The Sun.
London, England, 1845-12-18 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

Before Mr. Sergeant ADAMS, Assistant-Judge, and a

Bench of Magistrates.)
These sessions commenced on Tuesday at Hicks's
hall, Clerkenwell•green.

The calendar contains a list of 72 prisoners, 64 of
whom are indicted for the commission of felony.
ARTICLES OF THE PEACE.
Mr. WILDE exhibited articles of the peace on behalf
of Elizabeth Chapman against her husband. He ob-
served that this was a case of considerable aggravation,
and called for the serious interposition of the Court.
Mrs. Chapman was at present the keeper of a tavern,
known as the Ship, which stood at the foot of the Ham-
mersmith Suspension-bridge, and the violence of her
husband's conduct at that place was the cause of her re-
sorting to the present proceeding. It appeared that
about the year 1836, the exhibitant being then a widow
with eight children, was the owner of the Weavers'
Arms, Spitalfields, and was possessed of the sum
of 8001. The defendant made overtures of marriage,
which were accepted, and the ceremony was per-
formed. In the short space of three weeks, how-
ever, all the defendant's love appeared to have
vanished, and thereupon he commenced a series of ill-
treatment which was presumed, and with good founda-
tion, to have been caused by the refusal of the wife to
sell her money out of the funds. Matters proceeded in
this way until she was induced to give up her house in
Spitalfields. They then went and took another house at
Stratford, in Es,ex, and here the defendant assumed the
gentleman, took out a license for shooting, and in the
course of a comparatively short period ran through about
1,0001. This second house they now let, and then be-
came the occupants of the Hanover Arms, in Inlroole'ir-
mews. Whilst at this pia* the defendeent, amongst
other aets of crnelty, threatened to throw his wife out
of the garret window, and constantly drew and threw
the spirits about the premises. He was also in the con-
stant habit of taking women of bad character to the
house, until matters had arrived at such a pitch as +,:u
induce the wife to apply to the magistr..*L,
at Marl-
borough-street, upon the sub;,Z-Ci. The result of this
proceeding was, that an arrangetnelAt was entered
into by which the wife vies IP he allowed to take cer-
tain articles f.,‘f fkral4tty with her and leave the de-
fendant. koi,. foiir months this atnte of affairs was
allowed to pass on with cogntrt to the wife, for during
that petiosi she was n' Together released from the pre-
husband. About this time a Mrs. Bee, a
- -
relative, or an intimate friend of the wife, being anxious
that she should de something that was likely to be of
service to herself and children, took the Ship Tavern, at
Hammersmith-bridge, and put her into it as the land-

lady, by means of an outlay of about 4001. The wife,
however, had not been very long in this house ere the
d- fendant heard of it, who instantly sold his house in
Brooke's-mews and went down to his wire's at Ham-
mersmith, where he insisted on taking up his abode.
Of course he did not pay much, if any, attention to
the business, but, on the contrary, would have a num-
ber of his London friends down to dine and revel
without any payment on their part. His next sys-
tem of annoyance was tbat of drawing off the spirits
and then throwing them into the streets ; which,
upon being remonstrated with for doing, he followed
up by violent threats that he would murder his wife
and set fire to the house. Upon one occasion he
went out and did not return until three o'clock in the
morning, when he broke open the door by the use of
some large stones. After having obtained his entrance,
he walked up stairs and left the door wide open for the
remaining part of the night, without having taken any
precaution to prevent the admission of any persons who
might think proper to enter. lie had also gone into the
cellar and turned the cocks of all the spirit casks, so that
the cellar, after a little time, was " deep in spirits." At
length the wife was compelled to apply to the magis-
trates at Hammersmith, who, after hearing the case,
directed that the defendant should enter into recogni-
zances, not only to keep the peace, but to appear at these
sessions to answer any complaint that might be made
against him. The defendant had been already under
sureties to keep the peace for six months, but had again
broken it so soon as that term had expired. The de-
fendant had not now appeared, and therefore the wife
had been compelled to exhibit articles of the peace, in
order to bring him within the control of that Court.
The Learned JUDGE ordered the defendant to enter
into his own recognizances to keep the peace for twelve
months, himself in the sum of 2001. and two sureties of
1001. each.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
GUILDHALL.

Mr. Ford, the printer of Braime's-buildings, Beech-
lane, Barbican, was brought before Mr. Alderman Hunter
for final examination, charged with wilfully setting fire
to his printing-office on the night of Sunday, the 7th
in3tant.

The witnesses were the same who had been examined
before the coroner of London.
Mr. Wakeling conducted the prosecution on behalf of
the Imperial Fire-office, and Mr. Wolfe defended the
prisoner.
Mr. Wakeling drew the attention of the magistrate to
the fact of the prisoner having increased his insurance at
a time when his poverty was increasing, as was evidenced
by his continually pawning articles down to the time of
the fire. 31 duplicates were found by Baker, the ward
beadle, at the prisoner's lodgings in Highbury-vale, some
of them for Is., and all bearing date from July to No-
vember. He had removed a quantity of furniture from
his premises at Highbury, but not to Barbican. It was
sold.

