The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-09-21 00:00:00

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Ilk' then left the bar, ' ----mnledratel '
beet, and sentenced to fowls:l2i t was
ertais' tVmansportation. y
- fitted, a very respectable add Inert-sting young woman,
leg tillafged with stealing a diamond rieg. a watch, a necklace,
isaiattsel articles, the property of her mistress, Him Kidney, a'
ladle, fonunt, residing at Maid& Hilt. Paddington.
Illt. ADOILTNITS stated the case for the prosecution, and then
sidled
llitateCbristlan Kidney. who deposed that the prisoner was in I
het stsaite three ream as a confidential servant, and was discharged
oirtiae9Sth of July la*, together with two other ferpele servants.
flavir.g missed venom' articles, she detained some of the prisoner's
WA% sea Its the presence of John Taylor, a Bow-street officer,
MO boxes were starched, but she did net at that time hod anythhig
bilisgingto her. After the prisoner was gone the witness missed
II diamead ring and some gilt watch seals. A person of the name
of Can was otessionany a chnr-womatt of the witness's, with whom
she'undersmod the prison?, Ned was living. Witness accordingly
went to the house of Cox earl in the morning of the 26th of July.
lOW shoe a hackney-coach at the door, with several boxes belonging
to Mad. She told the driver not to stir till she hail mewed a po-
lice-officer. She Tent and obtained the assistance of two officers,
rad. lei her fettim she went into the house with them, end found
(ox and the poisoner drinking rum and water. The first thing
she sa* wan a cop and sinter her y. She then gave charge
of the prisoner te the officers. and hat the boxts removed to the
Ptillet-olthie. On the boxes being exantlhed, in the course of the
'MY, 12erfdwes'e foona a locket, a necklace, some red ribeni, and
ilea **des, which she knew to be her's, and none of which had
ant tett given to the pnsoner.
Cross-examined by Ale. ALLET—I rye fated warning; she'
ilidlllllgive me ruder. I gave small presents occasionally to my
rereemas. I gave them two yards of riband a piece on my birth-
day. I never gave the prisoner any beads. I never gave her any
thing which was not fit for a servant to wear, not even a white
been. John Taylor, the officer, searched the boxes. No person
assisted but s very officious person, Mrs. Cox. We found nothing
tout a few little berries.
Hy Mr. A Misfiring—Did this search you have now been speak.
iv taf, take place at your house before Isted went away, or on
thtliellowing day at the house of Mrs. Cox P—At my own house
before she went away.
By Me. Coatutou SCROrANT —She went away about an hoar
after the search ; the boxes were corded after the search.
W. Hewit, Police officer, searched the box, at the poliee.office,
and fiend several pieces of *bend, a locket, tee. gated was not
present whets her box was searched.
Crosmexamined by Mr. A NDILZWS—The prisoner wash' custody
at Marylebone office when the search was made. Vl'hen I went
back. I mid nothing to her about my having rummaged her box ;
the things were produced in her presence at her examination be-
fore the Magistrate. Mr. Griffith..
By Mr. Cowniow SETIOTAXT—I thought the search had been
made at six or seven o'clock in the morning P—No, we only took
her in custody then. We examined the box afterwards, about three
es four o'clock.
Miss Kidney here identified several of the things, which were all
of the most trifling description.
John 'Taylor, the Bow-street officer, called by Mr. ALLTT, for
the defesee—When Isted's box was searched before her leaving
Mies Kidney's service, Miss Kidney was present ; the beads. Miss
Kidney said, she hail given to ',tied ; there was also a locket in the
bar; witness could not swear that the locket produced was the
mote, but believes it to be.
Ain. Brown examined—l formerly lived in the service of Miss
Kidney. I was in the habit of visiting that lady after I was mar.
s:ed. I was on a visit to her at her revest on the day the boxes of
the prisoner leted were searched. There were several things in it,
all of which Miss Kidney said she had given to the prisoner; but
the beads which are here were not those which were found in the
prisoner's box on that occasion. Miss Kidney's memory is occa-
morally very bad. She was, when I lived with her, in the habit of
drinking to such an excess as not to know what she was about. I
believe her to be a very treacherous woman. She was always say.
lag how much she liked all the servants, and yet, after the prisoner
had beets taken into custody, that lady had offeied to give me an
anodyne leckiace if I would say anything against her servants.
Al:. Burtield, a merchant, and several other persons of very
greet respectability, among whom was the Overseer of Paddington
parish, then came forward, and bore the moat unequivocal testi-
riles, to the honesty, integrity, and respectability of the prisoner.
