The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-31 00:00:00

WESTMIN -TER.

EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE OF FELONY. —Mary Jane
Hodges, a very respectable looking young woman, was
placed at the bar before Mr. Arnold, charged with stealing
a box containing upwards of £7.
Mr. John Robert Parr, coatmaker, 16, Montpelier-street,
Brompton, said—Prisoner was formerly a servant of mine,
and 1 discharged her for dishonesty, and I now charge her
with entering my d welling•house and stealing £7 3s. The
back of my house very much exposed, and my bedroom
has been entered without my knowing it while I was serving
in the shop, and I have been robbed.
Mr. Arnold—When did you miss the property?
Prosecutor—lt was safe on the 28th of last month, and
next morning we missed it.
Mr. Arnold—Why have you charged the prisoner ?
Prosecutor—Knowing her formerly for pilfering, and no
other person could get over the wall and take this box.
Mr. At nold—l 4 that your reason for charging her?
Prosecutor—Yes. bile was the only person who could
get over the wall and enter the room and sort out this par.
titular box and take it away.
Mr. Arnold—Have you another servant?
Prosecutor--Yes. One came these last two days.
Mr. Arneld—ls there any evidence against this young
woman?
Policeman—There was a young girl identified her last
night, she thought, by her voice.
have had servants before
Mr. Arnold—Mr. Parr, you
and servants since the prisoner, I suppose.

Prosecutor—Yes.
Mr. Arnold—Then they could have committed the rob-
bery as well as the prisoner ?
Mary Parr, wife of the prosecutor—l saw the box safe at
half-past six on the 28th. We went about 11 to bed, and
at half-past Bon the following morning it was gone.
Ernest Williams, a boy, said he saw a woman get over a
wall at the back of the prosecutor's house. He heard her
say she had come down these for the nearest way.
Mr. Arnold—Do you know who it was.
Witness—No. I never say her face, she had her back
the other way.

Mr. Arnold—ls there any further evidence.
Policeman—No. There was a woman last night who
said she fancied the prisoner's face was the same she had
seen, but could not identify her.

Mr. Arnold—There is not the slightest pretence for
charging the woman that I can see. The prosecutor has
acted very hastily in giving her in charge, and if the pri-
soner is properly advised she will bring an action against
him for the false imprisonment.
A woman from the body of the court, upon this, stood
forward and said that she had seen a person with a box.
The woman, who gave the name of Margaret Thompson
was sworn, and said she saw a woman at prosecutot's door
with a boa on the night of the robbery. She was closely
veiled, but prisoner's face resembled the v.-omen's, and so
her appearance. On her oath she believed her to be the
person.

Mr. Arnold—I shall remand the prisoner till Tuesday,
but I will take one bail in £lO.
It having been communicated by the police that the
woman Thompson had last night declared she believed pri-
soner was not the person,
Mr. Arnold directed the accused to be be discharged, on
entering into her own recognisances.
Discharged accordingly.

SHIPPING—This Day.

LONDON, July 31.—Wind this day at noon—East;
light breeze, and fine weather.

FALMOUTH, July 31—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Willie,
from Rangoon.

CARDIFF, July 30.—Wind N.W.—Sailed—James P.
Patten, for St, Paul de Loando ; St, Vincent, for St.
Thomas.

COWES, July 30.—Wind S.E.—Arrived—Giljich, from
the Cape of Good Hope.
PORTSMOUTH, July 30,—Wind S.E.—Arrived—Louisa,
from London for Hong Kong.