The Express.
London, England, 1853-05-26 00:00:00

WESTMINSTER.

Thomas Murphy, a U.ourer, was charged with unlaw-
fully possessing a gold pencil case.
Prisoner went into Mrs. Chalfont's, 49, Queen-street,
Pimlico, jeweller and silversmith, and offered the pencil
este for sale, at the same time inquiring its worth. Mrs.
Chalfont interrogated the man respecting the mode in which
he became possessed of it, and being dissatisfied with his ac-
count sent for a police constable.
Prisoner said that it had been brought by a woman on
Sunday to his cousin in Westminster, end being considered
valueless had been given as a plaything to one of the
chil-
dren, and he bad given the value of half an ounce of tobacco
for it.

The woman in question and another witness were pro-
duced is confirmation of this statement. The former said
she got her living by working upon a dust help at Ber-
mondsey, and found rho per.cil cure iu her sieve. Consi-
dering everything found in the dust, belonged to the people
working at the heap, and thinking the case of no value, she
gave it to the child.
Mr. Arnold cirected the police to use every means to en-
deavour to find the owner of the pencil case, and called
upon the accused to enter into recognisances to appear on •
future day.
THAMES. _

James O'Grady, alias C'unnor, on Irishman who was de-
scribed as a carpmter, aged 37, No. 2, John-street, Somers-
town, was charged with committing a robbery of a very
heartless nature. In April, 18d2, the prisoner called upon
a Mr. Stokes, a fruiterer, in Stepney, and asked him if he
could recommend him a respectable lad, for whom he could
obtain a good situation. Mr. Stoke. said he thought he
could, and directed him to the house of a respectable me-
chanic named Jarvis, who then resided in Rhodeewell-road,
Stepney, and whose son, a lad aged 14, was then in the ser-
vice of a butcher, whom ho was to leave on the followirg
Saturday. The prisoner represented to Mrs. Matilda Jarvis,
the mother of the boy, that he was upper gardener to a
gentleman at Blackheath, in Rent, and that he could tell
the lad of a good situation, and that his (the prisoner's)
master wanted to engage a boy at once, and would give him
se. per week and his board and lodging. The mother, who
was quite elate d at the prospect of her son being so well
provided for, sent for the boy, and Mr. Stokes having en.
gaged to find a substitute for the muter he was leaving, it
was arranged, at the prisoner's request, that the boy
should start for his new place at once. The
prisoner directed Mrs. Jarvis to pack up her boy's Sunday
clothes in a bundle, and she did so. The mother having
"cleaned up " her son as well as the short time allowed
her permitted, gave same very strict iujunctiona to her
child to behave well, and allowed him to depart with the
prisoner. They proceeded to the Stepney Railway station
of the London and Blackwall Railway, which they had no
sooner reached than the prisoner borrowed a sixpence of
the boy, which his mother had given him, and sent him
upon a fictitious errand to Mr. Hartley, a shipowner in
Leadenhall•street, and took hi hurdle of clothes and linen
from him, promising at the same time to take care of it un- '
til his return. The boy proceeded to Leadenhall-street and
ascertained from Mr. Hartley's clerks that he had been Mx-
paled upon, and that no such person as the prisoner was
known there. The boy returned in all haste to the Step-
ney station, and discovered that the prisoner had gone
away with the bundle. The lad, who was almost heart-
broken, hastened home to his mother, bewailing the loss of
his clothes. Mrs. Jarvis went in search of the prisoner,
but could not obtain any tidings of him. The parents
of the lad have since gone to reside in Moores-place,
Peckham, and on Tuesday afternoon Mrs. Jarvis
met with the prisoner in that neighbourhood, and
at once recognised him. She tracked him to a house in
Lovegrove.street, Camberwell, and then gave information
to a police constable, 135 P, who went to the house pointed
out by the prosecutris, and upon knocking at the door, was
answered by the prisoner, who was interned of the nature of
the charge against him. The prisoner, without pretending
to be alarmed, said he would attend upon the policeman
directly, and went into a back room under pretence of ob-
taining his coat and made his escape at the rear of the pre
mises. An alarm was raised, and the prisoner was soon
afterwards captured at New Cross by a police constable
named Crowhnrst, 265 P. Mrs. Jarvis and her son were
positive as to the identity of the prisoner, who did not at-
tempt to deny the offence ►aid to his charge.
Prisoner was remanded.