The Sun.
London, England, 1855-08-23 00:00:00

SURREY sEssroxs. - Aug. 22.

Inn Downes, a well-dressed, respectable-lookirg fe-
male, the wife of a tradesman carrying on business in
the Borough, surrendered, to take her trial for stealing a
box containing 4/. in crown pieces, two foreign coins, a
crochet cap, and a pair of silk stockings, from the dwel-
ling-house of William Chapman Neale.
Mr. Thomson prosecuted ; and Mr. Charnock de-
fended the prisoner.
The wife of the prosecutor, on being sworn, said she
lived at No. 36, Bear-lane. On Wednesday, the Ist inst..
she bought a bedstead of the prisoner, arid requested it
to be sent home, as her husband would pay for it. Sonic
time afterwards the prisoner and a man brought the bed-
stead to her house, and not having the money at the
time, she asked the prisoner to wait until her husband
came home. During the time they had sixpenny worth
of gin to " wet the bedstead," and atter that witness
showed the prisoner her fowls, when she agreed to pur-
chase three of them for ss. After that witness unloceed
the parlour door, and invitad the prisoner to look at
some new furniture, &c., and at the same time she put
Tier hand upon a box standing on a table, telling her
‘• that it-contained all she was worth in the world, a, d
enough to maintain her as long as she lived." Shortly
afterwards they left the parlour, when the prisoner said
in a hurried manner that she would run borne for tno
money for the fowl,. She accordingly left, and in afe v
minutes witness's husband came home, when thy
both went into the parlour, and to her dismay she
found the box was gone. That box contained 4/. in
crown nieces, 801118 f reign and old coins, a crotchet,
cap, and a pair of silk stockings which sine wore the d;iy
she was married. WitnieSs and her husband then went
in search of the prisoner, but they could not find her.
Some time after that Mrs. Downes came to the house and
said, "I am come to pay you for the fowls." Witness
said, Yes, with my own money, which you have
stolen with my box." The prisoner seemed much sur-
prised, but witness called in a police-constable, and gave
her into custody. The cap, pair of stockings, and silver
coin produced were her husband's property, and were
in the box when the prisoner stole it.
Mr. Charnock—Did not some one ask you to wet the
bedstead ? (Laughter.)
Witness—Yes ; a female did.
Mr. Charnock—What did you wet it with
Witness—Oh, a little gin, that is all.
Mr. Charnock—How much gin ?
Witness—About a quartern.
Mr. Charnock—Did you not have more than a guar.
tern 7

Witness—Yes ; I believe two quarterns, perhaps
three. I paid for some of it.
Mr. Charnock—Did you not give some gin to the cat ?
Witness—l did not give any gin to the cat. The pri-
soner took a fancy to the cat. That is all I know.
Mr. Charnock—You put the fowls on the table, and
gave them gin, did you not ?
Witness—Some gin was mixed with crumbs of bread,
and I believe the chickens ate it.

Mr. Charnock—Did not the prisoner pay for some of
the gin ?

Witness—Yes ; she did.
Mr. Charnock—You saw her leave the house ; and if
she had your box you mug have seen it,
Witness—l gave her a lump of stone and glass picked
from the fire in Holland-street, and I th-ught she carriel
that away with her, but she had my box at the same time.
Mr. Charnock—Dtd you not give her the cap and
stockings as well as the studs ? You know you were
good natured after drinking the gin.
Witness I gave her nothing except the studs. The
cap and stockings were in the box, and my husband had
the key.

Warwick Vaughan, 255 M, said he was called by last
witness to take the prisoner into custody, when a c.i.f.)
was called f r, and on their way to the station•bouse
she handed him a cap, pair of stockings, and some shirt
studs, saying that Mr.. Neale had given them to her.
Sarah' Ann Fewsome, the wife of one of the warrant
officers attached to the S)uthwark Police-court, said she
searched the prisoner and found two foreign coins upon
her. These coins were identified by the prosecutor aid
his wife.

Mr. Charnock then addressed the jury at some length
on behalf of the prisoner, cm.tending that the pr,secu-
trix was a gin drinker,. and while in a state of inehriation
she was so charitable as to give away the cap and ,•tock-
inL4s with the studs ; but as fur the coins, he shoe d be
able to prove that they had been in the possession of hi..
client f.r some time. He called several witnes,es, who
gave a very ,ingular acc( unt of the coins and he whole
transaction ; but the jury, much to the astoni-hment (.4
,very one in court, returned a verdict of acquittal,