hissey, made excursions
with her upon the river, and admired the
turquoise ring which she usually wore. After
some time Mrs. Hissey went up to London by
an early train, intending to return at night.
The same day the prisoner was seen by the
woman sitting in Mrs. Hissey's sitting room ; and
laterin the day he professed to start for Ascot races,
and, going away, he never made his ,ippearuce
again at Caversham. Upon her return home Mrs.
Hissey found her boxes broken open, the bank-
notes and other money gone, and the admired tur-
quoise ring and other jewellery missing. Every
inquiry was made during some months for the pri-
soner, until at length a London detective, having
carefully studied his description, arrested a young
gentleman as he was quietly walking with his father
in Burlington-street. The young gentleman's stre-
nuous denial of his identity was not sufficient to
satisfy the detective, who after considerable trouble
and inquiry discovered that he had arrested the
right man.
Mr. Cripps, for the defence, pointed out that
none of the property had been found upon the pri-
soner, and he suggested that after the prisoner bad
left the cottage some other person might have
entered, and, finding the place empty, might have
committed the robbery.
The jury, however, after spending a considerable
time in consideration, found the prisoner guilty.
Mr. Baron Watson sentenced him to six months'
imprisonment with hard labour.

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS, March 2,

(Before the Assistant Judge.)

Hannah Lewis, 39, and Ann Smith, 22, were in-
dicted for having stolen a purse and the sum of 1/.
10s., the property and money of Matthias Win.
Yates, from the person of Maria Mary Yates.
Mr. Metcalfe and Mr. Sleigh appeared for the
prosecution; Mr. Ribton for the prisoners.
Mr. Metcalfe said the case he should submit to
the jury was that Smith was the person who actu-
ally committed the theft, and that Lewis was pre-
sent as an accomplice aiding and assisting.
Mr. Yates, the prosecutor, stated that on Dec.
26 he got into an omnibus at the Flower-pot, in
Bishopsgate-street, with his daughter, a little girl,
who bad with her a purse containing a half-sove-
reign and 20s. in silver. He was by business a
tablecovermanufacturet, at Englefield-road, Kings-
land, and he was going home from the London Ta-
vern when he took the omnibus. He had been to a
benefit meeting of the Commercial Travell. rs' Be-
nevolent Institution. lii, (10,11L;Lt-r za,`; uppos.to to
him, and the prisoner Smith eat next her. He was
certain as to Smith, and the other prisoner, he be-
lieved, sat next to him. After the omnibus had got
about 300 yards past Shonditch Church, Lewis sud-
denly said to Smith, " Were you not to get out at
Shore ditch Ch urch ?" Smith said " Oh, yes;" and the
omnibus stopped. Both of them got out. Previous
to that they bad not spoken to each other ; they
seemed strangers. Directly they were gone he asked
his daughter if her purse was in her pocket ; it was
not. It. was taken from the side next to Smith.
The little girl said she was sure she felt the purse ,
on her knee after she was in the omnibus, and felt
her dress pulled.
Police-constable 53 M proved that he knew the
prisoners to be constant companions. Fur the
last 12 months they had frequented the omnibus
station at the Elephant and Castle, and rode in
Ringsland 'busses.

Mr. Payuter, a traveller, residing in Culford-
road, Kingsland-road, said he knew both prisoners,
from seeing them riding in Kite's Kin.gsland omni-
buses.

Mr. Ribton contended that there was many ao-
thiug to implicate Lewis, even if it could be consi-
dered there was anything in the evidence sufficient
to raise suspicion against Smith.
The jury found Smith guilty, and acquitted
Lewis.

They were then indicted for stealing a purse con-
taining money from the person of a certain woman
whose name was unknown.

The same counsel appeared in this case.
The jury found both guilty, and a former convic-
tion was proved against Smith ; she bad had two
months at Reading for picking pockets. There was
a third indictment against the prisoners jointly—
one against Smith singly, and another against
Smith and an omnibus conductor. Lewis had been
living eight years with a thiet named Moore.
The Assistant-Judge sentenced Lewis to one
year's hard labour, and Smith to five years' penal
servitude.

The last-mentioned charge remains to be tried.

