The Express.
London, England, 1862-11-17 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURT&

YANSION•HOUSE

Two respectably-dreeseely;iniiomen,ldesci:bedassisters,
named Fenn, King and Eliza King, were placed at the bar
of the Mansion-house, on remand, before the Lord Mayor
and Mr. Alderman Abbies, sitting in petty,sessions, charged
with robbing their employer, Mr. Lawrence, the landlord of
the Half-moon public-house, Gractchurch-street.
Mr. Child, the solicitor to the Licensed Victuallers' Pro-
tection Society, appeared for the prosecution; and Mr. Wont-
Der attended to watch the case on behalf of the prisoners.
Mr. Child addressed his lordship and said the prosecutor,
Mr. Lawrence, kept the Half-moon in Gracechurchttreet,
and the two prisoners, who were sisters, were in his service
as housemaids. They entered his service about the month
of August, and, strange to say, as soon as they
were in the house, Mr. Lawrence's receipts began to dimi-
nish very seriously. the prisoners, it was noticed, were
spending money in • most extravagant manner, having
' bought daring the two months they were with Mr. Law-
rence no leas tin eleven dresses between them. The pro-
'mentor felt satisfied that he was being robbed to the extent
of 121. or 151. • week, and his suspicions having become
excited against the prisoners, on Saturday week be called in
the aid of the police, and the officer, M'Leod, who had the
prisoners in custody, caused some money to be mirked and
given to parties to purchase articles at the bar. On Monday
It'Leod was sent for to the prosecutor's house, and on
searching a box which belonged to the prisoner Eliza, and
which she said had not been opened since she had been there,
he found amongst other money a half-crown, with the mark
he had put on it on Satoeday. The prisoners were searched
Fthe female searcher,aod in the bootee( the other prisoner,
nny, four half-crowns were found, two in each boot, one
of which was marked. Under these circumstances the
prisoners were given into custody. It was only right for
him to state, however, that the prisoners had been in cor-
respondence with some men at Sheerness, who it
had promised marriage to one of the prisoners, a:lP:redet
that promise she had been induced to supply him with
money, for the purpose of purchasing him clothing to be
married in, and he bad no doubt they had been io a great
measure led to commit these frauds upon their employer by
the prompting' and promises of this fellow at Sheerness.
Witnesses having been examined in support of the
charges,
Mr. Wontner, on behalf of the prisoners, said they be-
longed to a highly respectable family who bad resided at
Isleworth for upwards of 100 years, and not one member had
until the present time had a stein or blemish upon their cha-
racter, sod it was a most painful thing to see two young
females so respectably connected as they undoubtedly were,
brought to the bar of justice upon such a charge. They
were sincerely repentant for the elms they had committe
and desired to plead guilty to the charge, in the hope that
his lordship would deal leniently with them • and he him-
self sincerely hoped that his lordship and kr. Alderman
Abbias would not feel that they were called upon
to pass upon them the extreme sentence which
the law empowered them. With regard to the
observalaone of Mr. Child respecting their male acquaintance
at Sheerness, he maid there was little doubt, from
letters which were found on the prisoners, that they were
true. and he submitted the probability, if it had not been
for the wicked promptiogs of their male correspondent
already referred to, the prisoners would still have remained
perfectly honest; but,led on by thebad companion with whom
they had by some means become acquainted, they had been
induced to do that which otherwise they would not have
thought of. He thought there must be some mistake,
however, when Mr. Child stated that the prosecutor had
been robbed to the extent of 121. or 151. a week. Losses
might be sustained in a business of that kind in various
ways, and be hardly thought it likely that en large an
amount could have been purloined.
Mr. Lawrence, in answer to this latter suggeition of Mr.
Wonkier's, said that during the weeksthe prisoners had been
in custody, his receipts had been more in six days than
they had been in six weeks while the prisoners were with
him ; cod he was convinced his lessee while they bad been
with him had been from 121. to 15/. in the week.

The Lord Mayor, after conferring with Mr. Alderman
Abbies, maid they had considered the case very carefully,
and were anxious to give every weight to the remarks of
their advocate, and to believe tbit they bad been led into
the eels of dishonesty with which they were charged by bed
co-opany. It was a very serious case, but they thought the
Josttce of the case might be met by paining a comparatively
light sentence. He then tentenced them each to four
months' imprisonment with hard labour.
The prisoners, who were very mush affected during the
whole of the proceedings, were removed fr.= the bar crying
bitterly.
BOW-STREET. _ _

The attention of the magistrate was called to about thirty
applicants for relief, who said they had been unable to
obtain admission to the Strand Union Workhouse as casual
paupers.
An officer was sent to make inquiries, and found that
the relieving officer was dl, and could not attend to busi•
ncss ; the union officer was not to be found, and another
man, the messenger, was out visiting the poor.
Not being able to get any satisfactory explanation of how
the poor people were to obtain admission, Mr. Corns went
himself to the Strand Union Wo-khouse office, where, after
some time, he made arrangements for having the poor re.
wired and their wants attended to.

