The Sun.
London, England, 1831-05-21 00:00:00

MARY LEB ONE.

Yesterday a young fellow, having the appearance
of a servant out of place, who was charged by the
name of James Brown, but whose proper name ap-
pears to be Egan, was brought up before Mr. GRIT,.
FITII on a charge of stealing a silver watch, the pro-
per:), of Mrs. Owen, No. 3, Upper Dorset-street,
Portman-square.
Maria Foster, a pretty black-eyed brunette, stated
that she resided with her aunt, Mrs. Owen, and
about three months ago became acquainted with the
prisoner. He was very particular in his at'entions
to her, lavish in his praise of her sparkling eyes, re-
presented himself as a bachelor heartily tired of
" single blessedness," and requested to be introduced
to her friends. Miss Foster consented to introduce
him—the introduction took place in due form, and
Mr. Brown continued to visit the brunette at N 0.3,
Upper Dorset-street, as her declared lover, and hus-
band in expectancy. His " particular" attest-
dons were uninterrupted for about two months,
and on Monday evening, the 18th of April last, he
called about five o'clock, was shown into the front
parlour, and left alone with Maria, by Mrs. Owen,
who recollected her own days of courtship, and
knew how precious a tete-a-tete is on such occa-
sions. He proposed to Maria to accompany him
to Saint John's Wood, where he was going for
some music by order of his master son of Lord
Dundas, whose valet he represented himself to
be; and she left the room for a moment to
get ready. They set out, arid when they
reached the end of Lisson Grove he requested
her to wait for him a few minutes until he got the
muse. Maria waited a full hour by common time,
but an age by her reckoning, and at length, despair-
ing of his return, and supposing that something un-
avoidable detained him, she wended her way back
to Upper Dorset-street, calculating upon seeing him
with certainty on the Wednesday evening following,
when, according to previous arrangement, lie was to
take her-to the play; but from that hour she had
seen nothing of her lover until she saw him at the
bar of this eflice.

Mrs. Owen stated that her husband is a butler in
a gentleman's family. She looked upon the prisoner
as her niece's lover and future husband, and raceived
him as such. When he called on the evening
last named, a silver watch belonging to her was
laid upon the mantel-piece in the front parlour,
and when the prisoner and her niece quitted the
apartment she immediately missed the watch.
She supposed her niece had taken it out with
her, but when she returned she declared she
knew nothing of it. Suspicion naturally fell upon the
prisoner, more especially as he never again made his
appearance, and she was unable to trace any thing
of him where he said he lived as valet. She men-
tioned the circumstance to Mr. Hobbs, a friend of
hers, who had seen the prisoner at her house, and,
as he knew his person, she requested him to keep a
look-out for him, and give him into custody the fir,t
time he saw him.

Mr. William Hobbs stated, that while passing
through Oxford-market, on the 17th instant, be met
the prisoner, and immediately charged him with
stealing the watch. The prisoner requested him to
come along with him, and he would make it all
right. Mr. Ifobbs assented—but, before they
had proceeded half a dozen steps, the prisoner
star ed off at his fullest speed. Mr. Hobbs pur-
sued him as fast as he could, and, at the corner of
George's-street, got within reazli of his coat-tails,
one of which he seined, but the prisoner suffered
himself to be denuded of his coat-tail,and pursued his
course tip George's-street, followed by NR. Hobbs,
with the coat-tail in his hand, At length he ran
into No. 27, where lig took shelter in a room, which
turned nut to be his own lodging; Mr. Hobbs was
Close at his heels, and the prisoner requested him to
give him the coat-tail, as the pocket contained some
duplicates which wnuld arrange mquerst Mr, Hobbs

gave it, and presently saw somfgliing pass fro it t
prisoner to his wife. - • -
" His wife !" exclaimed Mr. GRIFF,FrII. `- vo
don't mean to say the prisCofer nn as
vied ?" "He is married, imieed, • -
Hob!), ; " his wife and two children are
office." \ • 4
Mr. GRIFFITH—Did you obtain' any--triri4-ort.
property 9. Mr. Hobbs—None whatever. -/-e-i?ted
in a constable, by whom the prisoner was searc:ted;
hut no duplicate or trace of the watch could be
discovered.

Mr. GRIFFITH—I think it was foi tunate for the
young woman that the prisoner hadl. an oppor.unity
of stealing something before Ile carr c 1 his p rrti-
cular" attentions any further. Well, Mr. Brown,
your affectioa for Mrs. Owen's household seems not
to have been confined to her niece—what have you
to say to the charge ?
" Three-fourths of the evidence is false," re-
joined the prisoner; " the first place the com-
plainant says I was in her front parlour; now, Sir,
she lives on the first floor, and yen know there can
be no parlour on that floor. In the next place she
says, I called at five; now, S:r, it was just five-
and-twenty minutes past four when I called there
that day. In the third"—
" These are nice points," said Mr. GRIFFITH, and
would recommend you to keep them for the Jury.
No doubt they will have their due weight with the
Court."

The prisoner was then fully committel for trial.
A respectable man, living in the neighbourhocd
of the office, came to ask the Magistrates' advice
under the following circumstances :
Being unable to get his rent from an Irish tenant
of his, he took in a broker, and laid a distress. The
!4ocrl woman of the room was in bed, eroaning
heavily ; and, asking the cause, lie was told she was
in labour. From motives of delicacy he declined
removing any thing, and, contenting himself with
taking an inventory, went away. An hour, how-
ever, had not elapsed before every article in the
room was removed by the good woman, for whose
accouchement he felt so much delicacy, and which
was a mere ruse.
The Magistrate said he was unable to assist him.