Star.
London, England, 1819-05-28 00:00:00

OLD BAILEY SESSIONS.

SHERIFFS' PELVILSGE..
This morning, at half-past eight o'clock, several of the Gentle-
men connected with the Newspapers having taken their seats in
the Studeirts' Box, (the situation allotted theft for a number of
teat's,) Mr. Sheriff ROBERTS came up in his robes of office, and,
staring at the Reporters, said---,A What'A this about ?" The Gen-
tlemen, naturally surprised at the novelly of ibis species of intro-
duction, made no immediate reply. One of them, however, as
soon as his astonishment had abated, said," We are connected with
the Newspapers." The Streeter said—" Ah ! ha! who befWgs
to the Tintes?"-b--" Nobody here," was the reply; " We baong
to the British Press and .111ornii4 ihrold."—" Because," ob-
served the Sneerer, " whoever CODA :•• here should represent
things fairly. That affair the other day was not stated as it oc-
eurred."--{lie alluded, we suppose, to the account of the scram-
ble for the property of a convicted felon.}-.One of the Reporters
said, that if any error had occurred, the particala.- Paper was
responsible for it. The Sneerer then said—" I war:: this Briefer
myself to-day. I can accommodate my friends wherever I like."
The Reporters, who conceived that an attempt to convince
the Sheriff of the necessity of their being accommodated for the
sake of the Public would be absurd, asked the Sheriff, whether
they were to stay or go? hinting, at the same time, at the awk-
ward appearance it would have to the Public, to announce that
they were excluded from the place they have invariably occu-
pied, and by the authority of the Sheriff.
The Sheriff said, that the body of the Court was open to them.
The Reporters pressed upon the Sheriff the necessity of de-
termining whether they were to go or stay.
The worthy Citizen said, " If you threat, you must walk out.
I don't care for none of your threats."
The Reporters disclaimed any thing so vulgar as a threat, and
added, that they were fully aware of the authority of the Sheriff
is that Court, and waited his decision, whether they were to
stay or go?
'The Sheriff then said—" How dres it come that only two
were here the other day, and now there's four?
Two Reporters for Papers had just entered ; one of them said,
" There are eight Morning Papers, and you are likely to have
eight Gentlemen here for them, besides Reporters for Evening
Papers." Sheriff.-" Why so many?"
Reporter.--" Because the importance of the case requires it."
Sheriff.-o" I have some Ladies, and I must accommodate
them; I have a right to put who I please in here. I shall want
,every accommodation for my friends to-day." .
Reporter.—" Then decide at once. It would be more agree-
able to us to take the air now, than to leave the Court after hav-
ieg comfortably fixed ourselves. Are we to stay or to go?"
The Sheriff, after contemplating for a moment, said he would
see about putting his friends elsewhere. He then learned from
Alderman WOOD, that it would be improper to remove the
Reporters.

TRIAL OF C lIARLES RENNETT.
At half-past ten o'clock Rennett was put to the Bar,
and arraigned, for having stolen the two children of
Mr. HORSELEY. He said, in a scarcely audible voice,
to both charges, " Not Guilty." He seemed to have
recovered from the mean condition into which he was
thrown upon his arrival in town, and had no appear-
ance of being what is figuratively called " frightened
out of his life."—The indictment charged him with
having stolen the boy, whose travels in the company
of this protector have already appeared in full before
the Public.

Mr. ALLEY stated the case. He said, that the Acs
which made the offence a felony, limited the punish-
ment of the offender to transportation for seven years,
and that it lay in the discretion of the Judge to soften
the severity of the sentence to fine and imprisonment.
Mr. HORSELEY was called. He raid he was mar-
ried in 1813, and had four children. On Sunday,
the Bth November, he entrusted a boy and a girl to
his servant, Elizabeth Holbrook, who took them out
in a little hand-chaise, and was to return at four
o'clock. She did not return. Saw her on Wednesday.
On the Monday morning he found the little girl at
the house of a publican. In consequence of informa-
tion, he went to France, and.from thence to Holland,
where he saw the prisoner, who threw himself at his
feet, and said, " Oh GOD ! Oh GOD!" and embraced
his knees. The British Consul was present. Witness
made no reply. (Here a letter was handed to the
witness, who said he believed it to be the prisoner's
writing.)
Cross-examined by Mr. Asnnews.—Prisoner was
his wife's first cousin. The first information he got
at Holland was from Mr. M'Namara, the British
Consul. Witness merely went to see Rennett, in con-
sequence of having heard that it was necessary to iden-
tify him before he could get the child. Was not
aware that the child was restored through the
means of Kennett. It had been determined, that
the child should give evidence by his conduct that
witness was his father, before the Consul could give
the child up. Bennett confessed, without solicitation,
that the child was witness's, and had not done so at
any request of the witness. Never had any commu-
nication with Rennett as to any favourable assistance
in his case, if he procured facilities of recovering the
child. The child was in very good health, and
dressed in a clean manner, but coarsely. • I
Re-examined.—The child knew him at once, and
knew his mother when he returned home.
Elizabeth Holbrook said, she became acquainted
with the prisoner while she was out with the children.
He proposed marriage to her. She saw him on Sun-
day, the Bth November, near the Hospital in. Smit-
hfield. He told her he was going to see if his brother's
luggage was ready ; and on his return said, that she
should go to Birmingham that night. The place wasl
taken in the name of Jackson. She left him at the
Saracen's Head, Snowhill. He had the two children,'
and she told him to take them home, and gave him
the key. Sbe had previously expressed a wish to go
home with them herself, but he said he could do it.
Never saw him afterwards till he was in custody in
Bow-street.
The letters, which are already before the Public,
were then read. They were all in the imploring style.
Here the case for the prosecution ended.
The prisoner being here asked whether he had any
thing to say? Mr Anoi.Piins, wh) was Counsel for
him, said he left it to the discretion of the prisoner,
and disclaimed all knowledge of what it was the in-
tention of the prisoner to state.
Burnett then read from a paper a statement, which
commenced with a request that all prejudice would
be set at a distance. It stated, that his father had
sed a very large property, of which the prisoner
ad been basely deprived, advantage having been
taken of his father's mental imbecility. Indigence
was the consequence to the prisoner and his mother,
and the prosecutor had to answer for all this— AI
Mr. ALLEY here submitted that this statement was
irrelevant.
Baron GARROW said the prisoner could not be
interrupted.
Rennett proceeded, and was greatly affected when
reading th At part which described the wants to which
he had been subjected: 'Tie prosecutor had, he said,
now completed his ruin. But he called upon the
Jury to consider, that he had treated the child ter,
derly. that he had rendered all the reparation !ie
could .to tine. prosecttot, that he had suffered six

