Southwark Sessions.
The Times, 1824-01-09T00:00:00

Yesterday these sessions commenced before the LORD MAYOR, the RE60"rm, andAldermani J. J. SaiTri. Tllonas ui,np, appatently a mete-chird, the leader of a gang of young thieves, was put to the bar, and indicted for having stolen a waistcoat piece, the property of ?homas Bell, -a talor, of No.99 Tooley-street., l The-prosecutor stated thAt his shup.widuiiw had been broken on the lath of September, and 'he'iYalstc0at-pIe6& draved throughi it. There was a large kdng of infantihe thies in the neighbouthood. Thesonnof the plrosecutor stated that .he heard a. noise atthe win- dow, andi ssb the ptisoner. and anOSDer iosy dratiog the oalstcoat through a hole iU the window. *WitMe~s8laid hold of both boys; but the prisoner escaped, and carried oxFfte waistcoat-piece in triiniph. The other boy w'as convicted last session. Tbe prisoner looked stead ily at the prosecutor, and,to the surp-rise of every one in conutt, acted as counsel for himself In tbe t'ibOilowin manner:- . Prisner.-Now, young man, aSeyou sure I arn-the person. wlio took the waistcoat-piece, as rou call it? Virtiess._- am sure of it. Pristier.-How could you know the diffieredoe betheen me and otbers-?- Witnesi-._iknow you wel - -: Prisjiter.-I ran I suppose? WVitness.-Youdid. Prigon-er.And vUhich wayi? Vitnas. -Down Magdalen.street. * Pri%rner.-And you lost sight oftme F V itceess.-I did.- Enronerf Nowt el iifi ,whean did youi ext sei me t Witness-..> On die 11th of October. Prisoner-Aud yoa know me'aftei - all that' ilme F 'ow often did yop see me befttfe tie robbery, pray PtW .ritness.;-.ever. Prnsqner.-Sou byknew meaftcrall uhath4tni. No, no; you coulrd not.: .JX have.notbing more tnask'vou.. - Another lad was then called, and he confirmed the evidence of the preceding- witneAs. The REcoRDEn.-Prisoner, do' you wih to ask tihis witniess any questions ?-Ves,.mY Lord, and ['II tell wbo he is, too. This fellow has been pidfid up for a felony, and his word ought not to be taken. I hiope the jury won't rind bim. Itie REcoDEwt.-Is that true, witness? Vitness.-It is, my- Lord2 the case; and I suff'ered the laws of my country. I was inirsoned a week and fve days in Horsemionger-lane gaol. rhe PRECORDR.-.I am happy to see:that vou hiave reformed, and that y ou liave been forthree- years -am-nosi industrious honest lad? Prisoner.-He has been -tp tihough, and his wordS is good for nothing; A labouring man s lid, that he saw the prisoner and bis convicted compantin amongst asetof desperateyoung thieves, lurking about tde prosecutor's premises, on the night of the robbery, and frequently cautioned them to be gone. . ' RECORDER." WIll yon ask this aniany questions? Prisoner. -l say, vou say, that you saw me! sWhat do you-k4ow of me. eb ? Witness-Nothing good. Prisoner._Oh dear, don'tEyou? Then you may go dowa. You ktDow nothing-bad. The. RECORDER-Prisoner, now; die time foryour defence. PrisoUer.-lVhy,my Lord, what. I b4ve to say-is- Olix-A.? I was a going along Vidoar.yard; I sa* sombe boys looking in atthat .ile gendeman'sshop; so I gsoodairi see what theyrMyasa'ter: So one qn -um pulls out a bit of a vaistcoat.nkece;. He was-a bad Ila, to be .ure. and hegoes of F; and then these vere gentlernen, you see, aka Ipl.of mL; but, lnoewrd. nothirJg abouti-t, .: The REcO6tD?t.-f-ive you iny witdesses? Prisoner.