The Sun.
London, England, 1845-09-10 00:00:00

MILDLESE.X SI:SSIONS.
(Before the d stant Judge, Ms. Sergeant ADAMS, and a
Bench of nagistrates.)
These sessions commenced yesterday at the Sessions House,
Clerkenweil-green. The calendar contained the names of €9
prisoners for trial, sulasequently augmented by additional com-
mitments. The charges were chiefly for felony.
William Fitch, aged 2:2; John If criers, aged 15 ; Mary
Ann Reed, aged 19 ; and Eli+beth Thomas, aged 15, were
indicted for stealing a purse, and the sum of 5g., from the 'Ar-
bon of Lucy Charlotte Mary Barclay.
The jury found the prisoeers Guilty.
The Learned JUDGE said that the history of the prisoner
Fitch was somewhat singular. He was sentenced to trans..
portation for seven years at these sessions in January last,
under the name of William Walker, but by some means he
had contrived to change places with another pri-
soner ( Nicholas Duncan), who had at the same
sessions been convicted of felony, and sentenced to
three months' imprisonment. The conviction happened
at a late hour of the day on which the prisoner was
tried, and having with other felons been removed to the
calls beneath the court, previous to being forwarded to the
Westminster Britiewell, they there concocted a scheme to
change names and personate each other. Accordingly, whin
eafitol, the prisoner at the bar answered to the name of Duncan,
while the real Duncan assumed the appellation of Walker, the
cognomen of which Fitch had chosen for his convenience at that
time. 'This ruse had been kept up at the Westminster Bride-
well, and the prisoner actually succeeded in escaping transpor-
tation, having been liberated at the expiration of three months'
imprisonment. His companion, Duncan, was now serving the
term of seven years' transportation on board the Dromedary
bulk at Bermuda, whence he had written home the other day,
stating his bitter repentance of the exchange he hail so foolishly
node, and detailing aLt the circumstances which, upon inresti-
gatn, were found to ls.s. true. The sentence of the Court now
was, that the prisoner, William Fitch, be transported beyond
the seas for the term of ten years. John Waters and Mary Ann
Reed were sentenced to six months' imprisonment, and Eliza-
beth Thomas to four months' imprisonment in the Howe of
Correction.

SURREY SESSIONS.
(Before Mr. PttcaLE and a Bench of Magistrates.)
Alfred Shaw, aged 26, was yesterday indicted for stealing, at
Lam;beth, a waistcoat, the property of Henry Hunt, the pro-
prietor of a ready-made clothes warehouse.
A Aer tee evidence establishing, the guilt of the prisoner had
been leard, a well-dressed man, who gave the name of William
Jone,:, stepped into the witness-tioz, and said that he was ac-
quainted with the prisoner for twelve months, and during
that period knew him to be an honest and well-conducted man.
Cit.' tk MA'S—Do lon mean to swear that you have seen the
prisoner continually for the last twelve months? Witness—l
do ; I have seen him frequently at night, and sometimes in the
morning.
When dial you first meet him?—ln the latter part of Septem-
ber last.
CHAIRVAN—Then you speak positively of having seen the
prisoner la at September? Witness (hesitating )—Not posi-
tively in last September, but certainly in October.
The CHAWNIAN said that if the statement laid before the
bench by 31 r. Keene, the Governor of the gaol, was correct,
the witness t cgs committing wilful and deliberate perjury, for,
according to it, the prisoner was undergoing an imprisonment
Jf three months in the House of Correction, at the time the
witness represented him to be otherwise engaged.
Mr. Keene w ae then sworn, and he stated that the prisoner
was tried on the 9th of September last, and sentenced to three
months' imprisonment in the House of Correction, at which
period he went by ele name of Robert Taylor.
CHAIRMAN (to Witness)— You hear what has been stated
by the governor of the county gaol, and I now wish to know
how you have had the ,audacity, while on your oath, to utter
that which you must be aware was a wilful and deliberate
falsehood ?—The witnesa, who was very much confused, said
he had nothing to say. Do on which,
The CHAIRMAN ordered him to be taken into custody, and
he was forthwith conveyed round to the gaol.
The jury returned a verdict of Guilty againt Shaw, and
The CHAIRMAN', in passing sentence, observed, that the
guilt of the prisoner had been greatly aggravated by the de-
fence heitd set up. It was niiqets to allow such a person to
remain i be country, and the sentence was that be be trans-
ported for seven Tears.

-POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
WORSHIP-STREET.
TMIC CIf•FIGE OF SHOOTING.—CharIes Taylor, who, on
Sunday morning, the 24th ult., while firing at a mark with a
rifle, in a ApiLnear the Hackney-road, accidentally lodged his
rifle ball firneck of a young man named Charles Chapman,
who seas in his garden near the spot, was re-examined before
Mr. Bingham on Monday.
Sergeant Godfrey produced a certificate, signed by three
surgeons, who stated that the young man Chapman is gradually
progressing towards health, and may be pronounced out of pre-
sent danger ; but that as the ball had not been extracted the
ultimate conclusion of the case must be considered doubtful.
The prisoner was therefore again remanded for a fortnight
sn the tame bail as before.
TH A 111 E S.
Tnaowl.`a MISSIT.F.S AT STEAM-BOAT PASSENGERS.—
Yesterday William Bignell, the master of a sailing barge,
called the Lucretia, belonging to Brentford, appeared before
Mr. Broderip, to answer a charge of "assaulting Captain John
Jenkins Large, the master of the City of Canterbury, Herne
Bay steamer, .and divers of her Majesty's subjects" by throw-
ing a large coal among the passengers as the vessel was pro-
ceeding down th,e river.
It appeared fret n the evidence of Captain Large, which was
confirmed by Mr. .Ruhrs, the secretary of the company, and R.
Major, owe of the ex ,-w of the vessel, that on Friday last the
steamer was proceediri.g down the river with 260 passengers on
board, and she met v, ith the sailing barge off New Crane,
Shadwell, and the engines were stopped for the purpose of
avoiding mischief, and in doing so some water from the paddle-
wheel went over the barge's gunwale. The man at the helm
of the barge used language of the most revolting description,
which Captain Large said In' could not mention in a public
court, and which annoyed ale passengers very much, and the
fellow then took up a large cosal which he threw at Captain
Large, who was stationed on the bridge, between the two pad-
dle-boxes. It missed him and toll among the passengers on
deck, striking a child in its desce.nt on the forehead with great
violence.
Mr. Rohn', the secretary of the Herne Bay Steam Packet
Company, said the passengers travelling by their steamers had
been so much annoyed by the bad Language and insolence of
bargemen on the river, and missiles had been so often thrown
at the people on board,lthat the company were :determined to
prosecute in every case, and would sprre neither pains nor ex-
pense in bringing offenders to justice. He picked up a coal
the size of a man's fist, which had been thrown by the defendant
from his barge.
BRODEB.Ir said, the company did quite right to prose-
cute, and that he would render all the aid in his power to abate
the evil. He then requested the defendant, who was laughing
at the witnesses, to conduct himself with decency, and said
there wa.s nothing to laugh at.
The defendant said he was not laughing.
Mr. Baa DEBIP—Do you mean to tell me that I was looking
at you and L'id not see you laughing?
Inspector Hambrook, of the Thames Police, said the de-
fendant admits'ed to him he was at the helm of his barge, and
th'at he had a p:ece of coal in his hand, which he threw at a
man in the fore s-ponson, without any intention of hitting the
captain or any or the passengers. He also said that if he was
fined his governor would pay it, and treated the matter with
great levity.
The prisoner, in his defence, admitted he threw a piece of
coal at one of the ieseen on board the City of Canterbury, and
that it was in his ham: before the steamer fell in with him.
He alleged as an excuse for his.conduct that his barge was laden
with 63 tons of coals, ant' was in danger from the rapid speed
of the steamer; that one .of the men ridiculed him by putting
his finger to his nose ; and that on a former occasion the City
of Canterbury ran foul of 'Ns barge, knocked him overboard,
and nearly drowned him.
Captain Large denied that any of his men misconducted
themselves, czahat he did any mischief to the barge.
Mr. Baorreie took a very eerious view of the case, and
said he should not deal with it summarily. He should be
wanting in slaty to the public if he passed over such an outrage
as this with tie mere infliction of a money fine. There were
nearly 300 persons on board the steamer, and the defendant,
who had treated the charge with so much levity, would no
ioubt be surprised when he told him that, if any one had been
killed by the coal which had been thrown among them, he
would have been put on his trial for wilful murder. It there
was any founc:ation for the detente set up, the defendant ought
to helve Appealed to the laws of his country for redress, and not
have thr own missiles among a number of unoffending people.
He ordered that the defendant should find good bail, himself in
50/. and two sureties in 251. each, to answer the charge at the
sessions.—The defendant was committed to prison in default
of bail.

