The Sun. — 1841-12-30 (London, England)

WESTMINSTER SESSIONS.  (Before Mr. Sergeant ADAms and a Bench of Magistrates.) These Sessions commenced yesterday at the GUildhall. The Calendar did not contain any cases of a serious nature, they being chiefly petty larcenies. Edward Hill, aged 13, was charged with stealing 7s. from a person named Hurst, and pleaded Guilty. The circumstances were rather curious. The prisoner, who is a decent-looking lad, was found by Hurst almost  starving in the street. Hurst, who is -a very poor man, and sells baked potatoes in the street, took him home, and his wife fed him and gave hini a bed, but he most ungratefully robbed her of the whole of her little store, is., and decamped the next morning. The prisoner said he was a good scholar, had been educated at a boarding-school, and was an orphan. He had been lately going about with travelling showmen. He was remanded in order to make the necessary inquiries.  John Stone, William Warren, and James Warren, three little boys, the yonngest apparently not more than seven years old, were charged with stealing two glasses of sweetmeats from a shop in Tothill-street, Westminster. The evidence against the young culprits was conclusive ; one of them, Stone, who seemed to be about 12 years old, had been " in trouble" before.'  The Jury found all the prisoners Guilty. One of the officers of the Court stated that the poor boys (the Warrens) were very much to be pitied; the Father was living with a female in a very disgraceful state, and had actually turned these poor children out to starve or steal in the streets. If they were discharged that moment they had no home to go to. The CHAIRMAN said it was melancholy to think that there were vast numbers of children in that metropolis who were thieves from absolute want. The present state of these unfortunate children was most appalling, and it appeared to him that something must be dune by the Government. As the prisoner Stone was still very young, \ there was some chance of his being reclaimed, and the Court would sentence him to seven years' transportation, in order that he might be sent to Parker's prison in the Isle of Wight. The other two would be sent to the House of Correction for two months, and taken care of, in order that, in the meantime, something might be done for them.  The bide fellows, who cried bitterly, were then removed. Arthur Clarke, aged twelve, was charged with stealing a show case and six brooches, value 25., from a shop in Bridge-court, Westminster. • ' The Jury found the prisoner Guilty, but his former master having given him a good character, and expressed his willingness to take him back again, the Court sentenced him to 14 days' imprisonment in solitary confinement.  William Alders, aged 35, a hatter, was charged with assaulting Catherine his wife.  The piesecutrix, a delicate-looking woman, said she bad been married to the prisoner thirteen years, and had three children living out of eleven. On the 15th of November the pri§oner came home rather tipsy. He was in arrear with his landlaly. When he came home he began to drink and smoke. He told his wife she might go to bed, and that he would not molest her. She went up-stairs, and he followed her, and caught her by the throat, and told her that night would be her last. She was nearly strangled, and cried out" Murder!" The landlady and her son came up, and took him away. From questions asked by the Chairman it appaared that he had frequently ill-used her on former occasions.  The Jury found the prisoner Guilty, but he having agreed to allow his wife a sum of 1/. a week, and not to molest or go near her again, the Court held him to bail in his own recogniaances, and one surety of 20/. to come up and receive judgment whenever called upon. John Williams, a man with one arm, was charged with being a rogue and vagabond, and with having violently assaulted one of the officers of the Mendicity Society. The record of the prisoner's previous conviction was put in, but the Chairman thought the conviction should have been for being a rogue and vagabond, instead of an incorrigible rogue and vagabond, and the prisoner was discharged.—The Court then adjourned.