The Express.
London, England, 1859-12-07 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS

(BAN Mr. Bodkin. Assistant-Judge.)

Sara) Dyer, 40, wee indicted fur stealing 15 yards of
ribbon value 7a. 6d., 6 yards of ribbon vales 3m. 9d., and 24
yards of silk braid value Se., nod a reel, the property of
Messrs. Bboolbred and Co., of Tottenham-oourt-road. She
pleaded Gouty, god teemed overwheimed with grief.
Mr. Sleigh said be appeared !
more prisoner, and he could
in all sincerity bay that • • case distressing in ite air
curableness Imd never come undet his notice. That the
had been guilty of the alma of shoplifting Lriweeste.c llboolbred's there could be so doubt, bat she bad
acted under premium of • meat painful nature. The
case, Indeed, was • true illustration of the Song of the
Shirt." The prisoner had for year. been at the "stitch,
stitch, stitch," morning, noon, and night, and cm again into
the next night, to support hermit and her sou, whom she
bad apprenticed to a tailor. She was a widow, and had
borne • good obstacle.. all her life for honesty, iodustry, sad
perenerence. Through distress she had dons We.
Meters. tihoolbred had only does their duty la presenting,
but they were desirous of strongly moomuleuding the m-
iaow to the most merciful consideration of the coon. The
r wee in a motet deplorable oats of health, sod, so .be
poisoner
bees in prison three weeks, it wee hoped that
the court:might demo it • cam In which the most lenient
course might be adopted.
Mr. °midge said he appeared for the prosecution, In-
structed through the Aasodetion for the Prosecution of finop-
lifters ; sad on behalf of Maros. Shooltered, he had only to
my that they had not the beat desire to pinto for punish-
meet spinet the prisoner, who had been a customer of theirs
for some years, and was no doubt really a bard-working
lemma, and had struggled Omni tor • living.
An assistant of Mewa, Bboolbrtd wee called Into the
box, end he stated that the primmer had been a customer for
• long period, and on the ocesalosi of her committing this
offence she was being watched, In consequence of embattling
which had occurred previously. She less so well known
then that they were utterly mitosiabed at her being detested
at each • this'
Mr. Keith; of No. 1, Pinder-place, Gray'e-122-road, said
he had lived there 33 years, and the prisoner bad lodged with
him about 11 yaws. She wee • widow hard-working and
well conducted, sad bad • ion whom shi had put to a bad-
ness, and vested ustiltwo, three and four of • 'sway at
dressmaking to earn bar living sad to support her son. Ho
• Gould *ay that the wee driven to do this 'ln coo...lassos of
lodise for whom she worked not paying her for the week she
did for than. They lied her labour, sod poor as she was
they would not pay her except upon long credit, which she
could not afford to give ; but money she could not get ; and
not having the means to purchase materials to finish work
she bad in hand, ehe had unfortunately resorted to stealing
them. There were several ladies who owed her money,-
101., 111:, or 121.,—but she could not get • peony from them
—oar in particular, in Montague-place, Rumen-square, owed
her about that sum for her work ; sad though the
was ill for five weeks at one time and sent to ga;
time after time, and day afar day, ale couldszet
nothing, and her recent applications were unhealed. A
lady living in tlighbery-teresee, Unarm bad owed her •
similar sum winos last December; and ;hough ohs hod
begged and prayed for some pert payment, the lady had not
pad her anything; and if she rescind to compulsory stops,
bee connexion would be destroyed. It was entirely throagh
beteg the kept oat of money alike was due to her for the
sweat of her brow and ibis work by night sad day that she
had been driven, as lie believed, to do that which bed placed
her in her present position, for amen bower, obtrieg woman
be had never known. Had it net been for .hie he ...tiered
sobs would have starved, and the was in armor of rent at the
time, which very much preyed upon her mind, and she
wanted to lintel. the work the bed In hind to, pay it, as them
Wlee would sot pay bee.
nth Andeleed-ledge meld be could not but admit that this
NU bed Abele* bin aerlderaWy, sad he could NO It bad
net le** the
he
of every one present. The imam
is he bad
be gm obese no doubt would meet with the
reedy 0111011M•00 the eminent firm who were the prom-
esters is Ibis ones It was a matter to which be rossidsesd
the penteet mount of mercy sight be extended, for
tbspedeeser bed been evenly punished for what ehtiM
mii.iirg,:::..t.tickba.n tat of her
been pi and. of the
Qbmed
vbs. bed been eased find its way into publicity, those who
bed se enally used We poor creature, by depriving her for so
keg el the leveml of hr labour, woad understand wilt
wart be tbeepld of their readapt Ha should peas se m-
ina stab bed air bee le be tletharred at wot
kidesser with dare of bee knees and an lb
ilirtlelik rid be would bike depth Wag the tees under
Ms with of the loyal Itereelent Safety, with width be
ofthethreled, sod had se doubt wthetbling would he dome
for thltlllneell. _

Ti. m d Os bar, and saysesl jaws, mars up
mu lweft hr ths prhalwr, and saw was set at liburtp,