The Sun.
London, England, 1844-09-18 00:00:00

CENTRAL CREMINAL COURT.

OLD COURT.
(Before the RECORDER.)
PERJURY.—Thomas Steele, the conductor of a Tooting
omnibus, was indicted with having been guilty of wilful
and corrupt perjury. The circumstances of the case ap-
peared to be as follows :
Hannah Merritt, is a lady's maid, residing with a family
in Mornington-crescent, Hampstead-road. On the 6th of
July last the prosecutrix went, about a quarter-past nine
o'clock in the evening, to the Elephant and Castle, witl
the view of getting into a Tooting omnibus, to go to the 6t
place. At the time stated two Tooting omnibuses drov e
up, of one of which a person named Wilson was th e
driver, and a person named Nightingale was the drivi r,
or owner, of the other. A person who was the touiek
for Wilson's omnibuses came up to the, prosecutrix, (And
requested her to get into his omnibus. She saic. she
wished to go by Nightingale's omnibus, and th? man
then said his omnibus was Nightingale's, and she the :re-
upon permitted him to hand her in. The moment, hi )w-
-ever, she had seated herself, and before the omni bus
had proceeded a single yard, she found she had b ten
imposed on, and that it was not Nightingale's omnibus.
Upon this discovery she immediately proceeded tc
alight, and as she was getting out Wilson came up to
her, and said he wanted sixpence from her, to wh,cli
she replieJ, she did not owe him anything, as she h
been induced by false statements to get into his om ii -
bus, and she had not travelled a yard by it ; to whei
Wilson replied, " 0 yes, you got into my omnibus iu I
Gracechurch-street." She denied this, and iae--
mediately went onwards to Nightingale's omnibus ;
and while she was getting up the steps, the driver, -
son, gave her a severe blow on her breast. When sh
arrived at Tooting, she stated what had taken place, -to
her friends there, and the result was, the owner of 1,11 e
omnibus was summoned before the magistrate of Un. ion
Hall, Mr. Cottingham. The owner appeared to the
summons, and produced Wilson, the driver, who brou
forward the defendant at the bar, Steele, as his witm rss;
and he positively swore that the prosecutrix had got i i ito
Wilson's omnibus in Grscechurch-street ; and he ai 'so
swore to the precise time of night and sp it,
where and when she got in, and also that a Lie
had not been struck. The evidence on each sey le
being so contradictory, the magistrate adjoemod
the further hearing of the case till the 17th of July, 11, e
first examination taking place on the 12th. On Ad -
journing the case to the 17th of July, Mr. Cottingb sn
required both parties, in the interim, to look out Cot
further evidence. At the adjourned hearing, the pro te-
cutrix swore to precisely the same facts as she had do ne
before, and produced witnesses who corroborated her in
every particular. The defendant also produced furt] ter
evidence which the magistrate declined to believe le-
daring the charge to be proved, fined the driver Wils4
for the assault, and ordered the present prosecution to
be instituted against Steele for wilful and corrupt per-
jury, and bound the defendant over to appear at eh is
Court to answer any bill that might be preferred agrdn: ;t
him. The case was postponed last session on accoun t
of the absence of a witness. _ _ _

Mr. KENNEDY, for the prosecution, called several wit -
ness, and Mr. CHARNOCK defended the prisoner,
tending that he had not committed wilful and corrytp t
perjury, but had made a mistake in swearing to tire
prosecutrix.
Mr. Holden, the master of the defendant, gave Fiini
an excellent character for veracity and respect for tri
The RECORDER summed up at some length, and

