The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-16 00:00:00

THAMES.

JUVENILE THIEVES AND AN ADULT RECEIVER.—
Sarah Bateman, a married woman, of No. 3, Davis-street,
Bromley, was brought before Mr. Woolrych, charged with
feloniously receiving ICOlbs. of coal, the property of the
North London Railway Company.

The case was a singular one. This teeming, between
the hours of 3 and 4 o'clock, a police-constable named Thos.
Wakeling, No. 100 K, saw a barge moored right across the
Limehouse Cut, a branch of the river Lea, at Bromley.
The barge formed a kind of pontoon-bridge, and four boys,
each laden with large pieces of coal, were running across
the barge from the east to the west side of the ,c cut." One
boy went into the prisoner's house on the west bank of the
canal, the others into houses adjoining. The constable pur-
sued them across the barge,but they all escaped. He made an
immediate search in the houses he had seen the boys enter.
In the yard of one he discovered between 700 and 800 lbs.
of coal in lumps, and in the kitchen cupboard of the pri-
soner's dwelling ho found 100 lbs. more. The prisoner was
up and in her night dress. They rushed out of the house
directly after the constable entered. He asked the prisoner
whose boy was that, and she said it was her own son. Sha
could give no account whatever as to how she became pos-
sessed of the coals. There is a wharf in the occupation of
the North London Railway on the eastern side of the cut,
and a siding from the railway over which coal trucks are pro-
pelled. The coals are discharged from the trucks into barges.
The barge, which had been converted into a bridge, was close
alongside the bank of the canal, and under the coal trucks,
in readiness to receive the contents of the trucks. About
half a ton of coals had been stolen from one of the trucks in
the course of the night. The trucks Or waggons on the
railway sidings were laden with Staveley coal. The 8 cwt.
of coal found in the yard of one house, and the kitchen
cupboard of the prisoner's corresponded exactly with the
coals in the waggons. The barge was shifted from its
position.
Mr. Woolrych inquired if any retail dealers in the neigh-
bourhood of the place where the prisoner lived sold Staveley
coal, and the answer was in the negative.
The prisoner made no defence.

Mr. Woolrych said a very daring robbery was committed
in the night time by several boys, who stole a ton of coals
from one of the trucks, and carried their booty to the oppo-
site side of the cut, and were nothing daunted by the dog
on the wharf barking fearfully. The prisoner was much
worse than the thieves. She was the receiver, and was a
very wicked woman. He sentenced her to six weeks' im-
prisonment and hard labour for the unlawful possession of
the coals found in hir kitchen cupboard.
The magistrates of this court have commenced business
at 15 or 30 minutes past ten o'clock since the sth inst., to
the great convenience of the public. The change has
effected immense good. The magistrates have been
enabled to leave the court every afternoon at five o'clock,
and good order and quiet has prevailed. The people at-
tending upon the night charges and remands are away be-
fore the persons attending on summonses arrive—there
has been no quarrelling or disorder in the avenues leading
to the court, and there is no prospect, while the present
system continues, of people being detained until seven and
eight o'clock in the evening, or leaving the court wearied,
exhausted, and disappointed. If the magistrates will follow
up their good intentions and commence business at ten
o'clock precisely every morning (the hour at which the
judges commence business in Westminster Hall) they will
confer another boon on the inhabitants of the district. Two
additional clerks are much required. Two clerks were
appointed to the Thames Police Court when it was
first established 60 years ago. The business has since
increased tenfold, and no additional clerks have been ap-
pointed. Two clerks are not sufficient for the business of
the court, and were it not for the assistance of the ushers
and summoning officers, matters would be brought to a
standstill. Mr. Woolrych arrived at the court this morning
at a few minutes after 10, heard the applications immedi-
ately, and commenced the hearing of the night charges at
pipdge, who enjoyed,
in the
half•past 10. He leaves town for his vacation this evening,
hiean i d willx
w be
weeks'
ke, awayhelstidy
six weeks.
after Mterr.
his ar
F atrointment
early part of the summer, will preside daily while Mr.
Woolrych is away, and it is to be hoped he will commence
business
Actat of Parliament.
10 andleaveoff at 5 precisely; in compliance
with the