The Sun.
London, England, 1857-04-15 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE'.-Aprg 14.

LAMBETH COUNTY COURT:
(Before Mr. J. Pitt Taylor.)
• SOOBY V. WARLTERS. —PUBLICANS' LAMPS.
The plaintiff in this case, the landlord of the
Joiners' Arms, Denmark-hill, sought to recover
the amount of damage done to a lamp through the
defendant's improper fixing of the same.
From the evidence of the plaintiff it appeared
that having some hanging lamps attached to his
premises and one of them being out of repair, he em-
ployed the defendant to do the requisite repairs,
agreeing to pay the amount required for the same.
The defendant repaired the lamp and fixed it,
which was done by a cap and pin, but some time
after, there being a rather higher wind than usual,
the lamp fell down. He then examined tie part
by which the lamp was fixed, and found it was
totally incapable of holding a lamp of anything bk,l
the weight of the one in question. He had applied
to the defendant to put it in repair again, but he
bad refused.
Mr. Collins, of the Giraffe, was called in support
of the plaintiffs case.
The defendant's case was that the lamp was pro-
perly repaired, but that on the day in question
there was an extraordinary high wind, and through
that the lamp was blown down. The lamp had
been up three years, and as it swung about the pin
must have worn out, which would be the case with a
great many now in use. It was no part of his con-
tract to look to that.
His Honour, believing that it was his business to
properly repair the lamp, and not to put it up if he
thought it would not hold, gave a verdict for the
plaintiff, with costs.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE-April 14.

MANSION-HOUSE.—ThoraasWolcot, formerly
a journeyman in the employ of Messrs. Moses and
Son, shoe manufacturers and merchants, on Tower-
hill, was brought before Mr. Alderman Hale,
charged with having robbed that firm, while in
their employment, of six pairs of water-tight boots.
Mr. Lewis said he appeared on the part of
Messrs. Moses and Sou to prosecute the prisoner
for a felony committed while in their service, and
it would ultimately turn out that the prisoner had
been connected with five men, now under remand
upon a charge of having plundered a great number
of packages of large quantities of boots and shoes,
belonging to Mr. Isenburg, of Leadenhall street.
Mr. E. Moses, one of the prosecutors, said—
The prisoner was in our employment as warehouse-
man for nine years previous to the 4th of Novem-
ber last. In May last I received a written com-
munication, in consequence of which I deemed it
nay duty to watch what was going forward on my
premises. On the 4th of November I dismissed the
prisoner from my service. During the last 14 or
18 months he was in our employment we missed
large quantities of, goods, amounting in value to
about 1,0001. We had also in our employment
a man of the name of Timothy Desniond, who
was dismissed on the same day that the pri-
soner left. On the day in question I found
in a cellar adjoining our premises, which
was used as a tinman s shop, and in which
Desmond used to make packing-cases, six pairs of
water-tight boots of the value of 31. From infor-
mation I received, I caused the prisoner to be ap-
prehended last night. Upon being brought to our
house by the officer, he said that both he and
Desmond had been deeply implicated in robbing
me, and he 'asked me to forgive him for the sake of
his wife and family. I told him that the law must
take its course. The goods we missed were chiefly
boots and shoes, and a large quantity of knives.
Timothy Desmond—l live at 85, Chambers-
street, Goodman's-fields, and am a tin-plate worker.
Prior to the 4th of November last, I had been for
13 years in the employment of the prosecutors.
During a part of that time the prisoner was in the
same service ; and during the last few months of
our employment there we were in the habit of
stealing property belonging to the prosecutors.
We used to steal "water-Lights." On the 4th
of November, the day we were discharged, the
prisoner brought to the cellar in which I was at
work six pairs of water-tight boots, but I had no
opportunity of removing them before they were
discovered by Mr. Moses. The prisoner and I
shared money about a dozen times, the produce of
goods stolen from Messrs. Moses. A man named
George Boyce paid me on several occasions for
goods which had been stolen by the prisoner and
myself. We shared upwards of 501. between us.
A man of the name 'of Pickering used also to convey
goods away, and he bas paid me about 121., of which
toe prisoner received his proper proportion. The
selling price of the stolen boots was 10s. per pair,
and we used to get 49. per pair for them. The
goods used to be t tken to the house of Boyce, who
has paid me money for goods that I had stolen and
delivered to Pickering.
_

Prisoner—Have yo-u
told the truth ?
Witnes—l have.

