The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-13 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

(Before Mr. Serjeant ADAMS, and a Bench of Magistrates.)
These sessions commenced on Tuesday at Hick's. hall,
Clerkenwell-green.
The calendar contains a list of seventy six prisoners, of
whom sixty-five are charged with felony, but there were
many other prisoners brought in during the day.
Edward Smith, a respectably-dressed young man, repre-
sented as a medical student, was indicted charged with having
stolen twenty books. of the value of 12/, Bs., the property
severally of John Vincent Thompson, John Taylor, and Sir
Claude Scott, trustees of St. George's Hospital.
Mr. Adolphus appeared for the prosecution.
The prisoner pleaded "Guilty."
The prisoner was then arraigned upon another indictment
charging him with having stolen ten books, the property of
University College, an the 3d of February last.
To this indictment the prisoner also pleaded " Guilty,"
The prisoner was next arraigned upon an indictment
charging him with having stolen ten other books, the pro-
perty of University College, on the sth of February last, and
pleaded " Guilty."
Mr. PAYNE, who was retained as counsel for this prosecu-
tion, said it would appear that the young gentleman at the
bar had been carrying on a system of stealing books from the
different hospitals in the metropolis for some time ; for not
only had he been indicted by the two hospitals already
named, but there was another hospital, the Middlesex,
which had preferred a bill against him. It appeared that
the prisoner had come from Scotland, where he had been
adopting a similar line of conduct, and that since his arrival
in London he had, as a medical student, paid these felonious
visits to the various hospitals, commencing with St. George's.
In the case of the University College, the books he had taken
were of considerable value, one of which, worth 21., he had
sold for 103., and it was upon his second visit to the same
shop, to dispose of the books he had stolen from the college
on the sth of February, that he had been stopped and given
into custody.
Mr. ADOLPHUS said that the books which had been taken
from St. George's Hospital had been the subject of four or
five different visits.

The Learned JUDGE said it was extremely painful to see
so apparently respectable a person placed in such a situation.
The case was a very bad one. The sentence, therefore, was,
that the prisoner should be imprisoned in the Westminster
Bridewell for three months and kept to hard labour, for each
offence respectively, each term of three months to commence
at the expiration of the preceding three months.
The prisoner was removed from the dock in a fainting fit.
Edward Duckett, a labouring man, pleaded guilty to an
indictment charging him with having stolen a case of surgi-
cal instruments, value 31., the property of the President and
others of St. George's Hospital.
The Learned JUDGE told the prisoner that he was a most
ungrateful fellow, for, having been received at the hospital as
an in-patient, he had availed himself of the opportunity of
robbing those who were exerting all their medical and sur-
gical skill with a view of restoring him to health. The sen-
tence upon him was, that ke be imprisoned in the Westmin-
ster Brielewell for six months.

John W. Plater was indicted for having fraudulently ob-
tained seven books, of the value of 71. 75., the property seve-
rally of Mr. James Parker, Mr. William Rogers, and Mr. W
H. Tinney, barristers-at-law.
The Learned Juncx sentenced the defendant to four
months' imprisonment in the Westminster Bridewell, with
an intimation that if he were to make his appearance at that
bar again under similar circumstances, he would most un
doubtedly be transported.
(Before the ASSISTANT JUDGE and a full Bench of Ma-
gistrates )
A powerful and athletic-looking man, named TVilliam
Gatehouse, was indicted for a most savage and brutal assault
upon a police-constable, named Thomas Cooke, by which his
life was seriously endangered.
It appeared that a person named White, was given into the
constable's custody upon a Charge of indecent assault, when
the prisoner, who is an acquaintance of his, attempted to
rescue him, and in so doing knocked him down and kicked
him about the lower part of his person, about his head, and
on the body so dreadfully, that he became totally insensible.
Medical evidence was adduced to show that owing to the
injuries he received he was for some time unable to attend to
his duty, indeed during part of this time his life was
despaired of.
The jury returned a verdict of Guilty, and evidence was
brought forward to show that prisoner had been twice before
convicted of violent assaults upon the police.
Mr. Do.i.:sm, who appeared as his counsel, raised a point
that the constable acted illegally in the first instance, and the
Learned Judgo said he should respite judgment until the first
day of next session, in order that lie might consider the ob-
jection. _ .

- The grand jury came into Court and announced that they
had got through all the indictments which had been preferred
at the present. ession, when the Learned Assistant Judge
discharged them afterlhanking them for their promptitude
and attention.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
GUILDHALL.
THE HEIR-AT-Law-Sociorv.—On Tuesday Henry Schole-
field applied to Sir Peter Laurie for his advice under the foi-
-1 lowing circumstances :
Ile stated that he was a power-loom weaver, and that he
came from Lancashire on behalf of a number of p 6; sons there
who had lost their money front seeking advice at the Heir-
at-Law Society. About two-and-twenty years ago a slim of
4,000 E was left by a gentleman for the next of kin. Abo Zit
sixteen months back some parties of the name of Smith for-
warded documents through him to the Society for the pur-
pose of obtaining the legacy; at the same time a fee of
21. 4s. 6d. was sent. After some time a letter was received
from Mr. Ross, acknowledging the receipt of the fee. In
December last the Society sent a letter, stating that the
counsel's opinion was rather favourable towards them, and
that they would require 101. more for the purpose of Ming

a bill in Chancery. The only obstacle to them getting the
money would be, whether their claim came within the
statute of limitations. The money was sent, and they had
never heard anything more of the affair since. In conse-
quence of the reports in the iewspapers relative to this
Society, these parties in Lancashire sent him up for the pur-
pose of getting their money back or the deeds. He had
called at the office several times, but could not see any one.
Sir PETER LAURIE—AII I can say is, that you will never
get one shilling back.
Applicant—Yes, I expect the 101., for here is an acknow-
ledgment for it.
_ Sir. P. LAURIE—Yes, this is Mr. Ross's handwriting, for

