The Sun.
London, England, 1820-01-19 00:00:00

OLD .8.111.DA7, JAN. 18.

EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE OF lIORSE-IiTEALING,
Mr. John Robertson, a Gt.nifernati of colour, but
of the most gentlemanly manners and appearance,
was iodieted on stispicioo of stealing, on the 4th
of June, ISIS, a ware, value 40/, the property of
Mr. James Richards.
There was no Counsel for the prosecution, bat
Messrs. ALLEY and Anotenus were retained for
the defence. The ttial excited much interest,
from the respectability of the accused party,
against whom also three other charges of a simi•
lar nature Were exhibited, hot who, in the sequel,
turned out to be mistaken for the real criminal,
who, it appeared, bvre the strongest resemblancd
to him.
James Richards, 11;e prosecutor, said be lived at
No. 26;i, Oxford-street, sod kept livety..stables.
on the 4th Of ;hole la St he lost a chestoit mare; -
on that same day a person asked to hire a horse,
for which he was to give twelve shill ngs , the
man had never since returned with the mare; the
etson who hired it said he was going to Stan-
.mote; witness went there the next but could
neither fimi the prisoner c,r nitre. In July last
he saw Mr. Robertson, the prisoner, at Reading,
The prisoner then said his name wits Henley, and
that lie was not the person woo had hired
the mare. He said he was a traveller to a
house in London, and give his address, at
Miss Port's, Borough. Witness went there,
but could not find him. Witness saw the prix
softer afterwards in Quebee•street, i%laryfehoov,
and had him apprehended. Witness said to him,
" Von are indebted to me, and gave use a false
address at Reading.'' -The prisoner replied, "
am not the man you mean ; my nerve is Joint Ro-
bertson, and I live at Bloomfield Cottage, Regent',
Canal." Witness had nut the least.doubt that be
CVHS the person whom he had seen Reading.—
He walked with him after his apprehension to
Bloomfield Cos tage, and there found what he said
was troe., -Witness, however, still saspectiog
him to be the mare, took kim into a house on the
Edgware-road, and gave him in custody.
A great number of witnesses were examined,
who c,learly proved that the accused could not
possibly be the criminal person, as lie was known
to have been at his lodgings its King-street melt
only at the time the horse was :Atli away, but
ever since until he was appreheoded ; and that
stead of having bushy black hair, as the „ire„dee
was described to have, he had tor many yeats wore
a powdered wig. It was also proved by an emi-
nent Solicitor, that a person exactly resembanK
the prisoner in person had lately been sent out of
the country, and that the only difference in their
appearance wasin their hair. The Jury, without ~
any hesitation, found the prisoner Not Guilty.
Two other charges of a similar natioe were
then 'preferred against him,' but upon wltich be •
was also acquitted.
'J'be friends of the prisoner in Court immediately
expressed their jay by shout's and by clapping their
hands, at which the- Common Sergeant expressed
his disapprobation in severe language,

The following enriOns details have been roceivel
front Chiiseiiiiia; iu Nnrway :—" th, 7th itst.
the barometer rose Co the extraordinary height Or
29 inches, 16 lints; which has not taken place here
for a great number of years. The sea was eight
"leil lower on that day than it has bee„ fur 16 e Aqr:
"20 years. Professor HANS-TERN, who measured its
height, made also some expernneuts as to the it-
tensity or the magnetic force, and found the 'needle
in such n,p,itation, that he could obtain no fixed
result from his experiments."