The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-17 00:00:00

WES TMINSTERr

TAKING AWAY OTHER PERsoN's CHILDREN.—A woman,
about 30 years of age, applied to Mr. Arnold for the re-
covery of her Chili], whlth bc
`-r 'n .mraY. and was
detained by another woman:

Applicant said she had got possession of the child a
short time ago, and would not restore it. When she went
to her last night fojt she assaulted her.
Mr. Arnold—l can grant you a summons for the assault.
Applicant-1 want my child. Can't you make her give
it me?
Mr. Arnold—How old is it ?

Applicant—Three years (bursting into tears). I must
have my child. Can't you make an order upon her to give

it up to me ?
Mr. Arnold—l have !no such power, but if you take a
summons for the assault it may be the means of your re-
covering your child. When she is here I will see what I
can do for you.

Applicant—l thank your worship. I'll take a summons.
Another woman immediately stepped forward and said,
" I am the woman she has just been speaking about, your
worship.

Mr. Arnold—Have you got her child ?
Woman—Yes, your worship, I have.
Mr. Arnold—Why don't you give it her ?
Woman—l want to keep it.

Mr. Arnold—You have no right to another person's
child.

Woman—She is not fit to be trusted with it.
Mr. Arnold—That is nothing to you. The mother is
entitled to the care of her own child.

Prisoner—The mother is the biggest drunkard in Lon-
don, and aint fit to have the care of a dog. I found the poor
child in a cellar in a shocking state, dirty, and covered with
vermin, and so starved that it only weighed 4ilb. I took
it to a doctor, and now it is a nice child.

Mr. Arnold—You must give it up to its mother.
Prisoner—lf she has the child it will soon be in as bad a
state again.

Mr. Arnold—You must give her up her child. You have
no right to keep it from her. If she does wrong to the
child, and neglects it, she is answerable to the law.

THAMES.
A RIVAL TO BLEAR-EYED MOLL.—An extraordinary
specimen of _humanity, named Mary Ahearn, whose age it
would be difficult to tell, but who said she was 40, was
brought before Mr. Paget charged with stealing two new
kettles, valued at 3s. 6d., from the shop of Mr. George
Booth, tin-plate worker, of 70, High-street, Shadwell.
The prisoner has rendered herself perfectly repulsive by
strong drinks, dissipation, violence, and disease. Her nose
was a perfect grog blossom, her face was disfigured with
contusions, her mouth was cut, and the remains of.the few
teeth in her mouth were black. In a voice husky with gin
she kept a running commentary on the evidence. In her
ugliness and language she more than equalled the famous
Blear-eyed Moll, described by the great novelist Fielding
in his "Amelia." The prosecutor said a poor and respect-
able woman came into his shop yesterday evening, and
said the prisoner had struck her and robbed her of a shawl,
and, continued the woman, I think she has robbed you, for
sho has two new tin kettles in her hands. He looked about
the shpp and missed two kettles. He went after the pri-
soner and overtook her with the kettles in her possession.
She then made a furious attack upon him and beat him for
a quarter of an hour.
Mr. Paget—Beat you, what did she beat you with ?
Mr. Booth—With her shoe, your worship. I never met
with such a desperate and furious woman in my life.
The prisoner—Och, you murthering villain. You
wanted to take advantage of me weakness. He did, yer
ha,nner's wertchip. (Laughter.) He has asked me to go
and live with him, and said he would furnish a nice little
parlour for me, pots, kettles, and all. (Laughter.)
Mr. Booth, who is a respectable married man, with a
family, looked astounded, and said there was not a word
of truth in what the prisoner said.
The prisoner—Och, fist hear that. You villain, didn't
ye tell me to take a new kettle, and didn't I take the one
besides the other you gave me.
Mr. Booth—Nothing of the kind.
The prisoner—Didn't you gave me a pint of gin ?
(Laughter.)
Mr. Booth—Certainly not.
Mr. George Booth, jun., a respectable young man, con-
firmed the evidence of his father in every particular.
The prisoner now altered her defence, and said she was
drunk yesterday, and the "little dhrop taken" put the
kettles into her hands.
James Stockley, a police-constable, No. 164 S, said he
saw the prisoner beating Mr. Booth. She was a most des-
perate woman.
The depositions having been read over by Mr. Bowdler,
the clerk, the prisoner said "Do as you like with me. I
was stone blind drunk, and did't know what I was doing ?
Mr. Paget—l shall commit you for trial.`''
The prisoner—Do what you like. Be me cowl, I must
have gin.
Mr. Paget—You will have none here.
The prisoner was beginning to abuse the witnesses when
the gaoler removed her to the lock-up.

The Duke de Luynes has sent a sum of I,ooof. to
the subscription for the monument to 31, 11. Flandrin, the
painter.