I know it well. How came you to correspond with the so-
ciety? Is there any agent issuing prospectuses in Lanca-
shire? Applicant—No, there is not; but a person down
there happened to have one, when some individuals, thinking
they had claims to property, and imagining the society. was
an upright and fair one, immediately solicited their advice.
Sir P. LAuniF.--All I can say is, I wish I did not know so
much of Mr. Ross as I do. The only thing I see you can do
is that, if those you represent .can afford it, to indict the par-
ties for a conspiracy. Mr. Ross is the same party who pro-
posed the erection of a bridge at Holborn-hill some time back.
If those parties who have been duped Were to meet, as in the
case of the West Middlesex Assurance Company, and pro-
ceed against the parties, I have no doubt that you would all
get your documents back.
Mr. Scboleficad said that he did not think he should be
able to stay in town, in consequence of his finances being so
low. He thought it very hard that persons in his station of
life should be thus robbed.

Sir P. LAURIE said that he was very sorry for him, but he
did no see how he could help himself.
The applicant then left the Court..
LAMBETH.

ALLEGED Cant. CON. AND BATTERY.—OR Tuesday, John
Hodges. a well-dressed young man, who described himself as
a pencil-maker, residing at 14, Francis-street, Waterloo-road,
appeared before Mr. Henry, on a warrant, charging him with
having violently assaulted Mr. Augustus Frederick &Rand,
a chemist and druggist, Princes-street, Westminster-road.
Mr. Effland, who is of a slight figure, and youthful appear-
pearance, deposed that, on the night of that day week, he
was in his surgery, about to sit down to a "frugal supper,"
when the defendant entered bis shop, jumped over the coun-
ter, and rushed into the surgery. He then accused him
(witness) of having his wife harboured there, and made use
of the most insulting epithets towards him.
Mr. HENRY—Was the defendant sober at the time or not?
Mr. Effland—Sober, Sir, why he's a teetotaller, and a Re-
chabite, and, of course, was perfectly sober.
Mr. ENRY—WeII, proceed to state what followed. Wit-
ness—Well, Sir, he caught hold of .me and very nearly
strangled me, and when he found that I was ready to drop
from exhaustion on account of the strangulation, he gave me
a very violent blow on my mouth, which caused me to bleed
very profusely.
Mr. HENRY—The defendant, you say, accused you of har-
bouring his wife and I suppose of an improper intimacy.
Have you anything to say about that? Mr. Effland—He
does charge me with that, your worship; but I defy. him to
prove it ; and, in fact, it's a complete conspiracy against me.
Mr. HENRY—Did the defendant accuse you with having
his wife in your house on the night he came there? Witness
—He did, your worship, and looked about as if expecting to
find her, but I told him I should allow him to go all over the
house to satisfy him she was not there.

Mr. Hitsftv—Had the defendant on any previous occasion
charged you with an improper intimacy with his wife? Wit-
ness—He has done so, your worship, and they have been
parted on that account, but they have since made it up, and
lived, as I believed, happily together,.and so far from my car-
rying on an intimacy or correspondence with his wife, I ain
quite ignorant of their present address, and I defy him to
prove an intimacy at any time.
Mr. HENRY (to the defendant)—You have heard the charge
against you—what have you to say to it? Defendant—l do
not deny the assault, but I shall tell your worship how it
was. The fact is, that this person (complainant) had been
our medical attendant, and when attending my wife while
labouring under an inflammation in the bowels, he availed
himself of the opportunity of seducing her, and weaning her
affections from me. From some circumstances which I had
observed, as well as from my wife's conduct towards me, I
suspected something wrong between the parties, and
my suspicions were confirmed one Sunday evening im-
mediately after I left home, for the purpose of going
to &Lira, and my wife, no doubt, thought I went
there ; but instead of going to church I went to Vie
house of Mr. Effland, and there found my wife in the sur-
gery, with her cloak and bonnet off, but her excuse was that
she went there for medical advice. This, however, was the
cause of a separation between us, and my wife, as I thought,
went to live with her mother. After a short time I consented
to take her back, and• she came home, but from subsequent
inquiries which I instituted, I found that, instead of living
at her mother's while away from me, she was actually living
under the protection of Mr. Effland, under the assumed name
of Clare. He, however, made up his mind, as he had taken
his wife back, not to move in the matter, provided there was
not a continuation of the intimacy ; but he soon discovered
that the complainant had found out the residence of him-
self and his wife, and had actually sent her a letter by his
apprentice on the evening of Sunday week, while he was at
church.

Mr. Effland denied this, and said his brother, who was his
apprentice, was in attendance, and would satisfy the magis-
trate the defendant was wrong.
. . .

The brother was then calla and, upon being sworn, po-
sitively denied having delivered a letter at the house of the
defendant on the evening in question, or at any other time ;
and Mr. Henry ultimately bound over both parties to be of
good behaviour towards each other for the space of three
months.