The Sun.
London, England, 1857-04-15 00:00:00

The younger defenda.ntwas ordered to find bail

SOUTHWARK,—Harriet Clerk, a middle-aged
f male, the wife of a tradesman in Bermondsey,
was brought before Mr. Combe, charged with steal-
ing a purse containing half-a-sovereign and two
keys, tao property of James Sanders.

The prosecutor stated that he was a lighterman,
and resided at 3, Gainsford-street, Dockhead. On
Saturday night, at ten o'clock, he accompanied his,
wife to the shop of Mr. Evans, baker, close by,
where she purchased some flour. The prisoner
stood near them at the counter, and while his wife
was placing the flour in a basket, he saw the pri-
soner take up a purse off the counter and hastily
leave the shop. His wife immediately afterwards
turned round to the counter and said, " Good God,
some one has taken my purse." The purse the
p ironer t a't'up was exactly like his wife's, but not
seeing her put it down, he had no idea it was hers,
or he should have st )pped the prisoner. After the
latt€r had left tho shop a lad came into the shop
and said he had keen her pick up the purse, and he
knew something abow. her.
Ann Sanders, wife of last witness, said that after
taking money out of her purse in the baker's shop
to pay for some flour, she placed the purse, con-
taining half-a;sovereiffn and two keys, on the coun-
ter, while she deposited the flour in her basket, and
when she turned round a minute afterwards she
missed it. The purse was a green knitted one, with
silk and beads, and she had not seer it since.

In cross-examination by Mr. Hughes, witness
said she saw the prisoner standing in the shop while
she wa 4 paying for the flour, and she inissei her
purse almost immediately afterwards. She had no
doubt the prisoner stole her purse.
John Baker, a lad 13 years of age, said he was
standing at the door while Mr. Sanders, his wife,
and the prisoner were in the shop. He saw Mrs.
Sanders place her purse ou the counter, and the
prisoner pick it up, when she suddenly left the
shop. He knew her by living opposite her mother's
a little while ago, and could swear to her identity.
About a quarter of an hour afterwards the pri-
soner was passing the baker's shop, when she was
called in and given into custody. •
Mr. Hughes said his client was the wife of a re-
spec•able tradesman, and could not be guilty of
such a paltry theft.
Mr. CJinhe thought otherwise, and committed
her for trial.

THAMES.—A Chinese beggar named Apoo,
well known in the streets of the metropolis, was
brought before Mr. Yardley, charged with assault-
ing and wounding a Frenchman named James Wil-
liam Hammus. Both parties live in a low lodging-
house in Lambeth-street, Whitechapel, and while
the" Chinaman was just commencing a meal of
bread and eggs, the Frenchman entered the room
Common to both, and took up one of Apoo's eggs,
observing what a nice one it was, and asking him
what he gave for it. The Chinam9m, who had just
cracked the shell of another egg, became enraged
that his fsorl was touched, and threw the egg he
held in his hand in the complainant's face, rushed
to the fire-place and seized the tongs, with which
he sti uck the Frenchman on the shoulder, and then
cut him with his knife.

Mr. Yardley asked what the defendant was,. and
a policeman replied that be got his living by beg-
ging, singing, and making odd sorts of noises in the
street.

The Chinaman said that the Frenchman took up
his egg and was going to eat it, and provoked him.
The Frenchman said he did not intend to eat the
egg—he only took it up to look at it.
Mr. Yardley—lt is a very great offence to touch
the food of some of these people. He says you
stabbed him, prisoner, what have you to say to
that ?

The Chinaman shook his head and muttered some
gibberish, deuyiug all that was alleged against him.
Two witnesses confirmed the statement of the
Frenchman.

Mr. Yardley said the complainant bad done wrong
in taking up the Chinam nes egg, but that did not
ju-tify the prisoner in taking up a pair of tongs and
cutting the Frenchman with his knife. He sentenced
the prisoner to pay a fine of 31., and in default of
payment one month's imprisonment.

WANDSWORTH.—Mr. S. Fenn, the superin-
tendent of the V division of police, applied to the
magistrate for a summons against the owner of a
, field in, Wandswort:), for the purpose of preventing
the fair usually held on Whit-Monday and the two
following dipi from taking place in future.
In consequenve of the late successful attempts to
suppress the old Camberwell fair, Greenwich fair,
Stepney fair, and other fairs of a similar descrip-
tion, w.:ich have been held from time immemorial,
the police authorities have had their attention drawn
to the suppression of Wandsworth fair by the COM-
plainta of some of the inhabitants residing in the
immediate locality. This fair, which has been held
annually on Whit-Monday for more than a quarter
of a century, took place in a field adjoining the
W. ndsworth Railway Station, and was generally
valy orderly conducted, if the charges that were
br. ugnt before the trates can forma criterion.