The Express.
London, England, 1853-07-27 00:00:00

JUVENILE THIEVING IN LONDON.

Mary Amity, 42, was indicted for having feloniously
received a piece of carper, value 33. 61., the property of
Lewis Marks, well knowing the same to be stolen.
The prisoner lived is Reform-place, St. Luke's, and the
piece of carpet she was indicted for receiving was stolen
from a broker's shop, 91, Guido n-lane, on the 12th inst.,
by an orphan boy 11 years of age, who with others had
been regularly taught to thieve, the prisoner being one of
those persons who keep what is termed a " fence, or a re-
ceptacle for the articles purloined by their wretched vic-
tims, such as the unfortunate boy Just alluded to. This
boy, William French Barrett by name, was pale and deli.
cats in appearance, and he gave his evidence in a clear
straightforward manner. When questioned by the magis-
trate as to his knowledge of the Lame of an oath he said,
" I cannot read; but I say my privies to God to make me ,
• good boy, and if I tell lies and am wicked I shall be sert !
to hell." lie had been in St. Luke's Workhouse but'
escaped, and became the companion of young
thieves. His avid( nes was to the following effect:
—I took this piece of carpet from a shop at
the corner of Golden-lane. Two other boy, were
with me, called Wiles and Stutterer, and I gave the carpet
to them, and we took it to Rcf.rm-place. W e went into •
corner house, and took it down stairs to a room where we
saw Mrs. Tye, and we said to her wo have brought this bit
of carpet, and she said she did not want it, and we then
took it to Mrs. Anstey, the prisoner. The other boys went
iutoter room down stairs, but I did cot. She was there,
and the boys were in about ten mirages, and then they came
out, and one of •hern showed me a sixpence, which she
bad given them for it, and we all went and bought bread
with the sixpence. Before the boys came out the prisoner
came out with something in her apron, which she took to a
" leaving " shop. She came nut cf there with some, coppers
in her hand. The boys thin took the carpet under
the arch near her house, she went and looked at it,
and then I saw her give them the sixpence. The
boys then took the carpet back to the house and came
away, and we went and spent the sixpence as I have said.
From information received, Police Sergeant Harvey, 14 0,
on the evening of the 14th, proceeded to the prisoner's
house. Her daughter, to whom he was known, shut the
door in his face, but on looking; through the window, he
saw the prisoner in the act of rolling up the piece
of carpet produced, and he called to her to
open the door. She replied " Stop • minute,"
and he saw her take the carpet into the yard and
throw it over a wall. She then came back and asked
him what he wanted. He said he wanted to speak to her
about • piece of beef she had bought of the Tyco—. fence"
keepers like herself—and she answered, So help me
Gad, I did not buy any of them." When she found that
he intended to search, she wished him to go to the upper
part of the house first, but he preferred, he said, to go first
into the yard. He did so ; and on finding the carpet he
took possession of it, and as eke refused to give any further
account of it than that she used it to lay over her children,
he took her into custody. The carpet was identified by the
owner.

Mr. Ribton urged that the evidence of the boy, as en ac-
complice, was not so completely corroborated as to justify
a conviction.

_ .....
The Assistant-Judge carefully summed up, and
The jury found the prisoner Guilty.
' Esther Tse, 49, sod Arm T!,e, 19, mother and daughter,
were then indicted fur having feloniously received, know-
ing it to be stolen, a piece of beef, value 61., the property
of Henry James Honiball.
This case was precisely similar to the preceding one.
The jury found both prisoners Guilty.
An aunt of the boy, who was in court, said she had
, endeavoured to keep him from this Mrs. Tye's, and his mo-
ther, who died last April, had been there to get him away.
bet she had a lot of knives and forks thrown at her, and
they always denied all knowledge of him.
The boy in answer to the court said Wiles lived with her,
sad they used to go out end rob for her, and she need to let
then Amp there. She had not used always to give them
toosi, but gave them money for what they took to her. She
used to ask them how much they wanted for what they
took, and then gave them mone_y. They bought "grub
with what they got from her. The other boys sold things
to Mrs. Anstey, but did not live there. Wiles stole a hock
of bacon, and sold it to Mrs. Tye. He here began to cry,
and said he bad nothing to do with that.
Sergeant Harvey said he had known the two TTes for ten
years, and Matey for three years. The latter was a base
woman of drunken habits, and the others were keepers of •
whisky shop which was open on Ssterday nights after mid
night. The husband was now undergoing three months for
keeping this place, end the younger prisoner, and another
woman used to pick up half drunken men, lure them there,
and having made them completely intoxicated, they robbed
and plundered them. She had been tried atNewgiste for shop-
lifting, and had had foe another offence 14 days under a
magistrate's °mirk:Um. They were infamous persons.
The Assistant-Judge sentenced the elder of the Tyes to
two years, the younger to 18 months, and Anstey to 12
months' hard labour.
Mr. Jai tcalfe stated that the exertions of Sergeant Harvey
in the case were deserving of great praise. The matter was
placed in his hands one night at a quarter past 6, and before
9 all the parties were in custody and the eviileace against
them completed.
The Assistant-Judge said that probably would not be
I forgotten by the guardians of the parish.

SURREY SESSIONS.-YESTERDAY.

BETS/1 Tumuli Proms, Leo . MID • rru. Biwa or

. .
EITILAOILDINAIIY BILL CAUL

Charles Morgan, 34, an extensive farmer at Ash, h this
county, sumndered 13 take hie trial for having unlawfully
obtained from Henry Btovold a certain valuable security—
to wit, a promissory note for the payment of four hundred
and nineti -nine pounds, with intent to defraud him
I thereof.