The jury acquitted the prisoner.
Henry Howard, 25, described in the calendar as. a
tailor, was indicted for a burglary in the dwelliiig -
house of William Frederick Shoebridge, and stealin g
a silver spoon and other articles, his property.
It appeared .frem the evidence that the prosecuttc.r
is a surgeon, and resides in the Old Kent-road. 0 n
the night of the 28th August, the family retired. Lto
bed leaving the premises properly secured, and th e
next morning it was discovered that some person Itaid
entered the house by means of a back window, and
the articles in question were stolen from the surge ry.
About nine o'clock in the morning after the robb( pry
was discovered, the prisoner went to the shop or a
pawnbroker in Tooley-street, and offered part of the,
stolen property for sale, and on his being questioned ,
he said he had picked it up in the New-cut. Not lfe-
lieving this story, the pawnbroker sent for a polit :e.-
man, and gave the prisoner in charge, but as he was
conveying him to the station-house, the prisoner con-
trived to give him the slip, and he was not appe-
headed for three or four days afterwards.
The prisoner, in his defence, asserted that he was
not the man who ran away, and declared that be
knew nothing about the robbery.
The jury returned a verdict of Guilty ; and the
prisoner was also proved to have been convicted. of
felony in 1836, and sentenced to seven years' trims,
portation.
There was another charge of burglary against thc
prisoner, which it appeared was committed at thf.
next house to the prosecutor in the former case, Anti
which must have been perpetrated about the sate .e
time. The Recorder, however, expressed his opinic
that it was not necessary to go into the evidence in
this case.

The prisoner was sentenced to be transported ft)r
ten years.
William Windsor, 18, a well-known young thief,
was indicted for stealing from the person of Lydia
Crouch a purse, containing silver moneys, the pro-
perty of her husband.
Mr. C'narnock defended the prisoner.
It appeared, from the evidence, that the prosecut or
was passing along Garden-row, in the middle of .the
day, on the 21st of August, when the prisoner, woo
was accompanied by three other young men, weut
up to her, and contrived, in a most adroit manner, to
lift up her gown and take the purse from her poclt.
The robbery was effected in so dexterous a meaner t} .at
Mrs. Crouch was not at all aware of her loss, and the
prisoner would have escaped with his booty, but -the
transaction was fortunately observed by a very intel-
ligent lad, named Henry llughes, who is in the !ser-
vice of Mr. Folkard, a pawnbroker, at the corner of
Garden-row, and he gave notice to the prosecutrix of
what had happened, and called for a policeman. The
prisoner and his companions ran off and escaped, but
he was taken into custody the next day, and was posi-
tively sworn to as being the person who committed
the robbery.
The jury returned a verdict of Guilty; and a pre-
vious conviction for felony was also formally proved
against the prisoner.
The RECORDER sentenced him to be transported
for ten years.
John Sproule, 39, pleaded Guilty to an indictment,
charging him with stealing a silver spoon and fork,
the property of W. Mackinnon, Esq.
Ile was sentenced to be kept to hard labour for
twelve months. .

In the course of the day the grand jury came into
Court, and returned a true bill against William Ross
Touchet, for feloniously shooting at Thomas F.anith,
with intent to murder him.
The Recorder rose soon after five o'clock.

