The Sun.
London, England, 1861-05-02 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.-21fay 1.

The May general sessions of the peace for the
county of Middlesex commenced this morning at
the Sessions-house: on Clerkenwell-green, before
Mr. Bodkin, assistant judge ; Mr. Payne, deputy.
There were 92 prisoffers named in the calendar,
of whom 86 were charged with felony and six with
misdemeanour.

The Assistant Judge delivered the charge to the
grand jury. -
George Dowlan, a one-armed soldier, formerly
belonging to the 55th Regiment, and decorated
with the four-clasp medal for the Crimea, the Legion
of Honour, the Turkish and Sardinian medals, and
a distinguished conduct medal for saving his colonel,
and who lost his arm at the Redan, was indicted
for stealing a pair of boots at the house of Mr.
Robert Kennett, the Hoop and Grapes public-house,
Broadway, Westminster.
The alleged offence was committed while the
prisoner was under the influence of drink, and he
said the things were given to him by a fat-faced
girl in the house.
The jury acquitted him.
Mr. Le Breton was counsel for the prosecution;
Mr. Metcalfe for the prisoner.
William Shea, 27, described as a traveller, was
indicted and found guilty upon a charge of em-
bezzling money received by him in the capacity of
carman, on account of William Hustler, his master.

He made an attack on the character of the prose-
cutor, implying that the latter had wanted to get
some money he (the prisoner) was " about coming
into in Ireland," at 5 per cent., and that he kept
back some little sums on account.

The prosecutor solemnly denied it.
The court said the original offence had been
greatly aggravated by the defence, and the prisoner
was sentenced to three years' penal servitude.
Thomas Smith, 37, was convicted of feloniously
embezzling several sums of money received by him
on account of William Lake Woodman and another,
brewers, his masters. The prisoner had been a
witness against another person, and was now caught
himself.

His lordship sentencal him to three years' penal
servitude.

Henry Herbert, 37, ploaded guilty to stealing a
silver-plated dish, the property of Lady Emily
Hardinge.

Lockyer, the officer, proved former convictions
against him. He was a well-known thief.
Sentence—Three years' penal servitude.
John Frederick Lambert, aged 20, a barman,
was indicted for stealing the sum of 75., the money
of Michael Walker, his master. pleaded guilty,
and acknowledged to other thefts. He had placed
£ll in a'savings bank.
The Court sentenced him to nine months' hard
labour.

Henry Smith, 22, was indicted, on the prosecu-
tion of the Eastern Railway Company for stealing
a cask of chicory from one of their vans. He
pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to nine months'
hard labour.

Mr. Tindal Atkinson prosecuted, instructed by
Mr. Ashley.

(Before Mr. Payne.)
Several cases of lead stealing were tried in this
Court, and it was remarked that this dais of
offence was again on the increase.
The learned Judge said it was a most mischievous
offence; as for the sake of a few pounds of lead, the
offenders cared• not what amount of injury they did
to the property from which they stripped it.
William Davis, 32, stonemason, was convicted of
stealing Gib. of lead, the property of Wm. Thomas
Dixon, from a building.
He was sentenced to six months' hard labour.

Stephen Ramsbottom and John Davis, two
sweeps, were convicted of stealing lead from the
roof of a house where they were employed in
cleansing chimneys, and though there was no abso-
lute proof of the fact before the Court, there was no
doubt that the prisoners had been guilty of other
offences of the same description ; one, in particular,
at the Great Western Hotel, Paddington.
They were not known as convicted persons, which
his lordship said was a circumstance that saved
them from penal servitude, but he should sentence
each of them to twelve months' hard labour.
William Carter was convicted of stealing lead,
sic., from a public-house at Bromley. He went to
the closet on the premises, cut off the supply pipe
and brass cock, and did considerable damage
thereby.
He was sentenced to eight months' hard labour.
John Fraser, 20, was indicted for stealing a watch
from the person, the property of Frederick Swait.
He was found guilty, and Foulsham, the sessions
cfficer of the Westminster Bridewell, proved for-
mer convictions against him. It was stated that
the prisoner was concerned in a robbery from the
person of some bank notes, for receiving which a
pugilist of the name of Hatton was convicted and
sentenced to two years' hard labour.
The prisoner was sentenced to three years' penal
servitude.