Middlesex Adjourned Sessi...
The Times, 1824-11-13T00:00:00

.j:Z"Veww& "-ickron, a littLe glrl, abOUC 12 or 11 years ot age, was indicted for stealing a loaf of bread, value 4l., the property of--- Schunter. - Schunter stated that he vvas a baktr, and kept a slhop in Mans- field-place, Rentish-town. He discovered that he wam occasionally robbed of bread, and suspeeting a boy who was in his service, he dis- charged him. ilis losses, however, did not cease with the absence ofthe boy, and he datermined to set about discovering the thief. For this purpose he bored a hole through his parloar-door at the back of the shop, through which lbe could see vhat was goine on in the shop withoat beingl seen himself. On the morning oF the 92d of October, between 8annd 9 o'clock, he saw thc prisoner come into the shop, take up a 4tb. loaf, and valk away with it. He followed and seized her, anti she dropped the loaf from nader her pinafore. Ctos*-exs.tinedby Mr. Ai L..He knew the prisoner. She lived with ber aunt, w7ho was a lady of pronerty, and resided -nearly opposite to his house. He once serves the prisorier's aunt with bread,but he discontinued to do so from his own wish, on account of the iitegilar manner in wbicls the paymnents were made. The prisoner's aunt never coinplainel to him of the badness of his bread, nor didl she ever accUse him of having taking part of a-pudding wlhch sbe had sent to him to be baked. He did not stat to a person named' Hanson. that he had'any doabt with re- spect to the person who took the loaf. * -_ Gilpin deposed, that betwreen eight and niae o'clock on the mornirg of the 23&d-of October, he was passing the prosecutor's house, and asa the prisoner go into the-shop. IIe shortly after liad odeoion to tufa 4av r, when he saw, the Prisoner retithig fromn the .shop, and the prosecutorfellowmin her. The prosecutor seized her, ande a.loaf fell frono beneath her pinafore. 0 A boy -also stated that he saw the prisoner enter the prosecutor's shop. 'ltfeprisoner being called on for her defenee, handcd to the Chair- inan- paper, in vehich she stated that the loat'was given to her by a bof a stran^r to her, at her e,unt's door, and that she had never entered the prosecutot's shop: Mrs. Shout, the prisoner's aunt, stated, that the prlsoner lived ritbhher. Her conduct had always becn correct, and she wanted for nosbiag. She once sent arice-pudding to the Drosecutor to be baked. When it came home the pudding was not hiilf so large _s when it went. She discontinued to deal with the prosecutor because of the badness of his bread. - I,onsdale, a helsier, in Regent-street, stated, that lie had known tle prisoner's aunt for the last 10 years; she was a most respectable lady. The prisoner was well educated, and wanted for nothing. - Hanson, a builder.at Hlighgate,atated,that in the comtse of some conrersation which he had with the prosecutor in Court yesterday, he (the prosecutor) said that he -had his doubts, but would not mention names, as it would make a great disturbance." The witness supposed the prosecutor meant that he entertained doubts with me. -ipect to the person who took the loaf. Tthe CRAi ft5NAi, in addressing the jurv, observed, that they were called upon to perform a very painful duty, but he trusted that they vould perform it impartially. It would be wrong to suppose that a child brought up in the way in which the prisoner was de- scribed to have been reared, and living with her aunt, a lady of great respectability, could not commit CUCil an act as that with which she wras chargced; for it was well known that the crime of shop-lifting was Irequently committed by persons whose station in life was of the first respectability. The character of thc prosecutor was as much at ake a's that of the prisoner, and Chs jury were bound to do justice between them. The Jury immediately returned a verdict of Gt,iltv. The prosecutor said, that he had not prosecuted the prisoner frem vindictive motives, and begged to recommend her to mercy. The CHATl5[r AN obseeed, that the piosecutor's conduct, after the manner in which he had been treated in his cross-examination, didt him great credit. The best thing which could be done with the prisoner would be to plaec her ander the care of her friends. He then directed that the prisonver shousld be deliTered to her aunt, on her en- terng into recognizances of 201. to bring her up for judgmnent when Jobn fitlchell and Alexualder Raensay, two soldiers, were in- dicted for assaiulting Mfary Clarke. AlMary Clarke deposed, that about six o'clock on the evening of the 22d of October, thc prisoners, in company with another soldier, passed her shop in Wych,street, St. Clement's, and one of thtem broke a window. She went to the door and said to alitchell, " You