Star.
London, England, 1822-04-29 00:00:00

OLD BAILEY SESSIOyg, APRIL 27.

This morning, at the sitting of the Court, the Al-
derman whose duty it was to be in attendance, and
whose presence was necessary to constitute a Court,
not being present, some delay took place. At length
Mr. ARABIN who sat for the Recommit, sent to Sir.
Alderman ViAITHMANI to request he would attend.
'The worthy Alderman, although confined by indis-
position to his bed, immediately rose, and soon after-
wards made his appearance on the Bench. Mr.
ARAnIN apologised to the Jury for the time which
had been lost ; and having explained the cause, ex-
pressed his acknowledgments to • Mr. Alderman
WAITIIM .11, for the promptness with which he at-
tended to his summons. •
Thomas Clement was charged with stealing a
watch in the dwelling-house of Prince Esterhazy.
It appeared that on the day charged in the indict-
ment, one of the domestics of Prince Esterhazy saw
the prisoner quit his master's hobse in a manner
which excited his suspicions; he followed and'
brought him back, and on searching his pocket
found a handkerchief of his own. An Officer was
then sent for, and, on further search a watch was
found in his 'on, which proved to be the pro-
perty of an rof the servants. Guilty of stealing
to the value of thirty-nine shillings.
Ann Turner was indicted for stealing 41bs. of soap
and one shilling, the property of Charles Greville,
Esq. in his dwelling-house.
G. Smith, butler to Mr. Greville, stated, that the
prisoner lived as a laundry maid in the family. His
master was in the habit of leaving his money in a
drawer in the library, and silver was repeatedly
missed. The prisoner, as well as the other servants,
of whom there were fourteen, had access to that
room. Suspicion did not attach to any particular
person, and it was resolved to mark some change, in
the hope that detection might take place. Witness
accordingly marked several shillings on the 16th of
March, and placed them in the drawer, as usual, and
again on the 21st marked ten other shillings. Of the
sum thus marked he afterwards missed six shillings.
Upon this he called all the servants separately and
paid them their board-wages. From some he re-
ceived change in silver, and among others 2s. from
the prisoner, which proved to be two of those he had
previously marked—one was his master\ and the
other his own. He sent for Plank the officer some
days afterwards, and the prisoner was interrogated
as to the manner these shillings came into her pos-
session. She said she had received them in change
for a sovereign from Mr. Stanley, a grocer, in West-
minster. On searching her box, 41bs. of soap, the
property of Mr. Greville, was found.
In cross-examination, witness said all the servants
received board wages, and were in the habit of spend-
ing their money in the neighbourhood. He had no
reason to suspect the prisoner till she produced the
shilling herself; be believed her previously to have
a good character.
Plank, the officer, confirmed the testimony of
Smith as to the declaration of the prisoner.
Mrs. Smith, the wife of the butler, was then called
on behalf of the prisoner, and gave her an excel-
lent character.

Air. Stanley, a grocer, in York-street, Westmin-
ster, proved that he had changed a sovereign for the
prisoner on the 23d of March, and he knew her
for some time, and believed her to be a woman cf
good character.
Serjeaat Fairclough, of the Guards, knew the pri-
soner for some years ; she was the wife of a corporal
in the regiment. He knew her to be an honest, sober,
industrious woman.

Mr. ARNIM in summing. up the evidence, re-
marked, that the prosecutor tn this case, Mr. Gre-
vine, was a man of considerable fortune, and yet the
case had been brought there without Cornisel, or any
of those aids by which the Court might have been
assisted in its inquiry. They must dispose of the
charge as their judgment could guide them ; and, in
the first instance, they must be satisfied that the pri-
soner was the person by whom the shilling in question,
for they must confine themselves to the shilling stated
to have been Mr. Greville's, had been taken. They
all knew that servants were in the habit of borrow-
ing from one another, and it was not improbable
that this shilling might have got into the possession
of the prisoner by other means than by theft. It ap-
peared, that all the servants of the prosecutor had
access to the library; but none of those servants had
been called to purge themselves from suspicion. If
any doubt arose in the breasts of the Jury, the pri-
soner was entitled to the benefit of that doubt, and
the mete especially with the excellent character she'
had received.

