The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-26 00:00:00

THE GRAND JURY.

The Grand Jury, in the course of the morning, made
their last presentment, and were thanked by Mr. Baron
Gurney, on behalf of the county, for their exertions.
John Donny.liff was indicted for cutting and
wounding Sarah Powell. Mr. Gurwood prose-
cuted, and Mr. Prendergast defended. It appeared
that on the day in question, the 23d of June, she met
the prisoner, and went to a public-house with him,
where they had some drink. They went afterwards
to other public-houses, and both eventually got tipsy.
They then went to prosecutrix's lodgings, where they
quarrelled, and she aggravated him very much, upon
which he struck her in the face, and then took a knife
from his pocket and stabbed her in the breast. The
prisoner was convicted, and sentenced to be impri-
soned for four months.

SENTENCES.—Faith Bowerman, aged 17, who was
on Friday convicted of the manslaughter of her new-
born infant, was brought up and sentenced to be im-
prisoned and kept to hard labour for two years.
Sarah Hyland, aged 22, convicted of concealing the
birth of her new-born male child, was also brought
up and received a like sentence.
John Le Grand, aged 50, described as a merchant,
was indicted for breaking and entering the dwelling-
house of Robert Anwyl, and stealing 180 dozen of
lace caps, capes, collars, &c., value 601., the property
of John Byng Banks.
It appeared that Mr. Banks occupied rooms as a
warehouse in the dwelling of Mr. Anwyl, at 82, in
Lawrence-lane, and that the property in question was
deposited in the rooms used by Mr. Banks. The rob-
bery in question was committed on Christmas eve,
and was first discovered by a man named Jones, in
the employ of Mr. Anwyl, who went to the house to
get his master's rooms ready for him. He found
Mr. Banks's door had been broken open, and imme-
diately fetched the police, who discovered everything
in confusion. On Mr. Banks being informed of the
circumstance he repaired to the premises, and dis-
covered that the goods in question had been ab-
stracted. It was subsequently discovered that a Mr.
Lafitte, a dealer in gloves and French goods, in
Addle-street, was selling goods which resembled
exactly those stolen from Mr. Banks. On inquiry,
it turned out that the prisoner had sold 180 dozen of
caps to Mr. Lafitte, which, on being examined, turned
out to be the caps stolen. That person had given
271. 10s. to Le Grand for the caps. This being the
case, the police received orders to apprehend the pri-
soner, which they did, and on searching his rooms
discovered some collars, which had also been stolen
from the warehouse of Mr. Banks.
The RECORDER said he did not think there was
sufficient evidence to convict the prisoner of having
broken into the warehouse, although there was some-
thing against his character. At any rate it was
doubtful whether he had come honestly by the goods.
He was only one degree removed from the other per-
sons who had sold the goods.
The jury immediately returned a verdict of Not
Guilty.

NEW COURT.
(Before the COMMON SERGEANT.)
EMREZZLEMENT.—Frederick Gardner was placed at
the bar charged with embezzling a sum of 14s. on the 9th
of August, and a further sum of 41. Its., received on the
_ .

10th, the property of Edine Alexander.
It appeared from the evidence that the prisoner re-
ceived the money, but it was the habit of the prosecutor
to allow the prisoner a book in which the money re-
ceived was to be put down. It appeared that the pri-
soner had given credit in the book for having received
the money, but stated that he had lost it out of his
pocket.-1 he prisoner was acquitted.
William Bagshaw was charged with stealing two geese
on the morning of the Bth of August, the property of
Henry Taylor, from his premises, 7, York-street, West-
minster.

It appeared from the evidence that the prisoner was
found with the two geese dead, concealed under a cloak,
by the policeman on duty. He represented that he was
going to make a present of them, and did not wish to let
his wife know of it. The prisoner had been convicted
before of robbing 50/., and was but a short time since
liberated from an imprisonment of nine months.
The police-constable stated that the prisoner kept very
bad company, and that he intended to give the geese to a
woman of bad character.
The prisoner was sentenced to seven years' transpor
tation.

James Hodges, silversmith, aged 26, was charged with
stealing an ounce and a half of silver, the property of
Messrs. Garrod. .

Mr. Prendergast conducted the prosecution ; Mr.
Clarkson defended the prisoner.

