The Sun. — 1844-04-17 (London, England)

LAW AND POLICE.  In the New Central Criminal Court, Thomas Collins, described as a labourer, but attired as a young gentleman, was convicted of stealing, on the 6th inst., a pocket-book and two Bank notes of the value of 50/. each, from the person of Joseph Thomas Martin, the property of Messrs. Thomas Baring (Brothers) and 0., and was sentenced to be transported for ten years. Mary Purley, a married woman, aged 36 years, was convicted of the murder of her infant son by drowning him in the Regent's-canal, and sentenced to death. At the Surrey Sessions, James Gearing, a man of a most ferocious aspect, and the leader of a gang of thieves who infest the Borough-road and Elephant and Castle, was indicted for feloniously stealing from the person of Martha Davis, on the 29th of March last, in the parish of St. George the Martyr, the sum of V. 17s. 6d., the property of her husband. She was surrounded in the street by the prisoner and his companions. The jury found a verdict,of Guilty, and the prisoner was sentenced to ten yearsrtranSportation. At Bow-street, John Skinner Francis, a young man holding a commission in the Cape of Good Hope Mounted Rifles, and Mary Ann Browne, described as a governess, were brought before Mr. Jardine, for re-examination, charged with forging and uttering a cheque for 190/., another for 30/., and a third for 250/., each purporting to be drawn by Dowager Lady Nellthorpe, of Seven Oaks, Kent, with intent to defraud Messrs. Smith, Payne, and Smiths, bankers. Mr. Bush, on behalf of the Society of Bankers, said a large portion of the property was outstanding, some of which could be traced .to both the prisoners, and at a future day he would be in a condition to prove that on one occasion they both went to the banking-house to get a cheque cashed. The prisoners were remanded till Friday. At Lambeth-street, Miss Julia Elizabeth Seales was brought up in custody,' from the residence of her parents, at 44. Farmer-street, Shadwell, and placed within the bar, before Mr. Henry, on a charge of having caused the death of her illegitimate female infant, by throwing it into the privy. The prisoner, who is a fine young woman of 19 years of age, seemed in a very weak and dejected state. Mr. Henry did not think there was any necessity for pressing the inquiry at present, as the prisoner could not be tried at the present sessions at the Central Criminal Court, and the next session would not be before the second week in May. The prisoner was remanded for a fortnight. At the Thames Police-court a tall and powerful man, named Thomas Frewin, aged 52, a superannuated Customhouse officer, who has for some years past plied as a waterman at Ratcliff, was brought before 11Ir. Broderip on a charge of killing two cats in the house of Mr. Henry Wilson, the White Hart, Queen-street, Ratcliff. The prisoner- on being called on for his defence, said, in a very collected manner, that he was actuated to do as he had done by an evil spirit. The evil spirits seemed to be the cats, and so he took up the poker and killed them. Mr. Broderip said it was quite clear the prisoner was a very dangerous lunatic. He was ordered to be taken care of.