The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-12-27 00:00:00

ALLEGED LARCENY AV A I,O.IIE'STIC
SERVANT.

At the County Pelee-can't n Nfonday, before W.
Colfox, Esq., and S. W. Whetham, Emu, Charlott•
Lewis, a healthy-looking and rather attractive young
woman, ate a house-iniud in the service of Mr. henry
John Smith, yeoman, of Stoke Abbott, near litideort,
was charged, on b ii from the B. suninster Sea a no,
with steal.ng th sum of 1.71 being 111.,tliel the pro-
peity of her 'motor, on the eith Decemie r. Mr. J.
Day defended, and Mr. C. G. Nantes conducted the
pr=cuti •e.

•
-The.--Prosec7 utor, Mr. Smith, deposed : He woi a
farmer living at Stoke Al,hott. th • priso or en ered his
sem ice on the :kith Septemb-r last, and was under
notice to I,,ve. The bag (or purse) pro weed
was "tie left in the house ; • II the 3rd of Dec tuber he
la t aw it, and there were then kin in gold and • rum
in silver in it. On the Bth his wife left the keys ,n a
eidelmard, as she was going out in a htury. Ho (wit-
ness) went out, and returning before hie wife found the
key* on the sidebood, and in the bag in the cupboard
1.7 10s. in gold. He knew hie wfe had used ill (nun
the original amount. He had reason to believe that
th re ...it it t, ave been more money in the b..g. He
w5t,11,,(1 th i prisoner, and in the evening he heard
priwiter and S.rah Fowler, the under-nurse, wit:xis:r-
ing ,n the back kitchen. The next day he told
prisoner he had lost s •mu money on the day previous,
and that she had better tell him all about it. She told
h in .he hal it left the kitchen, and hid sat in a
chair the wit le time Mrs. smith had gone. He told
prisoner that Sarah Fowler had seen her take it. He
called F .wler do.sn from the nuniery, who sail to
riwiner that she had seen her take two pi,ces of gold
and some silver from the bag and had put the keys
where he had found them. Prisoner had seen witness
pay people from that bag. On that Thursday prisoner
went out of doors contrary to orders. Since she had
been admitted t bail, ohs had coma to the house
with her fatlitr and mother, who had &Muted him.
Mr. Smith, in answer to Mr. Day, was sure of the
amount in the bag. _ _ _

Sarah Fowler, nurs• at Mr. Smith's, said that on the
Bth December Mrs. Smith left the house with the
ino thly nurse, a d prisoner and witness were in the
kitchen. Mt. Smith Aso let the house. Witness
went upstairs, and when she cisme d we prisoner was
in the dining-room. She saw prisoner there taking the
keys from the -ideboard, ad take V.e purse out. She
took out two pieces of gold and some silver, holding
them out in her hand. Witness told her she ought not
to do it, and she told witness not to tell. Pri-oner
went to the window and *pose to Caroline S.udley,
asking her which way master had gone. She was at
the window about a Ipar.er of an hour, and then she
followed witness into the kitche,. In the evening
prisoner salt t•, witness she knew somethim, was up—
that ma ter and "in 8,118 " knew he had take.. tit.,
money, and that they were wat hing her to s u if she
went out. Prisoner went out about seven th ,t even-
ing, and the n at morning after break( vst •he 8 id
rho wished she was go .e. Mrs Smith spoke to wit-
ness, who told her what she had seen.
_ _ .

P.C. Charley, of Broadwinaor, a.o evidence, prov-
ing the apprehenxion of pri o er, who denied
knowledge of the tummy. To conatable f un I to,
looney in hr box or i the bedro
, .•. .

C.v.,'line Studi y proved brio.; spoken to by the
prisoner allege I, from tii lung room window
wuen Mr. Smith had gone out.
he prison y ii Isdoir fried y chnr.eil, e]ected,
through her solicitor, to have tile case cut ti the
onions.

Day thou called, 14,1 witnosses, the paren.s of
the prisoner, who stated that they hex-d, whilst at the
house on the day prisoner was rliarged, Nlrs. Smith
-ay tO/ priso or" Woy don't you say y u saw Sarah
Fowler do it?" This eta ement was doled by the
prosecution.
Prisoner pleaded not guilty to the charge, reserving
defence, The Bench foond soificient evidence to com-
mit prison r for tr al at th • Seed i no, on the 31-.1
of January, at Dorchester, he father being bail for
hi• clau.litair on a security of £lO.
The o,,ther of prim. a-, who is stated to sifter
from heart disease, was seiz .1 with a violent fit at
the co .clusioa of the cast, and had to he ca rind out
of Court