The Sun.
London, England, 1844-09-28 00:00:00

EDMONTON PETTY SESSIONS

Yesterday being appointed for the examination of
Patrick Harvey, late a constable in the N division of po-
lice, an the charge of committing a murderous assault
upon the person of Robert Hannant, his acting sergeant,
the large room at the Angel Inn, Edmonton, where the
sessions are holden, was densely crowded with persons
anxious to see the accused and hoar the proceedings.
Mr. Hayward, from the office of Mr. Maule, the so-
licitor to the Treasury, attended to prosecute, and Mr.
Games, a solicitos, appeared on the prisoner's behalf.
Mr. Hayward, after stating the nature of the case,
commenced examining Hannant, who gave his evidence
as follows :—I am a police-constable belonging to the N
division, and my number is 325. In consequence of as
arrangement with my sergeant and Mr. Risley, I, on the
morning of Sunday, the 15th inst., went to a field be-
longing to the latter, at Winchmore-hill. I stood near
a tree, and remained there about an hour and three
quarters, when I observed Harvey, the prisoner, in the
same field, and coming towards where I stood. Ho
came within six or seven yards of me, and then turned
towards a cow that was lying down. I saw him pat the
cow up, and drive her towards the fence, and to within a
few yards of where I was, and then stop, as if to milk
the animal. This was about twenty minutes to four
o'clock. I got nearer to him, and distinctly heard milk
falling into some vessel. The prisoner then got up
from the cow, having, as I supposed, seen me ; and was
about walking off, when I went up to him, and said,
"Harvey, you villain, what are you about ?" He
replied, " What do you mean ?" and at that mo-
ment I heard something spilling from his coat pocket.
I then put my hand behind to ascertain what it was, and
felt his hand very wet. He then tried to trip me up
with his foot, and in the scuffle we both fell to the
ground, I uppermost. While on the ground I took a
bottle from the prisoner's great-coat pocket, and this I
believe to bo the one produced. When he lay on the
ground, the prisoner said, " Hannant, I know I am
guilty. I declare to my God its poverty that drove me
to it. I'm in great want. Pray forgive me for the sake
of my wife and dear children ; don't disgrace me." I
said that I could not, and ho then asked me to lot him
get up. I did so, and he then asked me what I intended
to do with him. I said, " Harvey, I'll treat you as I
should any one else." I had hold of his collar at this
time, and he requested, if I held him, it might be by the
hand. I accordingly caught hold of his left hand, and
was in the act of putting the bottle I had taken out of
his pocket into my own, when he made a desperate effort
to get away, and at the next moment he struck me a
terrible blow on the top of my head with his staff, which
he must have drawn from his pocket, though I did not
observe him do so. I became stunned with the effects
of the blow, but I recollect receiving several others—
more than two or three certainly; and I also recollect
the staff breaking. The staff produced (which was
broken in two) is
.the same. It has the prisoner's num-
ber, 392, upon it. As well as I recollect, I grasped hold
of the prisoner, upon which he struck me, and we both
fell to the ground together. I have no knowledge of
his having struck me with anything else than his staff.
I recollect getting up again, and getting hold of the
prisoner, who bit the hand by which I held him.
I then said to him, "Harvey, you villain, you have
murdered me;" and I think his reply was, " No, I have
not, leave go of me, and lie on my great-coat," which
I have some faint recollection of his having taken off. I
said, " No, I'll never leave you while I have life." At
this time a quantity of blood was flowing from my head,
and I felt myself getting weak, but I made an effort and
called out " Murder," and immediately after a boy in
the service of Mr. Risley, called Bill, came to my as-
sistance. I told this lad upon his coming up that I
caught the prisoner milking his master's cow, and asked
him to assist me. The prisoner must have heard me tell
the boy this fact, the time I had hold of him. 'The lad
assisted me, and we took the prisoner towards Mr. Ris-
ley's house. When we had nearly reached that, the boy
went away for something or other, leaving me with the
prisoner ; and, as soon as he was gone, Harvey made a
desperate struggle to get away, and in the effort he
dragged me ten or a dozen yards along with him. The
boy came again to my assistance, and wo got the pri-
soner into the house. Having done this, I asked Mr.
Risley to lock the doors, as I felt myself exhausted and
unable to do more. I also requested that a surgeon might
be sent for, as I was in a dreadful state. I also recollect
saying to the prisoner, " Harvey, you 'Mien, how could
you use me so ?" when he answered, " B—y end to
you, it serves you right ; you are always creeping about
after me, when you have no business to do so," or words
to that effect. I did not see the prisoner use any instru-
ment but his staff, but when I undressed I found that I
had been stabbed in the arms, and I then thought he
must have used a knife.

Mr. Woodward here remarked that he was prepared
with evidence to satisfy the bench that Harvey had
stabbed the witness with a chisel.

