The Sun.
London, England, 1860-12-26 00:00:00

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

' A SYSTEMATIC MEAT STEALER.--SINGULAR CASE.—
Eliza Hall, a coarse featured, low looking woman of about
45, was charged with stealing veal at Mr. Jeffrey's shop, in
Torbet's-place, Regent. street.
From the evidence of Mr. Gumbley, shopman to Mr.
Jeffrey, it appeared that on Christmas-eve he saw the pri-
soner looking over the meat on the show board, and after-
wards leave. Shortly after she returned, and on her again
leaving, having seen her take up one or two pieces of meat,
he fetched her back and asked her where the meat was that
she had stolen. She handed him two pieces, saying that
was all she had. She then asked forgiveness, but Mr.
Jeffrey having been so much robbed of late, ordered him
to give her into custody, and on the way to the station she
dropped from her dress (in which there was a hole made at
the top large enough to admit a 71b. joint, and another at
the bottom for an outlet) several pieces of meat, which,
with that produced, weighed 291bs.—beef, pork, and mut-
ton, the dress being evidently made to convey away a large
quantity.

Mr. Beadon asked if she was known, and the witness
said he believed she had been once before chargei with
stealing meat from Mr. Jeffrey's, with another woman.
Mr. Beadon said it was an outrageous case, and he had
never heard a more wholesale thing. He should commit
her for six months, with hard labour.
A SAD DISAPPOINTMENT.—Catherine Arnold, a respect-
able looking female, was charged before Mr. Beadon with
annoying Mr. Joseph Zevolla, baker, 22, Carnaby-street,
under the following circumstances :
Mr. Zevolla said that on the previous afternoon, at a
quarter to two, the defendant came to his shop for her din-
ner. He told her that she was too late to have it, and that
if he did he should be liable to a penalty under the Act of
Parliament. He then closed his door, but she commenced
knocking violently at the door and demanding her dinner,
and he was compellel to give her into custody.

The Chief Clerk asked Mr. Zevolla'_what became of the
defendant's dinner then ?

Mr. Zovolla' said that ho kept it till that (Wednesday)
morning, and then gave it up to her.
Mr. Beadon asked the defendant why she went and
annoyed Mr. Zevolla.'

The defendant said she was not aware that the baker
was allowed to keep it, but was sorry that she had acted as
she had done. •

Mr. Beadon said as she had lost her Christmas dinner
he should 'let, her off, but the baker was quite right, and
had he given it up to her he might have been fined.
• The defendant was then discharged.

HOTEL ILFE IN NEW YORK.

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How great was the contrast between the Ameri-
can hotel life into which we were now thrown, and
the quiet domestic life at home ! The ladies were
cert ainly :elieved almost entirely from household
cares. There was no marketing, no anxiety about
providing for dinner, no troubles about servants,
no " washing-day." Our meals were served to suit
our own eon yenience. Breakfast might be obtained
from half-past six till eleven, and on a scale of
which even our neighbours north of the Tweed
have no conception. I was totally unable to do
justice to the good things which surrounded
me, and my waiter consequently manifested a
good deal of anxiety on my account. After
I had partaken of a steak, potatoes, and fried
oysters, and had assured him that I had made an
excellent breakfast, he would gently remonstrate—
"Sure, you want something else? A little boiled
fowl, or an omelet ? Well, you will have some hot
cakes ?" Hot cakes are an American institution
(every custom, I should remark, is termed an
" institution" in America). These hot cakes re-
semble crumpets, and are generally served in a
pyramidal form, a large cake forming the base,
and small one the apex of the pile. A little butter
is placed between each cake, and syrup (refined
molasses) poured over the whole. An Englishman
is filled with astonishment when he for the
first time beholds an American taking breakfast
at an ordinary hotel. Before him is placed an
array of different dishes, according to the
season. He will first despatch half a melon ;
this is merely to prepare the appetite for what
is to follow. Next he will take a little shad ; then
a steak, with a few "fixings," in the shape of po-
tatoes, roast, boiled, or stewed ; followed by a dish
of toast immersed in milk, some oyster fritters, and
lastly, by hot cakes. Luncheon is served from one
till two for those who wish to partake of it. In a
small dining room dinner is served from two till
five, and then again from six till eight—the latter
meal being intended for guests who arrive too
late for the principal dinner, which is served in.
the large dinning-hall at half-past five. Tea is on
the table from six till nine, and supper from nine
till twelve. The half-past five o'clock dinner at
the rifth Avenue Hotel is an imposing sight. The
dining-hall is a very large and handsomely-fur-
nished room, and, having no pillars, it presents a
light and cheerful appearance. About three hun-
dred and fifty guests usually sit down, and a waiter
is allotted to not more than five diners. The waiters
arc marshalled lika a company of soldiers, under a
"colonel" orhead waiter, and a " lieutenant-colonel"
or second head. Having asked each guest what
soap he will take, and received his orders, the
waiters take up a position. The head waiter, at the
top of the centre table, calls " attention" by the
stroke of a bell; at a signal, every cover is lifted
from over the side dishes, each man faces about, and
the whole march out in file. The same order and
precision are observed in bringing in the tarts and
the desert, in clearing the tables of dishes, and in
removing the cloth. Every delicacy of the season
—without a figure of speech—is included in the bill
of fare.—..: merica as if le.