The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-05-14 00:00:00

IMPUDENT THEFT

James Rooney, aged 18, was indicted for having, on the
20th April last, entered the dwelling-horse of Jon Clarkson,
and stolen therefrom a coat, a shawl, and a tippet, the pro-
perty of Mr. Clarkson.

Alr. Clarkson resides in Bridport-street, and on the morn-
ing of the 20th April, a Mr. David Evans, a coach spring
maker, who works opposite to Mr. Clarkson's house, saw
the prisoner and another man passing about the door which
one of them opened and entered. The man who went in pre-
sently came out with a bundle. Mr. Evans and his son ran
out. Mr. Evans pursued and seized the prisoner. Mr.
Evans's son pursued the other man, who threw down the
bundle and escaped. The bundle contained the articles
above specified, which were identified as Mr. Clarkson's
property.

- The Recorder praised Mr. Evans for his excellent beh
viour, and ordered him to receive half-a-sovereign for 1

services

The jury found the prisoner guilty, and, as there mas
long catalogue of offences against him, the court Fentenc
him to ten years' transportation.

A DESPERATE CHARACTER.
John Stewart, aged 22, was charged with having, in No-
vember last, assaulted John Arkwright, with the intention
of robbing him.

It was stated, that the prisoner was one of the most darin;
and desperate thieves in the town of Liverpool, and he wa:
now brought up from fears being entertained lest he shook
make his escape. He was to have been tried at the lust as.
sizes. but he contrived to make his escape out of the dock
and he was since re-taken at Warwick.
The prisoner was sentenced to fifteen years' transporta
tion.

The Grand Jury were discharged at half-past three o'cloct
They did not make any presentment.
The court adjourned at half-past five o'clock to nir
o'clock this morning.

THURSDAY,
CASE OF ASSAULT.
Mr. Frederick Smith was tried, by indictment,
charge of having, on the 15th of March last, violet)
saulted an old woman named Catherine &action, " w.
any lawful cause or provocation, whereby her life was el
gered." The principal circumstances of the case have, fur
the most part, been already before the public, throurb
police reports in. the newspapers; and as a full
of the " interesting" affair (which involved a love matter be-
tween the accused and the noted Mrs. Beale, late of Union.
street) did not even take place on the trial, a brief notice of
the facts, as adduced in evidence, will suffice.—Mr. Holland
conducted the prosecution, and Mr. Murphy the defence.
—Mrs. Lee, the principal witness, who was close by when
the old woman fell down the stone steps at the entrance to
the office where the defendant was employed, in [Mimi-
street, spoke to the assault so far as seeing the prosecutrix
held by the wrists by the defendant and pushed back by him,
after which she fell down back foremosr, and sustained, the
injury—a double fracture of her leg. The push was on the
landing, on a level with the first or upper step,*and her foot
tripped her on the step below. She was carried to a louse
opposite. The witness was told by Mrs. Beale, who now
lodged with her, that she would be paid her rent when the
action for damages to be brought against the prisoner was
settied. Hannah Beale, daughter of Mrs. Beale, admitted
that the prcsseutrix had gone across the street to the de-
fendant, and said, " You villain ; you have been the ruin of
that (Mrs. Beale's) family." He said if she had anything
to say to come into his office and say it. She followed him
as he went into his office, and took hold of the handle of
the door. When he came out he pushed her down the steps.
The witness denied, in cross-examination, that she had seen
any drink in the house that day, or that the prosecutrix %vas
drunk. The prisoner had been a great annoyance to her
" mamma." " She did not like him on account of his wick-
edness, in destroying people's characters." Mr. Smith had
not addressed Mrs. Brennan before she called him a villain.
Mrs. Beale spoke to seeing the defendant push the prosecu-
trix backwards. On severe cross-examination witness said
she could not say she was a widow; but that Mr. Smith
might have fancied that he was paying his addresses to her
as such. From the further cross-examination of this wit-
ness, it appeared that she had quarrelled with Mr. Smith, in
behalf of another Adonis, Captain Curtis, who had once
turned Smith out of the house ; and that she had purchased
goods from a Mr. Lynn, representing herself (as she stated)
neither as a married nor a single woman ; but afterwards
defending an action at law, when the money was demanded,
as the plea that she was married. She denied that she had
told Mr. Smith, while he paid his addresses, that her hus-
band had died in America, or produced any certificate to
him to that effect. Dr. Cripps stated that the prosecutrix
appeared to be sober when he was called in to see her, be-
tween ten and eleven o'clock, on the night after her
fall—
which it appeared occurred at four o'clock in the after-limn,
Mr. Murphy addressed the jury at some length for I,e '
fence. The whole prosecution was instigated, he _
the Beale's, who had discarded Mr. Smith for a mere.
nate rival. He remarked strongly on the spirit
than tie('
by
those parties to his client, who bad used no moree
nary violence to eject the prosecutrix, aftser
os_h,,e,ll
ad
abused him and followed him to his to
and not by an
was occasioned by her own intoxication,
v x xis
biloolwen. ceHoen hsaisidpathrta—t
the way, if poss,
court was brought expressly.
,o pave oatestforuackia haer
fothreheprheasdent
ought to be repu
an action for damages
and amongst others a prat
tresses for the defence,
igaetse to
aHe was arbtoaugtaitio"ctaillisseelviee,
1 when the recorder interfered. ,
at the time she felt.
'the case to be, that whatever inji.
man who would prove that the prosecutrix was btinti
Treoceived had been brought on by he
and imprudence, as she had followed the de,
mPprri°e:es'senectiduattiriiciixst abased him at his own office. The jury concur ant and
and a verdict of acquittal was immediately returned.
recorder, addressing the prisoner, said—" Dont you five
future in the same street with the Reales." Mr. Murpb
.4 Aye, dont follow the widow again."
Mr. Smith was then discharged from the bar.

tly as-

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