Mr. Wooller contended that the offer of 20/. had
t aken the case out of the magistrate's jurisdiction.
Mr. JARDINE said, he had directed this to be care-
•f ully entered on tYle depositions, and he should leave
t he point for the:, higher Court to decide.
John Brockwell here stepped forward, and said he
v ras the father of the prisoner, and had given her a
sovereign. a fortnight ago.
Mr. JARDINE said that could be stated on the trial.
The prisoner was then committed to Newgate for
trial.
CLERKEIVW E L L.
MOST EXTRAORDINARY AND MYSTERIOUS CASE.—
A fashionably attired man, who described himself on
the police-sheet as Francis Drake, Esq., architect,
26, Penton-place, Clerkenwell, was charged with ex-
torting money from Mr. William Hoyte, a dairyman,
residing at 64, White Lion-street, Pentonville, on
a threat that he would charge him with the murder
of his own illegitimate child.
Inspector Thatcher said that the prisoner had given
a false address. He lived at 41, Kenton-street,
Brunswick-square.
Mr. Iloyte was then placed in the witness-box.
He trembled violently, and seemed to regard the
prisoner with feelings of terror. It appeared from
his statement, which was most incoherent and con-
fused, that he became acquainted with the prisoner five
years ago, by his being served with milk from wit-
ness's establishment. A girl named Harriette Ramsay
accused him with being the father of her child. Being
in great fear that his wife would hear of it, he went
to the prisoner, and sought his advice. The prisoner
drew up an agreement, to be signed by the woman
and by him (Hoyte), the former guaranteeing not to
annoy him in future, and the latter promising to allow
her Bs. as a weekly allowance for the maintenance
of the child. Soon after this the prisoner asked him
for the loan of some money ; he lent it to him. The
prisoner continued these requests. Witness at length
refused, and then, and almost daily since, prisoner
threatened that he would acquaint his wife with the
whole matter ; under the influence of these threats he
gave him money, sometimes 2/. a week. The pri-
soner met him generally twice a day, and using this
threat obtained sums varying from 4s. to 65., and
sometimes more. The child died about two years
and a half ago, and since that period the prisoner re-
peatedly declared that he would bring him before a
magistrate for making away with the child. 'Witness
was greatly terrified at this, fearing that he would be
disgraced before his large family and all his friends.
He must have given the prisoner between 50/. and
1001. On Friday last the prisoner met him again,
and declared he would bring him before a magis-
trate for making away with the child, unless he
gave him money.' 'Witness gave it to him. On
Monday the prisoner used the same threat, but was
refused, witness saying he had told all to his wife.
On the previous night the prisoner came to his house,
and having seen Mrs. Hoyte, told her all, and said he
would settle the affair for 31., but she gave him into
custody.
The solicitor's clerk said that the prisoner never
gave a farthing of all the money he had received to
the mother of the child, who had never seen him.
Mr. BROUGHTON said it was a most extraordinary
case, and required the fullest investigation. On the
whole he felt it his duty to remand the case until
Friday next, and could not accept of bail t' a less
amount than 1501. in the whole, to answer for his
appearance.
The requisite bail not being forthcoming, the pri-
soner was committed.
SCENE BETWEEN A MOTHER AND SON.—John Welch,
residing at 14, Gower-place, St. Pancras, and aged 14,
was charged with threatening the life of Marie Welch,
his mother.

The complainant deposed that the prisoner's depra-
vity had become so great that she was obliged to expel
him from the house. He came on the previous evening,
and after abusing her outside the door so as to create a
mob, forcibly entered the house and threatened her life.
Mr. ComßE—What have you to say ? Prisoner—
She turned me out and left me to starve in the streets.

The Mother—You tell a lie, you know I did not turn
you out until I could endure your wickedness no longer.
Prisoner—Wickedness ! don't talk about that. You
keep a bad house.
The Mother—You are a vagabond, and my life is in
danger from you.
The Magistrate told him he must be sent to prison
unless he could find bail.

Prisoner—And is she to be at large?
He was committed to the Sessions.
MARYLEBONE.

After the night charges had been disposed of, John
Wilson, an ill-looking middle-aged man, who was stated
to be a shoemaker, was placed at the bar before Mr.
Rawlinson, charged with attempting to murder Catherine
Wilson, his wife. _ _ .

The poor creature was led into court by two
men, and placed in the witness-box. The left
side of her face and head was covered with coagu-
lated blood. She could scarcely stand, and gave
her evidence with much difficulty. She said she
had been married six years to the prisoner, and that
he was continually in the habit of brutally ill-using her.
This morning about nine o'clock he seized the candle-
stick which he used in his trade (a large piece of wood
with a tin socket for a candle at the top of it—the metal
was broken and bent), and cut her head open with it.
She was then suffering great pain from the wound.
Mr. Birch, surgeon, residing at No. 15, Great Mary-
hbone-street, stated that he was requested by police•
constable, 64 1), to go to the station-house. On pro-
ceeding thither he found the woman bleeding very
much, and very faint from the loss of blood. On exa-
mining her head he found one wound nearly half an inch
deep. He considered the woman's life in danger, as it
was not unlikely that erysipelas may supervene.
Mr. RAWLINSON—WouId it be better to dispose of the
case now, or remand it ?

Mr. Birch thought it would be better to remand the
prisoner, as from the wound being of a dangerous cha-
racter, the worst consequences might ensuo in a day
or two.

The prisoner said, his wife took the candlestick up to
strike him, and he took it from her, and she was struck
in. the struggle.—lle was remanded for a week.
UNION-HALL.

