The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-09-27 00:00:00

ALLEGED CHILD STEALING.

In London, on Monday, at the Worship-street
Police-court, Mary Ann Ingram, alias Smith, 38, a
married woman, was brought up, on remand, charged
with having stolen on the 29th of August a male
child, named Charles Sellen, aged six months,
thereby depriving its mother of its lawful custody
and control.
Further evidence was put forward as to the
identity of the prisoner, and the mother of the child,
Mrs. Sarah Sellen, said she sent 'Emma Scott, a little
nurse girl, to Victoria-park with the infant (witness's
daughter) at half-past nine o'clock on the 29th of
August. At half-past four o'clock the same after-
noon she was told that it was lost, and she gave a
description of it to the police. The child was
returned to her by the police on the 6th inst., when
she found it was in very good condition.
A witness named Criddle, who lived near the pri-
soner at Wellington-row, Bow, deposed to visiting the
prisoner in company with the girl Scott and another.
The girl at once recognised the woman, and the police,
who were waiting outside, came in, and inquired about
the missing baby. The prisoner said she had a baby
—one of her own—and it was a fortnight old. She
produced it, and it was noticed that the baby had
bandages all over its body, and the legs were tied
together, as the witness described it, "in a disgrace-
ful way."
Police-constable Armstrong stated that he arrested
the prisoner. In reply to his questions, the prisoner
admitted she had a baby about a fortnight old, and
that she was confined in the Bethnal-green Infirmary.
She offered to go with the officer to the infirmary to
verify the statement, but he teld her he would charge
her with stealing the child, and took her away. On
the route to the station prisoner was followed by a
large mob of persons, who 'hooted her and cried out,
"Who sneaked the baby ?" The prisoner said to
some persons near her, "I did sneak the baby, and I
brought it to a good home from a bad one. It was in
a nasty state." In consequence of the violent be-
haviour of the crowd, witness took the woman into
the Bethnal-green Police-station, before proceeding to
Bow. The prisoner there said to witness, " I will
tell you the truth. I did steal the child."
A searcher, named Manning, said that she was
called to search the prisoner and examine the child,
Charles Sellen. She found that the child was ban-
daged from head to foot, and she supposed the object
was to make it appear smaller and therefore younger.
The arms were wrapped in strips of calico pulled
tightly, and the legs were also tightly held together.
There was one bruise upon the left arm, .and two
more bruises on the legs. Witness could not tell how
the bruises were caused. The prisoner told her at
the time that she had not caused the bruises.

The prisoner exclaimed that sho had not bruised
the child.

Detective Beall produced some clothing worn by
the child Senen, 'when taken away, and it was identi-
fied by the nurse girl Scott.
This concluded the evidence in respect to the child
Sellen ; but Inspector Wildey said that the prisoner
had that day been identified as the person who had
stolen another child about six years ago. The child
had been taken possession of by the police, and would
be the subject of a second charge. It was probable
that other persons would be arrested, and, in connec-
tion with the prisoner, charged with conspiring
together to steal children.
At the mention of the other child alleged to have
been stolen six years ago, the prisoner placed her
hands over her eyes, reeled about in the dock, and
exclaimed several times, ' Oh, my child, my child,
my own child." She swooned away, and had to be
assisted out of the court, but shortly afterwards
recovered.

Mr. Busbby then acceded to the request made by
the inspector for a remand.