The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1877-08-28 00:00:00

DISHONEST SERVANTS AND A LENIENT

SENTENCE.

A else which excited considerable interest was heard
at the Borough Sessions, on Monday, before the yreddine
magistrates, the Mayor (Alderman Lock), and Mr. R.
Davis. . .

Susa n Cots, a respectable looking young woman, of
Wynford E kale, and Elizabeth Reed, a middle-aged female,
of Fordington, were charged with robbery under the
following circumstances:—
Cole had been employed as a general servant to Mr.
Lovell, coach builder, of Dorchester, during the past two
lean. and Reed, a married woman, hail nursed the late
Mrs. Lovell during her illness. Upon the prisoners leaving
the employ of the prosecutor, information was given him
which led him to examine his effects, and, miming a
quantity of articles, he communicated with the police, the
result being the present prosecution.
Mr. Burnett, who was for the proweution, characterised
It as a most barefaced robbery, and asked that the
prisoners be committed for trial. Mr. Howard with Mr.
Coombe defended.
' Mr. Lovell, a coach builder, of this town, raid the
prisoner Cole had been in his employ as a general servant
for over two years, and left on Saturday, the rstli. Reed
was acting as nurse to his late wife, and was so eniployml
I for 13 days. His wife died on Sotorday, the 12th, and a
I day or two after on looking over his wardrobes, which hail
previmi-ly leen full of linen—such as sheets, tablmelotlis,
I and pill ow-eases—lie found several of then, half mupty.
' Accordingly, having received certain information, the day
l alter he put the healer in the howls of the police. on
I Friday last he went with Mr. Superintendent Coward and
P.C. Could to Wynford Eagle, where the prisoner Cole
I was lodging at the house of her parents. Upon seeing her
he first asked her for the three linen sheets she hail taken
out of his house, in reply to which she immediately took
them out of her box and said the nurse (Reed) took them
out of her missu.ses drawers, cut the names out, and re-
hemmed them and gave them to her. The sheets produced
I were the ones.
' P.C. Gould here Laid upon the magistrates' table a large
I quantity of goods—a petticoat, 2 night-dresses, 2 pairs of
I drawers, 3 pieces of dimity, 4 knives and 2 forks, a writing
desk, 2 bottles of sherry, a silver watch, formerly belong-
ing to the posecutw's late son, and which he had seen
upon his wife's dressing-table two days before her death,
and other things—which Mr. Lovell identified.
On the same day they went to Reed's husliand's house
at Fordington. There they found a bed covering, a pair
of sheets, and a pocket handkerchief, which le• also iden-
tified as his property. The sheets had been cut and re-
hemmed and the 'milt cut into three piece*. Ile had
never given any of the things in question to either of the
prisoners.
Cross-examined by Mr. Howard The young woman
Cole attended his son in his dying illness. She not up
with him. His wife wished her to stay with her during
her last hours, and she stayed a fortnight after her time.
Mrs. Lovell was very tondo( her I—She was used to her.
I'll use your own exact words. Were you used to her?
; —As master of the house, certainly.
Were you used to her I—For two years and upwards, of
course.
When she left she asked him if. he would like to search
her boxes, and he said no, because "I thought if there
was an! thing she had of mine it would net be in those
boxes."

ooass.
Now, sir, as you have given me this reason, I ask you
did you not ask her to stay and take tea with you
don't say I did not, but I don't recollect.
Be would swear his wife had never said to him she had
given "Mary some of these things for all those extra
attentions to her, nor did he believe she ever gave her a
single item, that was his firm conviction. She was a
woman who never gave away anything.
Mr. Howard : Don't speak of your wife like that.—
Witness : I speak conscientious.
Tell me how you recognise those knives 7—Because there
are the names upon them Halpin and Hazel.
Why those gentlemen are known throughout the
1 county !—I have lost some, and they correspond with
others I have at home. .

