The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-09-27 00:00:00

THE KIDNAPPED CHILD.

Charlotte Shale was examined at Leeds on Tuesday, upon the
charge of child-stealing.
Ott 3londay night William Rogers, the father, Mr. Read, the
chief constable of heeds, and the child, arrived by the mail. The
pittance. Charlotte Peck, they left thr security at Wakefield. and
she was brought into Leeds on Tuesday morning, at an early hour,
under a proper escort. Had not some precautions been employed
to protect her from the indignation of the crowd at Wakefield and
here, the 3lagistrates of Leeds would, in all probability, have
been spared the trouble of examining her. The artful and hard.
erect wretch does nut appear to be in the least daunted by her slum-
lion. She manifested no remorse whatever for all the misery she
has occasioned, but was sullen and obstinate, and persisted in re-
fusing to state her motives fur stealing the child, and dragging it
about the country.
Ex AMI •T 101c-11er examination took place at eleven o'clock
on Tuesday, at the Court-house, before the Mayor, H. Hall, Esc.
and Eileen, Brooke, Esq.
William li•ncers, the father, was first examined, who stated,
that the child was taken from his house on the 23d of June last ;
that he had taken diflerent mutes in pursuit of her, and that in con-
sequence of information received from Mr. Whihecombe, clerk to the
Magistrates at Swansea, he had repaired thither, where he found
the prisoner in custody, and his son under the protection of a gen-
tleman named Bryant. Mr. Martin Bevan, the proprietor of a pot-
tery at Swansea, in which Peck had worked three days, had read
the account of the prisoner's pmgress from the hrst in the London
and other papers, which stated that she had said that the boy was
a sister's child, .ind that she had brought him from France. Mr.
Bevan mentioned these circumstances to Mr. Bryant, his head
clerk; and inquired if such a person had been about the pottery. It
Immediately occurred to the latter gentleman that the prisoner
might he the person alluded to, es she had said her name was Char-
lotte Shaw, and that the boy was a 'sister's child. Site had now left
her work, on pretence of having a pain in her side, and Mr. Bryant
went with a constable to her lodgings, and charged hf.r with having
stolen the child, whit It she confessed on luring brought before the
Magistrates. Mr. Bryant took the child to his house, and there it re.
ntained till witness saw it on the 15th inst. The child seemel pleased,
and begged he might not again be given to Shaw. Such was the pater-
nal kindness shewn to the boy during his residence in Mr. Bryant's
family, that he always called that gentleman and his wife father
and mother ; and such was the dread upon the child's mind of
again 'being placed in the hands of Peck, that he could not bear
even the sight of her; so much so, that, during her examine-
tion before the Magistrates at Swansea, he (witness) was obliged
to remain with hint at the window. \Fitness was not in his house
when the child was taken awc.y. He knew the prisoner by the
name of Charlotte 'thaw. Site had lived as a lodger, five months,
within :,(NI yards of his house, up to the time the child was taken
away, and was in the habit of calling to get his wife to bake her
bread. Ile had gone to various parts of the kingdom in search of
her, and had advertisements published. Ile saw the prisoner in
custody at Swansea, but had no conversation with her. When on
their journey home, while oat the coach, witness heard the child
address, the prisoner as his aunt, and say he would " kill her like
a pig." The boy had Mien gone with the prisoner on to the moor
near the house bethre he was miming, and sometimes to her
(prisoner's) lodgings. It'hen the child was found at Swansea he
had none of the clothes which he had on when he was taken away;
nor could anything be found belonging to hint but a night-gown.
Prisoner did not say what had become of them.
Mary Rogers, the mother, was the next deponent. She wept
much at the commencement of her examination„ and appeared in a
very debilitated state. A seat was provided for her. She identified
the child as her sort. His rune, she said. was Joseph. She knows
the prisoner. Saw, her last on Wednesday afternoon, the 23d of
June. Between eleven and twelve o'clock in the forenoon of that
day, prisoner tante Cu ask if she would allow Joseph to spend the
day with Mrs. Urquhart (with whom witness supposed site then
lived) ; to this she consented, on prisoner promising to bring him
back at seven o'clock in the evening. Prisoner called again alone,
between three and four o'clock in the afternoon, and brought Iser
a piece of !them!, which she said Mrs. Urquhart had sent as a pre-
sent fur Joseph's seal cap, and that Mrs. U. would• consider it as •
favour if Mrs. Rogers would send his night-gown, and allow hint
to keep company with her little girl during the races. She said she
left him upon Miss ('rquhart's knee, who was playing the piano,
with which he appeared particularly amused. Prisoner said, before
she left hint she asked him if be would go to his mother, and he
said. " No, I won't ; upon which Miss U. said, " You should not
say I won't, but I don't like." Mee. Rogers said in reply, that she
would let her have the nightgown, but if his father did not like him
to stay, one of them would fetch hint home at night. Prisoner said
witness need not make herself uneasy, as Mrs. U. would take great
care of him, and make her a handsome present after the races.
What'll* gave prisoner the night-gown. when she said she would
take all the care that lay in her power. That was the last time that
witness saw the ',limner till the morning on which she was exa-
mined ; saw the child noenore after the morning of the sante day,
when she took him to Mrs. Urquhart's, till his return from Swansea.
Thinking the child quite safe, as she had known Mrs. Urquhart
several years, she made no inquiry after either of theM till thejtrie;
day evening, when she went to where she supposed the child was
