Star.
London, England, 1818-10-29 00:00:00

OLD BAILEY SLSSIO.VS.

Yesterday these Sessions began before Mr. Justice
patAas and Mr. Baron GARROW.
John Brett was indicted for putting in fear and fel.-
cibly taking from the person of John Litchfield, a
canvas bag containing 30s. in silver.
"The prosecutor is a countryman,. and told his tale
With much simplicity. His dialect was so broad as
. scarcely to be intelligible. He was coming up to
London to the funeral of his son, and met the priso-
ner on the road, near Barnet. The prisoner said that
he would accompany him, as he also was going to
London. They had proceeded on the road a short
distance, when the prisoner pulled out of his pocket
a handkerchief, which he wanted to sell iss: a shil-
ling, saying, that he had no money, and was almost.
broken 'down. Witness agreed to buy it for a shilling,
and pulled out the bag, containing the 3os. with
which he had provided himself for his journey. The
prisoner remarked at the time, " Oh, you have got
some silver there, have you ?" They went on to a
plate called Colney-hatch, and the prisoner proposed
to put up for the night at a public-house on the road
side, where, he said, a comfortable lodging could be
obtained. Witness however, was desirous of pro-
ceeding a little further to Hampstead, over Finchley
Common, and the prisoner said he knew a short way
over the common. They proceeded for about a mile
limber, and in getting over a stile, witness; by acci-
dent, fell bacl- wards into a ditch. Before he could
get up, the p:Loi:er bean pulling and rolling him
about, and wand threatening language, such as " your
rnone:, or your life," .u.d such-like expressions. - He
then pus his hand to witness's pocket, and having
pulled out the bag contnining"the money, ran oft As
soon as witness recovered himself, he told his story
to a horse patrole, and gave an accurate description
of the man. The patrole immediately went after
him, and witness saw him again at the Wellington
public-house, and recognised him, although in a dif-
ferent dress. The prisoner had a smock-frock on
.hen he ram away, but had none when he saw him
at the Wellington.
• - Rice, the parole, stated, that in consequence of
*hat the last witnets had said to him, he went after
the prisoner, and came up with him about two miles
on the road. The prisoner had then no smock-frock
on, and had a bundle under his arm. Witness asked
him what he had done wish his smock-frock. " What
do you mean ?" said the prisoner " I have no smock-
frock." Witness then asiced him what he had in that
bundle? " Oh," said he, " this is sonic of my linen."
After interrogating him as to where he came from,
witness was satisfied he was the man ;sand, fearing
he might throw the money away, said, " If you put
your hand to your pocket, I will blow your brains
out." The prisoner was then taken to. a public-house,
the sign of the Wellington, by the side of the road ;
and the property was- found upon him, as well a's a
stick which belonged to the prosecutor. Litchfield
was immediately sent for to the Wellington, and was
told to go up to the prisoner, and shake hands with
him, if he saw him. Ile was introduced into a room,
where there were six on seven persons, among" whom
was the prisoner ; and, as soon as he enteied, he
walked up to the prioner, holding out his hand, a,:sl
saying, "You did not expect to see me again so soor..
I suppose." In the bundle which the prisoner had
under his arm was a smock-frock, which he acknow-
ledged,was his own.
. The prisoner, in his defence, denied all knowledge
of the prosecutor before he saw him at the Wellington.
The Jury found a verdict—Guilty.—Death.
George Beek was capitally indicted for returning
from transportation before the expiration of his term.
The prisoner, in his defence, at first said that he had
been improperly transported, and afterwards stated,
that in proceeding to New South Wales, when oppo-
site Rio Janeiro, a soldier in the ship fell overboard ;
and in endeavouring to save hint, he himself fell into
the water, and remained there for six hours and a
half with an iron upon his leg. When at last he did
get on shore, he was unable to stand, and remained
in the woods of Rio Janeiro for three or four days
without clothes or victuals. The Captain who could
prove this was now at sea; but upon a reference to
the proper office, all would be found to be true.
Mr. Justice DALLAS observed, that the prisoner
had had abundance of opportunity of sending for the
. papers, if he had thought proper.—Guilty—Death.
John Holt was indicted for a highway robbery and
stealing from the person of W. Luker, I4s. in silver.
The prosecutor had, on the 20th of September,
been out drinking the whole night, and on the fol-
lowing morning (Sunday) at seven o'clock, he came
out of the Swan public-house, in Swan-yard, and the
prisoner and three others followed him out, when
one of them knocked him down, and the prisoner
knelt upon his stomach, and taking out a knife, cut
off his pocket, in which was the silver in question.
Guilty—Death.
John Burgess, aged 27, was tried for stealing a
coat and waistcoat, value £4, out of the dwelling-
house of Charles Heather, a' publican, in the neigh-
bourhood of Grosvenor-square, where he was a lodger,
and found Guilty—Death.
P. Leeson was indicted for assaulting R. Little on
the highway, and taking from his person a watch.
The prosecutor is a money-taker at Covent Garden
'Theatre, and late on the-tight of the 9th of October
he and his wife were proceeding down Charing-cross,
towards their home in Petersstreet, Westminster,
when they saw a mob of persons.; on coming near,
the prisoner came from the crowd, and pushing
aaainst the prosecutor, snatched his watch, and ran
away with it towards Scotland-yard. The prosecutor
pursued him, and he was taken by the watchman,
and the case of the watch was afterwards found near
the spot where it was taken. Guilty—Death.
Thomas Herbert was indicted for stealing a 101.
three 51. and several lL notes, the property of Ro-
bert Grimshaw.—The prosecutor was a smith by
trade, living in King-street, Golden-square. The pri-
soner lived in the same house, and lodged in the same
room. The property in question was kept in a box in
the room ; and the prisoner had an opportunity of
seeing it several times. One night when the prosecutor
came home, he found the prisoner and his.money gone.
—The prisoner acknowledged the crime. Many very
respectable witnesses gave him an irreproachable cha-
racter for honesty.
Mr. Baron GARROW, in summing rip to the Jury,
very much regretted that the prisoner, by his own
imprudence, had been bsour,:it into tads unfortunaLe

