The Sun.
London, England, 1840-10-06 00:00:00

CROYDON PETT 'V SESSIONS.

(Before Mr. SAMUEL ELYARD and Mr. WARINGTON.)
A well-dressed young man, a notorious member of
the swell mob, named David Fitzgerald, was brought
before the Magistrstes charged with the following daring
robbery in the fair :
It appeared from the evidence of a female named
Eliza Franks, servant to a gentleman at Chiselhurst,
that on Friday evening she and three of her fellow-ser-
vants were walking close to the entrance of the fair, at
the end of George-street, when the prisoner pushed up
against her, but seeing he was a well-dressed young
man, she had no suspicion he intended any thing
wrong, and she walked on and took no notice. The
prisoner immediately afterwards thrust his hand through
the pocket-hole into her pocket and snatched out her
purse, in which were a half-sovereign and two-pence
halfpenny, and he then darted away like a deer. A police-
man ran after the prisoner, and after a smart chase,
came up with him, and the prisoner then turned
round to the constable, and pointing in an opposite
direction, said, " There goes the man that robbed the
young woman ; be quick, or he'll get away." The con-
stable was not, however, to be caught so easily, but he
collared the prisoner, and told him he thought he a onld
do as well as anybody else for what he wanted him for,
and upon his being searched the purse and its contents
were found in his possession.
The MAGISTRATES asked the prisoner what he had
to answer to the charge ? He replied that he could
' assure the Bench that he was a very honest young man,
and that it was all " a mistake."

The Be ch thought it was a mistake that ought to
he rectified before a Jury, and they committed the pri-
soner for trial.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HOUSE.

An Irishwoman, named Mary Cumming, was brought
before the Lord Mayor, under the following eireum
stance:—

Cumming, the husband of the defendant, had been
committed to Bridewell for three months for deserting
his and their children, and when the three months were
expired the Messenger of the Guardians of the Poor
of Bishopsgate attended at the doors of Bridewell for
the purpose of obliging him to go with his wife and
children to Ireland, as the family had no claim in this
country, and had already cost the parish a large sum of
money. The defendant was with the messenger at the
tirm: with her two children. The moment, however,
the hush nd got outside the door of the prison, he ran
away as fast as he could from the messenger, and, at
the same time, away ran the defendant in another direc-
tion, leaving the children in the street with the mes-
senger, who was compelled to be their nurse as far as
the poorhouse.

Mr. Booker, the relieving overseer, said that the
guardians were determined not to grant any further
support to the family, and as the father was not to be
found, wished to pass the woman and her children to
Ireland, where the New Poor-law was in operation.
Mary Cumming said that she had been away from Ire-
!and twenty-two years, and had no relation there to
look to, and she knew, that if she was landed in that
country, she would be shipped Off as soon as possible for
this, as had been the case before. She would, therefore,
sooner die in Ea;land at once, than be obliged to go
where she was a total stranger.
Mr. Hoblei—The children were born in the coun-
try. The Lord Mayor would wish, before he inter-
ooses, to be satisfied that they, being British born, can
be legally removed to Ireland.
Mr. Booker said that. Mr. Smart, the vestry clerk,
had authorised the application to the Lord Mayor, and
would produce the necessary authorities. The wo-
man's case was looked to with the greatest interest by
several ocher Irishmen in the parish, who had children
similarly circumstanced ; and the expense incurred by
the poor from that country was becom,... so very oppres-
sive to the City, that a decisive course was necessary in
order to prevent the citizens from being absolutely over-
whelmed. In this instance the father contrived to get
employment, and to spend all his earnings upon himself,
and the defendant begged about the street with the
children. got drunk with the contributions she levied
open the public, and whenever she ,thought proper
threw herself and her children upon the parochial
bounty. She managed to visit her husband whenever
she found it necessary, and actually laughed at the
guardians.
The LORD MAYOR said it appeared to him that the
case was one of much more than ordinary importance,
and directed that the vestry-clerk should attend to
prove that the children could be passed with their pa-
rents to Ireland.

Mr. Smart, the vestry-clerk. accordingly waited upon
his Lordship. He stated that by the 59th Geo. 111.,
cap. 12, the legitimate children of Irish parents who had
no parochial claim in this country, were compellable to
go, in the:event of becoming burdensome, with the
parents to Ireland, as they constituted part of a legal
family. There was a distinction between legitimate and
illegitimate children, for the latter being in law nuthis
file , were chargeable to the parish or parishes in which
they were born. _ _

Mr. Hobler asked whether there was any proof that
the children of Mary Cumming were legitimate ? He
apprehended from the state of the law when she was
married, that although the blame was not attributable to
husband or wife, the marriage might not be legal.
Mr. Smart said that he h, d, some time ago, most
minutely examined the case, and ascertained that the
marriage was legal, and of course the children must go
with the parents.
The LORD MAYOR (to the woman)—When and
where were you married ? Mary Cumming—About 14
years ago Cumming and I were married in a Chapel in
the Borough, by the Rev. Mr. Doyle.
Mr. Smart—Yes, in the Church in the Borough.
Mr. Hobler—Was it in a Church or in a Roman
Catholic Chapel ? Mary Cumming—ln a Roman
Catholic Chapel, to be sure.
Mr. Smart—Then you were also married in a Church?
Mary Cumming—Never ! 1 never was inside of a
church. I was married by Mr. Doyle, and nobody
else.

Mr. Hobler—lf it be as the woman says the mar-
riage is certainly a nullity, and of course we cannot
send the children to Ireland.

Mr. Smart—She certainly has been legally married.
She had, I 'remember, when the case was originally
discussed, one illegitimate child, which I passed to the
parsh, I think of Coleman-street, and I sent her and
her legitimate children to Ireland, and back she came
here.
Mary Cumming—And back I'll come again if you
send me off again. Why did not you keep hold of
my husband when I .pointed him out to your mes-
senger ?
The LORD MAYOR then directed that Mr. Smart
should, on a future day, attend to prove that the mar-
riage was legal, and that in the meantime the woman
should be received into the workhouse. His Lordship
believed her to be an idle unprincipled woman, and that
she and her husband acted upon a private understand-
ing, and he pitied the poor children, who were merely
made use of to be the means of supplying gin and to-
bacco.