THE ROBBERY BY ASSUMED POLICEMEN. - Wm.
Timberlake, alias Cooper, George Jackson, alias
Contisou, and John Western, alias White, were brought
up before Mr. Traill, for final examination.
Cooper and Western were charged with stealing
twelve sovereigns and a half from the house of Mr.
i3rundall, a journeyman carpenter, at 24, Agnes-
street, Waterloo-road, by assuming to be policemen.
The particulars have appeared in The Sun on several
occasions.

Western was taken into custody on Wednesday
last, by Goff and Brooks, two active officers of the 1-4
division, and identified by Mrs. Brundall as the man
who took the property, by representing himself as a
police-officer, and producing a forged search warrant.
The prisoners were also charged with forging two
cheques for 451., and committing a robbery at a
coffee-house in Grafton-street, Soho.
They were committed on all the charges.
Thomas Wright, a youth, was charged before Mr.
Traill with exposing for sale pictures of an immoral
nature.

Police-sergeant, 12 L, stated that complaints have
recently been made to the police that several persons
have been in the habit of selling prints of an immoral
description in the public streets ; that on the preceding
night, he (the sergeant), while on duty in the Westmin-
ster-road, observed the defendant standing near Atkin-
son's warehouse selling prints, and that a crowd of
persons was collected about him, some of whom were
purchasers, and that the defendant had a box which was
filled with the same description of prints. (The ser-
geant here produced a specimen of the prints which was
a representation of a lady taking a shower bath ; but
there did not appear to be anything in the print of an
immoral tendency, the figure being clothed with the
exception of the head, neck, and feet.)
Mr. TRAILL said that the charge against the defendant
did not come under the Act fdr the suppression of im-
proper publications. The defendant, however, was
not justified in selling things of this kind about the
streets, and if he persisted in such a course, and
was brought there again, he would certainly be punished
for causing crowds of persons to collect and obstruct the
thoroughfare.
The defendant said that he was not aware that he wes
doing anything wrong.

inspector said that it was a well-known fact per-
sons were going about the streets selling prints of the
most disgusting kind.
Mr. TRAILL—Bring such persons before me, and I
shall have no hesitation in punishing them severely. The
Magistrate then discharged the defendant, and recom-
mended him to be cautious what he was about. His box
of prints were then delivered up to him.
MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

A respectably-dressed French woman, named Adele
Dupier, was charged before Mr. Maltby with having
robbed her employer to a considerable extent.
It appeared that the prisoner was shopwoman to
Mr. Ignace Van Bever, importer and retailer of
French shoes, 42, Burlington-arcade. The prose-
cutor had taken her into his service for the second
time in the early part of the summer, since which
time he had missed a great many pairs of shoes,
which were in no way accounted for to him. In
order to ascertain the exact amount of his loss he re-
solved on taking stock, when he found between
eighty and ninety pairs unaccounted for. Van Bever
had some slight suspicion of his shopwoman, and he
questioned her upon the subject, when she admitted
that she had pawned some shoes, and told prosecutor
that he had told her to do it. This he denied, and
gave her into custody. It had since been found out
that upwards of 140 pairs had been pawned, for 117
of which she had the duplicates. On the 29th of
August, twenty-nine
cates of which werepafiorusndweorne pthledgeperid";otnhe er du p l i-
when
searched at the station-house.
The prisoner, on being asked what she had to say
to the charge, stated that in the same arcade, No. 54,
lived one Rebecca Cook, who kept a shoe-shop, and
and who had been shopwoman to Van Bever, and ho
now looked upon her as a rival, and was anxious to
get her away. For that purpose he had persuaded
her (the prisoner) to pawn the goods, for all of which
he received the money. He further told her, that
if anything should happen, she was to say that Re-
becca Cook had persuaded her to pledge the shoes,

and had received the money. Van Bever further
promised, that by acting upon his instructions she
would not only be held blameless, but would pro-
bably reap some advantage at a future time. She
solemnly declared that Rebecca Cook never received
any money at all from her, neither did she know
anything of the transaction. Van Bever received all
the money, the produce of the shoes, and it was on
his account they were pledged.
The prosecutor denied this statement entirely.
Mr. MALTBY observed that it was a case that re-
quired further investigation, and he should therefore
remand the prisoner until Wednesday.