The Jury found the prisoner Not Guilty, and she
was immediately discharged.
Mr. ADOLPHUS, who was Counsel for the prisoner,
stated, that it was true the soap, mentioned in the
indictment, had been found in the prisoner's box, and
she acknowledged she bad put it there, under the
mistaken notion, that because she did business with
less than bad been allowed her, she was entitled to
take the surplus as her perquisite. Such practices were
extremely improper, and ought to be repressed.
The following were convicted of felony

Mary Young, aged 10, for stealing a piece of lawn ; Martin
Sullivan, aged 00, for stealing two cart bridles; Isaac Squinee,
aged 90, fee stealing a great coat ; George Pryor, aged 19, for
stealing two pewter pots; Henry Porter, aged 20, for stealing
a pair of boots; William Brown, aged 16, for embezzling ael•
1 ls. Id. -John Smith, aged 32, for stealing five sacks ; John
Thacker, aged 23, foe stealing a snuff boa ; Henry White, aged
16, for stealing two shirts; Thomas Wood, aged 19, for steal-
ing 6lbs of cheese ; Thomas Edwards, aged 19; Thomas Jacobs,
aged 19; and John Day, aged 19, for stealing 3 handkerchief;
lamps Smith, aged 69, for stealing a fender; Thomas Smale,
aged SS ; and John White, aged SS, for stealing 12 caps, Ste.
George Roberts, aged IS, for stealing a handkerchief ; James
Williams, aged 90, for stealing 261bs. of rope; John Scott, aged
39, for stealing ltlbs. of Bait; John SP Lean, aged 56, for steal-
ing five planes; Mary Flynn, aged 49, for stealing a pair of
women; Richard Crook, aged 17, for stealing two trowels;
and James Miley, aged $6, for stealing a sheet.
The following were acquitted :
Emma Parrot, aged IS, of stealing a watch ; Edward Wens,
aged 13, and Thomas Matthews, aged 13, of stealing a piece of
silk handkerchiefs; Matthew Paget, aged 36, of stealing two
cart bridles ; Mary Caner, aged 18. of stealing a great coat ;
'William Simon, aged 33, ,of stealing twelve Socks; John COO.
nor, aged SI, of steeling twelve pounds of salt; Mary li-
med 311, and Elizabeth tirigkiss. aged 33, of mailing four
of bacon ; and Thomas Bowman, aged 36, and
man. Of stealing two Wilk& .

Beti-

I.IMERIC.K ASSIZES.

i•••••

RoSeri Cease* was indicted for breaking into the
dwelling.house of John Shelton, Esq. of Rossmore,
in the county of Limerick, at the head of an armed
party of insurgents, on the 9th of February.
Alicia Shelton, daughter of John Shelton, deposed
that a large party surronnded her father's house about
two or three o'clock in the morning of the 9th of
February. The family were all in bed. The door
was broken in, and a great number of persons came
into the kitchen. Witness got up and went to the
kitchen, where she saw a gtvat number of persons.
The night was very light. -Witness asked them what
they wanted? They called aloud for her brother
Charles to go with them to Castletown-Conyers, for
a basket of ammunition, which they said was carried
there the day before. Witness said there was no
such thing carried there, and it was quite useless for
them to attempt going to Castletown, for that, cer-
tainly, if they did, every man of them would be shot.
Witness's brother was up stairs at the time, and two
or three of the party went up and seized him. He
asked them to allow him to dress himself. lle went
up stairs again, and was much terrified. Witness
then called out for the 'Captain ; none answered.
Witness then went to the back yard, and saw a man
standing near the back-door; she conjectured that be
was the Captain. Had sufficient light to distinguish
his dress. He had a long gun in his hand. Witness
said to him, "1 know you are the Captain, and wont'
you save my brother?" He made no reply, and
stood still. Witness fell on her knees, and took hold
of his coat, and said she would never leave him until
he released her brother, and not let him be taken out
of the house to be murdered. He still made no re-
ply. Witness then asked him what it was he wanted?
He said, to take her brother to Castletown. Witness
offered to go herself, but to leave her brother, as she
knew he was out of his senses for half an hour before.
The man then said, " No, Lady, you shall not go;
and your brother shall be left.' Her brother was
only seventeen or eighteen years old. The man then
went a few steps inside the kitchen door, and said to
them inside, " Leave him to the Lady." They then
let her brother go for an instant. Shortly after, two
or three came forward and seized him again. • Wit-
ness then calleJ out, " Honour, honour, Captain!
wont you leave me my brother?" lie was still
standing outside, but made no answer; and witness
asked him, had he no controul over his men, to make
them comply? They murmured and debated for
some time, and then let hind go. They called for
spirits, and witness gave them some. (Witness was
desired to turn round, and try whether she could see
the person in Court of whom she had been speaking.)
She did so; and pointing to the prisoner at the bar,
said emphatically, " That is the man—l am positive
-of him; and I shall never forget his honourable and
merciful conduct towards my brother on that night."
The manner in which Mist Shelton gave her evi-
dence attracted the admiration of the entire Court.
She was firm, at the same time delicately modest;
her answers and mode of del.;very bespoke the per-
fectly well•educated female; and her appearance was
elegant and fascinating.
Susannah Shelton, sister to the last witness, swore
that the prisoner was one of the party that attacked
her father's house.—On the part of the defence,
John Cummins, and Mary Fitzgibbon, sister-in-
law to the prisoner, positively swore, that at thetime
of the attack at Mr. Shelton's, Cussen was in bed at
Mrs. Fitzgibbon's house at foolish, four or five miles
from Mr. Shelton's.

