The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-22 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

(Before Mr. Pashley, Q.C., Assistant-Judge, at
Westminster.)

Selina Barry, 25, and Louisa Clark, 21,- were in-
dicted for having stolen a gold watch, value £l5,
the property of Henry Longman, from his person.
Mr. Kemp prosecuted ; Mr. Horry defended the
prisoners.
The prosecutor was a messenger, living at No.
9, Adelphi-terrace, and on the night of the 2dinst.
he was accosted by the prisoners in Adam-street.
They asked him to treat them. He refused to do so,
and during their momentary conversation, they got
his watch out, and twisted it off the guard. He
detected them by the " click" caused by the break-
ing of the ring, but before a policeman could come
up, the watch had disappeared, in some mysterious
manner, although the prosecutor held both of them,
until they were given into custody. The ring was
found close to the spot where they accosted him.
The jury found both prisoners guilty, and they
were sentenced each to nine months' hard labour.
Sarah Hall, 25, and Mary Ann Wilson, 25, were
indicted for stealing £2l in gold, the property of
Primatt Knapp, from his person.
Mr. Gent prosecuted; Mr. Daley appeared for
the prisoners.
The prosecutor was a person from the country,
and had been staying at Fladong's Hotel, Oxford-
street. One day he rambled to the east end, got
into the company of the prisoners, whom he treated
to drink, and they invited him to go home with
them. He did so, and while there they robbed him
of £2l in sovereigns and half sovereigns. The pri-
soners shortly after the robbery were going about
showing plenty of money in gold.
They were found guilty, and sentenced each to
six months hard labour.
William Phillips, 24, and Henry Wrazall, 24,
were indicted for stealing from the person of Ann
Mitchell, a purse, two half-sovereigns and other
coins, her property and money.
Mr. Horry prosecuted ; Mr. Sleigh appeared for
Wraxall.
This was a case of pocket-picking somewhat sin-
gular in its circumstances. The prosecutrix was a
single woman, living in Green-street, Leicester-
square. Aboutl2 o'clock on the night of Oct. 6, she
was in the Haymarket, and stood up in a dOorway
out of the rain. The prisoners came up to the same
place, and stood one on each side of her. They
asked her a variety of questions, as where she had
been, and where she lived, and at last invited her
to supper with them. She refused, and declined to
satisfy their curiosity. While standing there, she
detected Wraxall's hand in her pocket, and directly
missed her purse, which was passed, she said, to a
third man. As they were going away she seized
them both, and held them until a policeman came
up. When they were taken to the station half-a-
crown was found upon Phillips, nothing upon
Wraxall. The magistrate admitted Wraxall to
bail, and he surrendered to his remand, but in the
meantime it had been ascertained that Phillips had
but just before been discharged from the House of
Correction, after undergoing a sentence of twelve
months.
Mr. Sleigh addressed the jury for Wraxall, and
urged that after the evidence which he should call
as to that prisoner's character, the jury could not
safely come to the conclusion that he was a person
who would be concerned in picking pockets in the
Haymarket or anywhere else.
Witnesses were then examined. They spoke to
the previous good character of Wraxall, who had
kept a tobacconist's shop in Jermyn-street, for which
he paid £l3O, and had been clerk in a solicitor's
firm in the City. About ten weeks ago he sold his
business, and was living, when he was taken on
this charge, in Walcot-square, out of business.
The Assistant-Judge told the jury that they had
to say whether, upon the evidence, they were satis-
fied that the prisoners acted in concert. The evi-
dence as to the actual theft was very strong against
Wraxall, but it was clear that both were engaged
in a conversation with the prosecutrix, whose evi-
dence was given fairly, and had not been shaken at
all in cross-examination.
The jury found both prisoners Guilty.
It was then proved that on Sept. 25, 1857, Phillips
was convicted in this court, in the name of Ward,
of a robbery upon Nictorine Paul, at a cigar shop
in Gerard-street, Soho, and sentenced to 12 months'
hard labour.
Wraxall said he was entirely innocent. He knew
nothing of Phillips, and never saw him until three
minutes before he was taken into custody. He
met him at a cigar shop in the Haymarket, and
went with him to ' partake of some half-and-half.
He appealed to Phillips to tell the truth, whether
he had anything to do with the robbery, and whe-
ther he had not committed it himself.
Phillips said the other prisoner was innocent,
and what he had said was quite true.
The Assistant-Judge could pay no attention to
such a statement on the part of a man like Phillips,
and anything further that could be submitted in
favour of Wraxall "must be sent in a memorial to
the Secretary of State.
Mr. Sleigh proposed to call Phillips as a witness
and examine him on oath.
The Assistant-Judge could not permit that, now
that both were convicted. Such a course would put
an end to all regularity of proceeding.
Mr. Sleigh remarked that he had a strong opinion
upon the matter, and this ought to be a warning to
persons as to whom they casually conversed with
in the streets.
The Assistant-Judge sentenced Phillips to seven
hears' penal servitude; Wraxall to eight months'
ard labour.
Phillips subsequently stated that Wraxall knew
nothing of the robbery—that he alone did it, having
purposely got Wraxall into conversation with him,
so that in case of detection he should be found in
company of a respectable person, by which it would
appear highly improbable that they were acting in
concert in pocket picking. He said he had com-
mitted eight robberies in this way since his dis-
charge from prison on Sept. 24.
The Assistant-Judge said if Wraxall's friends
thought it desirable to have further inquiry made,
they must apply to the Home-office.
John Murphy, 21, and John Cotter, 27, were con-
victed of having defrauded recruiting sergeants of
ls. each by enlisting under false pretences, and
were sentenced to four months' hard labour.

