OLD BAILEY, Thursday, Feb...
The Times, 1824-02-20T00:00:00

(Before tlte J t.DGES and a Mfiddlese.r Jury.) Win. Sykes wvas inlictedl tor atealing, in the dwelling-house of Lord Darnley, various articles of wearing apparel to the value of 51., the property of James Child, his Lordship's coachman. Child and his vwife occupied apartments over hji lorlship's stables, and during the wite's absence on the night of the 31st of January, the premises were broken into and the property in ques- tion stolen. In consequence of a knife belonging to the prosecutor being discovered in the prisoner's possession, he was taken up on suspicion, and under a promise of favour fromn Mrs. Child, he stated where his lodgings were. and the stolen property was found tthere. The jury found him Guilty, with a recommendation to mercy. Joseph Thoutson, James Thomson, and William Thiomison, brothers, were indicted for stealing in the dwelliug-house of Thos. Potten MlIacqueen, Esq., 3f.P., a Highland dirk, a pearl neck. lace, and various other articles, to a very considerable amount. Oar police report havi.g soTecently put the public in possession of the particulars of this case, it is unnecessary atpresent to domore than mention the leading facts, which were these:-In the month of De- cernberlast Mr. M.lacqueen left town, having first engaged a respect- able builder to dosome repaiss in his house in Park--lane. The builder employed the three prisoners, who were respectable housec painters, to do some Jobs in two of the rooms. Upon Alr. M1ac- queen's return to town in January, he found that several locks in the house had been forced, and others injured ; and on examining the wardrobes, &c., he missed the dirk,various articles of jewellerv, and other property, of the value, in all, of about 7001. or 8001. Information being given to the police, several of the stolen articles were disrovered at a pawnbroker's and other places where they had been disposed of, and clearly traced to the possession of the prisoners. The dirk was first pawn- ed by the prisoner William, for a guinea; and having lost the duplicate, he made ar affidavit before Mr. Conant to that effect; one of the other prisoners then took tlle affidavit to the pawnbroker and redeemed the dirk, which he afterwards sold to Davies, in Jermyn- street, for 30s. The necklace, which consisted of 60 or 70 large pearls, of the value of upwards of two guineas each, and a snap of 15 diamonds set in gold, was sold by the prisoner James to Charles Carnegy, of 77, King-street, Soho, who gave him two shillings a piece for the pearls, and 31. a carat for the diamonds. He afterwards resold the smallest of the diamonds for 51. a carat, and melted down the gold within eiglht days from the time he had bought it. The prisoner Joseph lefta Chinese snuff-box, and a card-case, with MNloses Solomon, of Vinegar-yard, to sell on commission. He said he had brought them witi him from India; and Solomon sold them for 41. 10s., receiving 11. commission for his trouble, The same pri- aoner employed a boy named Hawkins to pawn a blue coat for a guinea, which he divided with his brother Jamnes; and also miade his sister pwn some female apparel, which belonged to Mrs. AMacqueen. Upw ards of 20 witnesses appeared on behalf of the prisoners, who gave them a most excellent character. Mlr. Justice BEST, in summuinz up the evidenil, expressed his regret that Carnegy had been put into the witness box, as the case was sufficiently strong without him, and another part of the Coart would have suited him much better; nor would London be the worse for his being s-nt to a place at a considerable distance from here. Thejury iiiight blot out from their notes every word which had been sworn by that infamous witness; but it was a subject of great pain to his feelings, that the rest of the evidence left not thc slightest doubt upon his nmind respecting the guilt of any onc of these three brothers. That, however, was for the jury to decide. The Jury, unhesitatingly, returned a verdict of Gsudsty againr,t:tse three prisoners. Mr. Macla cen, who lad given his evidence on the bencb, then rose, and sald, that he had been indluced to institute this prose. cution bya sense of public justice, and in vindication of the charac. ters of his servants and the other tradesrnen who had been employed in liis house at the time. He begged, however, to tecomend the prisoners to lls M1ajesty's mercy. The Jury concurreb in this recomnmcndation, and Mr. Justice B lST said le would take cOrl that it should be for- warded to the throne. The prisoners were of very respectable appearance, the two younger in particular, who were both hlandsonie young men, about one or two wrd twmety years of axe. OLD BA[LEY, Thfrsday, Fcb. 19.