and asked Mrs. Urquhart if the servant, Charlotte Shaw, wyt with-
in, who informed lire that she had left her service the Tuesday be.
fore, having been with her a fortnight; that slit and the child were
at her shop on Iredneaday, and doe/std not seen them since.
Mrs. Binning Urquhart lives 'ld Briggate. Never heard of
Rogers's family till she heard of the loss of their son • knows the
prisoner ; she lived with her a fortnight before the Leeds races,
and called herself Charlotte Shaw ; witness was in want of a ser-
vant, and prisoner mado application fur the situation, and gave her
directions to a Mrs. Armstrong, of Ilunslet, furs character, whose
house she had been s good deal about. Witness accordingly in.
quired, and heard a very reasonable character of her, and in conse-
quence took her into her service, where she remained a fortnight,
but finding that she did not suit her, she paid her her wages, and
parted with her ; she left on Tuesday, the day before Leeds races ;
site called the next day at het shop with a child, which she believed
to be the sante as that now produced ; it was then fatter and better
dressed. Peck said it was the schoolmistress's chill, at !kinglet,
and as the mother was going to Leeds Races, she had got her (the
prisoner) to take care of the children during her absence.
On the question being put to Mrs. Itogers,.she said she kept a
school at Hunslet, but had no conversation with the prisoner on the
subject of taking care of the children.
The evidence was now read over in the prisoner's hearing.
She was then asked by the Maxon if she had any objections to
any part of it ?
Prisoner—The mother said, that if, when the father came home,
he was at all uneasy about the absence of Joseph, she would tell
hint he was asleep at his grandmother's.
The 111 AT 01—Why have you taken him about the country ?
—No answer.
The SI aro it—ikliere was you born ?—Prisoner: I was born in
Hampshire, Sir.
By a 111AGIIIT a•T E —What part of Hampshire ?—Prisoner :
Near Andover.
The DIAYO a—What brought you into this county ?—Prlsoner :
I came to work at the pottery.
The Mayon—The pottery at Leeds ?—The Prisoner: No, at
Hondo, Sir.
The Marna—Why did you take the name of Shaw?—Pri-
soner: took it from having lived with some people of that name.
The AIAY 0 a—llow have you supported yourself and the child
during your absence from Leeds?—Prisoner: I had money given
me when on my passage front Leith to London, and at other places.
The Slav on—Who paid your passage from Liverpool to Gree-
nock it—Primmer : I had my passage free. The Captain gave Me.
The 31 iteon-11'hat means did you use to get it ?—No answer.
The 31 ar R —Why did von go to I nverary ?—Pt loony!. : To
sek work, but got none—and from thence I went to Glasgow.
Peck had previously stated to Mrs. Urquhart, that she was born
at Suotlerland, and that her father had been drowned three months
when she cane to five whit her, which etched her compassion. She
also said that her father was born at Inverary, and her mother at
is Scotland. She informed Mrs. Rogers that Sir Henry
Markham was her father, and gave the peen who brought her up
IL per week to take care of her. The examination sou comtuenced
at the Rotation Office, but the usual routine of business iaterfer.
ing with its mo.;ress, the parties adjourned to the Magistrates'
Ma JP The Courthouse was surrouuded at an early hour by
thousands of sp-ctators, anxiously waiting to gain a sight of the
prisoner. On the close of the examination, little Rogers was ex-
hibited from the window of the Magistrates' loom, s here he was
greeted loudly by the assembled crowd. On the return of his
patents to thcir home, some phased furs ard to kilts him, others to
shake hands with hint, and not a few were content to touch his
clothes; so intense was the curiosity his presence excited, that the
pressure became intolerable, and on reaching the Griffin public-
house, they wetejobliged to take refuge there, until a liackney-coach
could be procured to convey them to their own home. Since then
thoueantle of persons have ensiled them. The manner in which the
woman Peck has transported herself and the child front place to
place is truly astonishing. She left heeds on the 23d of June, and
has been traced since that period upwards of LSO/Smiles. Ilestfiest
excursion was, it will be remembered, to Liverpool, from whence
she proceeded to Greenock, thence to Inverary. There she was
detained in prison eiabt days, on a cheep of vagrancy. Hcr next
tour was to Glasgow and Leith. She left Leith fiw London is the
('tar smack, appeared In great distress, and actually collected on
board the vessel one pound eighteen shillings. The Captain gave
her a free passage to London. Front leonine' she went to Dover,
and thence to Calais in a French vessel, the master of which gave
her a free passage. At Calais, after working in a pottery a few
days, she made another collectien. still inure profitable than she
had levied on board the Edinburgh smack. She obtained Al.. and
returned to the thighlacutitood of London. Front Vauxhall sbe
went to Plymouth, thence to Hoyle, Portretah„ and finally to
Swansea. At Hoyle it was remarked that she stem one night in a
coal-wharf, where she was seen by a captain of one of the coal
vencle. The child had been so serenely bruised by Peck, that
alien he was found it swansta, his back was so much discoloured
that the mole could not be discerned till four days after his arrival,
and one of his ears was quite black. There're at present marks
upon his feet s here blisters have been. the sae of a shilling,
which sufficiently prove that he has travelled a great die:same.
The prisoner set caniiiiiital to Yurk, to take her trial at the
ensuing Amin. s.—Lceds Paper.

CO MDI N ATloN.—Yestenlay the male spinners employed
in the Oxford Itoull mill turned out. The pi itnipal reason
assigned by them for adopting this step, iso.that the pro-
prietors employ some women as spinners ; and we under-
stand, that the men have stated to their masters in distinct
terms, that they will not come in, unless the female spinners
are turned away.-111uticheiler Guardian.