SMUGOLIN• 01, COALS.—EVADING THE CITY DUES.—
Yesterday- Henry Thomas Lewis, the muter of the Medway
sailing barge Severn, appeared before Mr. Broderip, to answer
art information exhibited by the City Solicitor, under the 715th
section of the let and 2d Wm. IV., cap. 76, for having broken
the bulk of a cargo of coals before the City dues were paid, by
which he had incurred a penalty not exceeding 251.
Mr. Martin of the City solicitor's office, said a man named
Archer, the master of the coal ship William, was fined 31. for a
similar offence, on Saturday, and that person had discharged
137 tons of coals in the river, without paying the dues, for the
amount of which the Corporation of London would proceed by
action. He was sorry to appear bef,ire the Magistrate again so
soon,bntwould abstain from making anyobservations which might
prejudice the defendant. The gentlemen of the Coal Market,
who were much interested in the question, and were anxious
the law should be enforced, thought, as he understood, that he
bad not brought forward the evils of the system so prominently
as he ought to have done; but he was quite satisfied in leaving
the cue in the hands of the Magistrate, who, he was quite sure,
wend protect the City in the exercise of its rights, and prevent
imposition on the fair traders, who were deeply injured if per-
sons evaded payment of the duties, and sold coals at a cheaper
rate than those who did pay them.
Mr. Thomas Plant Rose, inspector of City coal dues,
stated that he saw a cargo of coals being discharged from
the barge Severn, of which, defendant was master, into the
Princess Royal, • a Sheerness steamer, off the Adelphi Pier,
tee`parish of Lambeth, on the 2d instant. The defendant
,veu on board filling sacks with the coils, and carrying them on
litahi'irthe Princess Royal. He saw the same barge in Long
teach', near Gravesend, with 30 tons of coals in her, on the
Thursday previous.
Mr. Baonxatr—Where was the barge when you lest saw
her? Mr. Rose—Near the SuQpension-bridge, in the parish
of Lambeth, opposite the Watermen's Adelphi Pier.
Mr. William Mozart Russell said he was collector of the City
dues on coals, and that he had not received any on account of
the cargo of the Severn. The duty on 30 tons of coals, at the
rate of 13d. per ton, amounted to 11. 12s. 6d.
The defendant, in reply to the charge, said he was hired by
Captain Cunningham, the master of the Princess Royal
steamer, which runs between the Adelphi Pier and Sheerness,
an dwho was also the owner of the barge, to convey the coals
from Chatham to the river Thames, snit he was directed by
the came party to put the coals on board the steamer at Lam-
beth.

Jar. noaoneatr—llut the dues were not paid upon them,
and the City has been defrauded of them.
The defendant said he knew nothing about the dues.
Captain Cunningham employed him as a coal-
porter and
lighterman to carry the coals to the steam-boat. He put
twenty-five tons of coals on board the Princess Royal.
Mr. BRODE RIP said the defendant was the master of the
darge, ar.d the party responsible, and was liable to a penalty of
il5l. for this offence. Case after case had come before him,
and although he was disposed to be as lenient as possible, he
could not, consistently with the rights of the City and the
interests of the fair trader, inflict a less penalty than 51.
Parties must be taught that they could not make agouti specu-
lation by attempting to evade the payment of the duties on
coals. The offence was becoming so common, and the City
had been so often defrauded, that heavy penalties would in fu-
ture be indicted, unless there were very strong mitigatory cir-
cumstances established.
The defendant had not the means of paying the fine, and
was committed.
MOST AUDACIOUS ROBBERY AND Ountani.—Yesterday
& woman of loose character, named Margaret Ciff9rd, was
brought before Mr. Broderip, charged with stealing a purse
containing three sovereigns, from the person of Mr. George
nughes, the master of the Hertford sailing barge Victoria, in
the Fir Tree public-house, Back Church lane, Whitechapal.
The proseCutor stated that he went into the Fir Tree bee