William Freeman, the lad alluded to by the last wit-
ness, corroborated the last part of his evidence.
Mr. William Risley, a cowkQeper at Winchmore-hill,
was next called, and deposed that he had arranged with
the complainant Hannant for the latter to sit up that
night to watch his cows, in consequence of the latter
being frequently milked. On the morning of the 15th
he heard Liannant say to the prisoner " Harvey, you

villain, you have murdered me ;" when the latter replied
" B--y endito you, it serves you right, you are always
creeping after me."
Inspector Mellish produced the prisoner's coat, and
said that on the morning in question he wrung milk from
the pocket of it. The inspector also produced the com-
plainant's coat and shirt. They were pierced in several
places, and the cuts in them corresponded with wounds
on llannant's body, and answered to the size of a mor-
tice chisel (produced) found in the field where the struggle
had taken place.
Mr. Sell, a carpenter of Winchmore•hill, identified a
quantity of tools which had been found at the prisoner's
lodgings, and which had been missed or stolen from his
(witness's) workshop. He had no doubt the chisel
produced was his property, and he recollected having
used it three or four days before the assault. He after-
v.ards missed it.

Mr. Cresswell, surgeon, who was called to complainant
directly after he was wounded, said, he had twelve or
thirteen considerable wounds on the head and face. Two
of the principal wounds were inflicted by the staff, and
he found two on the head, caused by a cutting instru-
ment (he should say by a chisel), and the Hounds on
the top of the breast, hands, and on the arms were in-
flicted by stabbing. These wounds might have been dan-
gerous to life, but they did not turn out so.
Cross-examined by Mr. Games—Complainant's life
was never in danger whilst witness attended him.
The evidence as respected the assault having con-
cluded here, Inspector Mellish said he had three charges
of robbery to bring against the prisoner.
The Bench consulted, and it was their opinion that it
would not be advisable to go into those charges on the
present occasion. The capital offence, they thought, had
been fully made out against him, and they should com-
mit him to Newgate to take his trial on the charge of
assaulting the complainant with intent, and if he should
be acquitted of it, the charge of robbery might be pre-
ferred against him.
The witnesses were then bound over in the usual re-
cognizances to appear against him, and the prisoner was
fully committed for trial.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
(YESTERDAY.)
CLERKEN WELL,
George Mackintosh, Jane Mackintosh, and Mary
Owen, were brought up on remand, charged with
highway robbery, accompanied with violence.
It appeared from the evidence of the prosecutor,
Mr. John S. Chapel, a feeble old man, whose head
was bound up, that he is a general dealer, and resides
at 4, Rlarket-street, Oxford-street. Between nine
and ten o'clock on the night of Wednesday last, he
was returning home along Bedford-street, Bedford-
square, when he saw the prisoners walking together
on the pavement. He had not advanced more than a
few paces when the male prisoners rushed upon him,
knocked him down, and, his head falling against the
kerb, he became insensible ; when he recovered con-
sciousness he found that he had been robbed of his
watch, keys, and chain, and that he was bleeding pro-
fusely from wounds in the head. A gentleman who
chanced to be passing raised him from the ground,
and he was removed to the London University Hos-
pital, where his wounds were dressed.

- The watch was produced. It had been pawned by
an associate of the prisoners named Thompson, at Mr.
Lloyd's, in Stretton-street, Westminster.
The male prisoner, when asked for his defence, said
that he proved an alibi against the two policemen
whom he saw present on former occasions.

