The Sun.
London, England, 1845-09-10 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.
(Before the Assistant Jud
of ge M,
agisMr. Sergeant ADAMS, and a
Bench tr)
These sessions commenced yesterday at the Sessions House,
Clerkenwell-green. The calendar contained the names of 69
prisoners for trial, subsequently augmented by additional com-
mitments. The charges were chiefly for felony.
William Fitch, aged 22; John Raters, aged 15 ; Mary
Ann Bud, aged 19 ; and Elisabeth Thomas, aged 15, were
indicted for stealing a purse, and the sum of Si., from the per-
son of Lucy Charlotte Mary Barclay.
The jury found the prisoners Guilty.
The Learned JUDGZ said that the history of the prisoner
Fitch was somewhat singular. He was sentenced to trans-
portation for seven years at these sessions in January last,
under the name of William Walker, but by some means he
bad contrived to change places with another pri-
soner (Nicholas Duncan), who had at the same
sessions been convicted of felony, and sentenced to
three months' imprisonment. The conviction happened
at a late hour of the day on which the prisoner was
tried, and having with other felons been removed to the
calls beneath the court, previous to being forwarded to the
Westminster Bridewell, they there concocted a scheme to
change names and personate each other. Accordingly, when
called the prisoner at the bar answered to the name of Duncan,
while The real Duncan assumed the appellation of Walker, the
cognomen of which Fitch had chosen for his convenience at that
time. This ruse had been kept up at the Westminster Bride-
well, and the prisoner actually succeeded in escaping transpor-
tation, having been liberated at the expiration of three months'
imprisonment. His companion, Duncan, was now serving the
term of seven years' transportation on board the Dromedary
bulk at Bermuda, whence he had written home the other day,
stating his bitter repentance of the exchange he had so foolishly
made, and detailing all the circumstances which, upon investi-
gation, were found to be true. The sentence of the Court now
was, that the prisoner, William Fitch, be transported beyond
the seas for the term of ten years. John Waters and Mary Ann
Reed were sentenced to six months' imprisonment, and Eliza-
beth Thomas to four months' imprisonment in the House of
Correction.

SURREY SESSIONS.
(Before Mr. PucKLI and a Bench of Magistrates.)
Alfred Shaw, aged 26, was yesterday indicted for stealing, at
Lambeth, a waistcoat, the property of Henry Hunt, the pro-
prietor of a ready-made clothes warehouse.
After the evidence establishing the guilt of the prisoner had
been heard, a well-dressed man, who gave the name of William
Jones, stepped into the witness-box, and said that he was ac-
quainted with the prisoner for twelve months, and during
that period knew him to be an honest and well-conducted man.
CHAICMAN—Do you mean to swear that you have seen the
prisoner continually for the last twelve months? Witness—l
do ; I have seen him frequently at night, and sometimes in the
'morning.
When did you first meet him ?—ln the latter part of Septem-
ber last.
CHAIRMAN—Then you speak positively of having seen the
prisoner last September? Witness (hesitating)—Not posi-
tively in last September, but certainly in October.
The CHAIRMAN said that if the statement laid before the
bench by Mr. Keene, the Governor of the gaol, was correct,
the witness was committing wilful and deliberate perjury, for,
According to it, the prisoner was undergoing an imprisonment
of three months in the House of Correction, at the time the
'Fitness represented him to be otherwise engaged.
Mr, Keene was then sworn, and he stated that the prisoner
was tried on the 9th of September last, and sentenced to three
month? imprisonment in the House of Correction, at which
period he went by the name of Robert Taylor.
CHAIRMAN (to witness)—You hear what has been stated
by the governor of the county gaol, and I now wish to know
bow you have had the audacity, while on your oath, to utter
that which you must be aware was a wilful and deliberate
falsehood ?—The witness, who was very much confused, said
be had nothing to say. Upon which,
The CHAIRMAN ordered him to be taken into custody, and
he was forthwith conveyed round to the gaol.
The jury returned a verdict of Guilty againt Shaw, and
The CHAIRMAN, in passing sentence, observed, that the
guilt of the prisoner bad been greatly aggravated by the de-
fence tie had set up. It was useless to allow such a person to
remold in the country, and the sentence was that be be trans-
ported for seven years.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
WORSIIIP-STREET.
