The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-31 00:00:00

BAIL COURT.
(Before Mr. Justice Lush and a Common Jury.)
STACY V. FIRTII AND WIFE.
Mr. Murch appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. J
0. Griffiths for the defendants.
This was an action brought by the plaintiff, who
is a milliner, carrying on business at W eston-
Super-Mare, and the action was brought for goods
supplied to the female defendant. The defendant
pleading denying the debt, and stating that the
female defendant was a Minor when she obtained
the goods, to which the plaintiff replicated, alleging
that the articles were necessaries, and such as the
rank of life in which the lady moved justified her
in supplying her with.
Mr. Murch opened the case. The female de-
fendant was the wife of Captain Firth, who
resides at Weston-super-Mare, was highly con-
nected, and to all appearance a gentleman of good
means. In June, 1855 and 1856, she was living at
the house of a lady and gentleman named Wynd-
ham Lewis, persons of large fortune, and had a
residence and estate near Weston-super-Mare,
and Captain Firth was in the habit of
meeting them frequently. He became attached
to the female defendant, whose maiden name was
Sharland. Mrs. Lewis having died in 1866 Mr.
Lewis broke up his establishment and removed from
the neighbourhood. The female defendant then
took lodgings at Berkeley-terrace, in Weston-super-
Mare, and while remaining there she was in the
habit of visiting at the house of a gentleman
of fortune, named Barclay, an uncle of
Captain Firth, who, with his wife, resides
at liamond's works, near Super-Mare. Mrs.
Barclay was a customer of the plaintiff's, and from
that circumstance and the society in which the female
defendant moved, she allowed her to haVe the articles
in question without any hesitation. It appeare I
also that the lady informed her that she was about
to be married to Captain Firth, whose friends would
advance £2,000 to establish him in some profitable line
of life, and that £l,OOO would be settled on her on
the day of her marriage. The marriage took
place in June, 1866, and the plaintiff applied to
the female defendant for £25 off the debt, which she
had promised to pay her in that month. She received
a letter in reply, stating that the lady was unable to
pay the money then, but promising to do so shortly.
The plaintiff made another application, and the
female defendant sent her £5, all the money she had
received from her, and the action was to recover the
difference. It was also stated by the learned counsel
that Captain Firth very often came to her establish-
ment in company with Mrs. Frith prior to the
marriage, and that some of the goods were sent to
his house and to Mr. B
Miss Susan Stacy, the plaintiff, deposed to the
facts in the preceding narrative.
Mr. Sharland, father of Mrs Ftith, proved that
his daughter was under age when she obtained the

goods.
The plaintiff was non-suited.

POLICE INTELLIGESCE.—This Day

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

ATTEMPTED FRAUD ON THE UNIVERSAL BENE

CENT SOCIETY.--Mary Woodham, a woman with a
child in her arms, was brought before Mr. Knox on
a warrant by Paine, one of the warrant officers,
charged with endeavouring to obtain charitable con-
tributions, under false pretences, from the Universal
Beneficent Society, No. 10, Duke-street, St.
James's.
The Marquis Townshend, the president of the
society, was in attendance.
Mrs. Ann Greely, in the employ of the society,
said that on the 16th the prisoner came to the office
of the society crying, and said that she had lost a
child, eleven years of age, the previous day, and she
asked for pecuniary assistance. She told the pri-
soner that she would take down her name and ad-
dress and give them to the secretary, and she did so.
The next day the prisoner called again, and said
she had lost another child. The secretary took
down the statement.

Mr. Charles Kennedy, inquiring officer to the
society, proved that there was no such place as the
address given by the prisoner ; and, in making in-
quiry of Dr. Miskin, the doctor the prisoner
stated to have attended the deceased children,

that gentleman stated that he had attended no
person of the name of Woodham ; and, on making
other inquiries respecting the prisoner, he found
. . .

that she had lost no children, and that all the state
'flouts made to the society were false. • On the pri
Boner being asked how she came to do such a thing
she said she was put up to it by another woman
who received assistance from the society under a
similar application.
Dr. George Miskin, No.' 162, York-road, Lam-
beth, stated that ho had never attended any sick
children belonging to the prisoner.
During the examination the prisoner having ap-
peared to be in a fainting condition, Mr. Knox
asked Dr. Miskin if there were any grounds for
putting off the inquiry, and the doctor said there
were not.
Price, the warrant officer, said that on taking the
prisoner into custody she said she was very sorry,
and he hoped the marquis would forgive her, and
she would not have done it if she had not been put
up to it.
The prisoner asked to be forgiven for the sake of
the children.
Mr. Knox said it was a bad case, and the most
horrible part of it was that there was not a poor per-
son in London who was not worse off for acts like
that the prisoner had been duilty of. The prisoner
had all the tricks of a regular beggar, pretending
to be ill, panting, Scc. The prisoner had gone to
the society, and told them a tissue of lies. She would
be committed fur three months with hard labour.