The Sun.
London, England, 1848-01-12 00:00:00

WORSHIP-STREET.

Sabah Hime and Susan Jones were charged with
having feloniously received a gold watch, of the value
of twelve guineas, and a-quantity of jewellery, the
property of Mr. Ralph Hunt, a watch-implement
manufacturer, in ITelmet:roW, St. Luke's.
The prosecutor, who was so painfully affected that
he was scarcely able to give his evidence, stated that,
upon coming down stairs on the morning of Friday
last, he was shocked at finding his son, a boy of four-
teen years, who had only recently returned from a
country boarding-school, had absconded during the
night, and it was almost simultaneously discovered
that his mother's jewel-box, which was kept upon a
chest of drawers in her bed-room, had been ran -
sacked, and the most valuable part of its contents,
consisting of a gold watch and several brooches,
ear-rings,- and finger-rings, had been carried off.
They were unable to obtain any tidings of their
son until the evening of the following day, when he
voluntarily returned home, and having been closely
questioned respecting the missing property, made
such disclosures as resulted in the apprehension of the
prisoners.
James Hunt, the prosecutor's son, after receiving
an impressive caution from the magistrate, was
allowed to be sworn, and stated that he had com-
mitted the robbery at the instigation of a lad named
Henry Walker, whom he afterwards met by appoint-
ment in the street; and was informed by the latter
that .he had made arrangements for the disposal of
the booty in the Vinegar-ground, which is a noto-
rious locality, replete with houses, of the worst de-
scription, at the back of Old-street. He was then
conducted by Walker to the house of the prisoner
Rime, to whom they exhibited the watch, which she
agreed to dispose of forthwith, and' left the room with
it, but returned in a few :minutes, accompanied by
the other prisoner, a third woman, and a man, the
latter of whom, after examining the watch, put it
into his pocket, and left the house with the intention
of selling it. After he Shad left about one hour he
returned, and said: that. he had sold the watch to a
Jew for 2/. 15s. but-only handed two sovereigns to
the witness, Who shared the money with the lad
Walker, and the residue was given to the prisoner
Hime for her services. Witness then produced his
mother's jewellery, which was carefully inspected by
the whole-party, and afterwards distributed amongst
the women by their male confederate, who said that
he should keep it "as his regulars," and refuse to
make any allowance for it.
Sergeant Brannan, of thd G division, stated that he
accompanied the prosecutor and his son that morning
to the house of the prisoner Rime, who. upon learn-
ing the object of his visit, stoutly denied all know-
ledge of -the transaction ; but as he was about to
search the place, she made an abortive attempt to
secrete a small packet, which he secured, and found
it to contain a number of duplicates, one of which
related to a portion of the stolen property. • The
woman Hime was then conveyed to the station, and
he proceeded to the house of the other prisoner, where
he was refused admittance, and was compelled to
force the door, up.on doing which, and accusing the
prisoner,- whom he found in the company of a noto-
rious thief, she also denied all knowledge of the rob-
bery, but upon searching her pocket he found a silk
handkerchief belonging to the boy's mother, and
which the lad had also taken to carry away the pro-
perty.
Mr. Henry Roberts, a pawnbroker, in Old- street,
produced a pair of earrings, which were identified by
the prosecutor's wife, and stated that they had been
deposited at his shop on the 7th instant by the pri-
soner Hine, who afterwarda redeemed them, but
pledged, them again upon the following day.
When- called upon for their defence, both prisoners
positively denied all knowledge of the watch, and
said that the- other articles of jewellery had been
freely given to,them- by the son of the prosecutor and
his companion.
Mr. HAMS ILt considered that the case had been
fully established, but -ordered the prisoners to' be
brought up again next week, to afford !the police an
opportunity of tracing the remainder of the property.