The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-13 00:00:00

WESTMINSTER SESSIONS.

The Epiphany Quarter Sessions for transacting county
business was held yesterday, at the Sessions-house in
the Broad Sanctuary, before a full bench of Magistrates.
The first act was to elect a Chairman of the Sessions
until the county day, inclusive of the Epiphany Sessions
1845 (standing order No. 4), when Mr. Sergeant Adams
was unanimously chosen, on the motion of Mr. Walesby,
seconded by Captain Berger, after which the Learned
Sergeant took his seat upon the Bench, and briefly re-
turned thanks.

The minutes of the last Quarter Sessions was then
read by the Clerk of the Peace.

The Bench next proceeded to receive special Reports
of the Visiting Justices of Westminster Bridewell and
of the Committee for accounts and for general purposes,
on the applications received from candidates fur the
matronship of the Bridewell, for which there were 41
candidates, amongst whom only 27 were considered
eligible for the situation. After which, the general Re-
port of the Visiting Justices of the Westminster Bride-
well was received, when

Mr. P. LAURIE entered his protest against the system
adopted in many of the metropolitan prisons. Ile con-
tended that many of the prisoners were discharged from
those places in a state quite unfit to engage in any labour.
During the short period in which the Model Prison, at
Pentonville, had been iu operation, no less than three
persons had been sent to Bethlem Hospital, in a state of
confirmed lunacy. He did not so much find fault with
the diet as the system of solitary confinement, which he
was confident produced insanity. In one instance,
namely, that of John Rees, who had become an idiot, it
was found that he recovered his mental powers upon
being allowed to hold intercourse with the other
prisoners. He concluded by strongly condemning the
system pursued at the Model Prison.
After considerable discussion the Clerk of the Peace
was directed to address a letter to the Right Hon. the Se-
cretary of State for the Home Department, acknowledg-
ing the receipt of the latter, recommending a peculiar
dietary for the prisoners, and to inform him that the Ma-
gistrates, after full consideration, had been induced not
to adopt the diet recommended by him, and to enclose to
him the Report on which they had come to the conclusion.

On the -motion of Mr. Amyot, seconded by Mr:
Walcsby, the following resolution was carried by a majo-
rity of 11 to 7 :—" That the salary of the Rev. George
Henry Hine, the Chaplain of 'Westminster Bridewell, be
increased from 365/. to 4001. a-year, to commence from
14th June, 1843 ; and, in consideration of his increased
duties, the very satisfactory manner in which he has uni-
formly discharged them, his many valuable services, and
his length of service, that he be allowed a gratuity of 105/."
Several other motions connected with the business of
the county were then adopted, after which the usual re-
ports of the Governor of the 'Westminster Bridewell,
and the journals of the surgeon and chaplain of the
same establishment, were laid before the Court for in-
spection, when the Sessions was ordered to stand ad-
journed.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
(YESTERDAY.)
BO IV-STREET.

An interesting-looking young woman, named Eliza
Austin, was brought before Mr. Jardine, charged with
attempting to commit suicide by throwing herself from
Waterloo-bridge.
It appeared that on the morning of the 4th inst. the
prisoner was observed to mount one of the recesses of
the bridge, and precipitate herself into the water. An
alarm was given, and one of the Thames police went to
her rescue, and she was taken out of the water. She was
taken to the floating station-house, and there she said
she had attempted to destroy herself in consequence of
distress. She was conveyed to King's College Hospital,
where she remained until she was brought to this office.
Her sister stated that she believed the prisoner was
out of her mind. About a fortnight ago she had at-
tempted to destroy herself by poison. She was in a good
situation in the west end of the town, and was not
driven to the commission of the act with which she was
charged by distress. The witness lived with her father,
who was very badly off, and who had eleven children.
They had no home to take the prisoner to.
Mr. JARDINE, after questioning the prisoner, said she
was evidently not in a fit state to be allowed to go at
large, and he should send her to the authories of the
Strand Union, who would take care of her.

CLERKENWELL.
A cabman, named Hurley, was charged with the following
outrageous conduct:—
It appeared, from the evidence, that, on the previous night,
the prisoner violently assaulted a man, named Bodkin, in
Compton-place, for which he was given into custody. On
his way to the station, and while in the charge-room, he struck
the constable who held him, 30 E, a violent blow on the face,
and pulled the hair out of his head. The officer called for
help, and 99 E came to his assistance. When the prisoner saw
the latter officer he rushed upon him, felled him to the ground,
and kicked him in the face, causing several marks of violence.
At length he was secured and removed to the cell.
Sergeant Lester, 10 E, said he never witnessed store violence
by any person. He kicked at the cell door, and continued
doing so until three o'clock in the morning, alarming not only
the other prisoners but the whole of the neighbourhood, from
the reverberation of the echoes.

The prisoner not being able to pay any fine, was sentenced
by Mr. Combo to seven days' imprisonment in the House of
Correction.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

Thomas Sergeant, a man about forty years of age, of very
respectable appearance, was charged with robbing his em-
ployers. For between seven and eight years past the prisoner
bad been in the employ of Messrs. Tuckers, Smith, and Co., of
18, South' Audley-street, Grosvenor-square, and at Kensington,
wax tallow-chandlers as confidential clerk. For a very con-
siderable time past the firm had been convinced that they %vete
from time to time being robbed of money from the till to a very
considerable amount ; but as several of the servants had access
to it, they were at a loss whom in particular to suspect, the in-
tegrity of the prisoner being in their estimation beyond sus-
picion, between 70,0001. and 80,0001. passing through his hands
yearly. Latterly, however, circumstances transpired which
induced a strict observance of the prisoner's movements, and
yesterday evening, between five and six o'clock, three marked
sovereigns and 40s. in silver were placed in the till, at the
time when no one but the prisoner was in the shop.
Police-constable, No. 179 of the A division, who
was placed on the watch, saw the prisoner take some money
from the till, and put it into his pocket, and presently after-
wards it was ascertained that one sovereign and 18s.. of the
marked money were missing. To account for this deficiency,
the prisoner had made a false entry in the day-book, as having
purchased wax pieces and scrapings to that amount; and this
system the firm had since ascertained, he has been carrying
on for a very considerable period, on some days making false
entries of the purchase of goods to between 3/. and 41., and
taking the amount out of the till. The extent to which the
firm had been sufferers it was impossible to discover. On
the prisoner being questioned by Mr Smith, one of the firm, as
to the purchase he alleged he had made that evening, he re-
plied, You seem to know all about it, I shall say nothing."
On being searched the marked money was found in his posses-
sion, and also a cheque for 271. 10s., two 61. Bank of England
notes, one sovereign and a half in gold, gold watch, appen-
dages, &c.
He was remanded until Thursday next, to allow time to
bring forward other charges against him.