The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-07 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.—Jan. 6.

The January quarter sessions of the peace for the
trial of prisoners for offences committed in the
county of Middlesex, commenced yesterday morn-
ing at the Sessions House, Clerkenwell-green,
before the Assistant-Judge and a bench of magi-
strates.
Frederick Brewer, 18, was indicted for feloniously
receiving 33 pennyweights of gold, the property of
James Green, he well knowing the same to have
been stolen.
Mr. Cooper prosecuted ; the prisoner was unde-
fended.
Frederick Bell, a boy 15 years of age—l am an
apprentice to Mr. James Green, watch-case maker,
of No. 15, President-street, St. Luke's. I have
been with hiin for two -years. I had not known
the prisoner before November last, although I had
seen him standing about King-square. I remember
Sunday, the 28th of November, and on that day I
was with my brother in Market-street. The pri-
soner called me from my brother and I went up to
him. He asked me if I could get him some gold.
I said, "No ; I was not going to rob my master,
who was very good to me." He said, " Oh, that
don't matter ; if you only take a small piece he
won't miss it." He had by standing in the square
seen the place to which I belonged. I said I would
not take any gold from my master. On the
following Monday there was a melting-yot
broken at my master's and I saw a small piece
of gold sticking to a clinker. I took it, and when
I went out at dinner time I saw the prisoner stand-
ing by the church. I gave him the clinker and
gold, and asked him if he could sell it. He said
he would break it, and see what he could get for it.
The next day I saw him, and I had two or three
little grains of gold wrapped up in paper. I gave
them to him, and he gave me 2s. for them and that
on the clinker. _

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Mr. Cooper was here about to examine the wit-
ness as to other occasions upon which he had met

_ .
the prisoner, but
Mr. Creasy interposed, and said that as the pri-
soner was undefended it was his duty to take care
that no evidence should be given that was not legally
admissible, for if it were necessary to go into these
transactions they might be made the subject of other
indictments.
Mr. Cooper said he thought he might show these
transactions ; but, of course, he would not now
pursue this evidence.
The prisoner then, with considerable effrontery,
commenced a sort of cross-examination upon points
not adverted to by the learned counsel, the answers
to which questions having a tendency to prove the
case against him.
Mr. Creasy warned the prisoner as to the effect
of the course he was taking ; but if after this he
should refer to other matters not strictly then be-
fore them he should feel bound to admit the evi-
dence which he had stopped the learned counsel
from further proceeding with. He was now
warned, and of course he could ask what questions
he pleased.
The prisoner, in an impudent manner, attempting
a forensic style, went through the evidence of the
different witnesses, commenting upon each, and
concluded by calling upon the jury to believe him
in preference to the witnesses.
Mr. Creasy summed up very briefly.
The jury almost immediately returned a verdict
of Guilty.
Mr. Creasy said--This is one of the worst
cases of receiving that has ever come before me,
and as I never met with a more disgraceful wretch,
I shall protect society from you for some time to
come, by sentencing you to be kept in penal servi-
tude for seven years.