Timothy Leonard sworn.—is servant to Mr. Shel-
ton; was in the kitchen at the hour of the attack ;
saw the Ladies there; saw the man with the cap at
the door; on his oath, the prisoner at the bar is not
that man ; he was not so'tall a man as the prisoner.
• The Jury retired for about five minutes, and then
returned with a verdict of Guilty.
The prisoner, who was a young man of very gen-
teel appearance, bowed most respectfully to the Court.
He was then asked, in the usual way, by the Clerk of
the Crown, if he had anything to say why sentence
and execution of the law should not be had and pro-
nounced upon him? He bowed, and said—" lam
quite ready to hear it."
His Lordship, in passing, sentence of death upon
the prisoner, concluded with the following words:
" If the Government under which we live should think itself
warranted to extend mercy to you. I trust it will not be for-
gotten, and that to the latest moment of your life it shall make
such an impression u not to be lightly thought of. I cannot,
however, make you any promise. I must now pronounce the
awful sentence of the law."
The prisoner, with quite a- placid countenance,
said—" It is welcome, my Lord."
The usual sentence was then pronounced, which
was listened to by the prisoner with the greatest com-
posure of mind, but no day was fixed. After which,
the prisoner asked if he might be permitted to say a
few words?—" Certainly," said his Lordship.
Prisoner.—" I would not speak during my trial, nor after
my conviction was pronounced, lest it might be considered that
I wanted a mitigation of sentence; but now, my Lord, as sen-
tence of death has been passed upon me, and that I consider
myself as a dying man, I do most solemnly declare, and may
my soul and body be buried to the depth of bell if ever I was
nearer to Mr. Shelton's house than the three places which I
shall mention, and there are many persons in Court who know
the plates I 4'lll name--Inchbogg, Mr. Conyer's house, and the
road leading to Kilmeedy, north of the house. I say again, may
I be tumbled into the lowest pit of hell if ever I saw .Jr. Shel-
ton's house, except the roof of it, at the distance I have nien-
timed. I am not afraid to die. Tbe • Miss Sheltons might
have mistaken me. I forgive them, and all who had a hand in
my blood—may Axxseurr Coo forgive them ! My Lord, I have
one request to make—that my body, when I am dead, shall be
given to my friends, that I may be buried with my father."
The Court said it would stake no order to the contrary.
Prisoner.—" I have further to declare, that a gun, sword, or
pistol I never took from a gentleman's house. was never at the
attack of a gentleman's house, our ever knew of au attack upon
any gentleman's house."

This protestation was listened to by a crowded
Court, with emotions of surprise and astonishment. '
Alter the prisoner's removal, Mr. Gossett, of the
Rifle Brigade, on the part of Miss Shelton, applied
'to the Court to recommend him to meiOr. Mr.
Gossett stated, that it was principally by his persua-
sions that the prisoner had been brought to trial and
conviction ; that Miss Shelton felt so much at the
sentence, that she never could be happy if it was exe-
cuted, and prayed that it might he commuted.
Baron PSNEVATHZII said that lie would feel most
happy to receive a memorial from her, and would
forward it to Government.—This has since been done.