The Sun.
London, England, 1857-05-13 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.—May 12.

(Before Mr. Pashley, Q.C., Assistant Judge.)
Eliza Williams, a tall, well-dressed woman, was
indicted for stealing a dress, a pair of bracelets, and
other articles, of the value of 201., the property of
Elizabeth Jane Hinksman.

Mr. Orridge conducted the prosecution.
The prosecutrix resided at No. 64, Shepperton
Cottages, New North-road, and it appeared that on
the 21st February the prisoner engaged an apart-
ment there. On the 23d she left and did not re-
turn, and a number of articles wore missed from
Mrs. Hinksman's rooms. On the 2d April the
prisoner was, taken into custody on another charge,
at a coffee-house near the Angel, at Islington, at
which time she was wearing some of the clothing
stolen from Mrs. Ilink-sman.

The Prisoner denied that she took anything away
from the prosecutrix. The articles found upon her
were given to her by her husband.
The Jury found her Guilty.
The prisoner was then tried upon an indictment,
charging her with having stolen a counterpane and
other articles, the property of Sarah Lewis.
This case was similar to the last. The prisoner
took a lodging in Powell-street East, St. Luke's, on
the 28th March, and immediately afterwards ab-
sconded with the contents of several drawers. It
was upon the information given to the police of
this theft that the prisoner was taken into custody.
The Jury found her guilty.
L third case was then gone into. The prisoner
was charged with having stolen a watch, value 46
guineas, and c!othing and other articles, worth about
401., the property of Cohn Robertson Tttlloh, her
master.

The Prosecutor stated that he lived at No. 4,
SouthwiCk-ct escent, Hyde-park, and on the 26th
Jan. the prisoner entered his service as cook. On
the morning of the 3d Feb., at an early hour, she
went away without any previous intimation of her
intention to leave. On the night of the 2d, when
he retired to bed, all was correct and safe ; but the
prisoner, it seemed, was heard about during the
night. He undressed about half-past 12 on the
night of the 2d, and placed his clothes, watch, arc.,
on the table in his dressing-room, and when he got
up in the morning they were all gone, as well as
three pairs of boots from under the table. The per-
son, whoever it was, that committed the theft, after
visiting his dressing-roam, went to a press at the
back, and took a topcoat and sundry other articles
—thence to another room, from which several arti-
cles of dress belonging to Mrs. Tulloh and a roll of
cloth were taken. This was done while they were
asleep. The dressing-room door was shut, but not
locked. He also missed a poncho cloak from the
hall. The prisoner entered his service in the name
of Sarah Knowles, and gave a reference to a Greek
lady, named Mavrocordato, with whom she lived a
month, but had notice to quit.
Francis Devenish stated that on the 3d of Feb.
he was butler to Mr. Tulloh, and had come from
Scotland to give his evidence. Before he went to
bed on the night of Feb. 2d, he went round, as was
his custom, to see that all was safe, and at that
time all the doors and windows were securely fas-
tened inside. He heard the prisoner moving about
early in the morning, and when he went down to
the kitchen, about 7 o'clock, she had left the house.
The drawers had been ransacked and the gas was
lighted. He went up stairs and missed from the
hall a poncho, which he took off Mr. Tulloh when
hhe came home the previous night. There were no
marks of violence whatever, and the house clearly
had not been entered. The prisoner left a box be-
hind her ; it contained nothing, however, but an
old pair of gloves and a tobacco pipe.
Emma Ashbrook, housemaid at the prosecutor's,
said she heard the front door slam about 7 o'clock
on the morning of the 3d. One day the prisoner
remarked to her that it was strange Mrs Tulloh did
not wear jewellery, and witness answered that the
reason was that she was in mourning. On another
occasion she took up a corner dish, and having care-
ful!y examined it, she said it was not silver. Wit-
ness replied that she did not know.
Hannah Ailams said she was upper housemaid in
Mr. Tulloh's service. The prisoner left her bed-
room on the morning of the 3d with a candle about
six o'clock. When she got up about an hour after-
wards she found the things in confusion, and the
prisoner gone.

The prosecutor said the value of the articles
stolen was altogether about 941.

