The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-07 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.—Dec. 6.

(Before Mr. Bodkin, Assistant-Judge.)
Sarah Dyer, 40, was indicted for stealing 15
yards of ribbon, value 7s. 6d., 6 yards of ribbon,
value 3s. 9d., and 24 yards of silk braid, value Bs.,
and a reel, the property of Messrs. Shoolbred and
Co., of Tottenham-court-road. She pleaded guilty,
and seemed overwhelmed with grief.
Mr. Sleigh said he appeared for the prisoner, and
he could in all sincerity say that a case more dis-
tressing in its circumstances had never come under
his notice. That the prisoner had been guilty of
the offence of shoplifting at Messrs.Shoolbred's there
could be no doubt, but the prisoner had acted under
pressure of a most painful state of things. The case
indeed was a true illustration of the " Song of the
Shirt," and the prisoner had for years been at the
" Stitch, stitch, stitch,"morning noon and night, and
on again into the next day, to support herself and
her son, whom she had apprenticed to a tailor. She
was a widow, and had borne a good character all her
life for honesty, industry, and perseverance. Through
distress she had done this, and Messrs. Shoolbred
had only done their duty in prosecuting, but they
were desirous of strongly recommending her to the
most merciful consideration of the Court. The pri-
soner was in a most deplorable state of health, and as
she had already been in prisou three weeks, it was
hoped that the Court might deem it a case in which
the most lenient course might be adopted.
Mr. Orridge said he appeared for the prosecu•
tion, instructed through the Association for the
Prosecution of Shoplifters, and on behalf of Messes.
Schoolbred he had only to say that they had not
the least desire to press for punishment against the
prisoner, who had been a customer of theirs for
some years, and was no doubt really a hard-work-
ing woman, and had struggled hard for a living.
An assistant of Messrs. Schoolbred's was called
into the box, and he stated that the prisoner had
been a customer for a long period, and on the occa-
sion of her committing this offence she was being
watched in consequence of something which had
occurred previously. She was so well known there
that they were utterly astonished at her being de-
tected at such a thing, and they did not wish to
press the charge.
Mr. Knight, of No. 1, Pindar-place, Gray's-inn-
road, said he had lived there 33 years, and the pri-
soner had lodged with him about 11 years. She
was a widow, hard-working, and well conducted,
and had a son whom she had put to a business, and
worked until two, three, and four of a morning at
dressmaking, to earn her living and support her
son. He could say that she was driven to do this,
in consequence of ladies for whom she worked not
paying her for the work she did for them ; they
had her labour, and poor as she was, they would
not pay except upon long credit, which she could
not afford to give, but money she could not get,-
and not having the means to purchase materials to
finish work she had in hand, she had unfortunately
resorted to stealing them. There were several
ladies who owed her money, £lO, £ll, or £l2, but
she could not get a penny from them ; one in par-
ticular, in Montague-place, Russell-square, owed
her about that sum for her work; and
although the prisoner had laid ill for five
weeks at one time, and sent to the lady time
after time, and day after day, she could get
nothing, and her urgent applications were unheeded.
Another lady, living in Highbury-terrace, Islington,
had owed her a similar sum since last December,
and though she bad begged and prayed for some
part payment, the lady had not paid her anything ;
and if she resorted to compulsory steps her connec-
tion would be destroyed. It was entirely through
being thus kept out of money which was due to
her for the sweat of her brow, and her work by
night and day, that she had been driven, as he be•
lieved, to do that which had placed her in her pre-
sent position, for a more honest, striving woman
he had never known. Had it not been for him he
believed she would have starved, and she was in
arrear of rent at the time, which very much preyed
upon her mind, and she wanted to finish the work
she had in hand to pay it, as these ladies would not
pay her.
The Assistant-Judge said he could not but admit
that the case had affected him considerably, and he
could see it had met with the sympathy of every
one present. The course he was about to adopt he
had no doubt would meet with the ready concur-
rence of the eminent firm who were the prosecutors
in this case. It was a matter in which he consi-
dered the greatest amount of mercy might be ex-
tended, for already the prisoner had been severely
punished for what she had done, judging from
what had been said of her, and of the peculiar sir-
cumstances in which she had been placed. Should
what he had stated find its way into publicity,
those who had so cruelly used this poor creature,
by depriving her for so long of the reward of her
labour, would understand what must be thought of
their conduct. He should pass no sentence at all,
but order her to be discharged at once.
The prisoner went down on her knees and thanked
his lordship.
Mr. Sleigh said he would take steps to bring the
case under the notice of the Royal Benevolent So-
ciety, with which he was connected, and had no
doubt something would be done for the woman.
The gentlemen of the bar and several jurors made
up a sum of over £2 for the prisoner, and she was
set at liberty.
James Hodgson, 32, town traveller, was indicted
for stealing a gold watch and other articies, value
£lOO, and £43 in money, in the dwelling-house of
Charles Bell.

The prosecutor, Mr. Bell, was, it appeared, by
business a builder, and lived at 49, Great College-
street, Camden-town, and in April last was living
at 18, Torriano-avenue. One day on his returning
from business he found that his wife had eloped
with the prisoner, as it subsequently was discovered,
and he missed a great quantity of things—clothee,
books, a watch, chain, and seals, 18 rings, a dress-
ing case, and £45 in notes and cash. The notes were
country ones, which he had placed away to pay his
debts, but he had not been able to trace them, as
the numbers and names were not known. Nothing
came to his knowledge about his wife as to where ,
she had gone until Nov. Bth, when he met the
s
prisoner, of whom he had heard something, and byl
gave him into custody for stealing the propert he
missed when his wife absconded,
.'.l::cerward lie
went to s,Penton-place, Ne
35 duplicates, one relating t, '
Will:gton, where he found
the others had rrx . ,-nis watch, which he
redeemed from Russell -r-
-of the other
ring w'
property. A • ....erence to portions
- • Brothers, Camberwell, and
ticket found on the prisoner was for a
P- ~Lich he had himself pawned, it being the
~..operty of the prosecutor. The latter found his
wife at the house in Penton-place, and immediately
called in a broker and sold off everything he found
there belonging to him for £l, out of which he gave
her ss. 6d., since which time he had abandoned her.
She had been living with the prisoner as his wife.
The prosecutor was cross-examined as to
t, his treat-
, ,t