The Express.
London, England, 1864-12-07 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

(Bobxe the Assiatant-Judge.)

- •
Annie Alexander, 19, very good-looking young woman,
wee indicted for stealing 150 yards of lace, and other articles,
vales 801., the property of Frederick Wootton litacroa, her
master.

Mr. itiontagu Williams appeared for the prosecution ; Mr.
Sleigh for the pnaoaer.
Upoo being placed at the bar the prisoner pleaded guilty
to the inclactineat.

Mr. Montagu Williams said the prosecutor in this case
was Mr. Frederick Wootton Llano:moo, carrying on busioees
as court milliner, under the name of Madame Elise, in Re-
gent-street, and the prisoner was in his employment u shop-
woman. Sbe left in November, and from circumstances
which afterwards came to Mr. Isaacson's knowledge be found
that he had been robbed of property to the extent of 801.
The prisoner was a respectable young woman, and the pro-
secutor, believing that she had yielded to a sudden tempta-
tion, recommended her to the merciful consideration of the
court: for he felt horrified at what might be her future life
if she was subjected to the contaminating influences of a
prison. There was a gentleman ready at once to take her
into his service, who wee well acquainted with all the cir-
cumstances, and his application was that she should be given
up to him, and that any property which was in the possession
of the mother should be given up to the prosecutor.
Mr. 111111C100, in answer to questions, said the prisoner
bad been for five months in his service, and it war the prec•
tic, of his house to take all the young women who might be
sent to him from NW Bramwell's institution, in Marlins.
roughstreet, which was an establishment of the highest
respectability for the reception of young women from the
country, until such time ae situations were obtained for
them. They were there taken care of,aud with amusements
they formed bible claws in the evening. The prisoner said
she had come freni Mile Bramwell's, and as she brought with
her references *blob he coseidered to be very satis-
factory, he offered to take her into his service as ahopwoman,
his terms being two years, and a premium of 50 guineas.
Finding, however, that her parents were in poor circum-
stances, he waived the premium, and took her
i without for twelve months as a learner. He bad in his
employment from eighty to ninety young ladies, and all
except a few day workers slept in the house. She behaved
very well, with the exception of showing no over-anxiety
to go out with young meg. One evening a young person
was waiting for Mir Alexander to go out with her for a
walk, when he noticed this young woman wan wearing an
article which he identified as belonging to him, and on his
making her where she got it she said that it bad been given
to her by Miss Alexander. The prisoner's box was exa-
mined, and a large quantity of articles were found, bat not
sudicient to account for the whole of the property that bad
been missed, there being still a deficiency, as far es the
examination of the stock showed, of from 301. to 40/. He
believed that mere vanity had induced the prisoner to take
these things, for in her box was found the body of a dress
most elaborately trimmed with lace and pearls, and more
At for a countess than a person in business. This body of •
dress was worn by the prisoner when • young man took her
to • theatre.

._,
The Ammutiat.Judge laid, whilst yielding all doe weight
to what bad been said in favour of the prisoner, yet the
court must do its duty to the public. In this case there was
a total abeam of all those excuses on which the court was
usually oppialed to for mercy, sad it appeared that she bad
formed some improper monition with some person, which
had led her into the habit of robbing her master. It tram
clear from the evidence that she bad been doing this for
some time, sad it was the duty of the court to mark its
moss of km conduct ; and whatever might be the moor