(Before Mr. Creasy.
Edward Cairns, 19, was indicted for having un-
lawfully assaulted William Ravening, a police-
constable, in the execution of his duty.
Mr. Metcalfe was counsel for the prosecution,
Mr. Pearce for the prisoner.
On Sunday morning, the ith Feb., the prosecu-
tor was on duty at Brentford-end, when his atten-
tion was called to several persons, the prisoner being
one of them, who were iu the thoroughtare, creat-
ing a great disturbance and using very bad lan-
guage. On his interfering, one of Clem asked for
a light for his pipe, and, on his refusing to comply
with bis request, the man struck him several times,
for which he was taken into cuitudy. The prisoner
got behind the prosecutor and tried to gouge his
eyes out, an I the othtr man got away. Three or
four joined in the attack upon the constable, and
it was a fortunate thing fur him that another con-
stable came up to his a.sistance.
The jury found him guilty.
Sentence was postponed.
George _Pettit was indicted for having feloniously
embezzled divers sums of . money which he had re-
ceived on account of Thomas Lindsay and another,
his masters.
Mr. Metcalfe prosecuted ; Mr. Horry appeared
for the prisoner.

The prosecutors are ale and potter brewers at
MiEwell, and the prisoner was in their service to
deliver beer to customers and receive mouey, which
it was his duty to account for and pay over every
night, his pay, with certain emoluments, being
about 11. per week.
The evidence proved several instances in which
he had received money for which he had not given
account.

then pulled me by my hair through the door, and
when he got me outside the house he struck me
violently on the face, and gave me this black eye. I
was struck many times during the stru; le by seve-
ral of them, but I distiuctly remember Kennedy
striking me on the eye after dragging me out of
the house. They then deliberately broke three or
four squares of plate glass, and in the confusion the
gas-fittings were pulled down. I have been in busi-
ness 27 years, and never witnessed such a disgrace-
ful scene before.

Mr. Chas. Coles, who appeared with a black eye
and a dreadfully swollen face, said—l was in the
parlour on the night in question, when Philip
Rogers came in and asked for a light. I told him he
was not wanted there, and desired him to rejoin
his friends in the taproom, upon which he made use
of the most violent and disgusting language. I
attempted to remove him, and with the assistance
of Mr. Mark Coles I got him to the folding doers
leading into the bar, when Thos. Rogers came
forward, and, seizing mu by the hair, held me
while the others struck me. They got me on the
ground, and while down they kicked me about
the body so severely that I WAS quite unable to
notice what took place afterwards.
Mr. Mark Coles said—l let the house to Mrs.
Coles, who had only been in possession two or three
days. I was in the parlour when the prisoner
Rogers came in for a light, and I witnessed all that
occtirred. Mr. C. Coles was assailed by the who'e of
the prisoners as soon as they saw him turning
Rogers out of the parlour. They pounced upon him
like savages. They struck at him indiscriminately,
pulled his hair, knocked him down, and I believe
they would have killed him if assistance hail not
been at hand. I also saw them drag Mrs Coles
from behind the bar by the hair. I returned to
the parlour to secure property I had with me, and
when I got into the bar again I found the pris ,ners
breaking the windows.
John Ashton said—Wh..n Charles ColeS ejected
the prisoner Rogers the latter uttered some sound
as a signal to his companions, and they all rushed
upon Mr. Coles in a body. Thomas Rogers was the
most prominent of the lot in the assault upon him.
Edward Mitchell, 126, said-1 was called to the
assistance of the parties complaining, and I found
Mrs. Coles and her son both bleeding from the face,
and four large panes of plate glass broken. I took
Kennedy into custody, but he struck and kicked me
several times, and was so violent that I was ob-
liged to use thy tr uncheoo. I also saw Philip Ro-
gers taken into custody, and h«-, offered such violent
resistance that it required four constables to take
him to the statiou. The' prisoner Thomas Rogers
went quietly. I had seen them previously, and
they appeared under the influence of drink, and I
thought they looked ripe for a row.
Mr. Lewis said he hoped the Alderman would
take into consideration the punishinent the pri-
soners had received at the hands of the police, and
mitigate the penalties accordingly.
Alderman Humphrey said the police had evi-
dently bad a very dangerous lot to deal with, and
they were justified in protecting themselves from
the violence of such rough characters, who other-
wise might have killed them.
Mr. Lewis said he did not justify the conduct of
the prisoners, but, looking at the marks on their
faces, it was quite clear they had received very
severe chastisement. He, however, hoped the Al-
derman would discharge the woman, as she was not
shown to have taken any very active part in the
disturbance.