have broken a window, and mttst pay for it." lie made use of'shoclc. ing language, and she beginning to be alarmed, told him that if he did not choose to pay for the window, he mnighlt go away quietly. Alitchell, however, exclaimetl " Yoa b- y old bh b, I'll pay on,'" and struck her in the face. The blow drove thc back of her ?icad withauch violence against the wall, that she became seniseless for some tiRe. When she recovered, ahe found hTer shop full of people, and Mlitchell fighting in the middle of them. Several win. dows were broken, and her property was injured. Mitchellat length -as secured. Ile put hIls hand in his pocket, said he had beenrobbed, anid sat down antd cried. - aphla-clarke, th-cdauxghter of the last witness, stated, that when .Mitchell attacked her mother, she screaTned for assistance, and Be- veral gentlemen came up, whom thesoldiers knocked down. Wheln Mitchell camc into the shop, he told the witness that lie would smash her, and was ai.bouvt to sttike her when some person laid hold of his arm. When he found he was overpowered, he sat down and cried. John Alaskall deposed, that he was passing tlhrough Wych-strect on the eveniing in question, and heard the three soldiers abusing the prosecetcix irn very gross ternw. Mlitchell get her up agesnst the wall, and struck her several blows, which knocked her head againat the wall. Ue procurcti the assistance of some constables, anid the two prisoners were secured after a desperate resistance. The other soldier escaped. The prosecutrix's face continued for several days to be dreadfully disfigured by the violence which shc hadl received. The prisonersin their defence, told a story of their having been drinking together, butt said not a word about beating the prosecuttix. Win. Church, a fislhmonger, living at No. 51, Wychbstrect, ap- peared as a. witness in their fiavour. lie deposed, that on the eveniirg of the 23d ult., he was standing at llis own door, wbich was opposite to that of the prosecutrix. Ile saw thc prisoners pass AJrs. Clarke's house, in comnpany wvith a thirtl soldier, who broke a window with his shoulder. IUrs. Clarke and her daugltercanie out and seized litehell; and the formuer said, " You villain, you have broltc mv windlow, and shall pay tOr it." Instead of waiting fnr an answer, she began to cry, " Will no one come to my assistance ?" He might have atforded her immediate assistance, but he did not becausc his wife, who weas standing by hin, observed that it was no business of his. (f4erc there was a pretty general expressionl of indignatior. from tihe specta- tors against the witness, whlich indecd was re eated more than once whilst he was giving the remainder of his tale; but the fellow, no. thing aba hed, continted to utter his extravagances with the muost daring effrontery). then when lie saw how shatefully the soldieTs ere treated, he could not in conscience go to assist the prosecutrix. Tnhe prosecrix had injuredl him to the utmtost of her power. The p in iert Ay...g.And therefore you conme herc to be revenged upon her. UWcll, go on. The witncss proceeded.-He did not see Alitchell knock the prosecutrix's head against the wall; hut he saw the prosecutrix drag Mlitchell to her shop. The CuHAIitArN (in amazemeat4.-JVhat! that ol,l woman drzg that pNwer'uil mani there ? Stand ttp, old woman. (She did so.) Noiw, feliow, de you mean to say that ahe dragged that man to her shop ? W'itness._Hcr daughter ivas assisting her, andl they had not far to drag him. The poor soldiers were very ill used. The CHAsattn.N..Stand down: nobody believes one word that you have ssaid. He then proceeded to actlress the jury. There were sorlic cases in wbich the falsehood was too gross to impose upon anv One; such a case was that which the ulnlappvn man who hiad just left tlhe witness-box bad attempted to prove. 1i had greatly surprised him, that themas had continued with his statemnentwvhen he perceived the scorn whiCl every one in Courttexpressed towards him. In lis opinion it bad been clearly proved that the prisoners had committed a tuost gross assault. Tbe conduct of Alitclell had been brutal in 'the extremte. 'rhe jtaey fomnd hoth prisoners < G,illy of the assault. RtiMnsPY hoped that the Court wotild consider that tl;ey had been in prison for three weeks. Ilitchsell, in a whimpering tone, begged ibuit the Coirt wotld not prevent him frotm gotag to s6ee hro frienids In Scotland, tor whicii purpose he had got a firlough. bTe CHAt STA-N sentenced Mitchell to be imprisoned for four months and Ramsiav f'Or two months, in the House of Correction, and bot to be kept to hard labooi. The prosecutrix rwas a posr feeble creature: the prisoners were tall and athletic men. AIJDDI4E.SLX ADJOURNED SOSSIONT, FarDAr, Nov. 12.