The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-24 00:00:00

THAMES.

ROBBING A WIDOW LADY OP HER, JEWELLERY.--
Josiah Rixon, a strange little man, about 30 years of age,
and described as a porter, of No. 9, Hague-street, Bethnal-
green, was brought before Mr. Partridge on a charge of
stealing plate and jewellery, the property of a widow lady
named Major, of No. 5, Coburn-terrace, Bow-road. The
value of the property was statel to be £BO.
It appeared that the brother-in-law of the prisoner had
been in the service of the prosecutor for 22 years, took care
of her house, and lived there. He had occasion to leave
town for a few days, and for the protection of Mrs. Major
and her property he recommended that the prisoner should
have charge of the house in his absence. A bedroom
which contained a chest in which Mrs. Major's valuables
were deposited was set aside for him. On Sunday night the
prisoner introduced a conversation about jewellery, and the
gold and silver watches and other articles of value he had
in his possession. He also said he was once possessed of
massive gold chains and bracelets to a considerable amount.

Mrs. Major was taken off her guard by this conversation,
and unlocked her drawers, from which she took her plate,
jewellery, and silver coins, which she exhibited to the pri-
soner, who said they were very nice. Mrs. Major replaced
the property in the drawer in prisoner's bedroom, and did
not suspect at that time she had a thief in the house. On
Monday morning the prisoner left the house and said he
was going after a situation. He returned in the evening,
and retired to his room. Next morning he was not
forthcoming, and a servant girl called him. No answer
was returned, and it was ascertained that the door was
locked, and it was broken open by Mrs. Major and her
servant. The room was in a terrible state of confusion,
every box and drawer in the room had been broken open,
and eve-ything turned out. There were 160 keys left in
the room. These had been used in opening locks and
drawers.

Mr. Joseph Wohlstenholrne, pawnbroker, of No. 11.6 and
17, Liquorpond-street, Gray's-inn-lane, produced a parcel
containing 17 silver table and tea spoons, and other articles,
which the prisoner brought to his shop on Tuesday morn-
ing at 11 o'clock, and asked for a loan. He asked the pri-
soner to whom the property belonged, to which he replied
that his sister, Mrs. Fennel, of Charles-street, Hatton
Garden, was the owner of the property, and that she kept a
baber's shop. Mr. Wohlnstenholme said he should like to
see the sister, and rightly suspecting the prisoner was a
thief, went to the door to look for a police-constable. The
prisoner, suspecting his intentions, bolted by a side door-
way and made his escape, leaving the goods behind him.
Mrs. Major identified the plate.

Mr. Partridge—l have no hesitation in saying that the
conduct of Mr. Wohistenholme is highly creditable to him.
I thank him in the interests of justice and public morality
for what he has done. I wish every pawnbroker would act
in the same manner.

Mr. Bodger, carpenter, of Hatton-garden, who had also
behaved very well in the matter, produced a snake bracelet,
a brooch, a silver thimble, and other articles, which Mrs.
Major also identified. They were left with a relative of his
by a relative of the prisoner, and directly he heard of the
robbery he communicated with the police,
John Jackson, a City police-constable, No. 645, stated
that yesterday afternoon the prisoner accosted him in
Bishopsgate-street, and said, "Have you heard of the rob-
bery in Osborn-terrace," to which he replied in the affirma-
tive. The prisoner said, "I am the man who committed
the robbery." He took him into custody.
Inspector Griffin and Inspector Kerrissey, of the K divi-
sion, who had oharge of the case, said the prisoner had
been twice convicted of felony. The first conviction was
Oi Years ago, and the second 6 years ago.
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until Wednesday next. prisoner

SCOTCH LIFEBOATS.—Lady Maxwell, of Mon-
reith House, near Newton Stewart, N. 8., has for-
warded to the National Lifeboat institution a kind contri-
bution of two guineas, being the amount of the contents of
a contribution box which her ladyship and Sir Wm. Max-
well placed in the entrance hall of their Mansion a short
time since, marked, " Royal National Lifeboat Fund." The
institution has now 13 lifeboats on the Scotch coast, which
require between £6OO and £7OO annually to keep them is a
state of perfect efficiency.

"JUDICIAL SEPARATION."—It is rumoured that
a measure will be proposed in the next session of parlia-
ffCleeunrtL Accustomed as as eProbate Court from the Divorce
the latter Court is to "judicial
separation," there is not likely to be any objection to the
divorce.

ESCAPE OF A PRISONER FROM A TRAIN.—Early
on Thursday morning a prisoner, Darned Frederick
Robertson, made his escape from a railway train, While
being conveyed from Wakefield to Leeds for trial. The
prisoner, who had previously managed to free his hands,
got out of the window of the carriage while the train was
in full motion, held on till the train was almost out of a
tunnel, and then jumped cff. His hat was afterwards
found in the tunnel, but the prisoner himself got away.
He was charged with stealing a gold watch at the recent
Halifaz cattle show.