The Sun.
London, England, 1842-04-07 00:00:00

OLD COURT.

The Jury returned a verdict of Guilty, and the prisoner
was ,entenced to 15 years' transportation.
William Baker was indicted for embezzling three sums of
money, amounting to 121. 95., the property of his employer,
Mr. It. Dixon.

It appeared from the evidence that the prosecutor, who is a
coal merchant, that the prisoner had been in his employ as
collecting clerk for about five years. The sums in question
were received by him in the course of business, but never ac-
counted for. It was elicited, upon cross-examination, that the
prisoner's defalcations amounted to upwards of 4501., and that
the prosecutor had been induced, at the urgent request of the
prisoner's friends, to forego the prosecution upon securing
security for a portion of the amount embezzled. He applied to
the sommiting Magistrates to release the prisoner, but he re-
fused to comply with the request.
A number of witnesses gave the prisoner an excellent cha-
racter, and proved he had for some time been subject to fits,
and was otherwise in a very delicate state of health.
The Jury having returned a verdict of Guilty,
The RECOICDEK sentenced the prisoner to be transported for
the term of seven years, but intimated that such a mitigated
sentence was solely in consequence of his bad state of health.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
BO TV-STREET.

A powerful looking young man, with the appearance of a
pugilist, and who gave the name of Samuel Corbet, was charged
under the following somewhat suspicious circumstances :
James Henry Collin, the complainant, stated that he was a
teacher of music. He went to the theatre Saturday night, and
afterwards went to a party, which he left at a quarter to two in
the morning ; he then went to the Harp public-house, in Rus-
sell- street, Drury-lane, where several of his friends were in the
habit of assembling. When he got there a friend asked
him to partake of a glass of ale, and said that he lisd been
to the Bank. that day and had drawn a good deal of
money. Soon after this some parties in the house begin
to push about, and one person wanted to strike witness's friend,
who was rather the worse for liquor, and a very quiet, inof-
fensive man. This excited witness's suspicion, and he thought
it his duty to ring the bell for the landlord ; he accordingly
proceeded to get on the table for that purpose, when the
prisoner at the bar seized him by the leg, and pulling him
down, made a snatch at his breast, at an union pin in his
stock, which he succeeded in breaking,leaving one pin and the
connecting chain only in the stock ; the other part of the pin,
which contained a small ruby, was lost. After witness gave the
prisoner in charge, the men who were assisting him in assault.
ing witness's friend were outside, and said to witness, " You
don't mean to press this charge, if you do it will be worse for
you," or words to that effect. One of those men he believed
was a pugilist, named Jones, residing in the neighbourhood of
Cow-cross.

A gentleman, named Lee, who happened to be present at the
Harp at the time in question, corroborated the complainant's
evidence.

The prisoner, in defence, stated that he was a baker and a
householder, residing in Brunswick-place, Commercial-road.
He was a stranger to all the parties at the Harp; but seeing
that something wrong was going on, he took hold of the com-
plainant's leg for his own good, in order to prevent him getting
into a disturbance.—The prisoner was committed for trial.
UNION-HALL.

James Steers, a very powerful man, by trade a master
chimney-sweeper, was charged with breaking his wife's jaw,
and inflicting other injuries, by which her life is endangered.
A policeman produced a medical certificate, stating that the
unfortunate woman was in a dangerous state, and therefore
unable to attend. He said that the aFsault was committed on
the woman by the defendant, who struck her with such violence
on the jaw as to fracture the bone, and that while she was lying
on the ground he kicked her in a savage manner.
The defendant said that his wife irritated him by breaking
the windows, and that he struck her, but not with such force' as
to hurt her seriously.