QUEEN-SQUARE.
Catherine Stuart, a powerful dissipated-looking
woman, about forty-five years of age, was charged
with the most revolting cruelty to three young
children.

In consequence of the representations made to the
Magistrate, a warrant was granted for the prisoner's
apprehension in the middle of last July, but as she
had absconded on learning that proceedings were
about to be taken against her the constable was un-
able to effect her capture until Saturday night, when
he found her in a state of intoxication.

William Cooper, a hairdresser, residing at Broad-
way, Westminster, stated that the accused and a
very hard-working man, named Tyler, had taken
apartments in his house about a twelvemonth ago,
representing themselves to be man and wife, with
three children, but he had since ascertained that
they were not married and that the children were
by Tyler's wife, who had been dead some years.
They had not been in the house many weeks when
the screams and cries from the rooms occupied by
Tyler left no doubt that the children were being
very brutally treated ; and as this continued day
after day, and was generally when Tyler was from
home, witness thought it is duty to communicate
it to him. The man said he was not aware that
there was anything wrong, and he would see about
it; but, although witness had occasion to again
point out to him the cruel treatment the children
had received, it was continued, and even occurred
more frequently than before. On the 18th of July
witness heard violent screams proceeding from the
room, and on going up stairs heard the girl Clarissa
Tyler, who was thirteen years of age, faintly exclaim,
" Oh, mother! oh, mother !" and then there was a

heavy noise like something falling. Witness
knocked at the door, and inquired what was the
matter, when witness replied from within, that if he
had anything to say he must say it to Mr. Tyler.
In about an hour after this Clarissa Tyler came down
stairs, and bore evidence of the cruel treatment she
had just received ; her head and face were very much
swollen, and the blows she had received about the
eyes were so severe that she was nearly blind. Wit-
ness questioned the child, who after much hesitation,
said that her mother (the prisoner) had repeatedly
jumped upon her while she was in bed, and had then
heat her with her fists until she was nearly insen-
sible. Her mother had told her, that if she men-
tioned what had occurred to her father, she would

jump upon her until she killed her. Witness, con-
sidering that the lives of the unfortunate children
were in jeopardy by such a monster, made an appli-
cation at this Court, which led to the present prose-
cution.

Mr. BURRELL inquired what was the prisoner's
conduct to the other children ? Witness replied—
Uniformly most violent and cruel ; she would take
them by the hair of the head, and dash them from one
end of the room to the other. He had frequently
seen the poor children with their hair literally pulled
off their heads.

Mr. BURRBLL—Did you ever remonstrate with her
on her cruelty ? Witness—l have, and told her that
I should consider it my duty to make the authorities
acquainted with her conduct, and that she might
depend upon it, if she still continued to treat these
poor motherless children in that way, she would have
to answer for it.

Mr. BURRELL—Do you know whether they had
proper food given them? Witness—l am shocked to
say that the poor children were fed upon paunches,
such as are given to dogs.
Mr. BURRELL (with surprise) "Paunches ?"
Witness—Yes, Sir, sheep's paunches. The woman
has a son, who is assistant to a butcher, and he used
to bring them to her.
Mr. Buiftimn, who, in common with others in the
Court, appeared much shocked, said—Do you know
whether the man left money with this woman to pro-
vide his children with wholesome and proper food ?
Witness—Yes, he did; but that, Sir, was all ex-
pended in gin, and as the paunches cost nothing they
were cooked for the children.

Mr. BUIRELL—Is there any act of violence which
has occurred in your presence P Witness—The pri-
soner flung a saucepan of boiling water over Clarissa
Tyler. Although I did not see it absolutely thrown,
I saw the poor creature directly afterwards. The
girl ran down the stairs in great agony, and there
was a succession of bright red stripes down her face
and neck, where she had been scalded with the boiling
water.
Mr. BustaELL—Where is the child? I should wish
to examine her. Witness—The child has been taken

this morning to the prisoner's mother's, as it is sup-
posed, and is kept out of the way. lam rather sur-
prised at the conduct of the father of these poor
children, who has absolutely, since she has been in
custody, supplied her with refreshment at the station.
Mr. BURRELL asked the prisoner what she had
to say ?
Prisoner replied, that there was not a word of truth
in it. It was all through spite, because there was
some rent owing. She would not deny that she
might have struck the children in a somewhat im-
proper manner.
Mr. Buaßimr.—lt is most extraordinary, if inno-
cent, that you should have kept out of the way this
length of time. 'What do you say to feeding these
poor children upon paunches ? Prisoner—lt is not
true.