So much do we believe, (said several of them) that she is innocent,
sad that this prosecution is but the result of spleen and ill-will,
:• at we are quite willing to offer her an asylum in our house,
until she can be better provided for.
Mr. Cosexox SEROFANT, in summing up, observed, that it
was a esftions thing that none of these articles should have been
totted In the prisoner's boxes, when they were searched previously
fe her leaving her plow, and that yet, so soon after as the next
marring, they should all be nimovered in them ; and this, too,when
it the prisorer had really stolen the things, they were all of that
description which she might very easily have carried away with her
is her pockets. If there was not sufficient proof to satisfy the
mines of the Jury, that the things were put into the boxes at the
ftme they were in the possession of the prisoner (for they should
remember that the boxes had been taken into her mistress's room,
Ittti afterwards to the Police Office) they must acquit her. Miss
KeIC.-s had sworn in general terms that she never gave the pri-
soner anything unfit for a servant to wear ; and yet the officer had
seem that when the necklace was found in her box, that lady ad.
C-,:t•.,d that she had given it to the prisoner. noon the whole, the
evidence certainly did appear to him to be of a very imperfect
nature, and it was for the Jury to say whether they could con-
scientiously convict the prisoner upon such testimony.
The Jury without hesitation acquitted the girl, who retained a
verycalm and composed demeanor during the whole of the trial.
frlintbe44 Co.-..., another servant of Miss Kidney, a married wo-
man, and of middle age. was then put to the bar, charged wit h
having or. the 9th of June last stolen a gold pencil case, value
11. Ifis. the property of Me. Ernesto Diann Domenico Spavioletti.
Mr. Aciotexus, in stating the case to the Jury, observed,
that it was ever to be desired that in presenting a case to a Court of
Justice, those who conducted it should be prepared with complete
evidence to support it, and that if there could be a doubt fairly
raised in the minds of the Jury, the prisoner should always have
ths benefit of than doubt, and he sent forth to the world again, if
potable, unprejudiced and untainted. If in the present case these
should be any such doubt, he was sure, front their past conduct,
that they would exercise the same merciful consideration towards
the prisoner now before them as characterised their treatment in all
ether instances. Ho should not have proceeded with this prosecu-
tors. melees lie felt assured that the evidence was of a nature that,
for the sake of public j
ustice, it was his duty to do so ; and he was
itone sure that the Jury on their parts would, as they uniformly
. keep their minds free and uninfluenced, and give the case a.
and impartial consideration, notwithstanding any insinuations,
al extraordinary es they were abominable and unfounded, that
Mitt be made to impeach the character of the lady who would be
(Aired before them. Insinuations of this kind he felt himself the
maze called upon to reprobate, at he well knew the conspiracies
test were often made by servants against their mistresses from the
Latest motives.
dr. ALL/I rose, and with much warmth objected to the very
irregular course which Mr. Adolphus was taking, and submitted
suit he had no right whatever to presume upon what might or might
rot be his defence, especially as he, as defendant's Counsel, would
not have an opportunity to reply to its observations.
The Cotter thought there was nothing at all irregular in the
Counsel for the prosecution to anticipate what might be the
d
ittiCADOLTROS then, without making any further observa-
tions, proceeded to state the facts as proved in the following,
intideace.
Islim Kidney examined.—l remember Mr. SpagMoletti coming
to my house on the Bth of June, the day before the Drawing Room,
to give me a lesson in music ; he smut away, and left his gold case
behind hilt. On the following da) a gentleman came lino my
room, and wand ig a pencil, he used Mr. Spagniolettro, and then
petit down on the piano-forte. Previous to my going to Court my
tLree servants, Phillis hated, Elizabeth Cox, and Barbara Waters,
tame up into the drawing-room to see me in my Court dress. The
pe...tal case was then in the room. I desired Phillis to take cans of
it. Oa my return from Court I missed the pencil-case, and then I
aged the servants whether they load seen it, but they all denied 1
haying done so ; Cox in particular said, wbat business had she to
by is the drawing-room. Mr. Spagnioletti came the following day
to inquire for the case, but it could not befound:
Michael Morns, the police.officer, deposed, that the prisoner I
was apprehended et the cum: time that Jinn's fated was: that)
when lie searched the prisoner's husband's house on the 26th of I
July, be found the gold pencil case in a jar in tl:c cupboard.
Abe. Opagnioleto was examined, and said the pencil case how i
picellueed was the one which he Lit on the piano-forte in Miss;
Kid/offs room. He knew it by a mark which he made on it at the I
that he purchased it, to ascertain whether it was gold. It had i
belonged to poor Neldi, and he gave a guinea for it ; he did not
know whether that was its real value or not.