Ernest Copeland was charged with dolling a coat and
trowners, value 31. 34., in December last, from Mr. Phil-
lips, a tailor, of High Holborn. In December last the
prisoner went into Mr. Phillips's shop sad purcha_ed a
coat and pair of trousers, which he directed to be sent
to 13, Clifford's-inn, to be paid for on de'ivery. The boy
who carried the articles was ordered not to leave them
without the money. When he got to 13, Clifford's-ion the
prisoner met him at the door, and asked him to walk ir:o
the lower office while be went up stairs to try the clothes
on. He then showed the boy into the office, who after he
bad waited some time made inquiries, and found that the
prisoner was not known in the house, and be had started off
the moment he had shown the boy into the office. On his
arrest he denied all knowledge of the affair, but upm being
told that he would be taken to the dad° I he replied, " Pray
don't do that. Take me to my brother, who is a respect-
able man, who would rather pay than allow me to be locked
up..
The constable said he thought the clothes bad bees
pawned, and he expected to be able to find them.
The prisoner was committed for trial.
CLERKEN WELL.
--- • -

Mrs. Ann Sawyer. residing at 10, Span'eanildings,
Somers Town, was summoned before Mr. D'Eynoourt charged
with nalawfull7 swanking and beating Mrs. Elise Hodges,
residing at 18, in the said buildings.
The complainant said— Your worship, I have known the
defendant a great many years, and we used to be on visiting
terms, and many pleasant boors have we spent together
over a cup of tea. (A laugh.) Now we are at daggen
drawn, and only because of the—one of her brother/ came
borne from us about six months ago, and he has
and I have accepted him as my future husband. (r17:11
That has annoyed her, and instead of loving me u • sister,
she annoys me and cells me bad names. On Saturday night
one of her brothers, whine:friendahip I intend to keep, and
who will not give up mine on account of his sister, called
on me. Whilst we were chatting together the defendant
knocked loudly at my abutters, called me bad names, and
shoved her fiat in ray face, but did not strike me. I am a
reapectable woman, a widow with a young family, and I want
to be protected from the defendant's violence.
The defendant, in reply to the charge, said that the corn.
plaisant had decoyed away her brother, who was a single
young man, and she did not wish any of her relatives to
visit her.
Mr. D'Eyncourt told the defendant that be should think
that her brother did not require a nurse—la laugh)—or, at
all events, any of her nursing, as he was old enough to take
care of himself. He should dismiss the summons, and he
should advise the defendant not to annoy the complainant in
any way.
The complainant asked for her expenses ; but they were
refused.

WORSHIP-STREET.
John Paget Promlet, • tall, military-looking man, 50
years of age, who has lately obtained notoriety -by sending
threatening letter to Sir Richard Mayne, was charged with
having threatened the life of Martha Harvey, whereby abs
was in danger and tear of some bodily harm. The conduct
of the prisoner was stated to have recently been of a
most violent description. He had threatened to stab
his wife, and had applied the most abusive expres-
sions to her. The complaisant was the daughter of
his wife by a farmer husband, and when she called
at his reddraws, aad attempted to interfere to prated
her milder, the primer threatesed to lake her aad
behaved is so violist a manner that she swore to being is
danger o( her life. While the added* was being given the
primmer repeatedly cried oat and castradsated what was
said, sad decimal that his wits Indy wasted to get Mm
placed is otoldastat la order that she might bin the
wasummasat of Ms propmny.
Mr. Benham add that is the pressat form of
all he asekl do was to bled the primness over Mal=
whke he would do in two marstino of MI. mi.
balsa lorthomming he wormwood to a cab to Mot
Howe at Ootrooliso.
THAMES.

Thwitiliwe Meier. s dertitsq our brought
bijouLlft. & slag* with Amami those

1862.

hats, valued at 13e., the property of Mr. Henry Storey,
batter, of No. 38, High-street, Bow.
A few evenings since the prosecutor went into his cellar,
and directly afterwards beard a noise in his shop. On
looking through a grating he maw the prisoner leaving his
shop with throe new hats in his hands. Mr. Storey imme-
diately went in pursuit of the prisoner, who ran away as
fast as he could. Mr. Storey soon came up with him, sod
took the hats from him. The prisoner again ran away, and
soon found himself in a court at the end of which there was
no thoroughfare. He was than secured, and given into the
custody of a police-constable. On being asked by Mr. Storey
why he took the hats, he said be was very hungry and bad
nothing to eat Inquiries had been made about the prisoner
since the first examination, but nothing had transpired. He
now said he was a painter, and lived in a little street in
Ilford, and that he was quite innocent of the robbery.
"The gentleman batter was quite mistaken about him, and
he never had the hats in his posaresion." This was deli.
vered in German.

Mr. Storey-1 can't be mistaken. The prisoner had the
bate under hie um, and others saw him in the coati endea-
vouring to make his escape.
Mr. Selfe committed the prisoner for trial.

NAVAL AND MILITARY.

WOOLWICH, Nov. 16.
About 200 workmen were yesterday discharged
from the several departments of the Royal Arsenal, making
an aggregate;of upwerds of 5,000 who have lett theestablish•
meat during the put six months. At present a further re.
duction is not expected, but the system of overtime has
been abolished in the Armstrong gun factories and other de.
partmeits.

PORTSMOUTH, Nov. 16.
The Urgent, iron screw troop ship, Captain
Henry William Hire, steamed into harbour yesterday to
land military isvalida from China, and to pay off.
The Victoria and Albert, royal screw yacht, Captain G.
H. Seymour, G. 8., arrived at Portsmouth yesterday after-
noon from Antwerp, last from Gravesend.