Police-constable 98 N, produced a number of
skeleton keys, which he found in a carpet-bag be-
longing to the prisoner. It was in her possession
when he apprehended her.
The prisoner said these keys were not hers, they
were her husband's. She knew nothing of the
robbery at Mr. Tulloh's, and the reason she left so
suddenly was that Mrs. Tulloh had told her she
did not suit the situation. The police had made
inquiries as to her character, which had been satis-
factory.
The Assistant-Judge told the jury that it
was for them to say upon the evidence whether
the probability wa3 excluded that any person other
than the prisoner had committed the robbery. If
they came to the conclusion that the prisoner was
guilty there would be little difficulty in arriving at
the opinion that she did not act alone in the mat-
ter, but had the aid of some one outside to carry
away the plunder.
The jury at once found the prisoner guilty.
Police-constable 98 N then said there were a
great number of otjaer cases against the prisoner of
robbing lodgings, and there was a man who passed
as ber husband, but he could not be found. A quan-
tity of keys which had been stolen from places where
she had lodged, principally latch and drawer keys,
were found upon her when she ws►s taken into cus-
tody; but by order of the committing magistrate
they were given up to their respective owners upon
identification.

The Assistant-Judge said he could not conceive
a much worse case or a more dangerous person than
the prisoner, who not only was a systematic plan•
derer of furnished lodgings, but pursued a sys-
tem of robbery, no doubt aided by accomplices,
by getting situations in respectable families. The
sentence upon the first and the last indictment was
that she be kept in penal servitude for six years.
No judgment would be passed upon the second in-
dictment.

The prisoner smiled and walked out of the dock.
Henry Davis, 31, carman, and William Game,
31, general dealer, were indicted, the former for
stealing two sacks and a peck of oats, the property
of William Slade Parkes, his master, and the latter
for feloniously receiving the same.
The Jury found them guilty, and the Court sen-
tenced each of them to 4 mouths' hard labour.

William Brown, 19, pleaded guilty to a charge
of having stolen a watch from the person of Michael
Lemon. Isle was proved to be a well-known and
expert thief.
Sentence, four years' penal servitude.
(Before Mr. Creasy.)
Frince3 Lane, Julia Edmonds, and Ann Cos-
grove were indicted for stealing from the person of
George Taylor a purse and 4s. 3d., his property
and monies. _ _

Mr. Foote prosecuted ; Mr. lorry appeared for
Lane and Edmonds ; Cosgrove was undefended.
The Prosecutor, by trade a pewterer, residing at
No. 21, Henry-street, Pentonville, on the morning
of the 14th April, between 1 and 2 o'clock, was
going : down White Lion-street, when his at-
tention was drawn to a woman who appeared to
be very ill, and she was groaning loudly as it in
great pain. He stopped for a few moments to speak
to her, but had hardly done so when the prisoners
Lane and Edmonds came behind him and held his
arms, while the other prisoner (Cosgrove) thrust her
hand into his pocket and took out his purse, con-
taining two florins and a threepemsy piece. He
called for the assistance of the police, and the pri-
soners Lane and Edmonds were taken into custody,
but Cosgrove got away for the time. The prosecu
tor's purse was picked up on the spot. Police•con-
s`ab?e Ratcliffe, on cumlng up, saw all the prisoners
round the prosecutor. A week after this occur-
rence the prisoner Cosgrove was taken into custody
by Police-constable Co; 369 N, who told her that
she was wanted at Islington. She said she
had not been out of the house for three weeks, and
ou the way to the station-house she offered him ls.
to let her go.
Mr. Hoiry, on the part of Lane and Edmonds,
threw considerable doubt upon the testimony of

the prosecutor, and said the identity of the prisoners
had not bt'en clearly established.
The jury found all the prisoners guilty.
A former conviction was proved against the pri-
soner Congre re.
Mr. Creasy sentenced Cougreve to penal servi-
tude for four years ; and Lane and Edmonds to
imprisonment for ten month.
George Cook, 51, shoemaker, was indicted for
stealing a gimlet, the property of George Martin.
Mr. Gent prosecuted ; Mr. Talfourd Salter ap-
peared for the prisoner.
The prisoner was indicted for stealing this small
and almost valueless article in consequence of the
prosecutor, who is a carpenter, having lost a large
quantity of tools.
The jury.having found the prisoner guilty, four
former convictions, with sentences of imprisonment
f.)r six, twelve, two and eight months, were then
proved against him. The first of these offences was
committed whilst the prisoner was a constable of
the police force.
Mr. Creasy sentenced him to bo kept in penal
servitude for four years.

Mr. Gent said he held in his band a warrant for
the apprehension of the prisoner, in case of his ac-
quittal on this charge, for a felony committed at
Marlborough, in Wiltshire.

It transpired that while the prisoner was in the
M division of police he was very active iu getting
up cases, and a great number of prisoners were
transported on his evidence.