Star.
London, England, 1823-10-21 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

These Sessions commenced yesterday morning before
F. Conn., Esq. and a Bench of Magistrates.
Mr. ADOLPHUS moved the Court that the recog-
nizances of a person named Lill might be discharged.
The defendant was indicted for assaulting a person of
the name of Medley, one of the Leet Jury of the manor
of Stepney, whilst in the execution of his duty. The
prosecutor expressed himself satisfied upon.the defend-
ant paying a sum of five pounds to a public charity, but
the rest of the Jury were not so easily appeased, and
they insisted upon the prosecution being proceeded
with. Medley made an affidavit of satisfaction, and
upon that affidavit the motion was founded.
Mr. ANDREWS opposed the application on behalf of
the other Jurors, and contended, that as it was an of-
fence against the Public in general to obstruct the Jury
in the discharge of their duty, it was not in the power
of one individual to waive the prosecution.
The CHAIRMAN said, that this was an indictment
against Lill for an assault upon Medley only, and he
now stated that he had nothing to say against him. If
he had obstructed the Jury in the discharge of their
duty, he might be prosecuted for that offence: but on
this indictment the recognizances should be discharged.
Henry Richards was indicted for assaulting William
Ethridge, on the 26th of August last. The plaintiff
is in the employment of the West India Dock Com-
pany, and was one of those who refused to take part in
a combination of the workmen not to work without an
increase of wages. On the evening in question he went
into the Volunteer public-house, where the defendant
and other men were drinking, and immediately upon
his entrance, one of them called him a b— Dock Yel-
low (a term applied to those' who work for under price).
The prosecutor went over to the table to remonstrate
with him, when the defendant threw some beer out of
a pot in his face, and then struck and knocked him
down. On the part of the defendant it was sworn, that
the prosecutor first " sputtered" in the defendant's face,
and afterwards challenged him to fight,
The Jury found him Guilty, but sentence has not yet
been pronounced upon him by the Court.—The prose-
cution was at the instance of the Company.
William Reeves, Thomas Vivian, Stephen Sndgrove,
and Thomas Brown, wereegharged with an assault upon
William Baldick. The defendants and the prosecutor!
were all carmen in the service of Mr. Smithers in Sep-'
tember last ; but Baldick having informed his master
of something which the defendants had said, they took
the first opportunity that presented itself of ducking
him in the horse-trough ; for which Mr. Smithers dis-
missed them from his service the next morning, and
made Baldick prosecute them for the assault. They
have ever since been out of employment.
They were found Guilty, and sentenced to pay a fine
of 255. each, with liberty to speak to the prosecutor.
James Books was indicted for a most brutal assault
upon Peter White, at the King's Arms public-house, in
Nightingale-lane, Bird-street, on the sth of August last.
It appeared that the defendant had a brace of pistols
loaded in his possession on the night before, one of
which he fired over the prosecutor's head, who imme-
diately seized the other, and gave it to the defendant's
wife. On the neat day, while the prosecutor was at
the King's Arms, the defendant came to the house with
a hammer in his hand, and, first breaking the windows,
went up to the prosecutor, struck him, a stunning blew'
on the forehead with the handle of the hammer, and
then gave him several other blows, by which two of his,
ribs were broken, and be was so much injured as to be
unable to turn in his bed for three weeks The defend-
ant sent a surgeon to see him in the Hospital.
He was fountguilty, and sentenced to pay a fine of
901. with liberty ta speak to the prosecutor.
Both parties are. poor tradesmen, and the defendant
declared his inability to pay the fine.

The Grand Jury for Middlesex commenced their la-
bours yesterday, at the Sessions House, Clerkenwell :
they found a true bill against Thomas and Joke, Thwrtell
and W. Ennisom of the Cock public-house, in the Hay-
market, and Join Snosidea, fora conspiracy to defraud
the County Fire-office : the case relates to a five which
broke out last January, in a room recently occupied by
the Thurtells Watling-street, which room was alleged
to be filled with a valuable stock of goods.
KINGSTON SESSIONS.

A case which excited no small degree of curiosity,
came on before the Bench yesterday, who were supplied
with the opportunity ofsunishiag one crime effectually
by means of another.
A man 'named Yang. on the 10th of August last,
broke opea and entered the house of William Buckley,
at Send and Ripley, between the hours of four an eight
in the morning. A 'a onstable who saw him enter the
house, followed him soon after, and found him busy at
the larder in eating bread and cheese, apparently with
a greediness that was calculated to excuse the violence
of the approach. Young offered no resistance, but con•
tiuued to devour the bread and cheese, and said he had
broken open the house to satisfy his hunger. Compas-
sion, we believe, for the deplorable condition of the man
prevented the person whose house was entered from
prosecuting the hungry thief; who therefore regained
his liberu. He was not free many days, however, when
be was guilty of a worse crime.
As Ar. P.sssey, a stationer, was walking on the 29th
of the same month, near a wheat-field, a short distance
from town, he saw a little boy standing at the gate of
the field, and heard the screams of a female issuing from
the (Kiser side. He immediately got over the gate, and
Auer under the hedge the same Mr. Young endefr
touring to violate a little gill scarcely -ten y.ms of slot

The delinquent started up on seeing the granger, wlio
asked hies .what. he was about ? The fellow pulled a
small bundle of corn from under the child's head, and
said she had been stealing in the field.. Villait4" said
Mr.Passey, " you have been taking improper liberties
with the child, and you shall come with me." " No,"
said Young, " I have not, and I will not go." The fel-
low then seized a reaping-hook, and made a desperate
blow at Mr. Passey, who avoided it, and made him pri-
soner, notwithstanding a violent struggle to get away.
Young having been charged with this offence, it was
thought necessary to bring forward evidence in both
cases, in order that be might be properly punished fur
his excessive appetite, as exemplific.! in each accusation•
was convicted of stealing the ?read and cheese;
l-ut the prosecutor kept the burglary out of view. A
verdict of Guilty was returned.
Snon afterwards he was put to the bar on the charge
of attempting to violate the little girl, Eliz. Newham.
The attempt was most, satisfactorily proved. Fortu-
nately the child sustained no injury, Mr. Passey's inter•
ference being just in time to prevent it. The fellow had
taken her from the company of her little brother, who
was walking with her, told her he would give her some
wheat, and carried her into the field, and at once pro-
ceeded to the violence described. Ile was found Guilty
of the attempt, and sentenced to transportation for
seven years; but the CHAIRMA N told him it was for the
robbery alone.