It appeared from the evidence that Mr. Withers, the
foreman of Mr. Garrod, from circumstances which came
to his knowledge, had reason to suspect the prisoner.
The prisoner, on the 31st of July, was seen going into
the weighing-room, under suspicious circumstances, in-
formation of which was given to Mr. Withers, who
accused him of taking some of the silver. The
prisoner was walking away quickly, and dropped the
silver, which was marked by Mr. Withers. The case
was clearly proved against the prisoner.
The jury having found him guilty, the prisoner was
sentenced to six months' imprisonment in the House of
Correction, with hard labour.

James Hodges, silversmith, aged 26, was charged
with stealing an ounce and a half of silver, the pro-
perty of Messrs. Garrod.
Mr. Prendergast conducted the prosecution ; Mr.
Clarkson defended the prisoner.
It appeared, from the evidence, that Mr. Withers,
the foreman of Mr. Garrod. from circumstances which
came t his knowledge, had reason to suspect the
prisoner. The prisoner, on the 31 st of July, was
seen going into the weighing-room, under suspicious
circumstances, information of which was given to Mr.
Withers, who accused him of taking some of the
silver. The prisoner was walking away quickly, and
dropped the silver, which was marked by Mr. Withers

The case was clearly proved against the prisoner.
The jury having found him Guilty, the prisoner
was sentenced to six months' imprisonment in the
House of Correction, with hard labour.

Louisa Saville, aged 17, and Mary Saville, 16, were
convicted of stealing one shawl, value 95., the pro-
perty of Sophia Green, 26,:High-street, Islington.
The prisoner Louisa was sentenced, at her own re-
quest, to transportation for seven years, having no
other means of procuring her livelihood except by
prostitution ; but the Common-Sergeant, taking into
consideration the youth of the prisoner, the sentence
was afterwards respited, it being mentioned that an
attempt would be made to get the prisoner into the
House of Occupation.
The other prisoner was sentenced to two months'
imprisonment.
t'ELON Y.- Williant Day, 32, was indicted for steal-
ing one tablecloth and two napkins, value 31., the
property of Mary Ann M'Gagan, and one scarf and
one gown-piece, value 41., the property of Clara Brown,
in the dwelling-house of James M'Kean, Spurney-
street, Leicester-square, on the evening of the 4th
of August.
Witnesses were called, who detailed the facts of the
case, and swore positively to the prisoner's identity.
Mr. PEacocx addressed the jury for the prisoner.
Several witnesses were called to prove an alibi.
Each underwent searching cross-examination. The
jury, disbelieving their evidence (though the wit-
nesses swore that the prisoner spent the day in
question in their company) found him Guilty.
He was sentenced to transportation for seven

'ears.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
(SATURDAY.)
MANSION-HOUS.E.
William Laidler, who stated that he had been a
seaman on board the ship John Campbell, of Liver-
pool, a vessel of 600 tons, in the palm oil trade, ap-
peared before Sir John Pirie, for the purpose of
making a declaration relative to a mutiny on board
that vessel, and a series of cruelties which, he stated,
had been crowned with murder.
Sir J. PIRIE, upon looking over the statement con-
tained in the declaration, said it was quite impossible
for him to allow such a paper to be declared to be
true before him, with the view to publication, until
he should have made application to the owners of the
vessel on the subject. He was, he said, aware that
many awful occurrences took place on the coast of
Africa, but,mties interested not unfrequently ex-
aggeratednetimes wholly misrepresented
matters, altiA,ware.:theniselies sometimes chargeable
with mu ti".j, the very apprehension of being accused
of whicti induceorthem to be the first to complain.
of tia4T66 seaman, Solemnly pledged himself to the truth
attemen% which was to the following effect:—