MiChiel Morris was recalled, and said, that when the pencil.
case was produced at the police-office, Phillis feted said it was the
oeC ehich had been left on the piano-forte in bee mistress's draw-
inkream the day before her inietressi went to Court.
,ToUr persons gsve the prisoner, a character for honesty and
saltit ety.
,er Jury Inland her Guilty.
fardiiro Waters, a very good.lookiog young woman, also a ter-
• nut .r Miss Kidney's, was wet put to the bar, charged with steal-
int on the 26th of July, eight yards of velvet, value "s, Id.; pair
'of swellings. value 6e.; a muslin gown slip, some handkerchiefs,
taut other articles, the property of her mistress.
:if La Kidney was examined, who stated that the prisoner was her
rook is the. month of July ; that she was the cousin of Pions
Isle& and was dishargetl on the same day that limed was.
mite Illsly stated that she lodged in the same house with the
!ta pisoner. On the day that the Police-officer searched the house,
,1t 'found in tier room several jars of preserves belonging to Mrs.
.C.ns,. and also a blue bag, the contents of winch she did not know,
ate did she know is whom the bag belonged. She placed both the
beg end the preserves on the lending place, opposite Cox's door;
air hail not sail the things since. The prisoner was an entire
Orme& to her, whom she revel saw till the day she was examined
it tie Police-e rice.
' Tht officer then produced the Lag which was found by hint on,
Searching (;ox's butts?. Toe articles witieh it contained were
i.1.,.is to the ptisonei at the 0M-t, who deeded any knowledge of
tre altogether. There was a lent, Lute] elite bottom oldie hag.
'jot contents of the b. g were then eiiiiibited. The things ap-
peited to heralds and tads ct 4:: carts, and inaintically of little 07
refill!! although MtAut in the ine.ictuteet to be articles of worth.
4, Auisor said, as there was r.ot a testicle of evidence to affect
the misoher, he should declin calling any witnesses fur her dc.
face. _ _ _

. Aitutfitult-..-011, but there is the letter ; let it be banded
to theoMecr. To whom is that letter addressed ?
Mr. ALCLY-1 rutty object to ddsj'and Btu aetonbhed at the
Mans tlau atteutpted to be oroodellsiskast s poor !Priv,: er. VI by,

you have not shown that We lsttet ever was in the prisoner's pos-
session.
Mr. Ano LIMITS conterded, that he bad a right to ask to whom
the letter was addressed, being found, u it was, among the other
'articles.
The Cot: IT thought, that as the letter was with the things that
were stolen. the address might he read, though sot its contents.
Mr. ALLEY. with great submission, thought it could not be.
The Learned Counsel (having looked at it) said, " Oh, you may
read the address, if you like."
onesa--The letter is addressed "To Barham M'atem, Iliss
•
j Kidney's, 15. Maida Hill. Regent's Park. Paddiagton.
The Connor SERGEANT—WeII, that is nothing; we do not
know who put the letter into she bag. Ilentlerneu of the Jury,
there does not appear to be any evidence to show that the prisoner
had anything to do with the bag; it will be, therefore, your duty
to acquit her.
The Jury accordingly acquitted the youngwoman.
No sooner was the vcrdict recorded than Alr. Durtield, the mer-
chant, and the overseer of We parish where :Ulla Kidney lived,
both offered to take the two young women into their care, and keep
them until situations were provided for them. The latter gentle-
man exclaimed, he had never in all his life heard of or seen such al
prouctition as this before.
ADOLPIII:s told him he was a very worthy man, prihaps ;
brit lie was nevertheless a very hot-headed overseer. lle then said
that there was another indictment against all three of the prisoners,
Phillis Is•ed, Elizabeth Cox, and Barbara Waters, for stealing
, other property, and also for having the property which they had
1 each been severally indicted for stealing, unlawfully in their posses- ,
anon • but as be felt there would be some difficulty
in proving the
i
possesson of the things, which they were in this indictment charged,
with having stolen, and as two of them had been accinitted with
1 respect to the other
property.
he should advise Alias Kidney not to
cull any evidence in the prevent case. The lady, after consulting
with her attorney, assented to the suggestion of her counsel, and,
the_ prisoners were accordingly acquitted on this joint indictment.
.1 Mr. ALLEY then told lifted and Waters that Mr. Burfield
j would take them home AO bii heusa, and protect them until they
1 should be otherwise provided for. The youxs women appeared
well pleased , and left the Court with smiling countenances.
Mr. ADot.rttui—Ohl I dare say the gentleman will take care
of them. Ile is very fond of women, no doubt.