The Sun.
London, England, 1827-09-18 00:00:00

OLD BAILEY SLSSIONS, 1/.

John Sheean Was indicted for stealing a silver
watch, the property of James Donaghue.
James Donaghue, who is the beau-ideal of a vulgar
iri§htfian, deposed as follows :—I live in Buckeridge-
sirek; On the evening of Tuesday, the
7th of August fait; NtAnt about half-past nine
o'clock to a club at. thelfdra and Hounds public-
house, of which I am a member. 1 Wao quite sober;
but rather sleepy, having been up for two frights' at
the wake of my sister who was dead. I met the
prisotief tit the bar in the house; I told him I was
very sleepy; lint that I should not go home then, as
in't *ire Aral. still at the wake. Ile told me to lay
my head ddvrii rind go to' sleep; and he would see all
rightified. I laid my head ddwri on his knee, and
went to sleep for three quarters of an how.: I then
had my watch ; when I woke, I found both the
watch and the prisoner gone.
Cross-examined by Mr. C. PHILLIPS—I saw
Sheean noin that same night. He asked me if I
had said that he had stolen my Watch ? I told him
that my witness had seen him with it in his hand.
I saw him the next day on the subject, when he
asked me the same question again. I replied, "-I
know you did steal it, John Sheean."
Mr. C. PHILLIPS--And then you shook hands
with him ? Witness—Of course.

Mr. C. Pfin,Livs—Of course ! Why so ? Wit-
ness—l don't know.

Mr. C. PHILLIPS—And then, perhaps, you asked
him also of course to take some porter with you ?
Witness—Why, yes, I asked him to drink a drop,
and he did. (A laugh.)
Mr. C. PHILLIP3—WeII, but you got your box
back again 7—Witness—Yes. • Barney Kilrooney
gave it me the next day.
Mr. C. PHILLIPS—And your watch P—Witness
—No. He did not give it, or I should not have been
here to-day. Jack Sheean twice offered to o with
me before a magistrate, but I did not take him, be-
catuie I was not an officer.

John Burke, a young lad about 10 years old, went
to the Hare and Hounds at 11 o'clock on the even-
ing in question to get some beer for his father. As
he was going out, the prisoner rushed past•him in a
great hurry, and spilled his beer. He followed him
to know why he had done so. He saw John Her-
ring, the prisoner's partner, come up to him just by
the Rat's Castle public house. They spoke together,
and he heard Herring ask the prisoner whether all
was right. The prisoner replied it was, pulling out
a silver watch. He knew Donaghue's watch to be
a silver watch, both from having seen it several
times, and from having heard from his father that
it was so.

The prisoner was perfectly innocent of the charge
preferred against him, and called witnesses to prove
that the prosecutor had charged another individual
with the commission of the felony of which he was
now accused. He called the following witnesses in
his defence :
William Sullivan—l was chairman of the Free-
and-easy club, at the Hare and Hounds, on the Tues-
day night in question. I was moved out of the. chair
at a quarter before 11, and another chairman was
crowned in my place. I then went into another
room, with Jack Sheean, and two other persons.
Whilst we were taking a drop of porter together,
Donaghuc came in to us, and said that he had lost
his watch. lie then went to the bar, and we heard
him accusing Barney Kilrooney of having taken it.
I have known the prisoner all my life as a hard-
working honest man. He is by trade a stenciller.
Edward Hutton, a plasterer, who had employed
the prisoner for seven years, gave him an excellent
character.

The Jury immediately acquitted the prisoner.
As soon as his' acquittal was known in the street,
his countrymen assembled there gave, a loud cheer,
which it was evident that they suppressed with dif-
ficulty even in court.