The policemen 70 and 99 B swore the prisoner at
tempted to run away when they arrested him.—Re
manded.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
Yesterday a very gentlemanly-looking man, who
gave his name John Kennedy, was charged before
Mr. Maltby with having committed an act of gross
indecency that afternoon in Kensington-gardens.
Notwithstanding all the precautionary measures
adopted by the Commissioners of Woods and Forests
to guard against the abominations practised by a lot
of gentlemanly dressed miscreants, complaints conti-
nue to be made almost daily of something disgust-
ingly offensive having been perpetrated by a fellow
either in Hyde Park or Kensington-gardens, and
that too in the light of day. In order to prevent
such scoundrels from having an opportunity of in-
dulging in their disgraceful propensities, the number
of constables has been greatly increased, so that it
will in future be next to impossible that the guilty
can escape without detection.
In the present case Denny Farrow, one of the
extra men, saw the prisoner leave one of the alcoves
in the North-wood, and approach three ladies and a
little girl. As soon as he had overtaken them, the
prisoner exposed himself in a disgusting manner. The
ladies separated, evidently to avoid the fellow, when
he followed one of them who was going towards the
gate, with his person still exposed. While following
the lady, the prisoner came close to the spot where
witness (who was pretending to be reading a book,
but was all the while watching the prisoner's move-
ments) was standing. The prisoner was taken into
custody, and exclaimed vehemently against the
officer for interfering with him as a gentleman.
The above facts were all corroborated by John
Harvey, another officer, who witnessed the prisoner's
conduct from the opposite side of the Serpentine.
The prisoner (who pretended to be greatly affected
at the position in which he stood, and tried by dint of
rubbing and squeezing to show a tear in confirma-
tion of his assertion) said in his defence, that it was
quite impossible he could be guilty of the offence im-
puted to him, as he was a married man, and had only
been in London a few days. If the officers persisted
in the accusation he should be lost to society and
ruined for life. He was in the habit of carrying a
handkerchief in his hand, and from this must have
arisen the errors they had fallen into. He could assure
the Magistrate on the word of a gentleman that there
was not the least foundation for the charge.
Mr. MALTBT said that he had the sworn testimony
of two witnesses that the offence had been committed,
and ho should, therefore, pass a sentence of three
months' imprisonment and hard labour.
This sentence took the prisoner by surprise, and
he begged to be let off with a fine. To back this ap-
peal he made another ineffectual effort to shed tears.
No effect, however, was produced in his favour, and
he went to prison in the van.
UNION-HALL.
Yesterday Thomas Watson, who, under the as-
sumed rank of a lieutenant in the nary, has con-
trived to commit several robberies at different
lodging-houses, was brought up in custody along
with a young woman named George, who passed as
his wife, charged in conjunction with stealing various
article f furniture and other goods, the property of
persons with whom they had been lodging. Both
the prisoners were in a wretched plight, Watson
being without coat, waistcoat, shoes or stockings, and
the woman equally ill-dressed.
It appeared, that in the month of February last the
male prisoner engaged apartments at the house of a
person named Jenkins, in Thomas-street, describing
that he had recently arrived from India, where he had
been in active service as a lieutenant in the navy,
and that he was then placed on the half-pay list.
Shortly after he had taken up his abode there he was
joined by the woman, whom he introduced as his
wife, and ,they remained there until the September
following. At the latter part of the month the pri-
soners absconded, and on their departure it was dis-
covered that they had completely stripped the rooms
they occupied, not only of chairs and tables, but also
table and bed linen, glasses, and in fact
every portable article they could dispose of,
Inquiries having been made, it was discovered that
the prisoners were merely cohabiting with each other,
and that Watson was a glee-singer at one of the con-
certs held at a public-house. On that occasion both
the prisoners were taken into custody and brought to
the court, Watson at the time being dressed like a
midshipman. He declared that he had been in the
navy, and that his friends being respectable he ex-
pected a remittance, which would enable him to re-
deem the whole of the missing articles which he had
employed the woman to pledge at different pawn-
brokers' shops. The complainant having expressed a
desire to comply with the offer and not press the
charge, the prisoners were accordingly discharged.
They, however, had not been long released from con-
finement when they engaged lodgings in York-street,
Westminster, where Watson again resumed the cha-
racter of a naval officer living on his pension; and he
had not been many weeks there before he and his
fellow-prisoner absconded, stripping both the rooms
they occupied of a considerable quantity of property.
Thence they were traced to Belvidere-place, Borough-
road, where they took lodgings at the house of a Mr.
Smith, whom they plundered of goods to a serious
amount, and then left the house, locking up the
rooms, and leaving a letter behind stating that they
were without the means of paying their rent, and
that as soon as a remittance from the country came
to hand, they would arrange all their affairs. Nothing
more was heard of either party until the preceding
day, when they were taken into custody.
Policeman Hockaday, 178 L, in describing the
circumstances under which he secured the prisoners,
stated that he found them at one of the low and
filthy lodging-houses in the Mint, Southwark ; that
the male prisoner had scarcely a rag to cover him,
having got rid of his naval uniform, and his unfor-
tunate companion was nearly in as miserable a plight;
that in Watson's possession he found, besides a num-
ber of duplicates relating to stolen property, also the
copies of several songs, the reading of one of wh,,,-„'n
excited much laughter.
Mr. COTTINGHAM said that it was evidqat Watson
had, for a considerable length of time, carried on a
system of robbing lodging-house-keepers, and had
contrived, by assuming to be a naval officer, to obtain
admission to their houses, Although he had passed
the other prisoner off in all instances as his wife, it
was now satisfactorily proved that she was no rela-
tion to him, and that he employed her to pledge and
sell the produce of his plunder. Under all circum-
stances, he should commit the prisoner Watson fur
trial, but he should be brought up again, as other
charges were likely to be preferred against him • and,
with respect to the other prisoner, he should discharge
her, as she was evidently the victim,

J. C. BELANE Y.
From our correspondent at North Sunderland
learn the following rartic;slv.cL
Sun of Saturday last, there are some slight mistake,
in the paragraph respecting the "Burning of Be'
laney's House.' The house which was burnt, //'
not the romantic dwelling of Belaney, situated at tbe
end of the village of Northumberland, at the edge °f
the cliff, but the farm-house where Belaney
living. The singular dwelling at the edge of the cb
is not yet finished in the wood work of the inside;
and other decorations ; the doors and windows ate
nailed up with rough wood protectors to prevent in;
truders from entering " Burke's Cave," as it is called
in this place, and from the situation and appearance
inside it is well named.

