The Sun.
London, England, 1870-06-07 00:00:00

CASE OF CHILD STEALING.

The Salford police have discovrecl a remarkable case of
child-stealing and imposture. A few weeks ago a woman
named Payne, who had an infant about one month old in
her arms, went into a beerhouse in Liverpool, and there
met a woman named Mary Jane Wilson, with whom
she had been previously acquainted, They had some
drink together, and Mrs. Payne, having some marketing to
do, went out, leaving the child in the care of the woman
Wilson, who promised to await her return. Mrs. Payne
was absent for about fifteen minutes. and on her return to
the beerhouse she found that Wilson had gone away. She
spent the whole of the night in search of her, and continued
her search for several days without obtaining any informa-
tion respecting her. She at length gave information to the
police at Liverpool, who forwarded a description of the
woman and the child to the various police-stations through-
out the country. The Salford police recognised in the
description the woman Wilson, who had for a considerable
length of time cohabited with a man residing in Cook-
street, Salford. She is a woman of loose character, and
is at present undergoing nine months' imprisonment in
the county gaol for felony. The police went to the gaol,
and on examining the child found certain marks
which had been described by its mother upon it. The
woman Wilson, however, insists that the child is her own,
and the governor of the gaol cannot under these circum-
stances allow the child to be taken from her. The
facts of the case have been reported to the Home Secre-
tary, and some action will be taken in the matter at
once. It has been ascertained that Wilson, who had
left the man with whom she cohabited for some time,
induced him to believe that .the child was his, and
by that means persuaded bim to take her iuto his house
again.

THREATENED FENIAN ATTACK ON
TYNEHOUTH CASTLE.

Great excitement prevailed in Tynemouth on Sunday
in consequence of a threatened Fenian attack upon the
Castle. The ammunition for the military district
between the Humber and the Tweed, and as far west a 3
Carlisle and Maryport, is stored in a large magazine in the
Castle grounds ; and the authorities appear to have had
positive information of a threatened attack on the stores ;
some say by a vessel from the coast, others by
a land force. There are 300 tons of powder stored in
the magazine at the castle, and it appears that the
authorities were afraid that the attacking party would
attempt to get possession of that. On Thursday
evening Major Cleveland, the commander of the 98th
regiment stationed in the district, arrived in great haste
at the Castle, and gave orders for the sentries to be dou-
bled, and for a strong guard to be placed over the
powder magazine. The soldiers in the garrison were also
strengthened by a party of the 98th, sent down irom New-
castle ; and on Saturday two more companies of the 98th,
with camp equipments, were dispached, at half an hour's
notice, from Newcastle, to reinforce the soldiers in Tyne-
mouth garrison. Fatigue parties were also engaged on
Friday and Saturday in barring and-otherwise fortifying
the store-rooms, and in putting everything into a strong
state of defence. A large and strongly-armed party of sol-
diers are camped out in the Castle-yard, close to the powder
magazine, nine tents being pitched for their use.