Mr. COTTINGErA3I said that the certificate produced de-
scribed the assault as one of a most violent nature. He should
take especial care that the injured woman should appear if she
recovered, and if the case ended fatally he should certainly
commit the defendant for murder.—The defendant was then
remanded.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
Fzitti.Ll NEl:sum—A very fashionably dressed female,
who gave her name, but refused to give her address, was
placed at the bar, charged by police constable, No. 100, of
the C division, with being drunk and incapable of taking care of
herself, at five o'clock on Tuesday afternoon, in St. James's-
square, and having caused a crowd of persons to assemble round
her,
ho were scoffing and deriding her, and pushing her
about. On being searched at the station-house, a valua-
ble lady's gold watch, chain, a wedding, and another
finger-ring were found upon her, and in her purse, which
she bad in her hand when the policeman took her in charge,
were five sovereigns, one-half sovereign, and 59. in &Dyer.
Mr. MA.I.TLY (the presiding Magistrate) asked the defendant
in what station of life she was?--The defendant said she must
decline answering that question, as other persons might be pre-
judiced by her so doing. All the information she could give of
herself was that she was a married woman, and in a very respec-
table station of society.
She was fined 55., which she paid with alacrity, and left the
office.

Richard Wainwright, a young man, was charged as follows:
Police constable No. 26, of the A division, stated that at the
close of the Opera on Tuesday night, he saw prisoner in company
with another man, bustling about amongst the crowd under
the Opera Colonade, in the Haymarket. Suspecting they
were nick-pockets, he followed them for some time, and at
length. saw the prisoner attempt to take a handkerchief that
was partly hanging out of a gentleman's pocket. Witness
puided forward to secure him in the act; he perceiving this,
instantly desisted, and was running off when witness secured
him ; his companion, however, got off.
Mr. MALTBY asked if the prisoner was known, and having
received an answer in the negative, admonished the prisoner as
to his future conduct, and discharged him.
David Renton, a corporal in the 72d Regiment of High-
landers, was charged on suspicion of stealing a silver watch,' a
silver guard-chain, and a gold watch key, of the value of 51.,
the property of Alexander M'Kinnon, a private in the same
regiment.
The prosecutor stated that he came on Monday last from
Windsor with the prisoner and others of the regiment, who are
about proceeding to Scotland to recruit. The prisoner and
himself were quartered at a house, the sign of the St. George
and the Dragon, but where it was situate, he (the
prosecutor) could not recollect. He got very tipsy that night,
and was taken up to bed by the prisoner, and in the morning
he missed his watch. The prisoner had been absent during the
night from his quarters. Prosecutor had since seen the watch-
key in pledge at a pawbroker's, and the prisoner was described
as the party pledging it.
Mr. MALTBY said, there was no legal evidence against the
prisoner, but for his character's sake he would send for the
party in question.
The pawnbroker was accordingly sent for, and his shopman
came in his place, who stated thatle came from Mr. Aldous's
shop is Berwick-street. He identified the prisoner as the per-
son who had pawned the watch. The prisoner asserted that
Mr. Aldhous's shopman was mistaken, but the Magistrate
thought otherwise, and committed him for trial.
GREENWICH.
Thomas E. Gillett and others. owners of the Watermers's
Pier, appeared before Mr. Jeremy. in answer to summonses
charging them with wilfully damaging certain cables or haw-
sers, value 71., the property of Sir R. Dobson and others.
Mr. Carttar, the Coroner, appeared for the complainants,
and Mr. Newbon, the solicitor, Wardrobe-place, Doctors'.
commons, for the defendants.
Mr. Carttar stated that on Saturday morning last, between
five and six o'clock, a person named George Dudley, agreeably
to instructions received from Sir Richard Dobson and Dr.
Sutton (who are owners of a public-house called the Salute.
tion, and six cottages adjoining), broug.ht down from Deptford
a caisson for the purpose of placing it in front of the 'premises
beforenamed. It was towed by a steamer ealled the Pilot, to
which a barge was also attached. The whole was secured
together by ropes and chains. When off Garden-stairs, at
high tide, they stopped the steamer in order to haul the caisson
and lighter in front of the Salutation. At this time 12 water-
men came out to the steamer and got on board, and with axes
which they brought for the purpose, cut the hawsers. The
ropes were new, and the damage thereby amounted to 71. 103.
Mr. JEREMY said, if this were a case involving the supposed
right of parties, his jurisdiction was taken away. No persons
had any power to intrude on property in derogation of a public
right. You, Mr. Carttar, claim for your clients a right
which the opposite side deny you have any claim to. Damage
done under a supposed right is not in the eye of the law con-
sidered either as wilful or malicious, but if under a colourable
right, it would be different. I consider that I have no right
to interfere, and that the ease ought to be tried in the regular
manner.

