The Sun.
London, England, 1842-01-06 00:00:00

SURREY SESSIONS.

The General Quarter Sessions of the Peace, which
were opened at G uildford on Tuesday, were yesterday held
by adjournment at the Sessions House, Newington, be-
fore Mr. Puckle and a full Bench of Magistrates.
William Hopei, an aged and lame man, and Richard
Stofel, a young labourer, were indicted for stealing two
cows, the property of John and James Knight, from a
field of theirs, in the parish of Farnham, on the night of
the 28th November last.

From a vast body of evidence which was adduced, it
appeared that the cows were of the Alderney breed, and
had been in the possession of the prosecutors, or some
part of their family to whom they had lent them occa-
sionally, for the last ten years. It was about seven
o'clock on Saturday evening, the 20th November, when
they were turned out into a meadow which was closed by
a gate opening inwards. On the Sunday morning the
gate was found to have been opened outwards, and nearly
broken, and the cows gone. The two prisoners were
seen in company on the Saturdayevening. About four
o'clock on Sunday afternoon, one of the witnesses, who
was a buyer of cattle, and was on the road to
Guildford, met the two cows being driven towards
town by two men, one of whom he positively swore
was Hopei. Ho could not so confidently identify
his companion. He took particular notice of
the beasts, as they were of a singular colour, and ole
of them (the hide of which only was found), had; pecu-
liar horns. Next day he saw a bill describing the cows,
and offering a reward for the apprehension of the thieves,
and in consequence of the information he gave
the prisoners were apprehended. On the even-
ing of Sunday the two prisoners arrived at the
yard of the Earn Inn, Smithfield, where they put
up. They were very urgeht with the landlord to
purchase the cows of them. He at first refused to have
anything to do with them on the Sunday, but as the old
man pressed very much he agreed to give 151. for them,
but would not complete the transaction till the following
morning. They slept that night in the yard amongst the
cattle ; got up very early, and insisted upon the landlord
being called up before six o'clock, that they might, as
they alleged, receive their money, and be off to some fair.
The landlord did get up, and gave the old man a cheque
for 151., but in consequence of something his servant told
him, he snatched it back, and refused to have anything to
do with the beasts. The two prisoners then drove them into
the market, where they sold them to a butcher in White-
chapel, who had them killed, and the skins sold to a large
dealer in such goods, where the one last killed was found,
and fully identified by all the preceding witnesses, in
consequence of its peculiar marks. Hopei, when taken
into custody, was put in the cage at Farnham, and upon
the morning after he freely confessed the robbery, which
he said had been concocted by Stofel.

The Jury, after a very loni inquiry, found both pri-
soners guilty, and the Chairman sentenced them to be
transported for ten years.
The case occupied a very long time, and was not over
till a late hour. _

During its progress the Grand Jury returned all the
bills which had been laid before them. In their present-
ment they regretted that Magistrates were not empowered
to deal summarily with many of the petty cases which
had occupied their attention and put the County to much
expense; they suggested, that in no case where any wit-
ness had assisted in theft, by purchasing goods at much
below their real value, should such witness be allowed
any of the expenses of his attendance.
The CHAIRMAN said the first question was a very wide
one, and one with which they could not meddle with there;
the other suggestion would most certainly be acted
upon.—They were then discharged.

BRENTFORD PETTY SESSIONS.
Yesterday Mr. Charles Butler, the landlord of the
George public-house, Isleworth, appeared before the
Rev. Dr. Walinesley, Henry Pownall, B. J. Armstrong,
and Thomas Twining, Esqs., to answer an information
laid agaiust him, under the Police Act, by Inspector
Maequard, of the T division of police, for opening his
housebefore ono (.419eic cm the afternoon of Christmas
day last.

Mr. Butler pleaded not guilty.
Sergeant John Poole, 1 12, deposed that twenty mi-
nutes before one o'clock on the morning of Christmas
day, while on duty in the parish of Isleworth, and pass-
ing the George public-house, kept by the defendant, his
attention was attracted by hearing a number of persons,
he believed men, singing in the defendant's house, and
joining in chorus. While listening outside, he saw a
woman come out of the defendant's house with a can con-
taining beer. About a quarter of an hour afterwards he
saw a woman enter the defendant's house, and come out
with some rum iu a measure.

