The Sun.
London, England, 1849-06-09 00:00:00

LAMBETH.

John Collins, a most expert thief, was placed at the
bar before Mr. Norton, on a charge of picking the pocket
of Mr. Cattingham, the magistrate, of a silk handker-
chief.

Mr. Cottingham, upon being sworn, stated, that on the
preceding evening, while on his way from the court to
his residence, and just as he had passed the Victoria
Theatre, he felt a twitch at his pocket, and instantly
missed his pocket handkerchief, which he had used but
two or three minutes before. Observing the prisoner
running away, and having no doubt he was the person
who had committed the robbery, he called out " Stop'
thief 1" but prisoner got away, and witness seeing a
policeman gave him information of his loss and a de-
scription of the prisoner. On that morning, while pro-
ceeding to Southwark Court, he saw the prisoner in
company with two other men, and having at once recog-
nised him as the person who had robbed him of his
handkerchief; he approached him, but the instant
the prisoner saw witness he took to his heels, on which
witness followed, and told him he should not get away.
He said something about his wish to get some employ-
ment, but witness ultimately secured and gave him into
the custody of a constable. On telling the prisoner the
charge upon which he took him, prisoner said it was
quite impossible he coted have robbed him, as he had
been at Camden-town the whole cf the preceding even-
ing. In conclusion, Mr. Cottingham said he was sur-
prised and grieved to find that, though the street was
crowded at the time, and that though people beard him
cry out " Stop thief!" and saw the prisoner run, not
one of them made the slightest effort to stop him.
The prisoner boldly denied the charge, and said his
reason for running away in the first instance was the
fear that Mr. Cottingham would give him a month's im-
prisonment for loitering about.
Police• constable William Romaine, 38 L, said he had
known the prisoner for seven or eight years to be a no-
torious thief, and bad seen him several times in custody.
fie " had two months from this court a short time since
for a similar offence," and had only been discharged
from prison on Saturday last. He was an associate of
Sale, who had been hanged' for the murder of Mr. Bel-
chambers, and was daily in the company of the worst
characters. • _ . _

Mr. NORTON told the prisoner that if he persisted in
asserting kis innocence of the charge he should send him
before a jury, but if not, as it was not the wish of Mr.
Cottiogharn to press for an extreme punishment, he
should deal with the case summarily.
The prisoner finally replied that Mr. Cottingham was
gpatilsers.p„eahke
atsh ea
ergotbl
abieurtye
do tvi'
mistaken in his person, but having heard some of his
cishtarpatwe
oats iseirsvuemdmhuist
the m'iththaeg
worship.—(Laughter.)

_
R)maine hero said it was no use the prisoner's going
on so, for on seeing him at the station-house, be said,
"Why, Jack, did'nt you know Mr. Cottingham ? You
ought, you have been before him." He replied, that he
did not know him at the time,
Finding that there was no use in his persisting to
deny the matter further, the prisoner acknowledged his
guilt, and was committed to the House of Correction !or
two months.