The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-19 00:00:00

THAMES.

A MOST ARTFUL THIEF—John Donovan, an active
young man, and described as a labourer, of Queen-street,
Ratcliff, was brought before Mr. Partridge, charged with
stealing six pairs of sea boots.
Hymen Behill, shopman to an oetfitter, of 12, Jamaica-
terrace, said that he heard a lot of boots fall down on the
pavement at the door.
Mr. Partridge—Yes, they were outside the shop. You
have no business to expose goods in that way. It holds out
a temptation to thieves.
Witness--A boy called out thieves, I ran after the thief.
He dropped five pairs of boots on the footpath. He ran
away with the others. He could nct take the lot. They
were all tied in a row. Another gent." stopped him.
When I got back to the shop a neigaour restored me five
pairs boots. He picked them up in th.e street.
William Robinson, a carpenter, of 12, St. Ann's.road,
Limehouse, said at 10 minutes to 8 last night he was com-
ing along the West India-road. The prisoner was coming
in an opposite direction. The prisoner, who had a white
jacket on, turned into a side street. He pursued him, and
as he turned the corner of a street ho stumbled over a jacket,
and looking about saw the prisoner on the other side of the
way walking along in a most deliberate manner. He ran
across the road and seized the prisoner, who affected great
astonishment, and said " What do you want with me." A
new pair of boots were found on the pavement near the
jacket which the prisoner was now wearing.
Michael Halton, a police-sergeant, 26 K, stated that he
saw the prisoner struggling violently with the two last
witnesses, and that directly he was secured he pretended to
be very drunk.
The prisoner in defence said he never put his hand near
the boots. Ho was drinking at a public-house, and hearing
a cry of " Stop thief," he went out to see what was the
matter. _

Mr. Partridge committed the prisoner for trial.
Molt WAY ROBBERY.—James Brien, aged 18, a well-
known thief, was brought before Mr. Partridge, charged
with stealing a silver watch from the person of Eric Luker.
The prosecutor is a Finland sailor. He was examined
through the medium of an interpreter, and said he was
staying at the Sailors' Home in Well-street. He was in a
grog-shop yesterday evening and saw the prisoner there
and treated him. Soon afterwards he was walking along
the street in company with two girls, and the prisoner
came up to him and grabbed his watch.
Mr. Partridge (to the interpreter)—Ask him how his
watch was grabbed ?
The question was put, and the answer was, that the pri-
soner made a snatch at the watch, took it from his waist-
coat pocket, broke it from the guard, and ran away with it.
Robert Payne, a police-constable, No. 198 H, received
information yesterday evening that the prisoner had stolen
a watch from a sailor. He saw the prisoner in a crowd in
Backchurch-lane, St. Ger:age••in-the-East, at half-past 9
o'clock, and took him into custody. He told him the charge,
and the prisoner laughed. On the way to the station-house
the prisoner said " I'll make that Julia Ann repent for
this; she has pinched (informed) against me." That was
the girl who went to the station-house with the foreign
sailor and gave information of the robbery. He had not
mentioned the girl's name to the prisoner.

Mr. Partridge—Do you know the prisoner ?
Payne--I know him well, sir. He was formerly a shoe-
black. He has been convicted several times for felony.
He belongs to a regular gang of thieves.
Mr. Partridge—l shall commit the prisoner for trial. At
present I will remand the prisoner until to-morrow, and you
must bring "Julia Ann," who was with the sailor when he
was robbed of his watch, and other witnesses here. Com-
plete the depositions as far as possible, Mr. Bowdler.
The prisoner was then remanded.

SUSPICIOUS CASE.—The North Britith Ma.
says :—" A case of a very suspicious character has
been the subject of investigation by the police on the south
side of the river during the two bygone days. It is one in
which it is feared foul means have been successfully brought
i
into play to deprive a fellow-creature of life. About six
o'clock on the evening of Tuesday, two or three boys called
the attention of a constable to the fact that on looking
through the window of an empty house on the ground flat
at 71, Crown-street, Glasgow, they had seen a man lying on
the floor, apparently drunk or asleep, and that on trying to
open the door of the room they had found it locked. The
cons able at once, accompanied by the boys, proceeded to
gained admission.
On entering the apartment he found that the man was dead
the house, and, after some little delay,
Several of the neighbours, on being questioned as to whether
they huew anything of the circumstances attending the
man's death, stated that on Monday night, between 11 and
12 o'clock, they had seen a man who they understood had
just " taken" the house, enter it in company with a female,
with whom they said he was in the habit of associating.
They further said that about 3 o'clock en Tuesday morning
1 they heard cries or groans proceeding irons the house, as if
i some person were being strangled or ttiffocated. No one
seems to have thought it proper to interfere at the moment.
The female was seen to leave the prern:ses a little before
six o'clock in the morning, and she vas afterwards ob-
served to return at nine o'clock, and loot through the win-
dow. She did not enter the house, but went away im-
mediately. Whenever information of the finding of the
body reached the Southern Police-office, Dr. Dunlop
was immediately sent for, and that gettleman visited the
house. He concluded that deceased had been dead about
twelve hours, and on examination he found several marks
or indications of violence about the threat, neck, and face ;
and h
Y Was such as to lead
to tb
caused by strangula-
tion. The body was conveyed to the police- office, and
tee conviction general
a thed
been
bbod
dead house. Dr. Dunloplaced in the p ;hen mado a second
and more minute scrutiny of deceased's person, and disco-
vered additional marks of violence on the breast. The
police then set about making inquiries as to the identity of
deceased, when it was discovered that hit name was Edward
Dooly, that ho was 40 years of age, a labourer in 111‘Laren's
Engineworks, Rose-street, and resided with his wife and
family, at 11, Pollockshaws-road. He hft his home about
eleven o'clock on Monday night, stating to his wife that he
had to go and assist a man to repair a furnace in M‘Laren's
work, which statement has since been as3erLelned to be un-
true. The female in whose company deceased was seen is
named Alice Cowan or Thomson, and sh) is about 31 years
of age. She has been separated from het husband for about
eight years, and is alleged to have been associating with de-
ceased for the last 12 months. She was apprehended on
Tuesday night in a house iu William-stmet, Coweaddens.
Iler statements up to the present time have been very con-
tradictory, and at first she denied having been near the
house in Crown-street since eleven o'clock on Monday
evening. On W ednesday a post mortem examination of the
body was made by Dr. G. R. B. Macleod and Dr. Dunlop,
and although the precise result has not transpired, we be-
lieve it is such as will warrant its being Lade the basis of a
criminal prosecution.