The National Register.
London, England, 1821-06-18 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER

(Mice accompanied by his witnesses. It was understood
that die case is postponed sine die.
M A lILBOROU GI I-STll FET.
('IIARGES OF CIIII,D-STrALING.--()il Friday, Eli-
zabeth :Marks, a young woman about 2 years of age, of
very respectable appearance, was brought up in custody
of Humphries, a constable, of Paddington, charged by
several respectable inhabitants of that neighbourhood on
suspicion of enticing and stealing their children, and
also with robbing theta of their clothes. The prosecutors
are. Mr. Evans, of the Harrow-road; Mr. Manning, of
the Edgewareotoad ; Mr. Nichols, of Paddington-green;
Mr. Smith, furrier, of Stingo-lane, New-road, isrc. seve-
ral of whom were in attendance, accompanied by their
little innocents, who had been enticed away from their
homes.
About a fortnight since a child belonaing to Mr. •
Evans, and two others of the families of Mr. Maiming
and Mr. Nichola, all under five years of age, obtained
leave front their parents to play near their father's houses
on Paddington-green. Donna their ahsence from house
a woman accosted them, and through the medium of
offering them playthings and cakes, they were induced
to follow her until they lost sight of their direction home
—then, undv r a preteuce of taking them to their friends,
she led them across the fields through St. John's Wood.
On her arrival in a field near Primrose-hill site stripped
two of the children, but was prevented stripping the
third in consequence of a gentleman appearing near the
spot, which caused her to make her escape. The pri-
I toner then left the poor little babes to wander about in
the solitary fields, far from their homes, she having with
her their clothes. They remained there until a late
hour iu the uigiu, when their mournings attracted the
atontion of a woman who belongs to a brich-lield near
the spot in which they were left. She was induced to
proceed thither, on which she found the innocent hule
creatmas sitting altogether, cold, trembling, and almost
heart-broken, and ti.arly drowned m sears. Tne appear-
aucc of the stranger seemed to endow them with new life
in their forsaken situation, and they begged to be taken
home. Mr. Manning's child had the whole of its clothes
on, but the other two were merely left with a trifling
covering. On the woman inquiring of one of them
where its friends lived, all that she w..s scarcely able to
utter was " Paddington-green." The woman accor-
dingly
took the poor little wanderers to Paddington-
green, where she had the good fortune to trade their
almost distracted parents, whose feelings at beholding
their children, who had beets lost during the whole
of the day, can far better allow of conception
than description. They had been searching after them
all day, and all hopes of finding them were con-
sidered vain, as sonic accident was concluded to have
happened to them. Ott questioning one of the children
as to how the offence was committed, she innocently
answered " that a woman took theist all away to take a
wall; in the fields, and they were to have a feast of cakes.
The woman teamed to take their frocks off, and they
said, their mother would be so angry if she took their
'rocks." The woman then went away from them, and
they could nut find their way harms. Several other chil-
dren have been stolen, under similar circumstances, and
robbed of their apparel, but no discos ery as to the thief
could eser he made until a shurt time after the above
children were stolen, when the same woman, which is
the prisoner, had the audacity to make her appearance
near the spot front which she had enticed them. She
was in the company of au elderly woman—the moment
Mr. Evans child saw her near its father's house, it cried
and rail away, straining out—" here is the woman who
took Its away," and WJS extremely frightened at her
appearance. Fortunately lI thries was passing at the
time, and knowine that souse children had been stolen,
lie asked the child, which WOU16111," and he took the
prisoner into custody. The old woman, her companion
was lust sight of in a moment. He took the prisoner
to the watch-house, and then brought her to the office.
She confessed having stolen the children, and stripped
them of their minims which she afterwards sold in Ox-
ford-street. The prisoner stated that she formerly lived
with Mr. Ryder, of Marylebone-street.
Another inhuman case of cluld-stealing occured about
a fortnight previous to the above. It appeared that Mr.
Smith art Stingo-lane suffered his child to walk with hint
into the New Road. Whilst he went into the field to
get one of Isis houses, the child was stolen away, and he
was not discovered for a length of time afterwards, wheu
he was found in Bethnal Greets work-house, to which '
place lie was taken on being picked up 1111 Bethnal-green,
under the most distressing circumstances, alter being de-
serted by .the woman who had stolen him away. The
poor child was nearly in a state of nudity, and almost
starved. .

According to .he child's account, he was enticed away
by a woman, who offered him cakes. She carried hint
doom begging, and made him beg also, and dressed him
badly, after stripping him of his own clothes; she after-
wards deserted him. Rewards were offered for this child,
but no tidings could be traced of Ivan through the ine-
dium of the rewards offered. Mrs. Smith, in conse-
quence of the child's absence, and her sudden surprise
at its discovery, is now on a sick hed in a very precarious
situation. The child of another gentleman of respecta-
bility, residing its the above neighbourhood, has also
been stolen, and although missing for a lung time, no
tidings can be traced of it, and others have been stolen
Mr. Farrant, the magistrate, considered the 'children
too young to become witnesses, and thought it necessary
that further information should be procured against the
prisoner.
From the number of children that have been stolen,
it is suspected that there is a gang of wretches who go
about for that purpose, and make a triadic of the ehil-
dives clothes.

If any person have lost their children, it would he
well that they should attend at the next examination,
which will take place ou Friday next, to which time the
prisoner was reitiantled.
ATTIMPT AT AssAsstukrrow.—Thursday morning
peat slam said anxiety were excited at the west cud of
the town, in consequence of a desperate attempt upon the

1.

life of Major• General Eadon, at his residence in Berke-
ley-square, by a man named William Padmore, between
.14 and 40 years of age, who, under pretence of commu-
nicating some private business to the General, sought an
interview, and with a butcher's knife stabbed him in
several parts of the body. The prisoner was taken into
en-ain't immediately, and carried in a watch-house, from
whence he was conveyed in a coach without loss of time
to Marlborough-street, handcuffed, in charge of several
officers, followed by a vast crowd of persons. On being
placed at the bar, he evinced extreme agitation. He was
decently dressed, and, we understand, has a wife and
family. The crowd in the hall and outside of the offieo,
during the examination, was great, and the officers had
considerable difficulty in preveu persons from forcing
their way inside.
J. E. Conant, Esq. immediately attended to the case,
and Sir ‘Villiam Eadon, the General's nephew, and se-
veral of his servants, attended to give evidence ; in hearing
of which the time of the magistrate was occupied several
hours.
Mr. James Earl, surgeon, of George street, Portman-
square, stated that he came to the house of General
Eadon, and on his arrival found him weltering in blood,
and in a very faint state; examined his wounds, of
which he found there was one of a very serious nature.
Did not apprehend any immediate danger, but it was
impossible at that tune to give a positive opinion. Ile
dressed the wounds, and had the General removed to iris
Ile recei%ed a wound also in the hand.

The prisoner, on being called for h;s de once. main-
tained at first a gloonly Avner ; but at length turned
towards the magistra'e, and said, " I have had cause for
what I have done. I know the dreadful situation its
which I stand in consequence of it ; but my determina-
tion wasfized, awl my mind made up to abide the result.
I must decline, for the present, saying more." These
words were tittered with a tremulous voice, but with a
countenance trim ning and sullen ; and the prisoner
turned away from the bar, as if anxious to avoid the gaze
of the persons present.
Mr. Conant remanded the prisoner till Thursday.