The National Register. — 1820-05-22 (London, England)

EXTORTING MONEY BY A CHAOS OP AN UNNATURAL OFFENCE.—WiIIiam Wilkinson, a wretched looking man of colour, was indicted for an assault upon Edward Hodder, on the King's highway, and stealing from his person three half crowns, and two one-pound Doles. Mr. Bolland opened the case. He stated, that this was a case of peculiar importance, and required their utmost attention. The Learned Counsel proceeded to detail the facts of the case as they were afterwards proved in evidence. Mr. Justice Bayley summed up, and the Jury found the prisoner Guilty. The prisoner upon hearing the verdict, exclaimed, " I'm murdered." Baron Garrow—Gentlemen, the observations just made by the prisoner calls from me this remark. I have attended to the course of the evidence, and I think myself bound to say, that had your verdict been different, an inroad, and a fatal inroad would have been made upon the safety of society. Mr. Justice Bayley also expressed his concurrence. Benjamin Constable and Elizabeth, his wife, were indicted, the former for stealing and the latter for feloniously receiving, a number of valuable pistols the property of Mr. Riviere, the gun-maker, in OxfordStreet. The male prisoner was a workman to Mr. Riviere, and it was proved that he had from time to time stolen a number of pistols of the most valuable kind that the shop contained, and his wife pledged ihein for trifling sums at several pawnbrokers* shops. It came out in course of evidence that the prisoner was in great distress, in consequence of having a wife and children and a sick father to support. One of the pistols produced was stated to be worth 4L 365. at prime cost, and this was pledged at a pawnbroker's for a few shillings. Mr. Baron Garrow, in addressing the Jury, animadverted in very strong terms on the negligent (to say no worse of it) conduct of the pawnbrokers in this case. It was owing to the facility with which the tan. happy couple at the bar, could raise a few paltry shillings, by pledging articles worth as many pounds, that they had been placed in such a situation, and Mr. Riviere had been so great a sufferer in his property.— His Lordship directed an acquittal of the wife on a point of law. The Jury found Benjamin Constable Guilty, Death —and the Foreman begged permission to recommend him to mercy, and to state the grounds on which they did so, which were—first, the circomstance of this being his first offence, and the good character he had borne—and, secondly, that they conceived his guilt was in a very material degree owing to the readiness with which he could raise money upon she articles at some pawnbrokers. Baron Garrovr.—" I hope this opinion of yours, Gentlemen, entitled as it is to the highest consideration and respect, will obtain a very wide circulation. I shall direct that toe pawnbrokers do not receive one shilling of their expences, and I hope that in future they will attend to the interests of the public, as well as to their own." His Lordship then desired Mr. Clark, not to give the pawnbrokers one single In the course of the day Mr. Baron Garrow took occasion to remark, that the public business in this Court, as well as at the Assizes, were much retarded, and the Judges put to much inconvenience, in consequence of the neglectof Magistrates' Clerks to furnish the depositions taken at the Police Offices. He now requested Mr. Clark, the Deputy Clerk of the Airaigns, to make wit a list of all the prisoners in whose cases die depositions had not been furnialied this Sessions, with the particular office from which each was committed, and transmit the same to Lord Sidmouth, in order that measures might be adopted to put an end to so alarming ant evil.  The servant of Capt. Davis, who, as our readers may recollect, enabled his master to escape from Giltspur.street Compter, was tried on Monday at the London Sessions, and sentenced to six months imp prisonment. We understand the Jury were extremely reluctant to find a verdict against him, bet without violating their oaths, they could not acquit him. Last wed: a servant at Mr. Dunn's, Firling, Holderness, being about to light the fires, and having no matches, got Nit.. Dunn's powder flask, and after strik Mg some sparks of fire among the tinder, scattered a small quantity of gunpowder upon it. This immediately taking tire, coinintinicaird with that in the flask, which exploding, carried away all the glass in two windows, and left the thumb of the young woman's hand, in which she held the powder flask, hanging by a piece of skin.