The Sun.
London, England, 1826-09-28 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS--(Tins DAY.)

Joseph Sharpe, William Mayston, and others, were
indicted for a riot and assault on Mr.'Marshall, heese-
monger, at 35, Rosemary-lane, on the 14th of August.
Sharpe alone appeared; the others were on their own
rec_ognizanees. • . •
Mr. ADOLPIIIis stated that the case arose out of some
false pretensions to some louses on the part of one of the
defendants. They had, on the day above mentioned, -Made
an illegal distraint on the premises of the proseciitor, Mr.
Marshall, and collected a mob round the door. They pro-
ceeded to- the greatest violence, having struck the prose-
cutor, rind shown a disposition to attack the premises by
storm. He was forced in consequence to get. an Officer
from the Thames Police Office.

Mr.•Wm.Marshall by Mr. PRENDERGAST-4.4 was 011 the
above day in my shop, when two women iinne in and
asked the price of some cheese; while I was speaking to
them, I heard a rush, and Sharpe and the others came
into the shop; Sharpe had a stick, and told me that if I
moved he would knock me down; 'I tried to get tlikm
out ; Sharpe took up an iron two-pound weight, and
struck me violently on the forehead ; when they came in,
the women took me round the waist to prevent my turn-
inglhe defendants out ; I haVe therefore included them in
the indictment. I got an, officer to protect me from the
mob. 'I was taken to Bow-street on the askrult, but the
Magistrates dismissed the charge.
Cross-examined by Mr. ALLEY.--I swear I did not
know that the defendants came with a warrant of dis-
traint; Sharpe did not lay a paper on the counter and tell
me it was a warrant ; before Sharpe struck me I did not
strike him, nor take up a knife from the counter and swear
I would run him through if he did not leave the shop.
Several other persons corroborated this evidence.
Mr. ALLEY for the defendants, stated, that Sharpe went
to the prosecutor's house, attended by his two men, with
a warrant from the landlbrd. Ile went in and laid the
warrant on the counter, and demanded 4.5/. for arrears.—
Marshall collared Sharpe, and insisted on their leaving the
house.
the counter,
Theyunter did trdot,
a knife, and Marshall ran to the other end
o
and threatened to run Sharpe
si eodid
through, if he' seized
did not go out. A scuffle ensued, and
Sharpe, in his own defence, took up the weight, or he
might, and very likely would have bee», murdered.
James Mackey-1 went with Mr. Sharpe, the broker,
to levy the distress. Marshall looked at the inventory, and
then said that he would pay no rent; and if we did not
leave theshop.he would run us through.
CrosS-exinimed by Mr. ADOLPIIVS—Am an excavator;
have never been to execute a distress before. Am certain
Marshall saw the warrant, as Sharpe took possession ,of the
counter in the name of the whole. I was engaged in this
affair by mere accident.
Manson Powell--1 went with Sharpe to execute the
; Sharpe defended himself by striking- t-luie-
warrant; he went into the shop, and said he seized for
rent due to Mr. Callaghan ; Marshall said he did not car
any thing about it, but turned round and brandished e
knife, and said that he would stick Sharpe if he didn at
Other witnesses deposed to these facts and M
loetihweer twhiethsitibape weight.
ire
The CHAIRMAN summed up,and
piumeontended that they
the Jury found the
prisoner Guilty.
Mr. CoNs.r commented with severitygreat on. the ag-
gravated perjury of the defendant's witnesses, and ben-
were all dADOL.
tenceti him to *ix months' imprisonment.

NUTTING PUNISHED WITH TWO
MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT.

‘ froiit:
osfeuNsvibeldentatd
st(iaystited remark*
4, ppor labouring man, in the employment of R. E. Heathcate,
Esi‘,:4P. for Coventry, Langton Ball, was tempted to gather
af. tuts, in a eopptce near Cockuage, for which he was sum-
moned ofib'euntrethoef
expenses
attendant mtutotz:terde, before
laiii:%ullguittlriaet'';ewnahlotymtiusf
attendant on the conviction, amounted to Ekven Shillings and
Sixpence ! ! making the entire slim Twelve Shillings 1 ! *
And a friendly intimation was given him, that if not paid within
a given period, he would be committed to prison. Owing to
tiVne circumstance, the "day of grace " was suffered to expire,
std then, although 'he offered the constable the full and entire
sum, it was refused—he was dragged from his fantily—fet-
tered with hand4uffs, and, marched off to the County
Gaol—there to associate, fin. Two Months, with felons of
every degree. After this, we may expect to hear of the convic-
tion of every child detected gathering blackberries front the
hedges, or bilberries front the commons. We confess, that we
cannot exactly discover why a penalty so severe as imprisonment,
should be inflicted upon offenders against the nutting laws. What
can the most strict morality make of it? A few hule boughs may
indeed he broken by the nutters, but more injury is done in the
course of the night by the vitits of hares and rabbits than by ail
the nut-gatherers in the season. But why should we men-
tion hares and rabbits! they are Game—they belong to a
privileged class—they may offend with impunity—they can injure
every man's property—but woe to hint who touches them
they can destroy the' subsistence of thousands of men—they can
fill the gaoli with victims, to whom a residence with- felons may
be but the means of rendering innocence infected with pollution_
but the lives of game appear of more value to their possessors than
the welfare, the liberty, and the life of fellow men. Is a man,
we ask, or a hare, of most importance to society ?