The ship, John Campbell, left the Liverpool Docks on
'the 2lst of October last, bound for Old Calabar, on
the African coast, in the palm oil trade. Two weeks
after the ship sailed the skipper (Robert Nelson) died
off Madeira, when the supercargo assumed the com-
mand, in defiance of the senior officer on board, who
should have asserted his right according to the usages
of merchant ships in such cases. About a month
after our skipper died the supercargo reduced our
daily rations to a very serious extent. We had now
gained our destination, working hard under an African
sun unloading the ship, but finding ourselves oppressed
with heat, and languishing for the want of food, we
consulted, went afr, and respectfully complained to the
proper officer, the first mate, that in consequence of
the reduction of our rations we felt weak and unable
to do our work. The officer referred us to the
supercargo. We then addressed ourselves to that
personage, who also refused our request, on
the ground that the ship's provisions were
short, and should be reserved for the home-
ward passage. We knew this to be an evasion of our
just claims, and a falsehood, as the owner, Sit Joseph
Sharp, at the time we signed the ship's articles, said
we should have plenty to eat and be well used. After
our humble petition was derided and denied, we re-
turned quietly to our duty, whilst the supercargo
sent off to some of the ships in port, and having con-
versed with their skippers and supercargoes, several
of them accompanied him on board the John Campbell.
We now believed our usual allowance of food would
be granted to us, and being satisfied, we gave them
three cheers as they passed over the side, being under
no apprehensions. On this occasion the supercargo
was told that the John Campbell crew did not recog-
nise him as master, but were ready to obey the senior
ship's officer on board. The supercargo did not re-
turn on this day, but remained all night ashore, and
next morning he sent for half the ship's crew, no rea-
son having been assigned for this unusual order.
This mysterious request having excited our sus-
picion, all hands refused to comply until the intent
was known. When the messenger returned, he said we
might look to ourselves, as the war canoes were pre-
paring to come off. Our amazement may be con-
ceived ; and there now ensued a scene of barbarity
and cruelty that could rot be exceeded by the most
ignorant savages on the coast, and inhuman and blood
thirsty as the natives sometimes are, they cannot be
excelled by the butchery and bloody purpose of
the orders issued in this deplorable instance. We saw
about fifty armed war canoes put off, with from 18 to
20 natives in-each, chanting their war-songs of blood
and slaughter, with the supercargo at their head.
They soon drew up in a circle round the ship, and
swept her deck with volleys of shot and poisoned ar-
rows. Being astonished at such an extraordinary at-
tack, and shuddering at the idea of instant death, we
stood on the defensive with such weapons as came to
hand, but becoming weak from wounds and loss of
blood, the ship was easily boarded, and nine of us
tied with cords, and thrown, covered with gore, into
the canoes, and taken ashore and paraded through
King Yambo's town, where every species of cruelty
and insult was also inflicted upon us. The natives
having exhausted their cruel energies, we
were stripped, our clothes taken away, and
ourselves put in chains, and suffered to lie
on the damp ground in separate huts, and
fed on water and half a pound of biscuit a flay during
43 days, two of our number having died from this
brutal treatment—the carpenter and Edward John-
son. The crew being now in chains, and the ship
defenceless, the natives turned upon the supercargo,
and plundered the vessel of her gear, and every move-
able article upon which they could lay their hands.
This was but a slight portion of retributive justice
upon the supercargo. The paper of the applicant,
after some particular details of severities alleged to
have been practised by the supercargo, states, " On
the 10th of May the French brig-of-war Alloinella
arrived, when we were, thank God, all put on board
of her, and landed at Gambia on the 11th of June.
and lodged in gaol, but were instantly liberated as
soon as the magistrates had examined the case, no
crime being recorded." The statement concludes
with the expression of determination to bring the
supercargo to public justice upon the arrival of the
other injured parties, and gives the names of the men
who were ironed, viz., Alfred Benness, Samuel Gil-
lin, William Hall, Edward Cadogan, Edward John-
son, Joseph King, William Laidler, and the carpen-
ter; and the names of those stated by the applicant
to have been murdered, viz., Edward Johnson and
the carpenter.
The statement, which is dated, " Gambia, Ist July,
1844," is signed William Laidler and William Hall.
Sir JOHN Plan-L-11ov( do you say these men were
murdered ?—They were poisoned in the but ; some
of the poison was found, and pronounced by the me-
dical men to be destructive of life.

Sir JOHN PlRlE—Have you brought any certifi-
cate or paper with you relative to the. case ?—No.
William Hall and I are the only men here ; all the
rest are scattered about.

Sir Joux Pnerz—ls the ship in which you were
employed arrived yet ?—I do not know. We are only
just arrived. We were brought from Gambia in the
Rowena schooner ; Sir Thomas Ingram, the Go-
vernor sent us over to England.

The applicant then showed one of the poisoned
arrows, which he said had been sent against the vessel
from the armed canoes.

Sir JOHN PIRIE—WeII, I shall write to the owner,
Sir Joseph Sharp, at Liverpool, immediately, upon
the subject. It is scarcely possible that such things
could have happened without the owners having, by
this time, received some intimation of it.

The applicant most solemnly declared that every
word he had written was perfectly true, and that as
many of the crew as survived would testify to the
accuracy of it.
Sir JOHN PIRIE then sent the seamen to a place of
refuge, and wrote to the owner of the vessel, alluding
to the matters detailed, and requesting information
on the subject.