Solomon, the foreman, was re-examined—Since the
last hearing he had made further search amongst the
ruins, and near the spot where the other inflammable
materials were found, he discovered a gallon turpentine
can. He had found some more shavings in two places,
but there was no tar on them.
Cross-examined by Mr. Wolfe—lt would not have
been where he found it, if the can had fallen in with the
ruins of the room above.
Re-examined by Mr. Wakeling—lf the tar in barrels
had remained where the apprentice described it as being
kept, it would not have fallen through upon the shavings
and the flour sack.
Mr. Green, of Lower Whit,cross-street, agent to the
Imperial Fire-office, stated that he let the premises, in
Braime's-buildings, to the prisoner four years ago.
They were dilapidated, and he took them on a repairing
lease. He was bound to insure the building for 1501.
On the 20th of November he called on witness, and said
he wanted to insure his stock, as he was about to bring
a new press on the premises, and, his wife being dead, he
should move some furniture in and sleep at the office. He
asked if he could not insure property held in him by
trust, as paper to be printed, &c. Witness told him he
could. The prisoner then insured 1801. on his materials,
201. for property held on trust, 101. on china, glass, and
looking-glasses, Si. on pictures and drawings, 101. on
watches and jewellery, 201. household furniture, and 'on
a subsequent day, 101. rent, payable under the lease.
He said his uncle had been burnt, out, and he had
pressed him to insure. Two days after the fire, the pri.
soner came to him for instructins as to making his claim-
Witness observed that he had not removed in the pro-
perty he intended. The prisoner replied he had not.
Witness told him to make out a list of the articles de-
stroyed. The prisoner said he could not account for the
fire, but he was at the premises as late as eleven o'clock
on the same night.
Baker, the ward beadle, produced the duplicates, and
a watch and two rings he found at the prisoner's lodging.
One of the rings was of the kind the prisoner said he
had lost in the fire.
Mr. Wolfe contended that the case was still but one of
mere suspicion. Though his client had pawned some
things, he might still bees justified in insuring to the
extent he did.
Mr. Alderman HUNTER said, he had paid very great
attention to this case, as it was of a more serious cha-
racter than usually presented to a magistrate. In a
charge of this nature it was almost impossible to get
direct evidence against a prisoner, but the magistrate
had to see with what certainty he was implicated
by circumstantial evidence. In the present case he
thought there was strong circumstantial evidence.
The mere circumstance of a person talking about the
insurance he had effected, or his advising others to take
1 that means of protecting themselves, would not of them-
selves make much impression on his mind ; but when he
coupled such observations with the finding of the tarred
shavings and sack, and books steeped in turpentine, all
collected in a corner, and that the corner where the fire
began, he felt it to be his duty, for the protection of the
public, to send the case for inquiry before a jury. No
one would be more pleased than himself to find the
prisoner able to clear himself before a jnry ; but put-
ting together all the suspicious circumstances elicited
in this inquiry, he could not help sending the prisoner
to trial.
The case occupied the Court for several hours.
MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
Thomas Hulbei t, a strong, able-bodied young man,
was brought up on a warrant, by Lacy, the officer of St.
George, Hanover-square charged with having (con-
jointly with Elizabeth, his wife, not yet in custody)
deserted their children—Henry, aged eight years ;
Arthur, aged six years ; and Mary Anne, aged two
years—and left them chargeable to that parish. The
desertion took place in August, 1842, and the children
have since been chargeable to St. George. They were
brought to this Court by the directions of the overseers,
in order that the magistrates might satisfy themselves
as to the manner in which they had been treated at the
workhouse. Their appearance was very favourable, and
Lacy stated that the boys could read and write. Neither
of the parents had been to see their offspring since the
time of desertion. The prisoner is a carpenter, for-
merly in a good way of business, but ruined by his dis-
sipau d habits. Latterly, however, he has come into
possession of several houses left to him by his fathar,
and last evening Lacy succeeded in apprehending him
at the Plough public-house, Notting-hill.
He was committed for one month to hard labour.
The wife will be apprehended as soon as possible.
Francis Hill, a working man, about 60 years of age,
James Wootton, aged 14 years, and William Ellen, aged
9 years, were charged on suspicion of feloniously and
burglariously breaking and entering the dwelling-house
of Mr. William Wyatt, of No. 17, Brick-street, Picca•
dilly, licensed victualler, and stealing therefrom a quan-
tity of wine, spirits, and other property, to a very con-
siderable amount.
It appeured that between five and six on Tuesday
afternoon Mr. Wyatt, jun., accidentally discovered that
a portion of the party wall in his wine and spirit cellar
had been leosened. On a closer examination he found
that such a quantity of brickwork could be removed as
would admit a child crawling through from the kitchen
of the adjoining house, which the prisoner Hill occupied,
the other prisoners lodging with him. The police were
immediately applied to, and on searching the kitchen
six bottles of wine of Mr. Wyatt's property were
found secreted under the flooring. On the mantel-shelf
was a bottle of pale French brandy, which had been
opened, and a small quantity taken out ; and about the
place were found a chopper and a small knife and fork,
which had been removed from Mr. Wyatt's cellar. Hill
was on the premises at the time, Worther was concealed
in a water butt, And Ellen was lying by the side of it,
pretending to be asleep.
The prisoners merely denied being concerned in rob-
bing Mr. Wyatt, and were committed fur re-examination,