The Sun.
London, England, 1825-08-17 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

PERSEVERING THIEF.
GUlLDHALL.—Yesterday Mary Cogan, an old
Irishwoman, was charged before the Sitting Magistrate, Mr.
Alderman MAGN AY, with stealing about 121bs. weight of bacon
from the shop of Mr. Hill, cheesemonger, Broadway, Black-
friars. The miserable appearance of the prisoner, when placed
at the bar, excited at first, as indeed it was well calculated to
do, much commiseration; but the curious changes her counte-
nance underwent, and the singular contortions into which she
worked her features in her attempts to express sorrow and sup-
plication, were so remarkable, that it was almost impossible to
look at her and refrain from laughter.
The prosecutor, it seems, occupies two shops in the Broadway,
nearly opposite each other, and while at the one, he observed
the prisoner, who had gone into the other shop under pretence of
purchasing an egg, very cautiously secrete a piece of bacon of
about albs. under her shawl. He ran over directly, took the
bacon from her, and turning her out of the shop, permitted her
to go about her business. In about a quarter of an hour he
observed her again in the shop, at the same game, only that on
this occasion the piece of bacon she had taken was half as large
again. As the woman was evidently drunk, he did not wish to
be troubled with her; he again took the bacon from her, and
turned her out of the shop, threatening if he caught her again
he would send her to Newgate. Neither this threat, nor the
double detection, could overcome, it seems, Molly Cogan's at-
tachment to Mr:Hill's bacon, for a short time afterwards she
darted into the shop again, and snatching up a piece of bacon,
weighing upwards of Gibs., fairly ran off with it ; he, however,
pursued and overtook her, and finding there was no other way
of preserving his property, gave her into the custody of an
Officer.
Potter, a beadle of Blackfriars, the Officer called in, took
from her a bag, which was found to contain a large piece of
beef, consisting of five ribs, the greater part of a loin of mutton,
and several small loaves of bread, which seemed to be the pro-
ceeds of some previous depredations ; and he assured the Ma-
gistrate, that poor and decrepid as' she appeared to be, and
drunk as she certainly was, she managed very nearly to outrun
him, although encumbered with her bag, which, with its con-
tents, weighed very little less than 3 qrs. cwt. He had -learnt
that her husband was ill in St. Thomas's Hospital, that she had
two children in St. Patrick's School, and-that she had been so
determined a drunkard all her life, that it was doubtful whether
she was in her right senses.
As Mr. Hill had no Wish to press the charge, the Magistrate
thought the best thing to do with her was to send her to her pa-
rish, and Potter was directed to take her accordingly to St.
Olave's, Southwark.
This decision-operated like a miracle upon the prisoner. Her
whole frame, which had been shaking US if under the effect of
palsy, now became firm and erect, hercountenance assumed its
natural form, and her mouth, which had been drawn into all
manner of shapes, now opened -wide to claim that the bacon she.
had stolen should be given to her. As there would have been
some difficulty to convice her of the injustice of this demand,
the officer pacified her with something like a half promise for
the moment, and took her from the bar.