-Why, I believenot, at present; (Looking about.) - John-Gamnmon,-a fishrnonger, said-he had-known thelittle boy, who was ertir wildV, although his frIcnds:were iapecuable. The RECOsct.eR.-It- would' have been better for you, Sir, to have st4yedat hom nthan to.come heie toinpjure theboy's character when,ihewanted amsistanqg,; r te A verdictofguildj was returned. r Thle RRcoiRDtini- Nowi prisoners; the best thing I tan' do fort vou is to send- ,u-ut-of this -countr and I hope,you will 'tell all .we icked meet that ng ber ca be exp d by those who act ai.youiave-done.' ITiis ts nmy obly alterniative: you havd been in prison befome, you k,n(ne. . - ' ' Prisoner.-_NotI, syLord, never, Lassure-you;, The REcoStDFsI.-'iIdeed you have. .lou have been-in Horse- monger.lane.gaol. Prisoner(hri-a low tone of vosce,andXooktng stonished)_.hercs. th6t, U(Wondet? - The RECOtp,.-The s'ntenceof the Court on you 'is; tbat you be transported for-seven years. .. : .risoner.-Thank you, -mry Lord, - ts: any eigi'ty.four- od mon1i a tero!a - mnurmur o'f encouriigement and applause, wi which .the ,boy ep- prared .to be.delikhlttd:' (>' - *- . .-* Tltzornar ff,to, a decent but rather disotderly m3an, was indicted I'or assaultingand beating-John Kinsey, an officer, in the exetitnon: t,f bis duty. - -. 'S-The prosecstor'rtated,-ihat on tiheSd of October, he liad altI or. derto take some ptisoners -from.die Townbhail to :the Compter- It wa% the uracric. to- chain all kvIib- ere:ordered to prison together in a kltiiig fo; the Kieater xecuity. The piisQner, upon being calhednpod qn; ciauge of assault- to.jiulp the band, refusedi aUow hiniself: to be chaialed to the othernprisoners,- and wlen - the . nrcessiry cdnipOl.' -sibn:4as resorted to, cried:oat that he was Di). felon, lpold would not be cliaiu-ed to/ftlonsj, and lie thereforelkickid .witness, and ihook bisS fist nt ium. Assisfaino was fbrtltwitlr prkcdred,; and the :prisoner- was then put nit4ei chi.un and. hindcufed.: -AvotheroftictrAonfirTped:t7ui8staifient, aidesriled the vory extraordiuary-obiectto the risoner had. to be put on the,chinhir A cobsiabI6 naned Juhohpsoni huwjver, tffoetually lyiked-him to th'e other pisaoner,'i ind h'e' wi'lodged in the Coinpter. ' .. -T if sner; i lhWsdefence tsaid, he had,nevei coniiited an bf fetucewUichoald sob3ecthimn-o she di$r5ce of btuigehalued to . ommon tilbnis, ana dagged tiiroiugh thaestrgets, and ihe naturally expressed.-his abhorrertce ot' so.cu Iel an in14- jasta , pnishlmehr, which must ieave 'n inlible' itn jressionupoh Tfe nihds of thte wv))o beheld thide graeept cavalC,de inthe s Weet. lteriede. av ing used violence bt- adiniSed rhat he h-uged?xeibosrranc - - The RECo RsDER;- in bddressng the jury, obsetved that theAasmult was proved. ' .-e'''.u, 'd . - ' ' ' ' The Jury 'consited fo shQrt time, and h. en-returnedl a rerdict of G?ilty. ' - . 1- H His Lordship miade no observation upon- fte aboinirable-and d- grading practice of chohinipg pe-onii4rhp were ghar&edywith corrihion assaults with common thiev*, but he manifested hos dlsapRK it Onl' of it by telling the defendant, Ahat --upn 'paying a shiling liiie bh* sbiould be discharged,- , . - *. -. : * . - - l This practice has been adopted Sor,ilie acconminodationw-of theti officers, who are in th :habit of deputing one person todo' OhF hu - ,'Iness, by, tAtg Vargg of 0 whole dlyts wofk in strink, as.z is caeUed.. -. SOUTaWARk SESSIONS,