The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-20 00:00:00

WESTMINSTER.

THE WORST SPECIHEN OF HER SEl.—Anne Stevens, a
woman who, when first brought to this court eight years
ago, was a person of very genteel appearance and demean-
our, was charged with being drunk and riotous.

The prisoner has been charged at this court no less than
50 times. In the early stage of her appearances some en-
deavours were made to reclaim her from the vicious course
of life she was leading, and she was sent by Mr. Arnold
home to her friends, who are very respectable, but returned
in less than a week and resumed her former habits. Step
by step she has descended the ladder of vice and violence,
and on two or three occasions has hurled concealedimis-
siles or the office inkstands at the magistrate's head.
On her being placed before Mr. Poynter yesterday he
inquired whether she had anything in her hand.
The gaoler replied in the negative ; everything, even
the hats of persons had been put out of her reach.
Pris A:ler—l have got something in my hand; don't you
see, I am holding my dress up. Look you
Mr. Paynter—You must keep yourself quiet.
Prisoner—Or elm you'll transport me, of course. Yon
would like, would'nt you ?
A Policeman proved that the found the accused intoxi •
cated in a gentleman's doorway, in St. George's-square, at
6 on the previous evening, and endeavoured to remove her,
when she used the most horrible language.
Prisoner (to the magistrate)—Well, now, what would
you like to do with me, eh ? 1 came out of prison yester-
day morning—you'd send me back.

Mr. Paynter—What did she have last time ?
Gaoler—A month, and her conviction was returned.

Prisoner—Yes, her conviction was returned, and
she had been returned to liberty two days in the last four
months. You're making me quite reputable. I have no
opportunity of being otherwise unless I do wrong in
prison.

Mr. Paynter—l shall remand you for the production of
your last conviction, and then send you for three months.
The prisoner's conduct here beggars all description.

THAMES.

OBTAINING GOODS UNDER FALSE PRETENCES.--A
woman named Phoebe Williams, and better known as
Jeffreys, was brought before Mr. Selfe charged with ob-
taining two red Crimean shirts, value 205., from Mr. John
Dent, hosier, by means of false pretences.
It appeared that on Thursday last the prisoner waited on
Mr. Dent, and represented that she had been sent by Mrs
Eliza Marshall, of Great Russell-place, Poplar, for two
Crimean shirts, which were to be of the best quality. Mr.
Dent, having a customer of the name and living at the
place mentioned, allowed the prisoner to have the shirts
and to leave the house with them, but having
some suspicions, he followed her and saw her go
into a public house. Ho waited some time, and
did not see her come out again, she slipped out;the back way
Mr. Dent then made enquiries of Mre. Marshall, and ascer-
tained from her that she had not sent the prisoner for the
shirts, or given her any authority to make use of her name.
The prisoner was sought after and apprehended yesterday
by a police constable, who found upon her a pawnbroker's
duplicate relating to the Crimean shirts, which she pawned
a few minutes after she obtained them for 6s. The dupli-
cates of a new pair of boots and a dress piece were also
found upon the prisoner, and it is supposed that she also
obtained those articles by false pretences.

The prisoner said she was guilty, and begged for mercy.
In answer to questions by the Magistrate she said
she was thirty-eight years of age, a widow and
without children. She had known Mrs. Marshall
and her family some time, but was not on terms of inti-
macy with her.

A poor Irishwoman, with whom the prisoner has been
lodging, said, " Och, yer honner's wortship forgive her,
she did it for the little dhrop of drink.
Mr. Selfe—You are a very bad advocate my good woman,
You have made, the case worse. This is a 7ery serious
offence indeed. A tradesman cannot be on his guard against
a thing of this kind. The prisoner has committed a most
impudent fraud, in fact stolen two shirts. I convict her of
larceny under the provisions of the Criminal Justice Act,
and sentence her to three months' imprisonment and hard
labour.

MURDEROUS ASSAULT ON A WoxAN..—James Finn, a
heavy morose-looking ruffian, about 33 years of age, was
brought before Mr. Selfe charged with committing a savage
assault on a young woman named Louisa Lausendoff,
whose mouth was severely cut and swollen, and who ex-
hibited other marks of violence on her head, face, and
arms.

The parties have cohabited together for three years, and
were living at the time the outrage took place at No. 62,
Back Church lane, St. George-in-the-East. The woman,
though maltreated in a savage manner by her paramour,
was disinclined to give any evidence against him, and said
she did not want to hurt him. She could not say whether
he gave her a blow or not. On being closely pressed by the
magistrate's questions, she admitted that when she was
before the inspector at the station-house, she said the pri-
soner had beaten her and kicked her, but she was not cer-
tain about it now, She had a fit.
Mr. Selfe—And so have I had a fit. Call the police-
constable.

Robert Billings, 103 H, said—l was upon duty in Back
Church-lane and heard cries of " Murder," and " Help."
The woman was bleeding from the ears, nose, and mouth,
and lying upon the pavement. She was almost dead. I
saw him kick her, and when she got up he knocked her
down. I said to him, "You rascal, what are you doing,"
and took him into custody. Two or three men came up
and got him away from me, and thrashed him. I got him
away from them and lodged him in the station-house.
In answer to questions by Mr. Selfe, the constable said
the woman had no power to resist the man at all. His
heel was upon her face when he first saw them. Ho was
the worse for liquor. She was sober.
Mr. Selfe said a b utal outrage had been committed. It
was not a question between the wretched woman and the
prisoner, but one in which the public were concerned. He
convicted the prisoner of the assault, and sentenced him to
two months' imprisonment and hard labour. He did not
care about the unwillingness of the woman to prosecute.
He would not allow any woman to be ,knocked about in
such a barbarous manner, as far as he was concerned„ with
impunity.