The Miner and Workman's Advocate. — 1865-02-18 (London, England)

TRIALS AT THE MIDDLESP:IZ- SESSIONS.  George Blanken, 21, Henry Data 28-, George Danker, 31, and Frederick Wenmeier, 26,, were indicted for assaulting and wounding George Dipper, with intent to do him some grievous bodily harm. Mr. Metcalfe conducted the prosecution, instructed by Mr. C. Young; the prisoners were undefended. The prisoners in this case were all Germans, and on the 4th of January they were at work at a sugarhouse in' Christian-street, St. George's-in,-the-East, where the prosecutor was also employed; and a disturbance took place about some Christmas.boxes, in which all the prisoners took part, but Wenmeier took up a sort of triangular scraper, with sharp edges, and struck the prosecutor with it, which caused the entire loss of the sight of one eye, and that of the other was endangered. - The prisoners in their defence asserted that the prosecutor was the real aggressor, and what they did was only in self-defence. The jury found all the prisoners Guilty, but Wenmeier of an assault with intent to commit grievous bodily harm. The Assistant-Judge said Wenmeier might consider himself fortunate he was not standing at another bar to be tried for the murder of this man by using such a dangerous weapon. He sentenced him to be imprisoned and kept, to hard labour for twelve months, and the other prisoners each for six months. Robert Martin, 26, was indicted for stealing a pig, value 505., the property of John Sullivan. Mr. Starling prosecuted; Mr. Ribton defended. The prosecutor is a bricklayer's labourer, living at No. 4, Ireland-row, and on Saturday night, the 14th January, he had a pig in a stye, and on the following morning the pig was gone. There was blood in the stye, and marks of blood were traced over two fields and two ditches, as if something had been dragged along up to the road, where all further traces were then lost. Having crossed the road, traces of blood became again visible when they again disappeared, but footmarks were observed leading to the back of No. 24, Fountain-terrace, where the prisoner lived, and similar footmarks were found all along where the blood was. From information that was obtained, a policeman went to the prisoner's house and knocked at the door, but got no answer. He then went away, and with another constable returned to the place, and got over the back wall. The back door being open, they went into the house, and in a cupboard they found parts of a pig, some salted and some fresh, and the remaining parts of the pig they found in the cellar. There was also found in the cellar a scraper, with a quantity of black pig's hair adhering to it, and the head of the pig. Upon these facts the prisoner was taken into custody. Mr. Ribton addressed the jury, and gave as the prisoner's version of the transaction, that a man came to him, and, being in want of money, he offered to sell him the pig for 1/., but he eventually offered him 15s. for it, which he took, and in that way accounted for the possession of the pork. The Jury found the prisoner Guilty. A previous conviction was then proved against the prisoner for stealing potatoes at Gravesend, for which he served a term of imprisonment in Maidstone Gaol. The Assistant-Judge said this was a very heartless robbery from a poor man' who might want to sell the pig to pay his rent, and the sentence on him was 18 months' imprisonment with hard labour. 'William Green, 25, boilermaker, was indicted for stealing a quantity of iron bolts, the property of. the Thames Iron Shipbuilding Company (Limited). He was found Guilty, and sentenced to be imprisoned and kept to hard labour for nine calendar months. ,