The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-30 00:00:00

BOW-STREET.

Elizabeth Haisman, a respectably-dressed woman, was
charged before Sir Thomas Henry, with stealing a purse
at the Metropolitan Railway.
Mary Ann Weldon, of 24, Suffolk-place, Edgware-road,
said 'yesterday afternoon she took a third-class ticket at
Farringdon-street, and got into the carriage where the
prisoner was. When the train stopped at Gower-street,
the prisoner took up some things which were on the seat
close behind witness, and as she was getting out she saw
her drop a purse. Witness said the purse was hers. She
then picked up the purse, and as the train began to move
witness could not follow. On the train stopping at the
next station witness returned, and then found the prisoner
in charge of a porter. The purse was afterwards found in
a corner of the platform, with the contents, 4s. 9d. The
purse, in the first instance, was not in her pocket, but in
her lap, near her bag. She saw the purse drop from the
prisoner's hands.

Charles Owen, a guard on the Metropolitan Railway, said
he was with the train in question. He saw the prisoner,
pick up a purse from the bottom of a third-class carriage
and he asked her what she had, and she replied "Nothing.',
He called to a porter to stop the prisoner. Prose-
cutor said "That's my purse." On the return of the
prosecutrix the purse had been found and the pri-
soner was in custody. When the prisoner picked up the
purse she was out of the train. When he spoke to her
about the purse she turned out her pockets and said she
had nothing, and that she was willing to be searched.
Witness said he did not go on with the train, but remained
behind to look after the purse.
_ _

Robert Cane said he was a porter on the Metropolitan
Railway. He was on duty yesterday, and the last witness
called to him that the prisoner had got something which
did not belong to her. She said she had not, and when he
asked her if she had got the purse she denied it. He after-
wards saw the purse on the ground, close to where she had
been standing. He did not pick it up, but showed it to the
prosecutor, who picked it up. The prisoner denied drop-
ping the purse.

In answer to the magistrate, the witness said there were
several persons standing near where the purse was found.
Prisoner said she was knows from travelling frequently by
the line, and they could make any inquiry they pleased
about her.

Police-constable 319 A said he received the prisoner into
custody at the Tower-street station. There were a num-
ber of persons standing round at the time. He asked the
prosecutrix where she saw the purse last, and she said she
saw the prisoner pick it up from the bottom of the carriage.
Prisoner said she knew nothing of the purse. She further said
she had dropped her own in the carriage, and that was the
only one she had picked up. She produced it. It was a
square pocketbook purse.

The magistrate committed the prisoner for trial, but
accepted bail for her appearance at the sessions.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

THE WEST-END BEGGING NUlSANCE.—Margaret Whipper,
Edward Ferguson, James Tippett, James Beasley, George
Richard Payne, and George Reid were charged before Mr.
Knox with begging in Old Burlington-street, Old Bond-
street, Grosvenor-street, Regent-street, and Jermyn-street.
Turner, Mendicity Society's office; said that Whipper
had been 20 times in custody for begging. Tippett he saw
standing shivering in the streets, pretending that he was
suffering from ague, although he was a strong, healthy
young man. Payne waa following persons and begging of
them.

Fryer, Mendicity Society's officer, proved seeing Reid, a
tall, powerful fellow, having the appearance of an exca-
vator, begging in Bond-street, and telling gentlemen tha
he was starving, and had had nothing to eat all day, while
at the time he had several coppers in his hand. Ferguson
he saw go into several publichouses for the purpose of
begging, and Beasley was sitting on the steps of a door
with a child begging to keep in idleness a strong but
drunken husband. Payne Said he was a miner, and had
met with an accident while working for Mr. Sewell, of the
City. He had been supported for two months, and was
then obliged to beg for a living. Reid said he had no work
but expected some.
Mr. Knox discharged Payne, and committed all/the other
prisoners for a month with hard labour each, remarking
that it was a scandalous thing for a big hulking fellow like
Reid to go about begging.