The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-21 00:00:00

NEW COURT.

CRIM. CON. ♦ND ROBBERY.—In the case of George
Jescop, indicted for stealing silver spoons, which had not
concluded when our Afternoon Edition went to press,
Tho jury retired, and, after an absence of an hour, re-
turned into Court, and the foreman returned the follow-
ing verdict :—" We find the prisoner guilty, but strongly
recommend him to mercy, as we believe that he sold the
spoons under the impression that they were the property
of the prosecutor's wife, they being marked with her
initials."

The COMMON SERGEANT said they had better retire
again and re-consider their verdict, as it was impossible
for him to receive such a verdict.

The jury again retired, and after being absent some
time, returned into court with a verdict of Acquittal.
The prisoner was therefore discharged.
Two young men, named William Dawson, aged 18,
and Charles Henderson, aged 19, were found guilty of
stealing twelve spoons, and divers other articles, value
61. and upwards, the property of Mr. K. White, in his
dwelling-house.
They were sentenced to six months' imprisonment
each, with an intimation that if they were again found
offending they would be transported.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
(YESTERDAY.)

MANSION-HOUSE.

A man named William Thackham, shopman to Mr.
Thomas Simpson, of No. 156, Leadenhall-street,
hard wareman, was charged with having robbed his

master.
Mr. Thomas Bridge Simpson, father of the prose-
cutor, stated that his son, having suspected that he
was robbed by one of his shopmen, adopted the plan
of sending persons to purchase goods in the shop with
marked money. One of them laid out and paid nine-
teen shillings, another ten shillings, and a third ten
shillings, and it was ascertained that the prisoner,
who served the customers, entered in the book the
sums of seventeen shillings, eight shillings, and seven
shillings, and pocketed the difference (seven shillings).
It was rather curious that one of the gentlemen who
made the purchases was witness's brother, whose
person the prisoner well knew. The witness and his
son, as soon as they found, to their surprise, that the
prisoner, who had been long employed by the family,
had been committing such depredations, calle3 at his
house to see whether there were any symptoms of
necessity about the family, determined, if they were
in distress, not only to forego prosecution, but to give
him the means of setting up business in another
country. They there learned that matters were quite
in a different condition, and that the prisoner's wile,
who was evidently unconscious of the bad conduct of
her husband, was abundantly supplied with everything.
William Henry Simpson, uncle to the prosecutor,
and two other gentlemen, then proved that they
purchased the goods with marked money of the
prisoner.
The first witness stated that after the purchases
were made, he and his son called the prisoner into the
counting-house and accused him of having received
more money in those instances than he had accounted
for. He said he did not know that he had. Witness
then desired to see what silver he had in his pocket,
and he pulled out nine shillings and sixpence, seven
shillings of which were of the marked money. The
prisoner immediately afterwards, upon being told that
he knew he had been robbing the concern for some
time, admitted that he had taken the marked money,
and said—" Well, I know I have."

Mr. Henry Simpson stated that he heard the pri-
soner acknowledge that he had taken the money, and
that he had been robbing the concern for some time.
The policeman who apprehended the prisoner stated
that he found 41. 10s. in the prisoner's pocket.
The prisoner, who during the examination held
down his head, and seemed to be overwhelmed with
grief, suddenly raised himself up from the bar, and
said, "My Lord, that's money that I received as
presents from the manufacturers ; I hope you'll let me
have it ?"

The LORD MAYOR—You can apply to the Court
for that money if you wish. I shall not give any
order about it. It is my duty to commit you for
trial.

The prisoner—l couldn't support a family upon
thirty shillings a week.
The LORD MAYOR —And that was the reason that,
instead of seeking another situation, you have robbed
your master. There is nothing at all in your case of
a redeeming character.
The prisoner was then committed for trial.
A young man, named George Wells, who has been
known for some time as a common thief, was brought
up under the following circumstances :
James Kennelly, a bookbinder, residing at John-
street, lioxton, stated that at ten o'clock on the
preceding night, as he was passing over London-
bridge, he saw the prisoner and three others hustling
two ladies. He followed the thieves, and observed
one of them put his hand upon the dress of one of the
ladies and take something from her person, and im-
mediately afterwards he saw them pass to the other
side and proceed to examine a purse, which one of
them said " was all right." Witness called " Police"
frequently, but no policeman came, and he rushed in
amongst the thieves, who knocked him about in a
desperate manner, and would have probably mur-
dered him if a policeman had not come up at the mo-
ment and assisted him. lie succeeded in apprehend-
ing the prisoner, but the others escaped.
The LORD MAYOR said he could not help observing
that the police about London-bridge were extremely
negligent.
inspector Marchant stated that there were two po-
licemen constantly on duty on London-bridge.
The complainant said that he followed the thieves
from side to side on the bridge, and that some time
elapsed, perhaps ten minutes, before any one came to
his assistance, but the policeman who did come up
saved him from more dreadful treatment. As it was,
he was a severe sufferer. He had called for the
police for a long time.
The LORD MAYOR-4 must say that there is gross
neglect in that district. It is quite impossible that
the police on London-bridge could have attended pro-
perly to their duties, if four thieves acted in such a
manner, and three of them escaped with the fruits of
the robbery.
Inspector Marchant said that, within a very short
time, thirty thieves were apprehended on London-
bridge.
The LORD MAYOR—The thieves go there because
they know that the officers are remiss there. If the
police would do their duty, we should not have com-
plaints of the kind.

His LORDSHIP then regretted that he could not
punish the prisoner more severely than by sending
him to Bridewell for three months, and committed
him for that period. He at the same time directed
Mr. Goodman, the chief clerk, to give a sovereign to
Kennelly, the person who so actively followed, at-
tacked, and resisted the prisoner and his companions.
The next case was a charge against a young fel-
low who had seriously injured a gentleman by run-
ning against him with a truck. It was upon that
occasion stated that the defendant and another man
had gone from Wood-street, Cheapside, to King Wil-
liam-street, hallooing and bellowing, and shouted
against, and had as they proceeded, injured two
other persons, without being checked by the police.
The LORD MAYOR said that here was another
charge against the police. It was extraordinary
enough that the negligence of the police was more

particularly observable from Cheapside to the other
side of London-bridge than elsewhere.
Inspector Marchant said that the occurrence alluded
to did not take place within his district.

The LORD MAYOR said he did not care who was
the inspector of the district. The negligence was
most culpable, and he was resolved upon all occasions
to expose it.
Edward Howe, a aged about 17 years, in the
employment of Mr. Martin, of Gutter-lane, silk ma-
nufacturer, was charged with robbing his employer.
The prisoner had taken away from the warehouse
three parcels, containing shawls, without being sus-
pected. Ile took one of them to a pawnbroker, whose
shopman believing that it had been rather queerly
obtained, refused to lend any money upon it, and fol-
lowed the prisoner, who entered a boat, and called at
a private house in Stamford-street. The shopman,
after the prisoner left the house, learned that he be-
longed to Mr. Martin's warehouse, and gave infoi'ma-
tion to the proprietor, who then, for the first time,
learned what had been going on. It happened that
the prisoner, when he employed the waterman to row
him, had no money about him to pay for the boat,
and actually left one of the parcels with the man as
security for the fare.
The prisoner, upon being taken into custody on his
return to the warehouse, confessed that he had not
only stolen the goods in the three parcels, but a vast
deal more property, from his employer, and he gave
a long list of his depredations.—Committed for trial.