The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-14 00:00:00

ELOPEMENT AND ROBBER' ORM°.

The wife of John Belton, a publican in Leicester,
has eloped with a hawker of pens and pencils, and
carried off with her £2lO belonging to her husband,
his cash box, and a large quantity of wearing appa-
rel. Belton kept a house named the Old Cheese
Inn, Belgrave-gate, and took in hawkers and travel-
lers as lodgers. One of the latter class was a hawker
of pens and pencils, named Peter Mills, who lodged
there this year, hawking his wares in the town and
neighbourhood, but left about a month before the
elopement. While there he no doubt formed an
improper connection with Mrs. Belton, who had
evidently been for some time preparing for flight, as
she had got some money secured, and two or three
large strong deal boxes constructed for the convey-
ance of wearing apparel and goods. Belton found
that, from some cause or other, his public-house
business was not paying, and he therefore struck
a bargain for its sale to another person. On the
17th or 18th of November he went with his wife
to an appraiser to receive £2lO for the stock, fix.
tures, and goodwill, which sum was to be paid on
behalf of the in-coming tenant. The £2lO was
paid, and the "better half," of course, imnimediately
took charge of it, transferring it to the cash-box on
their return home. The very next day she de.
camped, carrying with her the cash-box and money.
Suspecting that she had either gone off with the
hawker or had gone to join him, the husband set
off with a friend in pursuit, and ultimately got
upon their track. He found they had been staying
together
Mills
man and wife at Newcastle on-Tyne,
where Mills had deposited in the bank in his own
name a sum of £l9O. The husband next traced
the runaways to Hexham and various towns in the
north until Tuesday, when he was fortunate enough
to find them in Sunderland. With the help of De-
tective King he found their luggage at the railway
station, and in a box which Mills claimed as his
own were found the cash-box and various other ar-
ticles belonging to the injured husband. In another
box were the bed-clothes. The luggage
being
watched, the hawker soon came up to claim it for
removal, and ho was taken into custody. In his
possession was found the bank receipt for £l9O,
besides £26 in gold, and from the address on the
luggage he appeared to be passing under the name
of Sidney. On 'inquiry it was found that the
guilty pair had been lodging together in George-
his wife "`made it up" and took lodgings
street as man and wife. At the police-station
On Wednesday, before the Sunderland
Bedto
glet
to
hn e ar
.n
magistrates, Mr. Cooper, for Mills, applied to have
£6 of the money, found upon him, given up for I:i3
defence. It was over the amount said to be stolen:
Mr. Robson, for the prosecution, did not object, as
he believe' the prisoner was a man who got. his
living by working, and had a stock, as the night
before he had called at his (Mr. R.'s) office, selling
pencils. Ho might state that he bad informed the
prosecutor that he would not conduct the case un-
less sufficient funds were forthcoming to carry it to
a successful termination, and as he had not received
the money, he did not yet know whether he would
prosecute. The bench, after a short consultation,
as " hard-
ship weedatsolaiklleolwy
tot arise the £G toto btheegliavwenyeur.
up, as