Mr. Carttar apprehended that the assertion ought to be
proved that the watermen had the right which they had alleged,
and contended that the defence was a mere colourah e one.
Mr. JEREMY said, according to your own showing, Mr.
Carttar, you have a stone pier on the one side, and wished to
. place a caisson on the other, by which means you would com-
! pletely block up the parish stairs, and which you have no right
to do. Why do you nut bring an action against the watermen
if their pier is an infringement ?
Mr. Carttar—We have nothing but shadows to fight against.
The watermen committed the act, viz., cut their connecting
ropes before they knew whether the caisson was going to
Gravesend, or where it was intended to be placed, and con-
tended, therefore, it was wilful damage.
Mr. JEREMY—Suppose a man's neighbour has ascertained
that his property is about to be trespassed upon, he has a

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
INSOLVENT DEBTORS' COURT, April 6.
_ (Before Mr. Commissioner. HARRIS. )
The Court was occupied during the morning in hearing
applications for bail, of which there were sixteen town cases
and thirteen country. The greater portion of them were dis-
posed of, but not the slightest feature of general interest was
elicited during any of the hearings.

CRIMINAL COURT, YESTERDAY

(Before Mr. Justice CoutauxiEanYlllr. Justice Easicnix.)
Richard Bates, aged 40, draper, was indicted for feloniously
sending a letter to William Henry Caulin, threatening to ac-
• cuse him of an infamous crime, with intent to extort the sum
of 101.
The facts of the case appeared in The Sun at the time the
case was investigated before the Magistrates at Guildhall. A
letter had been received by the prosecutor, threatening him
with the indictment charged. The writer directed in the
letter that an answer sheuld be returned, addressed to the
Post-office, 55, High-street, Borough. The reply was sent
as directed. The prisoner called for it, and was immediately
given in custody, the Postmaster having previously been di-
rected to do so. A witness was called, who proved that the
threatening letter was in the handwriting of the prisoner.
The prisoner in his defence said that he had been requested
by a person to call for the letter, but he did not know where
the person was at the time he called for the letter. He was
totally ignorant of its contents.
• The Learned Juno having summed up the evidence, the
Jury found the prisoner Guilty
Mr. Justice LRSKINE, in passing sentence, said the offence
of which the prisoner had been found guilty was one- that, for
the good of the whole public, should be repressed, and as the
best means of doing so, it was necessary to inflict the severest
penalty allowed by law. The sentence was, that the prisoner
be transported beyond the seas for the term oftwenty-one years.
William Clark, 23, was convicted for burglary in the dwel-
ling-house of Mr. John Tribe, and stealing therefrom a large
quantity of plate, wearing apparel, &c.
It appeared the house of the prosecutor, which is situale in
the neighbourhood of the Edgeware• road, was broken open
during the night of Good Friday, and the articles in question
carried away. The entry was effected by breaking out one of
the pane's of the backdoor. The plate was locked up in a chest
which was also broken open. On the same morning, early,
a constable, of the name of Walton, met the prisoner
a short distance from the prosecutor's premises. At
that time he was carrying a large bundle, and upon being
asked what the bundle contained, he said they were a quan-
tity of old boots which he was taking to be repaired.
The constable, perceiving that the prisoner's pockets appeared
♦ery bulky, thought all was not right, and therefore took him
iuto custody; and upon being searched at the station-house, a
quantity of boots, a pair of candlesticks, a silver goblet, and a
quantity of wearing apparel, was found in the bundle ; and in
his pockets, a quantity of silver spoons and forks, all of which
were identified by the prosecutor. A vast quantity of other
property, which bad also been stolen from the prosecutor's, was
subsequently found in a ditch at the back of the prosecutor's
premises.