The Express.
London, England, 1860-03-16 00:00:00

EXTENSIVE SHOPLIFTING AT READING.

Mrs. Elizabeth Ledger, the wife of a musician
and dancing-master at Reading, underwent a final examine-
bun on Wednesday before Mr. Andrewea, the late mayor,
and Mr. T. Morris, a borough magistrate, on the charge of
stealing a large quantity of drapery goods. The robberies
perpetrated by the prisoner are without parallel in the
borough for extent, and seem to show that she has bad an
irresistible penchant for plundering drapers' shops. Her
detection was very remarkable. It that
she visited the shop of Mr. Steven • bacon-
factor, on Friday evening, and trade purchases to
a moderate extent. Her conduct while there excited the
suspicion of Mr. Steward, and, as she wore a large
cloak, her bulky • nee -led hint to fancy that she had
committed some dishonest act. As she was about to quit
the shop he intinuted to her his suspicions, and ex.
• desire to see whether she had anything concealed
pressed
her huge cloak. She affected to be greatly annoyed
and eurprieed at the intimation, but, us Mr. Steward was
firm, and expressed his determination that she should not
quit the place without Ids being satisfied as to whether she
hatedyting, she yielded to au examination, which re-
of in the discovery, not only that she had some
Mr. Steward's geode which she had not purchased, but
that she had in her possession scene gown pieces, having
on them the private marks of the drapers from whose shops
they had been taken. She was thereupon given into the
custody of a police officer, and removed to the station. Here
la more minute search was made, and articles were found
conclusively proving that she had not honestly obtained the
goods in her possession. She was lodged iu the Bridewell
for the night, sod, by direction of Mr. Superintendent Peck
of the boroughspolioe, officers were employed on the follow-
ing day in making inquiries at the different drapers' shops.
The property found upon her was soon identified, and
as several losses had been previously reported at the
station, it was deemed advisable that search should be made
'at her lodgings, she having been separated from her hus-
band. Polies-sergeants Cox and Seymour acted in accord-
ance with instructions given to them, and on examining
her bedroom found an iiumense quantity of goods, the pro-
' duce of robberies for months past. The articles found
comprised stair covering, memories above 20 yards, ladies
boots, table cloths, cotton prints and other dresses, shawls,
merino, limey woolsey, flannel, patent socks for boots, and
perfumery to a considerable extent. In mother room were
discovered 200 yards of cotton print, sad • great variety of
other articles • there were also fa.scy stationery, and things
of • similar description. The prisoner, it appeared, carried
on the business of • dreasonaker and milliner ; she visited
drapers' shops to buy articles in her business, and the rob-
beries were committed while the shopmen had left her at
the counter to get the articles she required, all of which
were carefully concealed under her cloak. Her respectable
appearance disarmed the tnulespeople of suspicion, and
although the articles were soon unmet, she was never sus-
pected. The discovery of her robberies has created quite a
sensation in the town. She has been committed for trial ta
several charges.

DREADFUL MURDER AT EHRENBRZITSTRIB;