John Cussam, T 157, bore similar testimony, awl cor-
roborated the eyidenee of Skrgeant Poole, • •

The defendant, in answer to the charge, contended
that the information must be dismissed, inasmuch as
although he admitted that the persons had left the house, '
as had been represented, yet they were a private party,
and not persons who came there for refreshment subse-
quent to the appointed hour for closing. Although he
had kept the above house for 15 years, he had never
before been summoned before the Magistrates, and he
appealed to the police to bear him out in stating that his
house was invariably closed at twelve o'clock, and he de-
clared that on the night in question, after ten o'clock,
but two persons had visited the house, with the exception
of the party he had before spoken of, and those two had
quitted long before twelve o'clock.
Poole was recalled by Mr. PowNALL, and in answer to
questions put to him he stated that when he passed the
house, about half-past 12 on the night in question, it was
then shut up, and he admitted that the persons he had
seen quitting the house seemed to be private guests.
Mr. Butler then stated that, having received instruc-
tions from Messrs. J. W. and C. Farnell, the brewers of
Isleworth, to provide en the night of Christmas-eve a
supper of old English fare for thirty7tive of their men,
fur which they would pay, he considered he was acting
as every hotel and tavern- keeper would have acted on the
occasion, by allowing the party to remain until they
broke up. That entertainment was annually given by
Messrs. Farnell, but each year at different houses, and
having been assured that, when it took place on the pre-
vious year, at the London Apprentice, a policeman, at
one o'clock in the morning, came up into the room, and
having ascertained that it was a private party, left with-
out anything further being heard of the matter, he
thought he could act in the same manner.
The Bench said they did not consider the case proved,
as the persons whom the police had seen come out were
admitted by the witnesses to have had the appearance of
being private guests. The summons must, therefore,
be dismissed.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
GUILDHALL.

James Steptoe, who had been tried at the Old Bailey
on Tuesday, on an indictment for being a party in steal.
ing a bale of silk and a box of furs, the property of
Messrs. Littlewood, of 'Milk-street, Cheapside, and
Messrs. Ellis and Everington, St. Paul's Church-yard,
for which he was acquitted, was placed at the bar before
Mr. Alderman Copeland, on the charge of stealing a so-
vereign and some silver, the property of Elizabeth
Bretten. •

It appeared, from the evidence, which was very
lengthened, that the prosecutrix, who was a simple
country 'girl, after leaving her situation, went to lodge
with a woman named Griflen, where the prisoner also
resided, and on the evening of her arrival, while sitting
beside her, he stole the money, which was all she was
worth in the world, from her pocket. She identified the
sovereign by a peculiar scratch upon the rim.
Inspector Woodruffe said there were several other
charges against the prisoner.—Committed for trial.
No less than eight persons, most of them able-bodied
men and youths, were charged with entering several
bakers' shops, and forcibly taking bread from the coun-
ters. In excuse they said they were starving, and un-
able to get work. They tried at the workhouse, but could
get no relief, and they were unable to resist the tempta-
tion when they saw the bread in the windows.
Mr. Alderman COPELAND said several cases of stealing
bread from shops, by force, had come before him these
few days back, which he treated with leniency, having
only sentenced them to seven days' imprisonment, but in
every future case brought before him he should commit
the offending parties for trial at the Old Bailey.
BOW-STREET.

