The Sun.
London, England, 1862-09-02 00:00:00

TUBS D Y E NINO; SEPTEMBER 2, 1862.

LAW-THIS DAY.

SHERIFF'S COURT.
(Before Mr. Gibbons and a Jury.)
THE BRIGHT SIDE OF THE LAW-A SCENE IN COURT.-

FIRMIN V. HOLDNG.

This was a case in which Mr. Kerr had granted plaintiff
a gratis jury, and Mr. Buchanan had agreed to attend with-
out fee. Mr. Hubert wood appeared for defendant.
Plaintiff is a poor work girl, and defendant keeps a rail-
liner's shop, and plaintiff stated that she had by mistake
given one of defendant's assistants a sovereign instead of
a halfpenny. The girl gave her evidence most cii cumstan-
tially, accounting generalkv, very sufficiently, for every
coin iu her possession, She was cross-examined by Mr.
Hubert Wood, and though some slight discrepancy was
apparent, it was not sufficient to cast a doubt upon her evi-
dence, which was materially supported by a pawnbroker
who originally gave her the money, and two police-officers,
one of whom was corrected by the plaintiff, though the
correction weakened plaintiff's case.
_ _ _

Mr. Wood most ably addressed the jury, and pointed out
that defendant was a highly respectable man, to whom the
money was nothing, but the principle everything.
Defendant and two witnesses directly contradicted plain-
tiff's case, and swore positively that they never had the
sovereign.

Mr. Buchanan—l Will not insult the jury by addressing
them in this undefended case.

His Honour (to the jury)—lt is a case for you, gentle-
men.

The jury almost immediately found for the plaintiff, when
there arose a tremendous burst of applause, during which
a person called out, " She never had it; she never had it,"
Order being somewhat restored, his Honour said—How-
ever my sympathies may have been,. I purposely left the
case to the jury, that you might have their unfettered judg-
ment,
A Voice—Can we not appeal ?

His Honour—No. (Cheers, instantly suppressed.)
Mr. Buchanan—l apply for costs.
His Honour—Oh, certainly.
Verdict for plaintiff and costs.

POLICE-THIS DAY.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

ROBBERY AT THE LONDON CRYSTAL PALACE.—Annie
Maria Harris, of 70, William-street, North Caledonian-
road, was charged with stealing a brooch and a bracelet, at
the London Crystal Palace, Oxford-street, the property of
Mrs. Eliza Richards.

Mary Ann Tire, saleswoman for Mrs. Richards, said
that one day last week the prisoner came to her stall, and
asked her to see some steel brooches. She showed the
prisoner several, and after the prisoner left, having made
no purchase, she missed a steel brooch of the value of a
guinea. Yesterday the:prisoner came again while she was
serving a lady, and asked another assistant to show her
some steel goods. She (witness) at once left the lady and
went to the prisoner, who took up a steel brooch and asked
the price. She told the prisoner 255. The prisoner made
ao remark, but turned round and walked out at the Ox-
ford-street entrance. She (witness) told the other assistant
that she suspected the prisoner was the same person that
robbed her last week, and on looking among the goods she
missed a bracelet of the value of 425. She immediately put
on her bonnet and went after the prisoner, but could not
find her. In about half an hour or three-quarters the pri-
soner came in again as she (witness) was selling an article
to a customer at the other side of the building, and looked
at some steel goods again, and directly she caught sight
of her (witness), sLe was about to make ber way out of the
palace by the Oxford-street entrance. She (witness) then
went up and accused her of taking the bracelet, but she
denied it. She then took the prisoner into the office, and
on going back to the stall found that a broach of the value
of 255., was also gone. The prisoner was then given into
custody, and on the way to the station the primer dropped
the brooch, having taken it from her stocking.
Austin, 318 A, said he was called to the London Crystal
Palace by the porter, and took the prisoner to the station.
On the way he observed her stoop as if to adjust her garter,
and then a young man who was following called out,
" She has dropped it." The prisoner then stooped and
picked up the brooch, and they had to take it from her by
force. On the way to the station the prisoner put some
money from a little bag into a new purse, which had a piece
of string attached to it as if it had been hung up in a shop
and not sold, and on her being searched some new scissors
with the shop marks on them were also found.

The prisoner said the brooch was her own property, and
that was why she would not give it up.
Mr. Tyrwhitt remanded the prisoner, directing the case
to be well looked into by the police to see if there were any
previous convictions.