months imprisonment, lost his own child in the House
of Correction, and gat the prosecutors promise to
render him all the service in Lis power.
•Mr. klostsc!.Est begged to be allowed to address the
Court in defence of his character.
The Judge refused to allow it.
Mr. Justice liAvir.it summed up.
The Jury, without hesitation, found liennet 04/1/.
Mr. JUstice BAILEY, in addressing the prisoners
stated', that the parents might have been deprived of
life, or of reason, and asked what recompence he
could make in either case?

The prisoner was taken from the bar, after having
received an assurance that the utmost severity of the
law should 'be visited upon him. Rennett walked
from the bar without being much affected.

Beta:lAL GREEN PA RISIL—In the Court of King's
Bench this morning, the Indictment of the King v.
Platt and others, for a conspiracy arising out of the
conviction of Mr. Merceron, came on before the
Curer JUSTICE. Mr. Serjeant PELL opened the case
on the part of the prosecution, and lamented that
the peace of the Parish of Bethnal Green should
remain-disturbed by the continuation of feelings of
animosity between the different parties; when
.Mr.
SCA lILETT, who appeared for the defence, intimated
that his clients were disposed to accede to any
proposal calculated to restore the peace of the
perish, and, as far as he could, guaran ee a faithful
observance of this intention on the part of the de-
fendants, his advice and influence should not be want-
ing.--Mr. Justice Asuorr interposed, and expressed
his desire that if the pertics ,ould asst, the present
icdictment should be compromised.—After a consul-
tation amongst the Counsel, the prosecutors, with a
liberality which they have at all times evinced, con-
smted to a verdict of Acquittal.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.
EPSOM RACES, THURSDAY, MAY 27.

The Derby Stakes, as usual, attracted an immense number
of persors. The weather proved propitious, mod the Course,
notwithstanding the late heavy rains, was in tolerable good order,
as well as the road, leading to lipsoin. The particulars of the
sports are u under :

The first year of a Renewal of the Derby Stakes of 50p. each,
h. ft. for 3-yr. old colts, Bst. 71b. Ellie., &a. 21b. Last mile
and a h. f.
Duke of Portland's c. Titesia, (out of Pledge, by Sooth-
sayer) audgeneraslly called Pledge' - -

Crockford's c. Sultan. b; Selim - - -
lA. Roues Euphrates, Mr. Watson's Phillip, Mr. Rush named
Dominie, Lord Egremont's b. c. Mr. Crockford's Emperor, Mr.
Goddard's Sir Topaz, Lord G. H. Caverbdish's c. by Ruben%
Lord Derby's Ceres, Mr. Douglas's Regent, Mr. Gardener's e.
by Haphazard, Sir J. Shelley's c. by Comus, Mr. Cusean's c.by
Election, Mr. Rogers's c. by Haphazard, Mr. Lake's c. bT Smo-
lensk°, Mr. Blake's f. by Haphazard, and Mr. Andrew s f. by
Orville, lso started, but the Judge could place but the above
two. gir Topaz took the lead as far as Tottenham Cifilltv, he
was then passed by Sultan and Pledge—the former kept the lead
until they came to the winning chair, when Pledge won by a head
only-2 to 1 apt Pledge, 4tp 1 apt Sultan, and Sto 1 apt
Sir Topaz.
The Judge and several other Gentlemen allowed this Race t
be the best contested one for the Derby ever run. Tke bets ran
very heavy on this Race.

StVeepst;kes of lOgs. each, with flogs. added frotn, tbe Race
Fund—all ages. Wisner to be told for 200 gs. bse. '
Mr. Walker's Lot Three, Syrs. . 1
Mr. T. Walker's ch. f. Defiance, 4yrs. - R
Mr. Sheward's ch. c. Rubens, 3yrs. - - to
Mr. Williams's cb. c. by Middlethorpe, 4yrs. - 4
This was an excellent Race, and won by not quite a neck,-
3to I apt. Lot Three-4 to I agst. Defiance. The winner was
claimed. Middlethorpe was thrown down by some gaping rus-
tics within : htindred yet 13 of home, and the rider, a boy of
Mr. Fdrrell's, was hurt, but not seriously—he was bled and re-
covered. The horse escaped unhurt.
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