Prosecutor, a very simple.looking man, about forty-one
years of age, stated that he was a tanner at a short distance
of the prisoner's, and on the last Derby Day they both pro•
ceeded to London, and from thence to Epsom by the Rail-
way. They returned at night, and put up at the New Inn,
Old Bailey, where they had some wine together, and on the
following morning they returned home to Ash and went tothe
prisonen's:house. The defendant then pulled a piece
of paper out of his pocket, which he said was his wife's will,
and wanted him to sign it. It was before breakfast, between
9 and 10 o'clock in the morning. Witness refused to sign
it, believing it not to be a will, when the prisoner put it in
his pocket and went away. On the following morning wit-
ness called upon him again, when he pulled the will out of
his pocket and asked him to sign it again. After some
hesitation he did sign it, but he did not think his signature
at the bottom of the bill was in his handwriting. It was,
however, his signature at the back. The amount was for
4991., and he believed that the prisoner was going to leave
his wife that sum, and he told Mrs. Morgan that. Witness
was not sober when he signed -that paper. On again
perusing the promissory note carefully prosecutor believed
that both the signature on the face of the bill, and the
endorsement, were in his handwriting.
In cross-examination by Mr. Parry, witness said the
prisoner was given into custody by some of his friends, on
the seventh of the present month. Ile had known him
and his family two or three years, and frequently visited
them. lie had offered to lend him four or five hundred
pounds, and the prisoner had done the same for him. Wit-
ness did not bet on the Derby.
Mr. Parry here handed to the prosecutor the promissory
note in dispute, and asked him where he had put his
signature ?
Prosecutor—Well, I know I put it on the beck; and I
think that's mine on the front.

Thomas Piper was neat called—He said he was manager
to the prosecutor's farm and business, and had been so
since April last. Ills father died about a year ago, and on
account of his incapacity to carry on the business trustees
were appointed, and witness was employed by them to
manage the farm. Prior to the Derby day witness saw
Mr. Morgan near the farm, and told him that if he wished
to transact any business as usual, he must make all bargains
with him. The prosecutor was totally unfit to manage his
business. _

A clerk from the banking house of Messrs. Mangles, the
bankers at Farnham, stated that the prisoner opened an
account at their bank, and deposited a promissory note,
amounting to 499/., signed by the prosecutor, and payable
at sight. He overdrew his account 511. Shortly after it
came to the friends of the prosecutor Mr. Morgan was given
into custody.
Mr. Parry contended, in defence, that he should be able
to show that the promissory note was signed in the coffee-
' room of the New Inn, Old Bailey, on the morning following
the Derby day, and that prior to the prisoner's signing it
he had the advice of his attorney. It was signed in the
presence of witnesses, which he should be able to show, and
clear the character of his client, • man well known as a
honest and respectable tradesman. He called
James Sawkins, who said he was the hiellord of the
New Ina, in the Old Bailey, and the presenter and pri-
soner came together to his house on the Derby day. They
appeared on friendly terms, and prosecutoreens to witness,
and said he believed Morgan to be in dillieskies, and he
should him to serve him. They went to the races, and
returned to his house and slept there all *ht. On the
following morning prosecutor told witness that be had
signed a bill for near 6001. for the primmer, mei if he
wanted 1,0001 be should be glad to assist him.
Thomas Skinner, a railway carrier, New leapyard, said
he had known Morgan some time as a cheserfeator, having
premises in the same yard. He saw him aegyremeetor in
the New Inn the night before the Der . Mr. Steroid
said to him that his friend Morgan woe lairsaltlea, and
he should be happy to assist him in dooi. et 1,0001. Wit-
' sees beard nothing of a note being sigearL
John Hall, a constable is the smillsy et the South.
Western Railway Company, mil he IPSO In the NM,-
room in the New Ina, ow the mositi Air tin Derby-
day, when he taw the prawn* cad prioame there.
Witness used the coffee-room man arinainig to leek over
the newspapers. Mr. Stovold meg Mogen were at the
table together, and the latter poiasol • bill and eald,
"Mt. Swell, you p purism ma I'll P Lao."

Prosecutor hesitated, a:d said, " I'd rather give you 6031.
if I bad it." He then signed his name, and Morgan left
the room. The prosecwor then came and sat next to him,
and, although a perfect stranger, he said to him, " I wonder
if I shell be answerable for the money if Morgan don't pay
the bill. Ile knows I have got some money ; what
do you think of him ?" Witness answered that he had
known Morgan some time, and knew him to be &respect-
able and holiest man.

Sarah Iliseock, niece to the prisoner, said she lilted with
him and her sant. She had known Mr. Stint)ld as a fre-
quent visitor since Good Friday, 1851, and be appeared very
kind to them. On the evening after the Derby Mr. &ovoid
came into the kitchen to witness, and told brr that he was
sorry her uncle was in nifficulties, but be had made him all
right by signing a bill for him in London.
_ _

In cross-examination by Mr. Robinson witness said that
she did not know what he meant by this bill, and when the
saw her uncle, The aeked him what it meant, and he told
her. She knew that her uncle was in difficulties, aad she
was glad of it.
William Webb, station master at Aeh, said he knew the
prosecutor and the prisoner. On the evening of the 26th of
May they came from London by train, both perfectly
sober. Prosecutor bad on two occwions cffered to lead
witness a bundled pounds, but he refused to accept it, as
he did not want it. Witness had known the prisoner two
years, and always believed him to be an honourable man.
Mr. Robinson replied, when

The Chairman summed up.
The jury consulted for half an hour, and returned a ver-
dict of Not Guilty, considering that the defendant had acted
very disgracefully in obtaining Stovold's signature to the
bill, after being warned of his imbecile state of mind, and
his incapacity of transacting his own business.
The Chairman, in discharging the prisoner, concurred
in the stattment of the jury.

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING. JULY 27, 1853.