The Sun.
London, England, 1850-11-01 00:00:00

NOVEMBER 1, 1850.

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS, Oct. 31.

(Before Mr. WITHAM, Chairman, and a Bench of
Magistrates.)
W. Howard, a dog and pigeon fancier, in Bethnal-
green, was indicted for having unlawfully taken a
reward for the restoration of a stolen dog.
Mr. Ballantine appeared for the defendant.
It appeari d that the prosecutor, Mr. J. T. Main-
waring, of 11, Victoria-place, Hoxton, having lost his
dog in the early part of the last month, amongst other
places to which he went in search of it called at the
defendant's house, when he requested that he would
endeavour to discover the animal for him. This course
he had adopted, under the impression that, as the de-
fendant had upon a former occasion recovered the dog
for him for the sum of 21., he would again be able to
affect its restoration. In entertaining that idea he
proved to have been justified, for the man at once
offered to obtain the animal, upon condition that ha
was paid 3/. for the re-capture, and that "no
fuss should be made about it." The prosecutor
then gave information of his loss to the
policy, and stated what the defendant had de-
manded. By the advice of an officer he gave three
marked sovereigns to Howard, whereupon the latter
set out upon his search, and was soon afterwards
seen leading the lost dog along the street. Police-
sergeant, N 27, accosted him, and inquired where
he had got the dog from. The defendant replied that
he had obtained it for a gentleman. The sergeant,
however, told him that it was a stolen dog, and at
once took him into custody. The prosecutor then
preferred the present charge against him. The de-
fendant thereupon said that he could very easily in-
form the officer where he had obtained the dog from,
but if he were to do so the parties would kill him.
Mr. BALLANTINE, on behalf of the defendant, said
that he was unable to deny the fact that his client had
been guilty of a violation of the law. He had, without
doubt, been guilty of an offence against the law, but
he must urge, not by way of excuse, but rather in
extenuation of the offence, that the defendant was in
total ignorance of the existence of any law which
went to make the course he had adopted an offence.
Several witnesses were called who spoke in high
terms of the defendant, whom they described as a
most honest man in all his dealings.
The CHAIRMAN having summed up the evidence,
The jury returned a verdict of Guilty.

The CHAIRMAN then sentenced the defendant to pay
a penalty to the Queen of 201., and to be imprisoned
until such sum were paid.
Mr. BALLANTINE WES afraid that such a sentence
would prove very much like a sentence of imprison-
ment for life.

The defendant said that he had not 203., much less
201., in the world.
The CHAIRMAN entertained no doubt, as the de-
fendant was a shopkeeper, but that be would find
the means of paying the penalty.
One of the police force here intimated that he had
been desired by the committing magistrate to inform
the Court that the defendant bad on two previous oc-
casions been charged with a similar offence, but had
escaped in consequence of the parties having declined
to press the matter.
The defendant was then removed from the court.

Joseph Thomas, described as a respectable trades-
man, was indicted, charged with having committed
an assault on Henry Spicer whilst in the execution
of his duty as a broker.
Mr. O'Brien apßearel for the prosecution, and Mr.
Ballantine was retained for the defendant.

In this case it appeared that the prosecutor went
to execute a distress warrant for arrears of rent due
to his landlord. When he called he at first only saw
the wife of the defendant, but having made the pur-
port of his visit known to her she quickly fetched her
husband. A conversation then ensued between them,
which resulted in defondant sending for a receipt
stamp, which, having been filled up and signed by the
prosecutor, the defendant, paying the money, took it
and said, " Weil, now you have got the money, and
so I'll take the worth of it cut of you:" and fol-
lowed up this remark by striking the prosecutor with
great severity. The wife attempted to restrain him,
but without success, whereupon the prosecutor com-
menced a precipitate retreat. The defendant followed
him through the garden, and as he was stooping down
to unfasten the gate the defendant made a kick at that
part of his person upon which certain debts of honour
are occasionally paid. Unfortunately, however, the
defendant, not being very steady, missed the spot at
which he had aimed, and the blow was received in a
part of a more tender character, and so bad were the
results that the prosecutor was compelled to be the
subject of medical treatment for several days.
In his cross-examination the prosecutor stated that
he had not been tried for murder, but had been tried
for manslaughter about two years ago. The facts of
that case were these :—Two men were fighting,
one of whom at length stabbed the other in several
places and gouged out an eye, and whilst he was lying
upon the wounded man, endeavouring to inflict further
wounds, the present prosecutor ran and got a pair of
tongs, and on his return, in striking a blow at the
arm of the uppermost man, with the hope of compel-
ling him to desist from his brutal conduct, struck his
head. The man died two months after wards of de-
lirium tremens, and he (the prosecutor) was taken up
and indicted for manslaughter, it being supposed at
the time that the blow he had given the deceased with
the tongs had been the cause of death. He had also
been tried for perjury, and at the present moment had
an action pending against the person who bad made that
charge against him. He had likewise been charged
in that ccurt for an assault; but in every one of those
cases he bad been acquitted. In the scuffle with the
defendant he had lost the warrant under which he was
to have made the levy.
Mr. BALLANTINS then addressed the jury on behalf
of the defendant.

