The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-04-30 00:00:00

GETTING HIS DESERTS!

At the Middlesex Sessions, William Leaver, aged
37, described as a drap.ir, and Amy Law, described am
a shopwoman, were charged with stealing a box con-
taining jewelry and wearing apparel, the property of
Miss Mary Ann Fanny Williams. There was a etc ,nd
charge against them both of stealing a number of
different articles, the property of Miss Mary Redfern.

- - _
Mr. Begley, on behalf of the Associate Institution for the
Protection of Women and Children, prosecuted ; the pri-
soners were undefended. In October last the male prisoner
was in possession of a shop in Wells-street, Oaf ard.treet,
London, and had established himself there as a ehoemaker with
money which he had fraudulently obtained from Miss Red-
fern, the prosecutrix in the second indictment. Although a
married man he had induced that lady to leave her home
and friends in Lancashire Lid live with him as his wife.
White they were living together there he appears to have
frequently inserted advertisements for permns to manage
and assist in the business, and to have received a very
large number of replies. On the '29th of October last he
Inserted the following advertisement in the Christian
World:—

"By a young widower, established in business at the West'
end, a respectable young person to superintend he the
house, and to do a little bookkeeping for the shop."
To this advertisement Miss Williams, the prosecutrix in the
first charge, who was residing near Winchester, replied, and
the prisoner went to that town, saw her, and engaged her for
his shop in Wells-street. On the 29th of November she came
to London, and was met at the Waterloo station bv the
prisoner. Ile said that his sister was still Us Wells-
street, and that it would not be convenient for her
to go there then, and took her to a coffee-house, and in the
evening to a music-hall. Ile represented himself as a
widower, and promised to marry her, and succeeded In per-
suading her to allow him to pins the night with her at the
coffee-house. The next day he brought She female pri-
soner, whom he introduced as the young woman who
assisted in the shop, and they spoke of the prisoner's sister
us being still at the shop, arid being of so bad a temper that
the female prisoner could not return there. Trey all three
appear to have then gone into lodgings and, after moving
once or twice, Miss Williams and Leaver appear to hove
taken rooms in Gray'a-mn-road, where they lived as man and
wife. At this time he said that he had sold the shop in Wells-
street. and was about taking a tobacconist's shop. Finding
from Miss Williams that she was entitled on coming of age to
a legacy of about £5OO he persuaded her to go to Southampton
arid try to get it paid, arid arranged that he would go to Man-
chester during her absence. She accordingly went to South-
ampton, leaving her boxes and things in Swinton-street, and
was away some weeks. During her absence she received seve-
ral letters from the prisoner, bearing the Manchester
postmark, but it was shown that these had been
posted by a guard on the London and North-Western
Railway for the prisoner, who had no ide sonic specious
• excuse for wanting them posted there, arid had never
left London In fact, shortly after Miss Williams
left London' both prisoners went to Swlntrin an .street d
moved her box and goods away. Miss Williams returned
to town, and was met by the prisoner, who told her
her things had been sent to him at Manchester. This
caused her no uneasiness, as she believed they were going
there together to he married. Ile took her to an hotel,
and made some inquiries about the legacy, which had not
been paid, and they went to consult a solicl tor. The
money not having been paid caused him great die-
satislaction, arid he deserted Miss Williams at the hotel.
After making inquiries about the prisoner at the various
places where they had been together, and learning
nothing of him, Miss Williams communicated with the
police, and the prisoner was taken some three weeks after
he had deserted her by Wake-field and flaydon detectives of
. . . „

the ti division. When taken he had lodgii;gs both in Granby-
street and Etersholt-street, and at both places portions of
Miss Williams's property were found, and the female prisoner,
who was living with him, was wearing some of the stolen
ewelry.
The male prisoner made a long, rambling statement in
defence, attacking the character of Miss Williams, and re-
presenting himself as reduced to poverty by maintaining her
and the female prisoner, and asserting that the latter had
opened Ildis Wilimmes box contrary to his orders.
Sir W. If. B Akin was about to sum up, when the jury
said it was unnecessary, and returned a verdict of Guilty
against both prisoners, but recommended the woman to
mercy, as they believed she was acting uuder the mau's con-
trol. . .

Mr. Besley said the prisoner, who was formerly a draper at
Preston, in Lancashire, had twice deserted his wife and
faintly, having broken up his home and deprived his wife of
her savings, lie had defrauded Miss Redfern of .000 In
money, hid induced her alter leaving the shop In Wells.
street (she being the person whom he had represented to
Miss Williams as his sister!, logo to Leeds, and had sent her
boxes to her there These, however, she found had been opened
and stripped of their most valuable contents some of which
were found afterwards at the prisoner's lodgings.
Sir Si'. 11. Bodkin said the Bench colloid, ed in the opinion
of the jury as regarded the female prisoner. She had, how-
ever, taken a prominent part In the fraud, and must seder
six months' impribonnient. As regarded tne.man,.his °device
. .

was of the moat cruel and treacherous character, and lie
. . . . . .

had added to it by the baseness of the defence he had set up
In attempting to throw the blame on the female prisoner.
The C.mrt would lii discharge its duty if it did not mark its
sense of the priemier's crime by a severe sentence, which
would be that of live years penal servitude.