The farm-house, which was consumed on Wedaes'
day night, was the property of Lord Carew's Trig:
tees of Bamborough Castle, and was rented, logethot
with a farm, from that trust, by Belaney. Al)°,
half-past six o'clock on the evening of Wednesday
se'nnight, three men were seen to enter the premise*
one by the front door, and two by the kitchen door}
carrying with them, as is supposed, a quantity °Le
combustible matter. They proceeded up stairs to th,
bed-rooms, and set fire to the beds, and heaping
niture on the top of them, the house was soon on.nf,
in two different rooms, which spread most rapidly
through the other apartments of the dwelling. 1';
fire was observed from Bamborough Castle, and th
fire-engine was ordered out immediately to proceed to
Sunderland to render assistance. Mr. Smedle, ei,
Bamborough Castle, was on the spot giving direetlll/1
as to the management of the castle engine; the shoe
supply of water rendered it of little avail in stopPl
the progress of the flames in the main house,
were fast consuming the furniture and timbers in the
buildings. The men at the engine were directed t,
,
leave the house and prevent the flames from "spread'
ing to the outhouses. At twelve o'clock the roof fell
in with a crash ; and the populace gave three cheer*
When Belaney—who with his brother and 110°34
friends had been enjoying themselves in the dining,
room below—found that the house was in flefilet
gave the alarm, and escaped with his party throng
the corn-fields to the house of one of the witnesses 011
his trial, who keeps an inn in North Sunderlsof,
where they remained incog. during the Thursday. Os
that evening, about eight o'clock, a post-chaise viv
ordered from the Black Swan Inn, Alnwick, and fg",
ceeded to North Sunderland, with a Newcastle friend
of Belaney's ; the post-chaise left Sunderland Oa
four o'clock, with Belaney, his brother, and his
.s°i,
licitor, who travelled the coast road to Alnre-'
where they arrived about seven o'clock on Frichif
morning. About half a mile from Alnwick, Belarir
and his solicitor left the carriage, and told the dr11,1.,
they were going to walk through the pasture, e.w:
ferent way into Alnwick to that which the carnage
i
was going with his brother, who arrived at the Black
Swan Inn. Instead of Belaney and his solicitor
going through the pasture, they followed the 01j
which the carriage took, where they were met by
person who knew them, going down a by-lane et
t on
end of the town, and crossing through a field, go
the south turnpike-road, and proceeded along ,A
Newcastle road to a small public-house on the Ire(
side, known by the sign of the Willow Tree : t,PO'll
went in and ordered breakfast, and had not been lt'ho
there before the alarm was given by the person w_re
met them. He told a number of reapers Who I",
going to the fields, and they entered the public-hot :1r;
and surrounded them. On the appearance of 41
shearers with their hooks, Belaney trembled, :a •
seemed to be much alarmed ; he, however, order to
gallon of ale, which they took, and left higl,e
Pf
get his breakfast. The solicitor perceived
were known, and, instead of stopping at ii°
house as they intended to do until the Teniflei
coach came past, and then take a seat for Be 701
to Newcastle, he left Belaney at breakfast•ilsot
walked into Alnwick to procure a gig from the Ping,
Swan Inn, where Belaney's brother was stopPiiiii,
The people mustered strong at Alnwick to gq„,e
a salute at the Willow Tree, but the gig was 1".0
diately seen going with the solicitor and driver 4,8
rapid pace, and got to the public-house bef.ore
toi`
people arrived; his friend jumped from the gic' to
Belaney got in and drove off, at a slashing 195*Ilds
Felton, nine miles from Alnwick, on the other so
of which place, he left the gig and walked nett,
The driver brought the gig back to AllitawiW
The mail coach took up Belaney about four mole,
from Felton, and conveyed him to New". red
where, it is supposed, he is now on a visit t° ;ins
spectable tradesman. Belaney's friend on rati phlio
from the Willow Tree to Alnwick, got orriLle,or and
truths told him respecting his client. His brother
friend took a gig from the Black Swan, Alnyach"for
left for Sunderland, where they remain to watch
ther proceedings.
Belaney, when at the Willow Tree, looked
careworn, thin, dirty, and shabby, and appeSine
feel greatly the effects of his confinement, and thsto
ception he had received since his arrival in the 11°
—Newcartle Advertiser.