The Sun.
London, England, 1804-08-28 00:00:00

POLICE.

CHILD STEALING.

PUBLIC OFFICE, GREAT MAnBoROUGII.
STREET.—About eleven o'clock yesterday morning
a lumber of persons of every desctiption assembled
. at the Magestrete's , Office, Great Marlborotigh-
- street,: and the crowd continued to increase until
half past twelee, to such a degree as_to fill the back
and front officeseand the street-, and several passages
leading to them. •
jam Illacariby was brought before Mr.
NEAVE, the presiding Magistrate, on -a charge of
having stolen Mathews, a feMale infant, about
three years' old.
. The mother, Elizabeth Mathews, sehocarried the
child in her arms, was first examined. She deposed,
that she lived at No. 4, Para4;Se-place, Mary-le.
benne, and that about six or seven o'clock onSatur..
day evening last, she left her child playing
with other children in Paddington-street. In
Some short time, she missed her from amongst her
playfellows ; and, after makieg some inquiry, he,
came quite alaemed ataut her. She,, instantly went
in search of her but, after makieg every inquiry
that was possible, she was almost in a state of Ile-
. spair, %viten, in about an hour, she Was informed
that her child was in Queen Ann.streete- West, and
.that the Prisoner, Macarthy, with
,whom it was
'found, was then in custody, at Mary.le-bonne-lane
watch-house.
'Thomas Skinner, a Gentleman's servant, was
next examined : he stated that in passing through
Mansfield-street, Cavendish-square, between seven
and eight O'clock, on Saturday evening, he met the.
Prisoner with the little girl in question,
.upon his
shoulders : she cried most bitterly, wed the Prisoner
endeavoured to prevent her froni doing so, by slap.
ping her on the face, end using other violence.
Having entered into conversation with a man of the
name" of Thomas White, who happened to come up
at the time, Witness and he concluded that, from
the appearance of the Priloner, whose-apparel was
very mean, the child could, not belong' to him : in
consequence of which they pursued, and stopped him
in Chandos-street. Upon examination, he appeared
to be much intoxicated, and not being able to give a
satisfadory account of himself, they pie ceeded to
bring him back to Queen Anneestreet, when a great
concourse of people gathered round them; and, after
giving, some veryirnsatisfaaory answers, he Sudden-
ly rushed through the crowd, .and made off towards
Wiggion-srreet, where he was apprehended, and
lodged in Mary-le.bonee watch-house.
Mr. NEAVE then asked the child, if-ehe could
speak ? who immediately replied, " Yes, Sir, and I
will tell : you all about it." She was then placed
upon the table. Her appearance was extremely in.
terestiog, her rosy face bloomed With :health, and
was animated with the smile of intelligence ;. her
features and person were -remarkably' pretty and
genteel. She was dressed in a blue striped frock
and a little blue spotted bonnet. The first thing
ehe described, was a severe bruise on her right
knee, which appeatrd much torn, as if, by gravel ;
.-she then ,hewed a black mark on her ihtgli, and
putting her hands in her mouth, shewed in •what-
. planner the Prisoner had hurt her, and pointed out
some other marks of violence under her chin.,
The Magistrate asked, if, in coneequence- of
this violence, any blood bad been shed ? and the
Witnesses, who had been before examined, stated,
that her mouth and knee had both bled very much.
Several other Witnesses were ready to be examin.
ed ; but the Magistrate observing, that the faef of
• taking away the child fuleibly, being already clearly
proved, he did riot think it necessary to pike any
further depositions.
The Prisoner was then called upon for whin he
had to say in his defence. He was a very stout,
tail man, nearesi,x feet high, and about thirty_five
years of age. He, said, ,he was a bricklayer's la.
bourer, and had walked in the vicinity of Word-
street ;' on that dey he had taken a little too much
. drink early in the morning, and having received
some money from a Gentleman, he had drank him.
self into a state of complete intoxication ; that
he was so drunk, he knew not. what he did, and
was totally ignorant of the charge brought against
. him; or the cause of his confioement, until he awoke
on Sunday morning, and found himself in the watch.
house. , ,
_ _ _

• •
Several respectable persons were called to. hi
ratter, who 411 spoke of him as a man of sobriety_
and good conduai but particularly the two persons
by whom he had.been last. employed ;they'described
him as an honest, intin.stiidus, and hard-wOrking.
man,. ,The Magistfdte took bail for ills,sppearance
at the next Quarter Sessions.,

MANsttow-Housc.---Yesterday two little, boys,
• neither of whom was more than it years of ate,
were charged Wore the Lord Mayor with robbing
their Masters; the one confessed ,he had stolen
frotryhis Mastat'a tiir at different times and
.si,ttst it, but had been persuaded to it by ,another
tioy, who had she wed him how to pick the lock.
Fk was cumtnitted/to Bridesvell, to be well Ilf)ggeci,
E and given. up to his parents, who promised to pro.
vide for him.
The other boy was charged by his Master, who
is extensively in the liquor business in Tower-street,
pith stealing liquors at different times. This boy
made a full confession of having been induced to steal
these liquors by a Woman who sold fruit in the
neighbourhood. . This woman being apprehended,
a large stone bottle, which contained brandy, was
found concealed below her barrow. The boy stated,,
that this woman had encouraged him to rob his
IVlaster, promising that she Would give him money
for any number oi,bottles he should bring her; mist
he took her five bottles of Hollands, for which al',e
gave him•five shillings; six shillings, for four bot.
ales of Noyeau ; and as. for a bottle of Madeira,

&c. &c. ; all this the woman denied ; she said her
husband was at sea,. and. that she•kcp_t a home in

Winfield-street, Spitalfieltig. Whey were tooth corn
• 'pitted for further examination, and officers were
bent to search the house.