situation. The character he had received could have!
no weight with the Jury, unless a doubt were en-I
tertaineclof the fact ; but it would have its effect,
without doubt, in another place. In this case the
prisoner had acknowledged his guilt, and no doubt
could possibly exist in the minds of the Jury.
A verdict of Guilty was pronounced, but accom-
panied with a strong recommendation to mercy both
from the Jury and the prosecutor.
Mr. Baron GARROW observed, that no doubt the
recommendation would have its full effect.
William White, aged seventeen, was tried on an
indictment, charging him with breaking and entering
the dwelling-house of Charles and Joseph Ince,. and
stealing therein four silver spoons, a time-piece, a
bottle of wine, and other articles, on the 30th of Sep-
tember last.—Guilty of stealing under the value of
10s. but not of house-breaking.
The following were capitally convicted:
Barnet Chancy, for stealing a black gelding, the
property of T. Mulcock.
John Franks, for stealing a chest, containing seve-
ral articles of wearing apparel, the property of J.
black, in the dwelling-house of J. Spice.
Ann Bates, for stealing a piece of printed cotton,
the property of E. Pike, privately in his shop.
William Tingey, alias Cripps, for stealing three
heifers, the property of W. Franklin.
Since the statement published on Monday, fifty
more prisoners stand on the list for trial : five for
house-breaking, seven for stealing indwelling-houses,
thirty-seven for larceny, six pickpockets, five for
issuing forged Bank notes (making seventeen persons
committed for trial for this offence in the short space
of three weeks.) The whole for trial exceed 3'29, and
there are a number of others whose r.ames are not in
the Calendar.