Prisoner—What did you give me for the boots ?
Witness—They were told at 4s. a pair, and out of
245. I gave you Ws.
Prisoner—Are you not ashamed to look at me ?
You confess- yourself to be a thief.

Witness-1 don't know why I should be ashamed
of myself, I'm sere.
Prisoner—You are the biggest villain upon earth,
and you ought to have a rope round your neck.
P. W. Donna way, a metropolitan police-con-
stable, No. 129 H, said he apprehended the pri-
soner, who confessed to Mr. Moses that be had
been deeply implicated in robbing him, and asked
his forgiveness.
The prisoner, after the usual caution had been
given him, said, in reply to the charge,'" Mr. Moses
has made the amount to which he has been robbed
imrnenAely too large."
He was then fully committed for trial.

CLERKENWELL.—Yesterday having been ap-
pointed for the re-examination of Robert Robinson
Tripp, who stands charged with the wilful murder
of Mr. James Scotl., the court was crowded to ex-
cess long before the hour fixed.

Mr. E. Silence gave evidence that has already
appeared.
Police-constable B. Hill, 159 N, said—On the
morning of the ith I went to the house of the pri-
soner. I saw the prisoner in the front room of the
second floor. When I knooked at the door the
prisoner said, "Who is there 1" I replied "Police;'
when he said, "Open the door, it is not locked."
When I went in the prisoner was smoking his
pipe, and I saw the cutlas and knife produced. I
asked what disturbance had taken place between
him and Mr. Scott ; when the prisoner said, "lie
is my landlord. I told him that I owed him some
rent, that it was an unreasonable hour, and that if
he would come on Saturday I would pay. I per-
suaded him to go out, but he refused, and then I
stabbed him." I asked him what he had stabbed
Scott with, and he said, " The cutlass, and I hope
I have given him his death-wound. If it had not
been Mr. Silence I would have cut his head off."
The prisoner then asked me what I was going to do
with him. I told him that I wanted him to go with
me to see Mr. Scott, and also told him Scott was
not dead but that he was hurt very much. He then
said, "I am sorry for that—l am sorry I did not
give him his death-wound." This he repeated
several times. _ _ _

Mr. Corrie—Did the prisoner s:em as if he had
been drinking ?

Witness—No.

Witness continued—The prisoner asked me if he
was in my custody, and I said no, until I had taken
the knife and cutlass, and then I told him he was.
On our way to the station the prisoner said, " I
hope I have given him his death-wound." On exa-
mining the sword I found marks of blood, and also
on the stairs.

Cross-examined—I saw Scott and the prisoner in
the Caledonian-road. They were then wrangling
together, but I did not hear any threats used. At
2 o'clock I met Scott, md he then called the pri-
soner an old vagabond, said he would wait there all
night, and then put the brokers in for the rent. He
did not make auy complamt then that the prisoner
at that time had made any threat.
Mr. H. Sillifant, a surgeon, of 1, Thornhill-
square, proved that decemed died from the effects
of the wound.

Sergeant Berkly, 12 N—Theprisoner was brought
to the station about 4 m tbe morning. The pri-
soner, upon being told the nature of the charge,
said, "I did it." I told him it was my duty to cau-
tion him, when he again said, " If it bad not been
for the lodger interfering, I would have given him
a right one and a left one, which would have saved
the trouble of taking him to the hospitd. I was jus-
tified in doing it, asilr. Scott had no right to come
there at that unseasonable hour for his rent." At
that moment Silence came in, when the prisoner
said, "If it bad not been for your interference. I
,
would have soon finished him.' , (Sensation.) I then
asked the nature of the wound, and was told that it
was an inch and a quarter, when he said, "I wish
it bad been six inches."
To Mr. Robinson—The prisoner, I should say,
was not drunk. He might have had something to
drink, but not much. He was a sober man.
Prisoner—We had both something to drink. This
is what I expected after I had bad the gin and water.
Mr. Inspect r Judge, of the N division, said that
he had taken an inwntory of the go'wis for the pur-
pose of baudibg them to the prisoner's friends. I
found in a box a skull and. Several bones, which the
surgeon stated were the bones of a female. I also
found six bags of shot and a powder flask. e e

was also some female apparel, consisting of part of an
old bonnet, gown, some cap', and an old petticoat.
Mr. Robinson said that the clothes belonged to
prisoner's mother, and, as for the skull and bones,
xhe prisoner had them for the purposes of study.
The prisoner, who reserved his defence, was com-
mitted for trial and removed to Newgate.