Tent CHARGE OF SHOOTING. Clarks Taylor, who, on
Sunday morning, the 24th ult., while firing at a mark with a
rifle, in a field near the Ilaekreleroad, accidentally lodged his
rifle ball in the neck of a young man named Charles Chapman,
who was in his garden near the spot, was re-examined before
,Mr. Bingham on Monday.
Sergeant Godfrey produced a certificate, signed by three
surgeons, who stated that the young man Chapman is gradually
progreesing towards health, and may be pronounced out of pre-
sent danger ; but that as the ball had not been extracted the
elltimate conclusion of the case must Le considered doubtful.
The prisoner was therefore again remanded fur a fortnight
0 As same bail at before.
7'11,1,11ES
THritt;wrga MISSILES AT STEAM-SOAP PASSENGERS.—
Ye3orday llignel/, the master of a sailing barge,
called the Lucretia, belonging to Brantford, appeatert before
Mr Beeelerip, to answer a charge of " assaulting Captain John
Jenkins La.;ge, the master of the City of Canterbury, Herne
Bay steamer, sod divers of her Alaje.te's subjects" by thro,e-
ing a large coal Among the passengers as the vessel was pro-
ceeding down the ejver.
It appeared from the evidence of Captain Large, which was
confirmed by Mr. Rohre, the secretary of the company, and R.
Major, one of the crew of the vessel, that on Friday last the
steamer was proceeding down the river with 260 passengers on
board, and she met with the sailing barge off New Crane,
Shadwell, and the engines were stopped for the purpose of
avoiding mischief, and in doing so some water from the paddle-
wheel went over the barge's gunwale. The man at the helm
of the barge used language of the most revolting description,
"which Captain Large said he could not mention in a public
court, and which annoyed the passengers very much, and the
fellow, /hen took up a large coal which he threw at Captain
Large, who was stationed on the bridge, between the two pad-
dle-boxes. It missed him and fell among the passengers on
deck, striking a child in its descent on the forehead with great
"Vence.
me, Rohrs, the secretary of the Herne Bay Steam Packet
Corapan.7. said the passengers travelling by their steamers had
been 60 much annoyed by the bad language and insolence of
bargemen on the river, and missiles had been so often thrown
at the people on board,lthat the company were adetermieed to
eseecute in evey case,
the
co
spare neither pains nor ex-
pP`' in bringing °fretdee: to ju"tice. He picked up a coal
ease' an • h had been thrown by the defendant
the size of a man's fist, hic
from his barge.
Mr. BRODER'? said, the ce`Mpany slid quite right to prose-
cute, and that he would render ai: the aid iu his power
laughing
at the witneeses, to conduct himself with deceney, and said
there was nothing to laugh at.
The defendant said he was not laughing.
Mr. BRODERIP—Do you mean to tell me that I was looking
at you and did not see you laughing?
Inspector Hambrook, of the Thames Police, said the de-
fendant admitted to him he was at the helm of his barge, and
that he had a piece of coal in his hand, which he threw at a
man in the fore sponsor, without any intention of hitting the
captain or any of the pldassengersit, and. Hetreated t also said
he matter with
that if he was
fined his governor wou pay
irreit
The prisoner, in his defence, admitted he threw a piece of
c,OO at one of the men on board the City of Canterbury, and
that it was in his hand before the steamer fell in with him.
Hetieged as an excuse fur his conduct that his barge was laden
with tr..eons of coals, and was in danger from the rapid speed
mer; that one of the men ridiculed him by putting
of the si`eb.
his anger 1,0 his nose ; and that on a former occasion the City
of Canterbu '' ran foul of his barge, knocked him overboard,
and nearly dri„7rued him.
Captain Large ,denied that any of his men misconducted
themselves, or that he did any mischief to the barge.
Mr. BRODER'? "00k.a very serious view of the ease, and
said be should not deal with it summarily. He should be
wanting in duty to the pubf:,e if he passed over such an outrage
as this with the mere infliction pf a money fine. There were
nearly 300 persons on board the steamer, and the defendant,
who had treated the charge with to much levity, would no
doubt be surprised when he told him :.1/43t, if any one had been
killed by the coal which had been tin:nin among them, he
would have been put on his trial for wilful murder. If there
was any foundation for the defence set up, the Jefendant ought
to have appealed to the laws of his country for retlress, and not
have thrown missiles among a number of unoffendin:r people.
