Star.
London, England, 1827-01-31 00:00:00

SALFORD SESSIONS, JAN. Z.

Japer Wakes (26) was indicted for stealing, on the
14th of December, two pieces of woollen cloth, the
property of William Holmes,* Yorkshireman.
Mr. Covarnms, having stated the case, called the
prosecutor, who deposed as follows s--On the 14th el
December I met the prisoner in Market-street. Ile
tapped me.on the shoulder, and said, holloa, are you
going out of town ? No, I said, lam only just coming
in. 0, he replied. I know you very, well, have seen
you often at the Huddersfield market. I am going, said
he, to buy some cloth of Mr. George Booth, in Deans-
gate, and asked me if I knew him ? I said I did. You
are a clothier, said he, are not you? Yes.—What kind
of cloth have you? Some blue and some olive.—Well,
said he, as I apt going to lay out ready money, rll deal
such you. I said I should be glad to serve him.; and
we went into a public house, and soon afterwards two
other men came in, and had a glass of ale. The first
lean that came in pulled out a roll of notes, and said his
uncle had died, and left him a deal of money. The'
prisoner told him that he was going to buy some cloth
of me, and recommended him to buy tome too. He r••
plied, that is he bad plenty of money, he would pun
chase all the cloth I had. He then asked the prisoner if
he knew the Manchester Arms? He said he did.--
Well, said he, if you'll sbew me the place, I'll pay fete
glasses round. The prisoner invited me to go with
them, and, after much persuasion, I consented. The
prisoner said his name was Lewis, and that his sinew
kept the Blue Ball, in Hulme, and that a great many.'
clothiers put up at her house. The rich man with the
roll of notes, then began to bet for 11. notes. They put
'a penny piece under a jag, and guessed head or tail{,
three times out of four. The prisoner won a 11. not
and then asked me if I bad any money? I said, I had
not. He then proposed to lend me 51. but I refused to
borrow from him. Well, said the prisoner, if you hiss
not money, you have cloth ; and pressed me much to
bet with the rick man. I and the prisoner then went to
my friend's shop, where my cloth was deposited, and
brought three pieces, which I chewed to the rich man.
Instead, however, of making a bargain, he desired us
to sit down. He said to us you are all poor men. I
said, that certainly I was poor. Well, said the prisoner,
if you have not money, you have cloth. The rich man
then said he would bet a wager. Ahat we could not thew
101. each. The rich man said he would bet 301. or 201.
that be would guess right, three times out of four, and
I was persuaded by the prisoner to stake a pieceof cloth.
The prisoner then pretended to put 101. into a hat, the
rich man pretended to put in SOI. and I staked a piece
of cloth. Before the jug was taken off the penny piece,
the prisoner proposed to double the stakes. I put down
another piece of cloth, the prisoner put some paper in
the hat, which he said was 101. and the rich man put
in some pieces of paper, that he called SOL The penny
was then taken from under the jug, and the rich man
won; but he never touched the cloth in my presences
nor did I deliver it to him. The prisoner seeing me'
sadly "down" at my loss, said that the rich man should
not base the cloth, and pretended to be my friend in
the business. He desired me to fetch another piece of
cloth, and said he would take care of the other pieces
until I returned. I then wrapped up thecloth in a hand-
kerchief. and leaving the bundle, went, and in about
three-quarters of an hour returned with another piece of
cloth, but I found the men and the cloth were gone!
The prisoner crosa.examined this witness at some length, in order
to elicit an admiwion that the wager was fairly won, and that this
witness delivered over the cloth to the winner; but, although be
evinced a good deal of shrewdness, he failed to effect his object.
The CHAIRMAN, in summing up, told the Jury, that
the question for their consideration would be, whether
the prosecutor paired with the possession of the cloth,
and handed it over? because, said he, if a party be se-
duced into an improvident bet, which he loses, and then
hands over the money to the winner, although it par-
takes of the character of fraud, it cannot be constituted
a felony.—The Jury immediately found the primmer Guilty.
The CHAIRMAN, referring to his book, told him that
he had been convicted of a similar offence at the Kirk-
dale Sessions, of May, 1325, and imprisoned twelve
months. The sentence upon him now was, that he be
transported for the term of seven years.
The prisoner appeared to be stunned by the sentence, and left
the bar with a countenance very different from that with which he
bad entered.

SALARIES OF PcurortMEßS.—Mr.l 4,11, 501. a night;
Miss Signizys, 10). a night; Mr. LAIPORTS 75J. a.night ; Mr. B*A.
HAM, 251. a night; Mr. Ltisin4l la 10g. a uight; ilia
10/. a Wen.