William Esworthy was brought up for examination
charged with having defrauded Lord Stanley, the Colo-
nial Secretary.
Emma Norman, a servant at the Colonial-office, in
Downing-street, deposed that on the evening of the 27th
of December, between seven and eight o'clock, the pri-
soner came to the office with a large parcel covered with
matting, which he said was a handsome chandelier, a
present to Lord Stanley, and that the servants must be
extremely careful in handling it. He said he had brought
it from the docks, that there was 3/. ss. 4d. to pay, and
that he would write a receipt. He then asked for a pen,
which was given him, and witness went away to get the
money. He said something about wine, but she did not
recollect distinctly what it n as.
Eliza Maling, also a servant at the Colonial-office,
deposed that on the same evening her fellow-servant
(the last witness) came to her in the kitchen, stating
that there was a man waiting for the payment of a par-
cel for Lord Stanley, upon which she r ent up and saw
the prisoner standing at the desk in the hall, writing. She
told him Dodsworth, the office keeper, was out, but if
he would wait, he would be back in a few minutes. He
said he would, and she remained with him till Dods-
worth came in a few minutes afterwards, when she
told him, in the prisoner's presence, that he had brought
a box from Mr. Stewart Mackenzie, Governor of
the lonian Islands, for Lord Stanley, and that it came
to 3/. ss. 4d. Dodsworth, finding that he had not the
money, went out to get change, and came back in a
few minutes. While Dodsworth was absent she con-
' versed with the prLoaer, who wrote on the parer, which
he intended for the receipt, 35 cases, 8 bales, and two
letters, S. L. He remarked that there were 72 bottles in
each c .se. Dodsworth returned in about five or ten mi-
nutes,. and she went down stairs. There was a light in
the hall while she remained with the prisoner.
Thomas Dodsworth, officer and store-keeper at the
Colonial-office, was next examined. He remembered
that on returning home on the evening of the 27th of
December, that a man was standing in the hall
of tho office, who said there was a present for Lord
Stanley, and that there was 31. ss. 4d. to pay. Wit-
ness asked him if it had been opened, and he replied
"Yes, it's all right," and showed him a paper with
the name Grantside upon it, and also the name of
Mr. Stewart Mackenzie, via Malta. From the pro-
duction of that paper, and another, apparently a printed
receipt eti. the Custom-house, he was led to believe that
the box came from the Custom-house. Finding 'he had
not enoash money he went out to his butcher's. Hav-
ing the loan of 2/. he came back anti paid the man the
3/. ss. 4d. He would not swear it was the prisoner. Jle
received a receipt. [The receipt was produced.] The
witness Dodsworth gave the box the next day to Ed-
ward Bleaden, by whom it was taken to Lord Stanley's
residence, No. 8, St. James's-square, where it was
opened by George Willis, his Lordship's butler, and
found to contain nothing but stones and straw.
The box was produced and identified, both by the
witness and Dodsworth, who said that he had paid for
some hundreds of things in the same way, and never be-
fore had any fraud.
Gough, a policeman of the A division, deposed to hav-
ing searched the prisoner's lodgings in Rose-court,
Tower-street, City. The prisoner bore but an indiffe-
rent character in the neighbourhood.
Daniel Miller, a clerk in the Receiver General's office
in the Custom-house, deposed that the receipt given by
the prisoner, and marked Grantside, was one of the
printed forms used in the Custom-house in the treasury
only, but never given to any person out of the Custom-
house, nor for sums under 15/. The receipt produced
was a fictitions document. According to the practice of
the Custom-house, on a parcel arriving for Lord Stanley,
notice would be sent to his Lordship, and if no Treasury-
warrant was forwarded for its delivery, as being for the
national service. the duties would have to be paid, and
all charges before its removal, the same as any other
article which came there.

The prisoner, in his defence, said ho could call seve-
ral witnesses to prove he was in the City at the hour it
was alleged he was in Downing-street, and wrote down
their names and addresses; but, on being called, none of
them answered except the prisoner's brother-in-law, who,
on being asked if he could identify the prisoner's hand-
writing, said he could write six or seven different hands,
but on looking at the receipt given to Dodsworth, he
thought it was the writing of the prisoner. The witness
was going on to say that the prisoner once sent him with
a similar parcel, for which he was tried at the Old Bailey
and nearly transported, when he was stopped by the Ma-
gistrate.
The prisoner then said that he was charged with hav-
ing received 31. ss. 4d. Dodsworth would not swear that
he was the man to whom ho paid it, and the two female
witnesses would not say that they saw it paid, and he
did not see that, under these circumstances, there was
any, ease against him.
Mr. JARDINE said he would leave the decision of that
question with another tribunal, and ordered the prisoner
to enter into his own recognisance in the sum of 1001.,
and two sureties in the sum of 50/ each, to answer the
charge at the next session of the Central Criminal Court,
and to give forty-eight hours' notice of bail.
The prisoner was then fully committed.