The Sun.
London, England, 1867-08-24 00:00:00

THAMES.

A FEMALE THIEF ON HER TRAVELS.—Charlotte
Coleman, a bold-looking woman, was brought be-
fore Mr. Paget charged with stealing a basket,
jacket, and bottle, the property of Charles Day, a
labourer, and also stealing a sheet, the property of
Mr. William Reed, the landlord of the Coach and
Horses public-house, in lligh-street, Bow.
Day was at work upon some bosses in Devon's-
road, Bromley. - He put a basket, containing a
bottle and his coat, over a fence, while he was
pursuing his employment. The prisoner, who was
passing, took both coat and basket off the fence, and
went away with them. The robbery was noticed
by a man named Epratley, who gave information to
a constable named Cowles, No. 399 K, who took
the prisoner into custody with the property upon
her. Cowles also found upon her a sheet, which
was identified by Mr. Reed, who said the
prisoner paid a visit to his kitchen on the previous
evening, and after she was gone a sheet, hanging on
the back of a chair, was missing. A policeman said
the prisoner was wanted for a third robbery in
Essex, and that she bad been travelling through
the country for some time past, and was a regular
thief.

The prisoner said she could not tell what pos-
sessed her to take the basket and coat.

Mr. Paget—And the sheet—what hive you to say
about that ?

The prisoner—l cau't tell what possessed me to
take that.

Mr. Paget committed the prisoner for trial.

EX2IAORDINARY PROCEEDING.

clerkCentralitio
f tlle Criminal Court, yesterday, Mr.
Af
N
court, called the attention
o
thecourse of the day to a cir-
cumstance which, he said, was of eery great import-
ance in connection with the administration of jus-
tice in that court. A person named Frederick Lee,
A-)j: e Y 'the
Recordertlie
carrying on business as a harness maker in Brown-
low-street, Drury-lane, was summoced to serve on
the petty jury, and some one attended and answered
to the name and was sworn on the jury. In con-
sequence of some information he received he
went on Tuesday up to the jury box and in-
quired if a person named Frederick Lee was
serving on the jury, and ono of the persons
in the back row answered to the name,
and he then thought there must have been
some mistake in the information ho had re-
ceived. He had subsequently, however, received
further information, and he questioned the party,
and be admitted that he was not Mr. Lee, but only
his foreman, and he said that Mr. Lee had sent him
to do duty for him as a juror. The consequences
of such a proceeding as this might be most serious,
and he felt it his duty to bring the matter before
the court.
The person referred to was directed to stand for-
ward, and in answer to questions put by the
Recorder, be said that he had merely done as he
was directed by his master, and was not aware
that he was doing wrong.
The Recorder inquired of him whether he took
the oath, and was sworn as Frederick Lee.
Ile replied that he had.
Mr. Avory said that in the first place the person
complained of had been guilty of a gross contempt
of court. He had very nearly committed the crime
of perjury, and he and his master would certainly
be amenable to a charge of
_conspiracy to break the
law. He added that it was a question whether all
the proceedings of the court in which the unquali-
fied juryman had taken a part were not void.
The Recorder, after conferring with Alderman
J. C. Lawrence and Alderman Waterlow, ordered
the person now before the court to pay a fine of
£5 for contempt of court. lie also inflicted a fine
of £lOO upon Mr. Lee, but process in this case was
not to issue until the first day of next session, when
Mr. Lee would be called upon to show cause why
the fine should not be inflicted, and it was stated
that in the meantime the question would be con-
sidered whether an indictment for conspiracy
should not be yect4tre4 against both parties.

REFORM FETE AND BANQUET.--A fully attended
meeting of dm gflierat committee fur promoting this fete
in celebration of tho pasSitig of the Reform Bill was held
last night for the purpose of recePtlng a ropmorrt.f
Trohmomthae
sub-committ6o t 4 the time and place for holding it. The
fiecgrebe
taz3k.
rreap., dletterssf.rosni. Irk
Torre e, M.P.,s
aentttil Thompson, and other gentlemen, approving of the
proposed fete and promising their co-operation. From tho
arrangements made it appears probable that tho banquet
will bo held at the Crystal Palace on Monday, Sept. 30.
It was also reported that several of the "leading Liberal
members of the Common Council and other influential
middle-class reformers" had accepted invitations. It was
resolved that a great 1; eating-up 51aould take place. o itid.uce
a fall atteAclance.