The Sun.
London, England, 1834-10-22 00:00:00

HA TTON- GARDEN.

On Monday evening, a little after seven o'clock, when
Mr. LAING took his seat on the bench, Miss Stuart, the
daughter of a respectable master builder, residing at Lime-
house, entered the office in a state of excitement, accompa-
nied by Mrs. West, a washerwoman, residing at Baldwin's-
place, Baldwin's-gardens, Gray's Inn-lane, Holborn, who
held a child about six weeks old in her arms, when they
made the following most extraordinary statement to the
Magistrate :

During the last week Miss Stuart had been sojourning
at the house of a friend residing in Park-terrace, Clapham,
which she quitted on Monday afternoon last for the pur-
pose of returning to her own home. She accordingly took
her place in the Clapham stage-coach, and on arriving near
the Horns tavern, Kennington, a woman fashionably attired,
having a child in her arms, got into the coach, and entered
into conversation with her, and was very affable to those
around her. They proceeded as far as Oxford-street, when
Miss Stuart alighted for the purpose of repairing to the house
of Mrs. West, who was an old friend, where she intended to
sleep that night, in preference to going to her father's house
at Limehouse. The moment she quitted the stage-coach the
woman with the child also immediately alighted, and walked
and conversed with her until they arrived in Holborn, when
her new companion complained of being very much fatigued,
and, begging to be excused, requested her (Miss Stuart)
to carry the child a short distance for her. She immedi-
ately acceded and received the infant in her arms, and car-
ried it as far as Gray's Inn, when she met a female friend
with whom she stopped for a short time, and they had not
exchanged more than a dozen words, when on turning
round to look for the supposed mother of the child she was
gone. She instantly made inquiry and searched every.
where for her, but she was nowhere to be found, and she
became distracted, and did not know what to do with the
child, and she ultimately took it to the house of Mrs. West,
who on hearing the particulars took Miss Stuart and the
infant to the above office.

Mr. LAING thought it a most extraordinary proceeding,
and closely questioned Miss Stuart, and Mrs. West, who
both adhered to their original statement in every respect,
and the child having been deserted in the united parishes
of St. Andrew, Holborn, and St. George the Martyr, he
instantly sent for the parish authorities, and ordered that
the child should be taken into their workhouse until proper
inquiries could be made into the matter, and the child was
accordingly received by them.
In answer to questions, Miss Stuart stated that the
woman, the supposed mother of the child, appeared to be
twenty-four years of age, five feet four inches high, rather
fair complexion, dark eyes and hair, with a long and narrow
visage, ladylike address, her language indicating that she
had received a liberal education. She lisped, had on a dark
green or brown silk gown, a dark-coloured figured shawl,
silk gloves, a guard round her neck made of black velvet,
and beads ; rings on her fingers, a Dunstable straw bonnet,
lined and trimmed with pink. The infant, six weeks old,.
had on a long lawn shirt, diaper roller, fine flannel,
shirt, calico bedgown frilled around the top, new dmper

afore, cloth napkin, muslin under cap, and flannel upper
shirt. A spare child.
Mr. LAING inquired as to the probability of the supposed
mother of the child losing Miss Stuart and the infant by
accident, and not intention.

Miss Stuart thought it a matter of impossibility for the
circumstance to have arisen from the effect of accident. It
was instantaneous, and the party must have ran away inten-
tionally, and concealed herself as soon as possible. She
inquired of the porters of Gray's Inn, and every person ad-
jacent to the spot, whether they had seen such a woman,
but she could receive no satisfactory information. She did
not perceive anybody along with her when she got into the
coach near the Horns Tavern, Kennington.
Mr. LAING directed the parish officers to take the child
and Miss Stuart to the workhouse, and receive from them
every information, and to use means to discover the mother
of the infant, or the woman who gave it to Miss Stuart, and
the whole of the parties quitted the office for that purpose.
Every inquiry was made during the whole of yesterday
by the officers ; but no tidings could be traced of her, and
the child still remains in the above workhouse.

