The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-21 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON,. SA

COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH, Dec. 20.

Lord Denman sat at Nisi Prius this morning, at the
Guildhall, with a London special jury. The Court was
engaged the whole morning in trying the case of the
Queen v. Ellis, an indictment for perjury, which will not
in all probability be finished this evening.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.
OLD COURT.
(Before Chief Justice TINDAL.)
Wm. Hill, aged 30, plasterer, was indicted for felo-
niously breaking and entering the dwelling-house of
Charles John Chitty, and stealing therefrom certain
silver spoons, a waistcoat, and other articles, value 5L
It appeared from the evidence, that the prisoner was
occasionally employed about the house of the prosecutor
to do some jobs for him, sad when there was no business
for him to do he frequently obtained food and other as-
sistance from the prosecutor. He thereby obtained a
perfect knowledge of the premises, which he turned to
the evil purpose of robbing his benefactor. The house
was found to have been broken open and the articles
mentioned were taken away. On making inquiries they
were discovered at a pawnbroker's in the neighbourhood,
and the pawnbroker identified the prisoner as the per-
son who stole them.

Verdict, Guilty.—Sentence, 14 years' transportation.
Wm. Cox, a young boy, who could scarcely see over
the bar, was indicted fur stealing 131. 10s. from John
Cross Hamby. There could be no doubt from the evi-
dence that the prisoner was guilty, and the jury found
accordingly.
The CHIEF JUSTICE, in passing sentence on the pri•
soner, which was twelve month' imprisonment, dwelt o■
the youth of the offender, and advised him to be cau-
tious how he committed such a crime again.
Michael Noon, 19, and John Sutters, 21, were in-
dicted for stealing a case of dentist's instruments, the
property of William Murray.
Mr. Cobbett prosecuted, and Mr. Mellor defended
the prisoners.
It appeared, from the evidence, that the prosecutor
is a chemist and druggist, living in Hand-court, Bed-
ford-row, and on the evening the robbery took place
Noon went into his shop, and asked for some lozenges.
About eight o'clock the same evening the prosecutor
heard a noise, and on descending the staircase he put
his foot in a hat which belonged to some stranger,
and on going into the shop he found it had been
entered by means of a picklock key, and that a case
of instruments had been stolen. The prisoners were
taken into custody shortly afterwards, and the in-
struments were found in the possession of Sutters,
and upon searching Noon a quantity of picklock and
skeleton keys were discovered.
Mr. Mellor set up an alibi on behalf of Sutters,
and called witnesses to support that defence.
The jury found Noon Guilty, and he was sentenced
to twelve months' imprisonment. The other prisoner
was acquitted.
Benjamin Ewen, 52, butler, was indicted for felo-
niously stealing a silver teapot, value 61., the property
of his Grace the Duke of Richmond.
There was another indictment against the prisoner
for stealing twelve silver forks, value 71., the property
of Charles Cox.

Mr. CLARKSON, who appeared for the prisoner, said
that, with the permission of the Court, he would re-
tract his plea of Not Guilty, and plead Guilty to the
indictment. The Learned Counsel then proceeded t•
state that the prisoner had occupied the situation of
butler in some of the first familits of the land, and
he mentioned, among others, the names of Lord
Ernest Bruce and Lord Cranstoun ; but he said that
latterly the prisoner had been reduced to a state of
complete destitution, and, under the pressure of dis-
tress, he was induced to committ the offence imputed
to him.

Inspector Morgan, of the T division, was then
questioned, and stated that, upon going to the pri-
soner's lodging, he found his wife and four children in
a most destitute condition. They had pawned almost
every article of their property, even to the wearing
apparel of the children, for food.
The CHIEF JUSTICE, in passing sentence, said he
regretted to perceive a person who formerly appeared
to hare been so respectably situated, so far forget him-
self as to commit an offence of this description, but
it was impossible to overlook the fact that there were
two indictments against him, and that both offences
appeared to have been committed within a short
period of each other. In consideration, however, of
his previous good character, and the testimonials re-
specting him that had been placed in the hands of the
Court, the sentence upon him was, that he be impri-
soned and kept to hard labour for twelve months.
Mary Davidson, 20, was convicted upon two in-
dictments of stealing articles of wearing apparel from
different d welling-houses, the outer doors of which she
found open, and she was sentenced to be transported
for seven years. s

The business of the session concluded about six
o'clock, and the Court then adjourned until Monday,
January 6.