The Sun. — 1844-09-18 (London, England)

RECORDER.) Henry Howard, 25, described in the calendar as a tailor, was indicted for a burglary in the dwellinghouse of William Frederick Shoebridge, and stealing a silver spoon and other articles, his property. It appeared from the evidence that the prosecutor is a surgeon, and resides in the Old Kent-road. On the night of the 28th August, the family retired to bed leaving the premises properly secured, and the next morning it was discovered that some person had entered the house by means of a back window, and the articles in question were stolen from the surgery. About nine o'clock in the morning after the robbery was discovered, the prisoner went to the shop of a pawnbroker in Tooley-street, and offered part of the stolen property for sale, and on his being questioned, he said he had picked it up in the New-cut. Not believing this story, the pawnbroker sent for a policeman, and gave the prisoner in charge, but as he was conveying him to the station-house, the prisoner contrived to give him the slip, and he was not apprehended for three or four days afterwards. The prisoner, in his defence, asserted that he was not the man who ran away, and declared that he knew nothing about the robbery. The jury returned a verdict of Guilty ; and the prisoner was also proved to have been convicted of felony in 1836, and sentenced to seven years' transportation. There was another charge of burglary against the prisoner, which it appeared was committed at the next house to the prosecutor in the former case, and which must have been perpetrated about the same time. The Recorder, however, expressed his opinion that it was not necessary to go into the evidence in  this case. The prisoner was sentenced to be transported for ten years. William 'Windsor, 18, a well-known young thief, was indicted for stealing, from the person of Lydia Crouch a purse, containing silver moneys, the property of her husband. Mr. Charnock defended the prisoner. It appeared, from the evidence, that the prosecutor was passing along Garden-row, in the middle of the day, on the 21st of August, when the prisoner, who was accompanied by three other young men, went up to her, and contrived, in a most adroit manner, to lift up her gown and take the purse from her pocket. The robbery was effected in so dexterous a manner that Mrs. Crouch was not at all aware of her loss, and the prisoner would have escaped with his booty, but the transaction was fortunately observed by a very intelligent lad, named Henry Hughes, who is in the service of Mr. Folkard, a pawnbroker, at the corner of Garden-row, and he gave notice to the prosecutrix of what had happened, and called for a policeman. The prisoner and his companions ran off and escaped, but he was taken into custody the next day, and was positively sworn to as being the person who committed the robbery. The jury returned a verdict of Guilty; and a previous conviction for felony was also formally proved against the prisoner. The RECORD= sentenced him to be transported for ten years. John Sproule, 39, pleaded Guilty to an indictment, charging him with stealing a silver spoon and fork, the property of W. Mackinnon, Esq. He was sentenced to be kept to hard labour for  twelve months. In the course of the day the grand jury came into Court, and returned a true bill against William Ross Touchet, for feloniously shooting at Thomas Smith, with intent to murder him. The Recorder rose soon after live o'clock.