THE PLUNDERERS AT THE LATE FIRE

Yesterday being the day appointed for the final examina-
tioh of those persons who were apprehended by the police-
constables for committing various depredations at the late
disastrous fire at the House of Lords, Queen-square Office
was crowded to excess by the friends and relations of many
of the prisoners.

Mr. Ley, Chief Clerk of the House of Lords, was in at-
tendance, and had a long conversation with Mr. WHITE
previous to the examinations. Several other gentlemen at-
tached to the House of Lords were in attendance.

James Leech was placed at the bar charged with having
stolen a silver sugar basin and milk ewer from the fire.
The property, it will be recollected, was found on the
prisoner, who said he had taken it for safety.
On the property being produced it was identified to be-
long to Mr. Howard, of Howard's Coffee-house.
The prisoner was fully committed for trial.
Samuel Cox, a private soldier belonging to the Foot
Guards, was again remanded, charged with stealing some
flannel and other articles belonging to the housekeeper of
the House of Lords.

Francis Palmer, charged with having a quantity of brass
work and locks in his possession, was discharged.
William Atkins, a gardener, in the employ of Messrs.
Elliott, charged with stealing a number of memorandum-
books and other articles, received a most excellent character
and was discharged.

John Young was finally examined, charged with having
in his possession an inkstand and wafer stamp, on which
were engraved his Majesty's arms.
The prisoner said that he had only been a few months in
London, he had no father to protect him, and assured the
Bench that he had no intention of stealing any thing.
He was fully committed for trial.
A very respectable-looking young man, whose friends re-
side in the Kent-road, named George Phillips, was charged
with having in his possession three parchment bodkins, value
one shilling, which had been stolen from the fire. The pro-
perty was found upon him.

The prisoner said that he had not the slightest intention
of stealing them. They were not of the.slightest use to
him, and if he had wanted such things he could have pur-
chased them himself.

He was fully committed for trial.
A number of very respectable persons came forward who
had known the prisoner from his infancy and gave him a
most excellent character. One gentleman said that be was
quite incapable of such an act. He would now, at the pre-
sent moment, trust him with untold gold. He was positive
that he had no felonious intention.

Mr. WHITE said that he was happy to hear he had such
an excellent character, and at the Sessions he had no doubt
it would have great weight.
An elderly respectable woman who cried bitterly, and
appeared to be almost broken-hearted, stepped forward and
said that her son was one of the best of characters. She
begged that she might be allowed to see him.
Mr. WHITE—You can see him at any time.
The Mother—They won't let me see him, Sir, without
an order.

Mr. WHITE—I will give you an order to see him any
day you like. You can see him now, if you please, or at
any other time. _ _

Several respectable persons here stepped forward and
offered bail for his appearance at the Sessions.
Mr. WHITE said that he could make no distinction
between rich and poor, and refused to take bail.
John Stringer was next placed at the bar, charged with
having in his possession a very handsome wafer stamp of
considerable value and a piece of lace.
On being stopped by the police constable he said that he
had got nothing about him, but on being searched the above
property was found upon him.
He was fully committed for trial.

William Guest was finally examined, charged with having
picked the pocket of Joseph Lee, of No. 6, Hyde-place,
Vauxhall-road, of a pocket-book.
The pocket-book was found upon him, together with
three snuff-boxes and six pocket handkerchiefs, some silk
and some cotton. He was fully committed for trial.
Tonz Oliver, the son of the well-known prize-fighter, was
re-examined, charged with attempting to pick pockets at
the fire.

Mr. WHITE inquired whether any of the constables
knew him ?

Police constables Elliott and Wilkins, of the B
said that the prisoner was well known to them. He was a
most notorious smasher, and had frequently been in custody
for uttering base coin, and was the constant companion of
the most reputed thieves in Westminster.
Mr. WHITE committed him for one month to the House
of Correction.

William Cramp was fully committed for trial for attempt-
ing to pick pockets at the fire.
Several other prisoners were discharged for different
offences, the evidence not being sufficiently strong against
them.

All the prisoners, about fourteen in number, who were
charged with having divers papers in their possession picked
up at the fire, and for whom bail was refused in the first in-
stance on Friday last, were brought up after the business on
that day and discharged, as it did not appear that they had
any felonious intention.