The Sun.
London, England, 1837-12-30 00:00:00

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

Mrs. Nally Johnson was charged with having stolen Iss.
from Mrs. Mary Clarke. The complainant proceeded to
state that the high price of beef induced her to substitute a
leg uf pickled pork for Christmas dinner ; but Lying, on
Christmas Eve, so liberally partaken of the " compliments of
the season" she felt herself the next morning totally unable to
encounter the arduous task of making the customary pudding,
and she therefore begged her fellow-lodger, the prisoner, to
come and cook for her. The prisoner readily undertook the
charge, and finding the complainant still continued rather
overpowered, she recommended her to take a nap and a drop
of short, while she set about preparing the dinner. The
complainant followed the prisoner's advice in both points, and
left the care of the dinner to the prisoner. Now the prisoner,
it subsequently turned out, had all the morning been imbibing
'• anti-fogmatics," with her friends, and she was, therefore,
in a very little better situation than the complainant. In
attempting to lift the pork into the pot the joint slipped
and fell among the ashes. The husband of the complainant,
to mend the matter, intending the meat to undergo an ablu-
tion before being again consigned to the saucepan, popped
it into a pail which usually contained clean water, but which,
on that day, had been used by both ladies to hold a collection
of family slops. The pudding met with no better fortune,
for, on dishing it it slipped out of the pudding-cloth on to
the floor, and in addition it was ascertained that the plums had
been overlooked. While these disasters were occurring the
complainant was lying on the bed, but not so totally oblivious
as to be unable to tell what was transacting. The prisoner,
however, thought otherwise, and approaching the bed, she
drew a purse, containing six half-crowns from the complain-
ant's pocket. Complainant seized the prisoner, who ran into
her own room. A policeman was called, and a search was
made, but the money was not found.
The prisoner, during the statement of the complainant,
kept up a sort of Irish howl, and on spying a little Irish sailor
in the office, called out, " Och, Mr. Murphy, you're come to
save me life. You know me ; you know I'm the mother of
thirteen childer, and ye did'nt see me take the money."
Mister Murphy, thus appealed to, said, I wint out, your
Worship, on Christmas-day to take a walk to get an appetite
for dinner, and I came home, not drunk, but as sober as pos-
sible on such a day. The first thing I seen was Mistress John-
son sitting on the stairs wid a policeman. " Och," says she,
"'Mister Murphy," says she, " here's a sore business," says
she. " I'm charged," says she, " wid stealing," says she,
" Mother Clarke's money," says she. " Indeed," says I,
" its a had business," says I, " that same," says I, " but I
hope," says I, " Mistress Johnson," says I, " for the sake
of your family," says I, " you'll get over it," says I.
" Mister Murphy," says she, " you've known me," says
she, " for upwards of ten years," says she, " and more,"
says she, " and you didn't know," says she, " any harm'of
me," says she. " No," says I, " Mistress Johnson," says I,
" you are an honest woman," says I, " widout any harm,"
says I, " barring," says I, " a drop of drink," says I.
Mr. CONANT—What is it you have come to swear ?-111ur-
phy—That I never seen her take the money.
Mr. CONANT directed the prisoner to be remanded fur a few
days.