The Sun.
London, England, 1832-08-18 00:00:00

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15.

Wm. Hemsley, George Taylor, Maria Hemsley,
and Caroline Oyer, were indicted for assaulting and
robbing John Page of a watch and other articles.
John Page was a shoemaker living at Bath. Was
returning to his lodgings about 11 o'clock on the
18th of May. Passed the two female prisoners at
the door of the Bath Arms, in Kingsmead-street.
Maria llemsley followed him to the bottom of
Cross-lane, where be lived. She overtook him,
and asked him if he would go for a walk ; witness
said he would not ; he had no money ; he wanted
to go home to bed. Cryer came up and asked him
the same question, and he made her the same an-
swer. They had some conversation, and then asked
him to go home with them, as they had no com-
pany, and lived near the Albion-brewery, in the
Upper Bristol-road. After some time, witness con-
sented to accompany them home. Witness went as
far as the Albion-brewery; they all stopped a few
minutes talking, when Hemsley said she lived in
the Upper Bristol-road, and asked Cryer and me
to accompany her; witness went with them to the
Oleßridge; when we got there one of the females
proposed going for a walk ; went on till they came
to South Hayes ; Maria Hemsley then complained
of being tired, and wished to sit down, and she
did sit down; saw three men coming; one said
" - your eyes, what do you do here ?" and
knocke►l witness down ; Wm. Hemsley was one of
the three men; thinks Taylor was one, but can-
not swear to him ; after he was knocked down
he was robbed of his watch, and Os. 6d. in money.
The Jury returned a verdict of Guilty against
William Hemsley, and acquitted the other prisoners.
Judgment of death recorded.

The other business was of no public interest
whatever.
an a prosecution for cattle-stealing, in which
there were eight witnesses, no counsel were em-
ployed, upon which circumstance the Learned Judge
animadverted in very strong terms, observing, that
so far from that practice being likely to save the
county expense, it was calculated to have a contrary
effect, as the time the assizes would occupy must
necessarily be protracted, for the judge could know
nothing more of the case than he could glean from
the depositions, which frequently, as in this case,
were written in so bad a baud that it was almost
impossible to read them.
The reason of this we understand to arise from
the following circumstance. The Magistrates, at
their quarter sessions, had drawn out a table of fees
to be allowed to different persons attending at the
assizes on criminal prosecutions. The sum they have
directed to be paid to an attorney, for his trouble '
in taking instructions in the case, perusing all the
depositions, preparing his brief and fair copy thereof
for counsel, and for his attendance at the assizes
(where in this county he may be detained ten or
sometimes fourteen days), is one guinea. No at-
torney therefore will come to the assizes, if he is
concerned in only one case, unless his client, the
prosecutor, will submit to a still more unjustifiable
robbery than that of which he was then complaining,
and pay him for his timeand expenses when so engaged
at the assizes. In consequence of this, the case is
not properly placed before the judge and thejury,and
the offender escapes punishment, and is turned out
at large upon the kingdom, having undergone an
education in one of the Somerset gaol!, under the
able tuition of some of the greatest scoundrels this
country can produce. The labour of the Judge is
also increased to a most painful degree, being com-
pelled to look at the depositions in order to learn as
to what facts he is to question the witnesses, then
to examine them, and in addition to wvite down