The CHAIRMAN summed up, and
The jury returned a verdict of Guilty.
The CHAIRMAN sentenced the defendant to three
months' imprisonment.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MANSION-HOUSE.

Mr. Sirrell, gold and silver refiner, of Barbican,
whose name has been so familiar to the public in
consequence of charges of having received stolen
property, appeared before Alderman Gibbs for the
purpose of answering certain charges of having re-
ceived property which had been stolen in the city of
London.

Mr. Powell, barrister, appeared to prosecute upon
the part of the Crown; Mr. Lewis, of Ely-place,
solicitor, attended for the prisoner. There were seve-
ral respectable citizens present, who seemed to be on
intimate terms with the prisoner.
Mr. Powell stated, that in consequence of com-
munications received by the metropolitan police, In-
spector Lund of the detective department of the
force, and other officers, went on the 2d of October
to the residence of the prisoner in Barbican, and took
him into custody. Upon searching the premises
they found a considerable quantity of plate, amongst
whieh were the articles that would be the subject of
the present inquiry. One of these articles was a
piece of plate which had been stolen from the Rainbow
'Tavern in Fleet-street. Part of the mark on that
article had been obliterated with a file. Another piece
had been taken from the house of Mr. Godden, a
gentleman who resided near Maidstone, and whose
house had been plundered some nights previously ;
and there was a variety of other articles which would
in due time be brought forward. It was proper to
observe that the prisoner had come forward volun-
tarily to meet any accusation which might be pre-
ferred against him in the city of London, as would
be stated by Mr. Lewis ; and, as the principal wit-
nesses were not present, it was necessary to take no
more evidence than would be required to authorise a
remand until the details could be gone into.
Mr. Lewis—l appear for Mr. Sirrell, who, as has
been stated by the counsel for the Crown, voluntarily
surrendered himself in order to have a complete in-
vestigation into the charges alluded to. My client is,
as is well known, under bail, to appear to answer
other charges of a similar kind elsewhere, and he is
most desirous that the strictest inquiry should he
made into all the circumstances. I have bail ready
to answer for his appearance at any time the Alder-
man may think proper to appoint to answer all accu-
sations which may be preferred against him. He
surrendered himself by appointment, and gave no-
tice to the police authorities that such was his in-
tention.
Mr. Powell—l shall call witnesses to a few facts.

Inspector Lund, of the metropolitan detective police,
said—ln consequence of information which I received,
I proceeded to 53 and 64, Barbican, with other
officers, and found the prisoner there. I apprehended
him upon two distinct charges from these. Upon
searching the place I found a quantity of plate. I
subsequently discovered a silver tablespoon which b -
longs to the proprietor of the Rainbow Tavern, and
which I produce. The letter " M " is on the handle
or stem of the spoon, and is partly obliterated, appa-
rently by means of a file. While examining the
spoon through a magnifying glass I perceived the
words " Rainbow, Fleet-street." I also found three
silver pepper-castors with the arms six doves on a
shield divided bya.a bar. I ascertained that the
pepper-castors belonged to Mr. Henry Godden, who
resides at Somerfield, near Maidstone. I have seen
Mr. Godden, and he identified the pepper-castors as
part of property stolen from his house on the 25th of
the preceding month.
Mr. Lewis, upon being asked by Alderman
Gone whether he wished to ask any questions of the