He ordered that the defendant should find good bail, hit:l3olf in
50/. and two sureties in 25/. each, to answer the charge s.t the
sessions.—The defendant was committed to prison in defeellt
of bail.
SMUOGLIWO OF COALS.—EVADING THE CITY DUES.—
Yesterday Henry Thomas Lewis, the master of the Medway
sailing barge Severn, appeared before Mr. Broderip, to answer
an information exhibited by the City Solicitor, under the 78th
section of the let and 2d Wm. IV., cap. 76, for having broken
tie bulk of a cargo of coals before the City dues were paid, by
which he had incurred a penalty not exceeding 25!.
Ah', Martin of the City solicitor's office, said a man named
Archer, the master of the coal ship William, was fined 3/. for a
similar offence, on Saturday, and that person bad discharged
137 tons of coals in the river, without paying the dues, for the
amount of which the Corporation of London would proceed by
aotion. He was sorry to appear before the Magistrate again so
soon,butwould abstain from making anyobservations which might
prejudice the defendant. The gentlemen of the Coal Market,
who wore much interested in the question, and were anxious
the law should by enforced, thought, as he understood, that he
bad not brought forward the evils of the system so prominently
as be ought to have dens ; but he was quite satisfied in leaving
the case in the hands of the Magistrate, who, he was quite sure,
would protect the City in the exercise of its rights, and prevent
imposition on the fair traders*, who were deeply injured if per-
sons evaded payment of the duties, and sold coals at a cheaper
tate than those wise did pay theirt.
Mr. Thomas Plant Rose, inspector of City coal dues,
stated that be saw a cargo of coals being discharged from
the barge Severn, of which defendant was master, into the
Princess Royal, a Sheerness steamer, off the Adelphi Pier,
in the parish of Lambeth on the 2d instant. The defendant
was on board filling sacks, with the coals, and carrying them on
board the Princess Royal. He saw the same barge in Long
Reach, near Gravesend, with 30 tons of coals in her, on the
Thursday previous.
Mr. BRODERIP—Where was the barge when you Itst saw
her' Mr. Rose—Near the Suspension-bridge, in the parish
of Lambeth, opposite the Waterrnen's Adelphi Pier.
Mr. William Allman Russell said he was collector of the city
dues en coals, and that he had not received any on account of
the cargo of the Severn. The duty on 30 tons of coals, at the
rate of 13d. per ton, amounted to 11. 12s. 6d.
The defendant, in reply to the charge, said he was hired by
Captain Cunningham. the master of the Princess Royal
steamer, which runs between the Adelphi Pier and Sheerness,
and who was also the owner of the barge, to convey the coals
from Chatham to the river Thames, at be was directed by
the same party to put the coals on board the steamer at Lam.
bath.
.51r. BRODER/P—But the dues were not paid upon them,
and t he City has been defrauded of them.
The defendant said he knew nothing about the dues.
Captain Cunningham employed him as a coal-portiere and
dig to carry the coals to the steam-boat. put
twenty-five tons of coals on board the Prince's Royal.
Mr. ilitonEftlr said the defendant was the master of the
barge, std the party respon.ihle, and was liable to a penalty of
MI. for this offence. Case after case had come before him,
and although he was disposed to be as :lenient as possible, he
could not, consistently with the rights of the City and the
interests of the fair trader, inflict a less penalty than 5/. 1
parties must be taught that they could not make a good specu-
lation by attempting to evade the payment of the duties on
coals. The offence was becoming so common, and the City
had been so often defrauded, that heavy penalties wouid in fu-
ture be inflicted, unless there were very strong mitigatory cir-
cumstances established.
The defendant had not the means of paying the fine, and
was committed.
MOST AUDACIOUS ROBBERY elm OUTRAGE.—Yesterday
a woman of loose character, named Margaret Cifprd, was
brought before Mr. Broderip, charged with stealing a purse
vontaining three sovereigns, from the person of Mr. Geore
Hughes, the master of the Hertford sailing barge Victoria, in
the Fir Tree public-house, Back Church-lane, Whitechapel.
The prosecutor stated that he went into the Fir Tree be-

$\