The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-02-15 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY SUPERSTITION.

On Tuesday, at the Newbury Petty Sessions, Maria
Giles, a midwife, who has for many years borne the
sobriquet of the "Conning Woman," and William
Tranter, a labourer, with whom she cohabited, were
placed in the dock, charged with obtaining divers
sums of money from Isaac Rivers by means of false
pretences. Giles is an old offender, having been con-
victed on three occasions of crimes of this class, and
in one instance she appealed to the Court of Queen's
Bench; but the conviction was confirmed, and she ac-
cordingly underwent the imprisonment to which
the justices had sentenced her. The prosecutor
is a respectable-looking countryman, living in the
village of Hampstead Norris, a few miles from
Newbury. It appeared from his evidence that
in December last he lost his watch—how he did
not know—and hearing of the "Conning Woman"
at Newbury, he consulted her with reference to his
loss. He paid his first visit to her house on Jan. 4 ;
and having told her of his loss, she said she could get
the watch back for him. She commenced by asking
him to let her have 125., but as he was going a journey
he could only spare half-a-crown, which she took, and
then said she would show him in a glass the man who
possessed the watch. Giles next produced a glass re-
sembling those usually attached to birdcages, and told
Rivers to look into it. He did so, and saw something
in the form of a man's whiskers, but no face. He met
her again on Monday, the lith of January, when she
told prosecutor he most give her Its, Cal. to get some
stuff from her chemist's. He gave her the money,
in the belief that she could get his watch imek,
but told her that if she cud not do so he would
have her put in prison. She had her hand on
the table at the time, and said she hoped she
would never take it off again if she did not get the
watch back. Giles subsequently said that she must
go over to Rivers'a home, and she and Tranter and
prosecutor went over to Hampstead Norris the same
afternoon. Tea was prepared for Giles and Tranter,
and when they had finished the meal Giles said she
must get about her work. Giles went out of doors
for about half an hour, and on her return said she
must have 9s. Gd, more to get some more stuff. She
also told him she had been to the house of the man
who had the watch; that the man was very hardened,
but his wife was more hardened still. Prosecutor gave
Giles 9s, fid. for a second time, and Giles and Tranter
left, but finding Rivers a profitable customer, paid
him another visit on the following day, and Giles begged
of him to let her have 255., as she would then get the
watch back. Prosecutor still believed she would do
what she promised, and therefore gave her the 255.
Tranter assured prosecutor that Giles would "work it
round all right ;" and hues, who represented Tranter
to be her husband, said he could help her in her work.
After this, Giles said she must go about her work.
She promised that between twelve and one o'clock at
niiht she would bring the man to prosecutor with the
watch in his hand, and she instructed him (prosecutor)
to remain indoors until she returned with the man ;
but, said the prosecutor, "I might have bid at home
till now, as she never came again, and I neither got
my watch nor money."
At the close of the progecutor's evidence, the pris-
oners were remanded for further examination.