The Sun.
London, England, 1844-09-02 00:00:00

He said further things in extenuation of his gu

but the Magistrate said he regretted he could not at-
tend to the benevolent dictates of the complainant,
but must commit him for trial.
lIMON-HALL.

Owen Bryan and John Caffery, the former beaten
very much about the head and face, and the latter
with his clothes covered with mud, were brought be-
fore Mr. Cottingham charged with two other men,
not in custody, with a very daring attack on two
gentlemen named Joseph Clarkson and Benjamin
Palmer, and robbing the latter of a sovereign and
some silver, on Kennington-common.
From the joint statements of the complainants it
appeared that they resided at Camberwell, and that,
as they were returning home that morning about one
o'clock, when they arrived near the vitriol works on
Kennington-common, they saw the two prisoners and
two other men (not in custody) standing together
near the stile which leads in the direction of Camber-
well. The moment the complainants arrived at the
stile they were attacked by the four men ; Mr. Clark-
son received a blow which knocked him into the ditch,
upon seeing which Mr. Palmer ran to his assistance, and
struck his assailant (Caffery), and he reeled into the
same ditch into which he had previously thrown Mr.
Clarkson, who, having recovered himself, in return
attacked the three other assailants, and he and his
friend Mr. Palmer fought them until nearly
the whole of their clothes were torn off their
backs, during which one of the ruffians called out,
" That - (meaning Mr. Palmer) has money in
his pocket," and at the same moment a snatch was
made at his pocket, and a sovereign and some silver
stolen. During the conflict two of the assailants ran
away, and policeman, 94 L, hearing shouts for help,
hastened to the spot and secured the two prisoners,
one of whom (Caffery) lay sprawling in a deep and
muddy ditch adjacent to the place where the affray
commenced, and it was with some difficulty he was
extricated from the situation in which he was placed.
The complainants produced their hats and waistcoats,
which were torn to pieces, to show the violence with
which they were attacked ; and they added that the
two prisoners were engaged in the attack upon them,
which they had no doubt was done for the purpose of
robbing them. _ _ _

Policeman, 94 L, stated that, hearing cries for help,
he hastened to the spot, and found they proceeded
from Caffery, who was lying in the ditch nearly
smothered in mud. The complainants were close to
the spot, as also Bryan, the other prisoner, and the
former related the manner in which they had been at-
tacked. Having extricated Caffery from the ditch,
the policeman then took him and the other prisoner to
thestation-house, where the complainants gave an ac-
count similar to that which they had given before the
magistrate. The policeman added that the other two
men escaped before he had time to get to the place
where the outrage was committed.
Bryan, although cautioned by the Magistrate as to
the statement he made in answer to the charge, said
that he had been out with his fellow-prisoner and
another man, and that as they were passing the
common they were met by the two complainants and
another gentleman ; that one of the gentlemen shoved
up against him (Bryan), and, on asking what he did
it for, the answer was a blow, which he returned, and
this led to a scuffle, in which the parties on both
sides joined, and during which they (the prisoners)
were beaten very much, as their appearance now
testified. He added that neither he nor his com-
panions had any intention of robbing the com-
plainants, and that he earned his bread by hard
labour, that of a porter in Newgate Market.
Caffery gave a similar account of the transaction,
and, exhibiting his clothes to view, said that for taking
the part of Bryan when he was struck, he was
knocked into the ditch and nearly smothered in mud.

Mr. COTTINGITAM, said that as the charge was not
ripe for committal on that day, inasmuch as the other
two men engaged in the outrage were not in custody,
he should remand the prisoners until Wednesday.
Peter 111' Walter, a fashionably-dressed young Irish-
man, was brought up on remand from Wednesday
last, charged with robbing public-houses and taverns
in this district, and also at the west end of the town.
The Court was thronged with parties who had been
plundered, as well as by a numerous auditory anxious
to hear the examination. The following additional
evidence was adduced :

Mr. Thomas Dobson stated that he lodged at
Perry's Coffee-house, Seymour-street, Euston-square,
and that on last Tuesday week the prisoner came to
that house with a carpet bag in hit; hand, and stated
that he had just arrived by the train from Manchester.
He engaged a bed, and witness left home early next
morning, and when he returned at night he found his
room had been entered in his absence, that his trunk
had been forced open, and plundered of five sovereigns,
a silver watch, with a gold chain, a chesterfield coat,
and two silk handkerchiefs. Upon inquiry, it was
found the prisoner had decamped the same morning,
soon after the departure of witness from the house.
The witness here identified the coat worn by the pri-
soner as his property, and he was compelled to " doff'
it, which he was very unwilling to do, while at the
bar.

The head-waiter at the Gloucester Coffee-house, in
Piccadilly, stated that a well-dressed yuong man hired
a bed there, and when all the inmates had retired to
rest, he went into the rooms of several gentlemen who
were sleeping there, and succeeded in robbing them of
their purses, containing the sum of 141., a gold watch,
and other articles, with which he got clear off. The
witness added, that the prisoner resembled the thief,
but he would not undertake to swear positively to his
person _ _ _

- Cotterell stated, that information had appeared in
the Hue and Cry of six different robberies of public-
houses at Manchester by a man, answering the de-
scription of the prisoner, with a carpet bag.