The small town of Elmenbreitatein, which lies at
the foot of the gigantic fortress that name, has been
just frightened out of its propriety by the ssumminsion
of a dreadful murder within its quiet precincts. At the
Coblents Carnival on Shrove Tuesday no character wan
more conspicuous than Herr Mader, a well-to-so proprietor
a tavern adjoining the Post-office in Ehrenbreitstein.
Disguised as • buxom matron, supposed to le celebrating
her " silber•JureAtest," or 25th anniversary of her wedding.
die', be sat in a huge van drawn by eight horses. Bested
by the side of his °moon, he dispensed nods and smiles
to the admiring crowd. A band of musicans, in mo.
Moque dresses, occupied the front of the vehicle, while
humpbacked cook, appropriate attire, waited on the
w • fend, and replenished the spacious bowl of Rhine
wine, rom which both bride and bridegroom indulged
in frequent potations. do too evening, at the bat masque at
the theatre, he was again the observe** of all observers, his
jovial countenance darkened by no shadow id the fate im.
pending over him. On the Thursday night following haven
brutally murdered while asleep in his bed, with his wife and
child, the occupants of another bed in the same apartmeat.
His head was hterelly ionashol to piece. with the repeated
Mows of an axe found lying at the foot of the led. About 3
o'clock, some hour* after the cononisaion of the deed, a ser-
vant who slept in a room above, was attracted by the cries of
hismiatreas, who was found tied hand and foot behind the
door of the room. She declared that about 11 o'clock two
men suddenly entered the apartment, and at once proceeded
to their bloody beanie , nue striking her sleeping husband
a succession of blows, the find of which lutist have been
instantly fatal, his c pinion at the same time threatening
her with a similar fate if she made the slightest noise or
resistance. She was then gagged and bound The men then
proceeded to rob a weretaire 1.11 the adjoining apartment of
nearly 200 theists, and then &tamped. It is importable
to describe the senoction °cordoned by this shucking
tragedy in Contents and arenbreitsteiu. The funeral of
the murdered man, who was highly esteemed, was at-
tended by an immense multitude, and gossip was rile m
to who hail perpetnited the shot At length, after UM
country had been urea for many miles, suspicion fell
upcn those nearer loose. At a respectable school in Coblenta
wes a teacher nailed Keller, a welleslinated man, of pre.
possessing manners nail person, but of looe morals. It was
whispered lie carved on a licentious intercourse with the
wife of Moder, a young and attractive worsen. On the day
preceding the murder, lest after the termination of the Car-
nival, he hired a bean' mil blouse. The former he returned
on the following day, but the blouse use not been forthcom-
ing, and the aceount he gives of it is highly an-
matidactory ; but suspicion is not confined to him.
His paramour, the wife of the niunlerol man, is deeply
implicated. By entries in Keller's memonindum-book
it appears he has lately received lensiderable sums of
matey from the woman ; but the durkest dice very Is that
of a bloody footmark near the serretaire containing the
money of the unfortunate man, in the nem adjoining to
that in which he slept, and which exactly corresponds with
the foot of the wianau ; but WI she uses dilolltilVerell bound
hand and foot and incapable of 'WWII'S, it Is presuniel she
herself assisted to ride the seeretaire, mai then submitted to
be bound, in order to give an appeenthoe of her being rather
a victim than an accomplice in the deed. However, Keller
Is in prison and the woman under strict surveillance.
At the July assizes at Neuwied, where the trial will take
place, the facta, etch a* have been collected, will be fully
disclosed, and the guilt or lament:Kea the suspected penal'
pronouneed. In the noontime the imminent* excited the
greatest interest in the mighbourhol.

The Committee of Joint-dock Rinke yesterday
determined to roconunenell to the private twtablisluuente•
that the general hour for cloning on Matunhiys should be
fixed at 3 o'clock, instead of 4 o'clock aa nt presume. The
question will be decided by the private hankers I W Monday
next, and no doubt is entertained that 3 will be the hour
adopted. The agitation Oh the question commenced by the
expression a desire on the part of a majority of the lead-
ing commercial houses that the closing on fistunlaye
should take place at 2 o'clock.
. . _

Although thu Coututodoro Puny, just arrived
front Melbourne, W. 1.1 11$ days at sea, the cabin passengers
have signed an Wanes, stating their entire satisfaction with'
the sailing and ouoiluet of the ship, mal attributing the pro.
tatted psalm° to mhos and coutnoy winds.
The Duchess tie Malakoff and her infant (laughter
are both in excellent health.

M. Thouvenel, Minister of Foreign Affairs, has
just given a grand banquet, at which all the heads of the
diplomatic body, both French awl foreign, now in Paris,
were preeent, The Marquis de IA Valet's., French Amber
Nader to Constantinople; Baron Grua, the Minister to China;
and Marquis de Turgot, Ambsuander in Switzerland, were
among the guests.

A letter from Nienee, of the 13th, stye :—" Our
theatre yesterday narrowly tramped de.tructiou by tire.
About 11 o'clock a ere brake out in a part .4 the building
near the stage, and wax spreading rapidly, when two en.
gins were brought to bear upon it, and suceeeded in pre.
venting it from sprawling. M0m...! the decoration. were
destroyed, but more by lowly twain than by burning. The
cause of the fire i. unknown. This i. the .econd twupe that
the theatre has had within the last few months. The two.
forrnancee will nut be suspeutlel more tium two or three
days."
_ _

The first journal et-or published in Morocco has
Jae appeared. It la printed nt Tetuan, in the Spaniel
language, anti is distributed grttuitoualy. It taloa the
name of the Echo of Trermo. It gives r faeounible no.
count of the male Of living at Tetuan. The Moor., who
are naturally generous, give up their nesue umt furniture to
the ffiriniatils, treating them u» vietora au.l aline. The
town is very animated, and will, it is emirates!, soon become
• place of sortie importoisv.
A printing-office and a lithographic establishment
has recently been fortiesl for the first time in 4:reettland,
sad • work published by it lea just made it. appeanntiee. A.
German journal in intiitioning the fart 144:1% : -" It is ens
titled the Kaktdit and is a collection of
legend* written awl printed by untiven in the Vreeland
language with • Danish translation. The work is embels
liehed with twelve eugraiings uu e.t.a executed by • native
(the Greenlandera are skilful iu Anil work), and contains
also eight national soup with words anti music, and &hurl
titer forma a volt as intureating at it is originaL"