inspector, said—No ; as this examination is a mere
matter of form, preliminary to the full investigation
which my client courts, I shall not ask the witness
any question.
Edward Ashford, principal waiter at the Rainbow
Tavern, in Fleet-street, said—Mr. Isaac Argent is 1
the proprietor of the house. I can swear that the
spoon exhibited is his property. lam responsible for
the spoons and other plate. On or about the 29th of I
July last the spoon produced was lost. It was, I be-
lieve stolen from the coffee-room, and several other
articles disappeared at the same time.
Mr. Lewis—Had any plate been stolen previously
to that date from the Rainbow Tavern? Witness—
Yes; about eighteen months before that time some
plate had been stolen.
Mr. Lewis—What is there upon that spoon which
indicates that it is not one of those which had been
stolen eighteen months ago ? Witness—l know that
the spoon produced was purchased since that time from
Mr. George Dismore.
Mr. Powell—l do not intend to go further to-day
with the charges against the prisoner, and request
that he may be remanded.
Mr. Lewis—l have bail for the appearance of my
client to any amount. lie is, I repeat, most anxious
for a searching investigation.
Mr. Powell said he had nothing to say in opposi-
tion to the application of the prisoner to be admitted
to bail.
Alderman G 11133 then consented to take bail in two
sureties to the amount of 1001. each, and the pri-
soner's own security to the amount of 2001.
Mr. John Eyke, of 58, Milton-street, and Mr.
John Johnson, of 13, Whitecross-street, were the
sureties.

The prisoner was then told that the charge against
him was that of having feloniously received a silver
spoon and three silver pepper-castors, well knowing
that they had been stolen, and that he must appear
in the course of the following week to answer the
charge.

The prisoner then retired, accompanied by several
friends.

Richard Hamet Drake, a clerk in the banking
house of Messrs. Robarts, Curtis, and Co., was
brought up in the custody of John Forrester, the
officer, charged with having robbed his employers of
a considerable sum of money.
Mr. Bush, of the firm of Bush and Mullens, solici-
tors to the Committee of Bankers for Protection from
Forgeries and Frauds, appeared for the prosecution.
He stated that the bankers felt great pain in proceed-
ing against the prisoner, who had been many years
in their employment, but they felt it to be their duty
to prosecute in every case of the kind for the sake of
public justice. The prisoner had absented himself for
some days from the house, and another of the clerks
was sent to look for him. The messenger found him
in the country, and the prisoner made a full confession
of his delinquency, and said he would make a " clean
brea.t." Mr. Bush added that the prisoner bad writ-
ten down a statement of the facts, and although cau-
tioned upon the subject and assured that acknowledg-
ment of his guilt would be used against him, he would
not retract his confession. The evidence was com-
plicated, but the amount which the prisoner was
charged with having appropriated to his own pur-
poses was 4771. Us.

The prisoner, who admitted his guilt before the
magistrate, was remanded.

GUILDHALL.

Arthur Conlin, a ruffianly-looking fellow, well
known to the police, was brought up, charged with an
assault under the following circumstances :
City police-constable 368 stated, that about half-
past 12 o'clock o❑ Wednesday night he was on Hol-
born•hill, when he heard the screams of a woman
calling for assistance. On proceeding to the spot he
saw the prisoner grasping the throat of a woman,
while she and another were crying out " Murder" as
loud as they could. As soon as the prisoner saw wit-
ness he turned round and ran away. Witness found
one of the women crying bitterly, and, on examining
her with his lantern, saw the marks of great vio-
lence about her face and neck. The two women
were servants from a part of Islington, and they pro-
mised to appear and give their evidence, provided
they could obtain the permission of their respective
mistresses.

The prisoner, in answer to the charge, said that
the two women in question were in company with a
young man, and they were all of them drunk. They
stripped themselves from their feet up to their shoul-
ders, and in that state were capering about, and pre-
senting a most indecent and disgusting exhibition.
He was hastening home, and, in endeavouring to
avoid the obscenity of their pranks, he met one of the
women running towards him as if she were mad,
screaming in a most hysterical manner, and he believed
that the reason the cry of "Murder" was raised was
merely to indulge herself in her partiality for hysterics.
As she was passing him, he put out his hand to stop her
in her mad career, and at that moment the policeman
came up. He never ran away when the policeman
arrived, he was only hurryicg away from the vile
scene that was presented to his gaze.
Springate, the gaoler, here said that he had known
the prisoner for several years. He was not considered
exactly right in his head, and whenever he was in
prison he went by the name of the "Poet." The go-
vernor of the prison had on several occasions found it
necessary to set a watch upon every movement of the
prisoner, on account of his violence. He would some-
times remain perfectly quiet for 6evtral days together,
and then, after such intervals of quiescence, break out
suddenly in a most violent manner, and strike every-
body that came near him, until he was put under
restraint.

The first witness here stated that what prisoner had
said was entirely false, as the girls had had neither
time nor opportunity to make such an indecent dis-
play, even if they had felt so disposed. lle felt quite
assured they were respectable girls.
Alderman HUNTER said, as it did not appear likely
that the persons who ought to prosecute in this case
would be able to attend, he would deal with it in a
summary manner, on the testimony of the officer, and
he would. therefore inflict upon the prisoner a fine of
205., or, in default of payment, order him to be im-
prisoned for 14 days