Mr. BuitzzLL—You have also heard it stated that
you threw a saucepan full of boiling water over Cla-
rissa Tyler.
Prisoner—l don't mean to say I might not have
thrown water sometimes at her, but not boiling water.
Mr. Cooper produced one of the children, a poor
emaciated little creature, said to be, as we understood,

seven years of age, but not having the appearance of
much more than half those years. He said that the

child, if examined, would state that paunches had been
given to them as food, and could also speak to the
violence. There were many other acts of cruelty
which could be substantiated. It was a question in
his mind whether the man was not in some respects
culpable.
Mr. BURRELL observed, that this was an extraor-

Binary and very cruel case, and he should call upon
the prisoner to find good bail for her appearance
when the girl Clarissa Tyler could be produced. They
might succeed in bringing her forward to-morrow,
and he should, therefore, remand the prisoner until
then.—She was sent to prison.
THAMES POLICE.

Monday John Howe, formerly a police-constable,
and latterly employed as a Custom-house locker under
the Crown, was finally examined on the charge of
stealing a quantity of rum, the property of the East
and West India Dock Company. There was not
sufficient evidence to bring home the charge of steal-
ing to the prisoner, but that of unlawful possession
was fully proved.
Mr. BRODERIP said, he was always anxious to
temper justice with mercy, but in the present case he
would inflict the highest penalty which the law war-
ranted, namely, two months imprisonment. As,
however, the prisoner had already been a week in
custody, he should be sentenced to seven weeks' hard
labour in the House of Correction.

A little urchin, apparently not more than nine or
ten years old, named Wm. Boynton, was charged with
stealing half-a-sovereign from a man named John
Bolton, who, it subsequently appeared, was his aunt's
husband, and resided at 45, Wells-street, Poplar.
When the constable, 252 K, took the lad into custody
Mrs. Bolton said there was other stolen property
in the house, as her sister, the boy's mother, had
stolen some pewter pots; he searched and found seve-
ral bladders, which, from the smell, he found had con-
tained spirits, together with some stone bottles, one
of which had spirits in it, in her sister's room. On
further investigation he found a large tub at the
bottom of the stairs covered with sacks, and a blanket
containing some liquid, which appeared to be in a
state of fermentation. As the boy confessed to having
stolen the half-sovereign and concealed it in the
bottom of a pie-can, witness took him to the station-
house, and stated what he had seen at Wells-street to
police-sergeant 16 R, who immediately repaired to
the spot, and having searched the place well found all
the apparatus for private distillation; the tub con-
tained from 36 to 38 gallons of wash. Bolton, the
proprietor of the house, had absconded, but two
women named Louisa Bolton and Elizabeth Baynton
were on the premises, and were taken into custody.
The charge against the boy was ordered to stand
over until Thursday, by which time it was supposed
the man Bolton, who preferred it, might be heard of;
and the two women were placed at the bar, charged
with an offence against the Excise laws.
The sergeant, in addition to his previous testimony,
stated that when he discovered the still and other
materials the taller prisoner, Mrs. Bolton, though
cautioned, said Elizabeth Baynton was her sister, a
poor woman, whose husband, being at sea, allowed
her only 3s. a week, and that they were obliged to
distil a little whisky to make out a living. Witness
asked her if there was any one else concerned in the
private still, to which she replied no one but her
husband, who had given the boy in charge for steal-
ing the half-sovereign. The prisoners were then
taken into custody, and the witness helped an Excise-
officer named White to remove the apparatus and
materials used in distillation.

Mr. Pelham, who appeared for the defence, urged
the release of the prisoner Bolton, who had acted
under the control of her hiasnd.

Mr. BRODERIP said there was no evidence to show
she was his wife ; and the prisoners were remanded,
with permission to put in bail, themselves in 601. and
two sureties in 301. each.