There was no particular mark upon the sheets, but they
corresponded with others he had at home. Except upon
the handkerchief, there was no mark upon any article
found at Mrs. Reed's house. She admitted they came
from his house, and that the servant gave them to her
(Prisoner denied this). Except upon the underlinen of
his wife there were no marks upon the articles found at
Wynford. They admitted they were cut out.
Mr. Howard: You seem fond of these admissions. —You
put me upon the truth.
No, I haven't yet. I have a great deal to ask you.—And
I can answer you.
Cole told him his wife had given her some of the articles
of clothing. He did not say a word about the watch until
he saw it in her possession. He had missed it about a
week. Cole did not say his wife had given it to her, but
she told him it was her brother's. . .

Have you iri-a&-h-ei:anii;:es-Mits during the time she
was in your service 1-No
Have you promised her any presents 1-No sir, I told
her that if she would do the best she could for her mistress
the would be paid for it.
Did you not include in that, also the best she could for
the master don't understand you.
I speak in plain English. -She did her duty as a !tr-
ent, and of that I had nothing to complain.
Is it by your wish and desire this prosecution is pro-
ending, sir I-Yea.
Re-examined He had not the slightest doubt whatever
hat it was his property.
By the Magistrates Clerk: The husband of Reed called
L his house, whilst she was staying there, he saw him
sveral times
The thiings having been found in his house. Reed who
was then in court, was taken into custody, and placed by
the side of the two female prisoners.
Janice Pallet& of Gregory's buildings, Pordingtnn, a
workman at the Foundry, said he went to Mr. Lnvell's at
eight in the morning, the day after the funeral of Mrs.
Lovell, for "the dirty clothes." His wife was a washer-
woman. Reed asked him if he would take a bundle to
her house, and he would satisfy him for it. It was tied
up in something like the checked counterpaine before
them, and he took it to her house.
Harriet Gale, wife of Thomas Gale, of the West Walks,
had been acquainted with the prisoner Cole about three
mouths. On the 14th, she brought to her house three
sheets, and a box, and asked her to take care of them,
which she agreed to do. On the Itith, she brought two
other parcels. The sheets produced, were similar to the
ones she brought. On the following day she brought
two hand boxes, and left them with her. On the Satur-
day she went to " Mary " and asked her to be kind
enough to come up and open her band boxes, which she
did soon after, and at her requests lodger also fetched her
boxes from Mr. Lovell's. She slept there that night and
on the following morning, asked for one of her boxes,
from which she took out a watch something like the one
produced. Cole and her young man then went away. On
the Tuesday she " un-opened " the box and put the sheets
into it, and after going out brought back two black bottles
with her, similar to those produced. She finally left her
house on the Wednesday.
(roes-examined : By Mr. Coombe& The bundles were
brought openly. She had always known the prisoner as a
very respectable persen.
Annie Bailey, wife of William Bailey of Friary build-
ings said Cole came to her and said she bad had some-
thing to leave at her house and had opened the window
and put it in. On examining the parcels she found in it
two black bottles.
P.C. Gould accompanied the Superintendent on Friday,
to Cole's house. Told her what he had conic for and she
said she had nothing there but what was her own. He
asked her to produce her hones -which she did, three, lie
found in them some of the articles praiser'!. Sh
accounted for them by saying she had bought the sheets
at Steele and Co's, the wine at Styes and James's and the
watch was her brother's aisd she had been carrying it the
Last few days. She further said to Mr. Dwell "if you will
come out into the other room I will tell you all about lit
will tell you the truth." They went and she then said
"About the sheets the nurse took them out of your
drawer, took out the names and fresh-hemwed
them and said here Mary, you have these,
but, I sail no the waster will miss them
and nurse then said no he won't, he don't know what he
got, and then I took thew, and that are them there." On
that Mr. Lovell gave her in charge. [At this point the
two female prisoners were accommodated with chairs,
Reed regarding Cole with a reproachful look of injured
illllOllOllOll.l Next day he went to Reed's. She said he
could soon see what she had got-be was welcome. He
accepted the offer, and he there found the other things,
Nrs. Reed said the ahem were hers, and as to the head.

vapt,

ceedinj.

several