The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-22 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HOUSE.—Mary Jackson, a dexterous
thief, was charged before the Lord Mayor with robbing
a poor man,. gamed William Nurse, of his purse, eon.;
taining Bs. 6d.

From the evidence of the prosecutor it appeared that
whilst walking in Mark-lane, ahout 9 o'clock the pre-
vious evening, the prisoner advanced towards hies, and
said, "My dear, I want you," at the same time placing
her arms round his body. He almost immediately felt
his purse abstracted from his breeches pocket by the
prisoner, who decamped. On his overtaking and seiz-
mg her, she became extremely indignant at the idea of
being taxed with the robbery. A. policeman then came
up, into whose custody she was consigned:
John Wingrove, constable, 744, said that hearing the
ory of " police" in 'the neighbourhood of Mark-lane he
proceeded thither, and found the prosecutor and prisoner
struggling together. After lodging the latter in the
station-house, he returned to the spot where he appre-
hended her, and found the empty purse of the prosecutor.
The prosecutor, in reply to the Lord Mayor, said that
although he was quite confident that when the prisoner
placed her arms round him his money was safe in the
purse produced in his breeches pocket, yet by some un-
accountable sleight of hand she had contrived, after she
was in custody, and most likely at the station-house, to
slip the silver into the breast pocket of his coat, where
he found it.

The prisoner called her landlady, who gave her a
famous character, saying that she got her living by
ironing and washing.
The Lord Mayor said he had some doubt whether a
jury under all the circumstances would convict the pri-
soner were she sent for trial, although there could be
no doubt of her guilt.

She was then sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment and
hard labour.

LAMBETH. —John Thomas Davis appeared to an-
swer a charge of brutally assaulting his wife.
Mr. Solomon stated that the defendant had been mar-
ried to the unfortunate woman for about three years,
and his conduct towards her, particularly for the last
12 months, had been of so brutal a character that the
poor-creature was reduced to a state of comparative im-
becility.
The wife was here called into the witness-box. When
offered the Testament to be sworn she refused to take
hold of it as well as to be sworn, and stared vacantly
about the court, and particularly at her brutal husband.
Mr. Solomon said he was enabled to prove the offence
by other witnesses, and cadet'
George Briggs, who deposed that he resided within a
door or two of the defendant, in Neate-street, Camber-
well, an•l had frequently heard Mrs. Davis call out
when being ill-used. On Friday evening last, when
passing the defendant's door, he saw him strike his wife
with all his force on the face, and she instantly dropped
on her knees. She got up and the defendant struck her
again and knocked her down a second time. This (said
the witness) was too much for me to bear, and I in-
stantly rushed at and seized the prisoner.
Mr. Solomon—Were the blows struck by the de-
fendant severe blows ?
Witness—Severe ! Yea, sir ; they were severe. Such
as I should not like to have had.
Mr. George Burnham, the father of the poor woman,
said the defendant had been the greatest brute to his
daughter that could be well imagined, and described
several acts of brutality towards, and total neglect of,
his wife. (The defendant here commenced grinning at
the witness, and tearing his hair, arid his appearance at
the time was more like a fiend than a human being.)
The witness further stated that the defendant had made
use of the most violent threats towards him, and had de-
clared he would shoot him.
Defendant—You know I did challenge you to come
out like a Dian, and fight me with pistols, but you had
not the courage to du so.
Mr. Gunn, the clerk—l think the less you say about
manly courage the better, for a minute ago you were
blubbering- like a booby boy.
Mr. Elliott, oVerving the state of imbecility to which
the unfortunate woman was reduced, suggested, as the
better course, that the case should be adjourned for a
week, and that in the interim the poor woman should be
placed in some asylum or place of safety.
Mr. Solomon and the father of Mrs. Davis acquiesced
in the eugge4ion that fell from the bench, and the case
was adjourned for a we•k.
Mr. Bradley, a tradesman, in High-street, Newington,
the back part of whose premises abut on the east side of
the churchyard belonging to the old church, Newington,
applied for a summons against one of the curates, the