William Russell, a respectably dressed young man,
about 21 years of age, a barman in the employ of
Mr. Sams, the landlord of the Sun public-house,
Lamb's Conduit-street, surrendered to his bail be-
fore Mr. Corrie, charged with having caused the
death of Wm. Lockwood, a stonemason acid brick-
layer, by. throwing him down and cutting his head.
Mr. Child, of firm of Wire and Child, at-
tended for the prisoner.
From the evidence taken on the first examina-
tion, it appeared that on Saturday week last, about
a quarter past 6 in the morning, the deceased was
iu the Sun public house, when, making a distur-
bance, the prisoner took him by the shoulders and
threw.bim out of the house with great force. The
deceased was picked up insensible, taken to the hos-
pital, but he only rallied for a short time, and died
on the following Monday morning. At the inquest
witnesses were called who stated that the barman
had not used any force in putting the deceased out;
that he did so very quietly, that when he had got
him outs.de he placed lem against the door-post,
and that it was some time after the barman had
returned to his work that the deceased fell down
and cut his head.
Mr. Corrie inquired of Mr. Inspector Checkley
if he had any fresh evidence.
Mr. Checkley said that he had only one witness
to bear out the witness Small. Although he bad
been warned he had failed to attend.
Charles Hastings was then called, and stated
that he was in the public-house at the time in ques-
tion, when he saw the deceased, who was very
abusive, taken by the barman and quietly put out.
The barman then returned to his work, and shortly
after the deceased, who was very drunk, fell down.
Mr. Corrie—Did the barman throw him down ?
Witness—No.
Mr. Corrie said it was one of those melancholy
cases resulting from the evil effects of drunkenness.
The jury hid come to the same conclusion as be
had, and, therefore, the prisoner would, be dis-
charged.
Mr. Child complained of the police taking the
barman into custody 'before inquiries had been
made. Mr. Wakley also, at the inquest, bad made
some remarks upon the same subject.
Mr. Corrie thought the police had behaved very
properly in the matter, and had only done their
duty. _ _

fter some further remarks,
Mr. Corrie said the police had only done what
they ought to have done in the matter. Perhaps,
if his opinion was asked, he should say that the
man was thrown down instead of having fallen
down, as stated.
The parties then left the court.

WESTMINSTER.—Ann Robinson, the elder,
and Ann Robinson, the younger, were charged
with creating a disturbance and committing two
assaults upon the servants of Lady Ponsonby, at
her mansion in Chester-square. -

From some very lengthened testimony it ap-
peared that for some months past the defendants
have been in the habit of going to Lady Ponsonby's
house, making large claim,s upon her for rent.
They have been told if they had any claim to pro-
secute it in the ordinary way, and the name of her
ladyship's solicitor was given to them. The previ-
ous evening they went there again, accompanied
by two other men and a woman, forced their way
into the house, and insisted upon seeing Lady Pon-
sonby. They were told she could not be seen,
when they conducted themselves very violently,
and on the servants endeavouring to put them out,
the younger defendant struck two of them. The
police were called, and the defendants given into
custody.
The answer of the defendants to this statement
was that the elder defendant had, by a recent de-
cree of the Court of Chancery, been decided the
heiress of a great many houses in Chester-square,
and had appointed the younger defendant collector
for the estate, but, as her mother's claims were ds-
puted by the tenantry, who alleged they had paid
all lawful demands to the lawful owners, her duties
as receiver were exceedingly light, but with a view
of enforcing her claims she went, accompanied by
her mother and friends, to Lady Ponsonby's, where
she alleged she was treated with great indignity,
and that if she committed an assault it was unin-
tentional.