Alexander Muir, convicted on a former day of
having unlawfully encouraged and persuaded a
soldier to desert from the Royal Horse Artillery,
was sentenced to three months' imprisonment.
Richard Bowley, 31, convicted of larceny after
several former convictions, and a sentence of seven
years' transportation, was brought up and sentenced
to eight years' penal servitude.
A number of ordinary cases of larceny of no in-
terest were disposed of during the afternoon.
(Before Mr. Payne.)

George Mandry, 26, was indicted for having as-
saulted police constable Butcher, 109 B, in the
execution of his duty. It appeared that there was a
disturbance in Vauxhall-bridge-road. The jury
found defendant guilty. He was sentenced to three
months' hard labour.

John Conyer, 18, Thomas Doyle, 18, and Maria
Doyle, 39, were indicted, Conyer for stealing, arid
the two Doyles for feloniously receiving, a cash-
box, containing three £lO notes, &c., the property
of Frederick Winisland.

Mr. Sleigh and Mr. Kemp were counsel for the
prosecution ; Mr. Daley defended the prisoners.
The prisoner Conyer had been shopman to the
prosecutor, who keeps an oil shop in Rochester-row.
It appeared that a bureau in his parlour had been
broken open, and a cash-box containing between
£9O and £lOO in notes and cash, Bank stock re-
ceipts representing £4OO, &c., stolen. Conyer, who
had left the service of the prosecutor two months
before, was suspected, having been seen about the
neighbourhood just before the robbery, and an
entrance having been effected through the cellar
flap, he knowing, too, exactly where the box was
kept, and the prosecutor and a policeman traced
him to Uxbridge-street, Old Kent-road, at a rela-
tion's, and when told what had occurred, he said
they might suspect him, but he did not do it. He
was lodging with the Doyles, and, on prosecutor
pressing him to confess and
promising that he
would not press the case against him if he did so, he
made a statement in their presence, and inculpating
them as receivers. He gave up four £lO notes, and a
£5 note, which he took from the back of a grate up-
stairs ; on Thomas Doyle they found the prosecu-
tor's cash book, and Mrs. Doyle, when asked about
the gold and silver, said she had given it to a boy in
the street. This turned out to be her own boy, for
he was found to be in possession of £ll 9s. 3d. in
silver, tied up in a stocking, and £22 10s. in gold,
tied up in a small bag. The cash box was found,
wrenched open, in New Kent-road, several papers,
which were in the cash box when it was stolen,
were also stolen. Conyer admitted his guilt before ,
the magistrate, and at first pleaded guilty to this
indictment, but he afterwards withdrew this plea,
by permission, and was tried with the others. •
The jury found all three prisoners guilty—the
two Doyles were sentenced each to hard labour for
a year, and Conyer to nine months.
Jane Robinson, 35, a married woman, was indicted
on Wednesday for feloniously breaking and enter-
ing the shop of Edward Minto, with intent to steal.
Mr. Digby prosecuted ; Mr. Metcalfe defended •
the prisoner.

The prosecutor was a tobacconist, at 194, Beth-
nal-green Toad, and the prisoner occupied the first
floor with her husband. Something occurred which
excited suspicion, and a watch was kept. She was
chaiged with having entered the shop through the
parlour with intent to rob the till.
The jury found her not guilty.