WESTMINSTER.—Francis Cook, Sidney Mui'
and William Jones, three privates of the Cold-
stream Guards, were charged with the following
outrage :
James Seymbur, police-constable 196 B, said
that at half past 12 on the night of the 24th ult. he
was on duty in North-street, Chelsea, when he saw
the three defendants, two other soldiers, and a
civilian, standing near the Cock Tavern. The door
of the house was shut, and defendant Cook having
proposed, with an oath, that they should burst it
open, the party proceeded to press against it.
Complainant advised them to desist, and not to
get themselves into trouble, when Cook inquired
what be had to do with it, and again advanced
towards the door. Complainaut again spoke to
the party with a view of inducing them to abandon
their intention of bursting the door open, when
Cook struck him a violent blow on the nose, which
made it bleed copiously. Complainant seized him
by the collar, and after a struggle they both fell,
and while complainant was on the ground the de-
fendant Mann struck him also, and got Cook away.
The rest of the party then placed Cook in their
rear,and the
that complainant could not get at him,
epoeradr
tea
Id,
blow
wtfaeovnana
ntdt aohenee .de
ywith Junes,
iatnh thendhkins
oek e
d hun advancing,bac k
w a struckrds.
Cnoeaorklytheeunta
omp.lainant
POLICE IisITELL7GENeig. ... withbeltiat and made athdee so des-
POLICE
. off the tip of one of his fingers, he
e
injury upraised his hand to ward off the blow. The
..--„---..•--Aatitrch 2,
GITIILDHALL. Pi ;1;
—___ .I___p Rogers, irv,„ ..„__ was
a o great thaotfrthbey tlol.r.opf
Pearce
nger
Thomas Kennedy, and Patrick Dwyer, F,',-;-t't 87 Via.% RUbs
save-looking ruffians, were brought up
ed hthet k
wwitrietr l' Pethiraio" clivractouneaniti, ren
,vzati they botheon.. Complainant closseed with
woman named Ellen Kennedy, charg
party also bating Oolg'rwn.un._ d,. the o,hers of tl
eotiy on thagaill ft"
wilene°ok
at asked
following savage and brutal assaults : party
got awes whale in tim defen 10
Mr. Lewis appeared for the prisoners. situation.
3' anain dcatlhleed ontPh°YeZ.tiltwialtod-1:11:13.6alt"'
Mrs. Elizabeth Coles said—My husband keeps gea_ining his lwgs, again a 1 but complainanteal
Bridgewater-gar-
hel 11, waihdevnenCoi
tot Cook held him clzeottit'l re't
iagain they
the Three Tuns public-house in
dens, and on Thursd4y night last the prisoners came i
" tOcci. •
into our tape om and called for three pots of beer.
(lions
ti,en fellgi
upon complainanti and beat him tun:
They had not been in long before I heard. a die- 1
b-c, rue insensible. When he partially recovered he
turbance in the parlour, and saw my son ejecting '
found
to that assistance had come up and complainant
Philip Rogers. I also saw him strike my son, and
endeavoured recapture Cook, who again struck
I I then called for the police, upon which the man
Kd Thos. Rogers, and the woman seized me him, threw LimClOl9D, and seized him by the Bair,
bye the hair, and draued me over the bar, Zeznedy but the clefeAda2t4 were ultimately securei, ana

Alderman Humphrey said it was a very bad
case, and he therefore sentenced Kennedy to three
months' imprisonment with hard labour, the two
Rogerses to two months, Dwyer to one month, and
the womaa to two days.

