The Sun.
London, England, 1802-09-17 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS, SEPT. Ig.

INFANT STEAI.II:C:

Elizabeth Salmon, of Cooper's Gardens, Hack-
ney Road (a woman of decent situation in life, and
whose husband is. possessed of a pretty considerable
leasehold property), was indided for having feloni-
ously, and for the lucre of gain, received the clothes
of an infant child of Eliza Impey, of White-cross_
street, Lnowiizg the same to be stolen.
The Indidment was- merely for having received
the child's clothes, inasmuch as there exists no posi-
tive Statute with reped to stealing of children, on
which she could have been indided ; there Was no
Counsel employed fbr the Prosecution, but the Wit-
nesses being examined by the Court, gave the fol-
lowing account of the transadion :
Eliza Impey said, she lodged, in June last, at
No. zl, Red Lion-market, White-cross-street ;
that *on the 22d of the same month (being a little
more than a fortnight after she had been delivered
of a daughter, a man, who was a stranger Co her,
came into her room, and asked her, " Which was
Mrs. Impey's zoom ?" She answered, she was
Mts. Impey ; he then sat down, and told her that
he called by the diredion of a Mrs. James, of Fins-
bury-place (a Lady who had often relieved her in
distress), to see whether she wanted any thing ; he
then asked her, whether she had ,coals and bread
sufficient ? She told hien she had no coals, and,
after a little farther conversation, he bid her take
her child and come with him to a public-house in
the neighbourhood, and take some refreshment ;
she consideriag that he called by she direction of
Mrs. James, accompanied him with her child to
a public-house in Golden-lane. Here the man
called for some ale, and after she had drank a little.
of it, he gave her eighteen pence, which, he said,
was sent by Mrs. Jamea, and desired her to go
out and buy a loaf of bread and some coals, and he
would take care of her child in the mean time;
he also desired her not to be alarmed, for he was.
well used to handling little children, having had
many of his own ; she gave him the'child without
suspicion; and went to purchase a loaf; but be-,
fore she had got to the baker's shop, feeling some
uneasiness about
_her child, she turned back ; but
when she had nearly arrived at the door of the
public-house, she resolved within herself that a
man sent by Mrs. James might be trusted with her
child ; she then went to the baker's and bought
her loaf, but when she returned to the public-
house, the man was gone with her child. ,She
then went home with her loaf and the cols she had
bought, and in about an hour after (being about .
ten o'clock) she called on Mrs. James, who was
not then at home., She called again at twelve,
when she saw Mrs. James, who assured her she
knew. nothing of her child, or of the, man who had
used her name. She was almost distraded that
night ; but the next day, was desired by a Mrs.
Dixon, who lodged in the same house, to call upon
the Defendant, who mi3lit tell her ; she did call
accordingly the next day at Mrs. Salmon's.—
Mrs. Salmon was then in bed as a lying-in-woman,
appeared to pity her, and bid
.her compose herself.
until she could get up, when she pr: raised that she
would go to the Foundling Hospital, and ex-
amine the ve.eto mot litzeir .I;ocerci-
the child. Her suspicions -then fell entirely on •
Mrs. James, and she went to Guildhall for a war_
rant against her, which was refused—(the Witness
being then asked upon what ground it was refused,
declared, that she was at that time so agitated and
distraded 'in her mind, that she could not recoiled.)

The day but one after this, she went, in company
with Mss. Atterbury, her present mistress, and a
Police Officer, of the name of Ray, to the Mien_
(lanes house, where her child was found in the bed
with the Defendant, as were also the clothes which
were the objet of the present Indiameur.
On her cross examination she declared, that she
was not at that time. in a stare of mind to take
notice of, or to recollea perfealy, any circum-
stance but the finding her child.
Sarah Atterbury, and Ray, a Police Officer,
proved, by a variety of corroborating circumstances,
that Mrs. Salmon had procured the child ro be
stolen, in order to impose it as her own upon her
husband.

Dr. Weston deposed that she had never been de-
livered oft child.

It was objected by the Counsel for the Defendant,
that she could not be. convicted on the present in-
diament, inasmuch as before a person could he con
iCted of receiving, a felony must .be previously
proved. She was indiCted for receiving the clothes,
knowing them to have been stolen ; but the faas of
the case clearly proved, that the intention was to
steal the child, and not the clothes.
Mr. MAINWARING said, that next to the con.
viaion of an innocent person, it was most painful
to see one so flagrantly guilty escape through de_
fete} in legal form. He. was of opinion that the
Jury could not conviCt her on the present indift-
ment, for the reason stated by the Learned Counsel;
hut he should order her to be detained, while the
Grand Jury sat, in hopes that some other indiament
might be preferred which could reach her.
The Jury accordingly acquitted the Prisoner.

We Understand Mrs. Salmon is suspc6ted of Lty..
ing employed a Bricklayer, who has- disappeared,
to steal the child. Mrs. impey's loss made a great
noise in her neighbourhood ; and it coming to the
ears of some of Mrs. Salmon's neighbours, who
suspealed she had not really lain in, led to the dis-
covery. The cry of the child, when carried into
the house, was heard by some of them ; and the
Bricklayer is said to have tattled. The objed of
Mrs. Salmon, in appearing to have this child; is
said to have keen, that her issue might enjoy con-
siderable property,- to the exclusion of Mr. Salmon's
children by a for Mer marriage ; in whose protec-
tion the neighbours felt an.interest.