The Sun.
London, England, 1844-10-09 00:00:00

BROMLEY PETTY SESSIONS.

A miserable-looking object, named Joseph Tyrrell,
was brought before the Rev. Sir C. Farnaby, the
Rev. T. Scott, and E. R. Adam-, Esq., on Monday,
charged with stealing two pounds of bread, value 3id.,
the property of Mr. White, a baker, at Bromley, and
the circumstances under which the charge was made
were of rather a novel character.

The complainant deposed that the prisoner walked
into his shop and asked for a half-quartern loaf. He
handed him one across the counter, and the prisoner
immediately seized it and began to devour it. He
tried to take it away from him, but it was of no use,
and the prisoner told him that he had no money
to pay him for the bread, and he might do what he
pleased -with him. The complainant added that he
had been repeatedly served in the same way by other
parties, and he therefore sent for a policeman and
gave the prisoner into custody.
Mr. SCOTT said this had become a very common
trick in Bromley, and it was very necessary that
some steps should be taken to put a stop to it.
Sir C. FARNABY inquired if the prisoner was known
in Bromley ?
The complainant said that on Sunday the prisoner
came to his shop and asked for relief, and seeing that
he was in a distressed condition, he gave him a penny
loaf. He understood that at night he was admitted
into the workhouse, and directly after he was dis-
charged on the Monday morning, he went to his shop
and acted in the way he had described.
The master of the Bromley union workhouse said
that the prisoner was admitted into the establishment
on Sunday night as a casual pauper, and his supper
was given to him. He refused to get up until half-
past seven o'clock in the morning, and as he then de-
clared he would not do any work, he was turned out
of the house.

Sir C. FARNABY—Then you did not give him any
breakfast ?

The master of the workhouse said he did not give
him any on account of his refusing to work. If he
had performed the portion of labour allotted to casual
paupers, at nine o'clock he would have had his
breakfast.

The prisoner, in answer to the charge, said that
he had committed the offence in order that h• might
be sent to prison. He had been wandering about the
country, and was completely destitute; and he was
suffering under a disease which prevented him from
obtaining any employment. He had some expectation
of getting a situation in a short time, but he was sure
no one would engage him in his present condition.
He was therefore anxious to be sent to gaol, where he
should have an opportunity of being cured, and thus
have some chance of obtaining honest employment.
In answer to questions from the BENCH, the prisoner
said that, for the last few days, he had been wander-
ing about the country, and in different union work-
houses, but he said he would rather be sent to gaol,
because there he should be taken care of, and cured of
his complaint.
Mr. White said he thought it was a case in which
an example should be made, and he expressed his
readiness to prosecute, if the prisoner was committed
for trial.

The BENCH said they did not think that, under the
circumstances, a charge of felony could be supported.
It was clear, however, that the prisoner had brought
himself within the provisions of the Vagrant Act, and
they should, therefore, commit him, for one month, to
the House of Correction.

The prisoner left the court in charge of the police,
apparently very well pleased with the sentence passed
upon him.
.

At the last meeting of the bench of magistrates at
Bromley, Stephen Portsmouth, a waggoner in the
employ of a farmer at Beckenham, was summoned by
Mr. Adams, a magistrate for the county of Kent, for
unlawfully riding on his waggon, and not having the
proper control of his horses.

- Mr. Adams deposed, that as was returning home in
his carriage to Beckenham, in a narrow part of the road
they came up with the defendant's waggon. He was
riding inside the waggon without any reins ; and as
there was not room for both vehicles to pass, com-
plainant's carriage was obliged to stop until the de-
fendant jumped down and pulled his horses on one
side,_ or else some serious accident might have occurred.
The MAGISTRATES said that this practice of carters
riding in their vehicles was becoming a most intoler-
able nuisance, and it was necessary for their own pro-
tection, and for the safety of the public, that severe
measures should be taken to repress it.
The Rev. Mr. SCOTT, one of the bench, said
no warning appeared to have any effect upon this
class of persons, and he recollected a case where
a man was fined for riding on the shaft of his
waggon, and was allowed a week to make up the
money, but during that interval he again committed
the offence, and, while asleep, he fell under the wheel
of his waggon, and was killed upon the spot.
Inspector M'Gill, of the K division, said that
the driver of one of the Kentish fruit carts was killed
near Sidcup a short time back, in a similar manner;
and the very next night another driver fell off his van
while asleep, and would, in all probability, also have
been killed, if a police-constable had not fortunately
been upon the spot, and dragged him from under the
wheel by his smock-frock.

The Magistrates fined the defendant fifteen shillings
with costs, and expressed their determination to in-
flict the full penalty on all similar cases in future.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
(YESTERDAY.)
BOW-STREET.

Just before the closing of the court yesterday after-
noon a respectably-dressed young man, named Wil-
liam Williams, was brought up in custody, charged
with forging the Hall-mark of the Goldsmith's Com-
pany upon the case of a watch, the metal of which
had been what is called electrotyped.
William Davies stated that the prisoner purchased
a looking-glass of him last week, and two oil paint-
ings, for which he was to pay 31. 14s. The articles
were delivered, and the prisoner offered what appeared
to be a gold watch in payment, as the witness occa-
sionally dealt in watches. Witness examined the
watch, and found that it was stamped with the mark
of the Goldsmith's Company. The price agreed on
for the watch was 61., and the witness was to pay the
balance over the 31.145. to the prisoner. They went
next day together to a public-house, where the pri-
soner said he had left the watch as security for 21.,
and witness brought away the watch. He had since
shown it to the authorities at Goldsmith's Hall, and
the mark on it was discovered to be a forgery.
Mr. Sharp, the deputy-warden of Goldsmith's Hall,
produced the watch, which he stated bore a forged
mark.
The officer who took the prisoner into custody,
produced 28 pawnbrokers' duplicates, which were
found on the prisoner, 14 of which for were f
gold
watches that had been pledged, some of them or
sums as high as 141. each.
Mr. JARDISE said this was quite evidence sufficient
upon which to remand the prisoner, and he must
therefore be remanded for a week.
The prisoner applied to be liberated on bail, but
the application was refused.
It was stated in court, that a few days ago the
prisoner obtained 6.01. from a gentleman at Maida-
hill upon a quantity of duplicates for electrotyped
watches, which had been pl
IV WELLg old ones.
C

William Ackermann, a silver-mounter, was brought
up in custody of the parish-officers of Clerkenwell,
charged with neglecting to maintain his son William,
a boy aged ten years.
It appeared, from the evidence of Inspector Barton,
that on the night of Friday, the 20th ult., his atten-
tion was drawn to the house 33, Turnmill-street,
Clerkenwell, by the collection of a mob of about 200
persons around it, and the whole neighbourhood
seemed in a state of great excitement. He entered
the house, and, on going into a back-room on the
ground floor, discovered a boy, aged ten years, per-
fectly naked, and so emaciated that he was nothing
but skin and bone ; he was lying on a heap of rags,
in a state of great debility, and his body was literally