THE OLD BAILEY SESSIO Ns closed yesterday, with a long
list ofjudg- ments. The Court is adjourned to the 28th of October.
e •-■ CUTTING AND MAIMING.—Hectrup, a Shoemaker, was tried on Thursday, for an attempt to murder his wife. The poor woman herself risked the estreating of her recognizances, rather than prosecute the ruffian with whom evil fortune had connected her; but the case was clearly proved by other parties. We noticed the particulars when Hectrup was before the Police Magistrate. The prisoner pleaded jea- lousy, and threw himself on the mercy of the Court. The jealous gen- tleman, it may be recollected, did not live with the victim of his brutality. He was foundtuilty, and condemned to death. He will be transported for life. The Recorder humanely told the clerk not tia estreat the recognizances of the poor woman, whose tenderness (when was the tenderness of a woman drained dry ?) had induced her to hold back from prosecuting. ..are
CHARGE Or FORGERY.—A person named Hunt was indicted on Tuesday for forging a check on Messrs. Jones and Co. in the name of is employers, Messrs. Shoolbred and Co., Tottenham Court Road. We notice the case only to show how narrow an escape the prisoner had from the hitherto rigidly-exacted penalty of the law against forgery. The check was presented to the bankers by a ticket-porter ; who being called on to point out the person Avlio delivered the cheek to him, identified the prisoner as the man. Mr. Shoolbred swore that the check was filled up by the prisoner. The prisoner had been absent from his business for a whole day, the very day that the check was attempted to be cashed by Gardiner ; and yet he was as innocent of die forgery as the child un-. born. He had evidence which satisfactorily established an alibi at the time when Gardiner swore the check was given him ; and it was ad.. nutted that he kept the check-book, and filled up the checks at the de- mand of any clerk that might be sent to him by the heads of the house for that purpose : so that the circumstance of its being written by him, which appeared so suspicious, was of no importance whatever. There was another clerk of the, establishment who very mucs resembled the prisoner ; but there was nothing to show that either he or any other person of the establishment gave the check to Gardiner except his ima. gination, worked on as it was by the terror of finding himself connected with a charge of forgery, and the anxiety which he felt to get rid of the danger of the imputation. The auditors loudly expressed their sympa. thy on Hunt's being acquitted, and were, as was fitting, reproved by the Court. We cannot help thinking, that the exercise of a little sagacity in the Police Magistrate might have kept the man from the hazard and anxiety of a trial as well as the joy of a delivery.
DELINQUENCEs Or TIIE POLIcE.—Jelm Lidyard and Richard Barrett, two policemen, who were charged some time ago with robbing a drunken man whom they were pretendedly taking care of, were tried at the Old Bailey on Wednesday. The case was clearly proved. They were sentenced to seven years' transportation.
At Lambeth Street' on Wednesday, a Mr. Matson charged 212 K with a gross assault. Mr. Matson and a few friends had been taking a glass of ale in the Steam-packet public-honse ; and previous to parting, they stood for a few minutes before the door, conversing on the late lamentable accident at Manchester. While they stood thus, 212 K came up, and exclaimed, " So help me God, if you don't move on, yeti d—d — I'll take you to the station-house. ' Matson told him he and his friends were inhabitants of Limehouse, near their own. homes 212 then said, " You shall move on ;" and at the same tune seized him, and swung him into the road, where he fell on his back. Matson in stantly rose, and demanded his number ; when 212 pointing to it said, sneeringly, "There it is, you d—d — ," at the same time accom• panying his words with a violent blow in the throat, which knocked him down, and, when he rose, he was again knocked down. He called for assistance, but on the arrival of:two:other policemen, they refused to receive the charge. The assault was proved by four witnesses, two of them casual spectators. The two policemen who had come up on the cry for assistance said, there appeared to be a wrangling among the people assembled. Mr. Wyatt and the Rev. Mr. Mathias said they were dis• posed to consider the matter as originating in a want of cordiality to the New Police on the part of the complainants. Mr. Walker thought the policeman had overstepped his authority by interfering with respectable tradesmen ; policemen had no business to interfere with respectable people who chose to converse in the street. After some consultation, the Magistrates decided upon fining the policeman twenty shillings, as no moral turpitude attached to the charge, it being an error of judgment.
CAPTAIN HaLsnam.—It has been arranged that a Grand and Petit Jury should be summoned in the case of this gentleman and that four- teen days after the !este the trial should take place. It has been hitherto delayed in consequence of a commission to examine evidence not having
been issued from Chancery. •
SarwELL.—This man's case affords another of the numerous proofs that the criminals of our country, and doubtless of every country, are the least instructed of the community ; and that a judicious and ex- tended system of national education would do more to eradicate vice than all the laws, preventive or vindictive, that ever were passed. Once let men know the comparative advantages of honesty over roguery—how infinitely higher are its profits (to bind them by no higher tie than mere interest) than those of thieving—and thieving would disappear from the land. We give the following copy of a letter which this man Sapwell wrote two days before his execution, as a curious proof of his ignorance. We need not remark, that it is false from bee-inning to end, even by internal evidence, were there no other by which to estimate its value. "sir on monday August the 16 i spent the evening at Bedford teagardens and skittle ground cambdeu town i left thear at 11 0 clock and perseaded on the ham- destid road whan i came to totnham court road i turnd Down the new road and then turned up Judd-street in to brunswck square and from them to Gifford street when i came to the corner in to Grasen lane i herd a bussell ;mita cry of stop thef i See three wen ruining and a nother one a head i Run as fast as poseble in pursute of the one a head When i came opeset cupped gate a man came bout of The door thrue the gates and bolt mee right or Rong i pointed to the man runing and sead thear Gows the man but he wood olde me and at the Same time a respactible person seed that is the Rung man i head not presence of mind To speak to that persone but was drage to the station:House whear i was streipt and sercbt and not a thing or aney sines of any markes a bout Mee thear is now person can say that i ever head a Shout makers knif in my persation i ham a Baker by trad and it is not my dispesion to Strik aney one the reason of my gowen sowe Fer from home is that i am a good hand at skittles And mor cowl:nay the better witch thear is a Deaie of play
thear
Newgate Sapt the IS Wu SAp Wg1.181,300
Previous page