MARLBOROUGEI-STREET. The detective
Huggett yesterday came to the court and produced
the watch sto!en from the woman murdered in the
Haymarket. The watch is a very small one, made
by Vieyres, and can be identified as the property
of the unfortunate woman. There was also a ring
found, which formed part of the stolen property.
When the prisoner was committed on Monday he
was placed in the gaoler's room, well guarded, while
a cab was sent tor. The only symptom of fear dis-
played by the prisoner was when he was called to
leave the court. Believing that he should be taken
out by the front entrance, before which an excited
mob had assembled, he shrank into the corner, ex-
claiming' in terror, 'Tire people, the people !"
When he found he was to be removed privately by
the back way he recovered his natural manner, and
on the road laughed and jested iu a way to show
that he was utterly regardless of the serious posi-
tion in which he was placed.
John Beal, alias Etterin, was charged with
having with other persons garotted and robbed
George Johnson, licensed victualler, 9, Bear-street,
Leicester-square.
Mr. Johnson stated that on Tuesday, July 28,
about 3 in the morning, the prisoner and three
other men came to his house just as he was closing,
and were served with refreshment before the bar.
He missed one of the prisoner's companions, and in
a minute afterwards he was suddenly seized by
some one behind, an arm was thrown round his
neck, and he was choked in the manner termed ga-
rotting. He retained sufficient consciousness to be
able to see the prisoner and his other companions
come round into the bar and rifle his pockets. They
took from his pocket a watch which had been de-
posited with him by one of the garotters for a score
of 125., about 20s. in silver, and four sovereigns
from his trousers pocket. He struggled very much,
but at last became insensible, and when ho came to
himself he found ho was alone and bleeding from
the nose and mouth. He went out and spoke to
Police-constable Batty and told him what had hap-
pened.

Wm. Batty, A. 318, said that, about 20 minutes
to 5 o'clock on the morning in question he saw the
prisoner and another man come out of Mr. John-
son's house and walk rapidly away. He had pre-
viously seen another man and two women come out
of the same house. About half an hour after the
prosecutor came to him bleeding, and said he had
been garotted. He went into the house and found
it in confusion. There were appearances of a
struggle—pots and broken glasses were strewn
about the bar.

Police-kergeant Glass, C 3, said that from infor-
mation he received he went with several constables,
about 4 ()click in tho morning, to No. 6, Thomas!
place, Lambeth-walk. He knocked at the street-
door, but found it secured, and no answer was
returned. The door was forced, and on entering
he found the prisoner in a room on the ground-
floor, partly dressed. He told the prisoner he was
charged with being one of a gang who had as3aulted
and rubbed Mr. Johnson in July last. The pri-
soner replied, " Very well, I'll go with you."
Seeing the prisoner put his hands iu his pocket, he
seized his hand, and took from it the knife he
now produced. He took the prisoner info the
street, and after waling a short distance the pri-
soner became suddenly violent, struggling and
kicking furiously, and calling out, "If I could get
hold of one thing you should not forget me." With
some difficulty the prisoner's legs were secured
with a strap, and he was then lodged in the station-
house.

Prisoner—Was I sober ?
Witness—l should say you were not quite sober.
Inspac:or Webb said he should be prepared with
evidence next Wednesday to prove that the prisoner
was a returned transport.
Mr. Boadm consented to a remand for a week.

He was found guilty and sentenced to six months'
hard labour.

Ann Reece, 25, was indicted for assaulting Mr.
J°s4l)ll Samuel Lavies, the surgeon of the West-
minster BridewelL
Mr- Ribton prosecuted. •
At the time the assault was committed the pri-
soner was an inmate of the Bridewell, under a sum-
mary conviction, which made the 35th since 1845.
She was a most desperate character. One morn-
ing she presented herself to the surgeon, with
others, as casual sick, and complained ot her throat,
and as Mr. Leviers was writing the nature of her
complaint in his book she gave him a tremendous
blow on the nose with her clenched fist , which was
not by any means a delicate one. His
profusely. As he went with a nose bledmale officer to have
her secured she kinked and scratched him, used the
most dreadful languag:, and threatened to " do"
for him when she got outside the walls. On her
diseharge she was taken on a warrant for this as-
blt, when she impudently said she only slapped.
face.
,_7115 inr7 found her guilty, and Mr. Creasy sea-
beoced her to six months' hard labour.
Richard Evans, 27 pleaded guilty to a charge of
stealing some fowl% fr, d Hammersmith,
belongtng to the Genoemral usymarn.ibus Company.
Sentence was deferred.