The Sun.
London, England, 1861-07-25 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE-July 24.

SOUTHWARK.—CONVICTION OF A BRACE OF
LADY RAILWAY THIEVES.—Sophia Landon and
Mary Ann Sanders, two well-dressed, respectable-
looking young women, were brought before Mr.
Burcham for final examination, charged with steal-
ing purses from two ladies, at the London, Brighton,
and South Coast Railway Terminus, London-bridge.
Mr. W. Edwin attended for the prisoners.
Henry Hart, an officer in the employ of the rail-
way company, said that on Monday morning the
15th inst., he was on duty inside the station at the
time excursion trains were getting off for Brighton.
He saw the prisoners pass rapidly from the main
booking office to the Palace-office, and hail a cab
outside, His suspicions were at once aroused at
this conduct, consequently he went and stopped the
vehicle just as they had seated themselves, and on
opening the door he saw Sanders put her right
hand down, and two purses fell on the floor. He
at once charged them with stealing them, and
then Landon handed him a purse, and another fell
from her. A telegraphic message was sent after
the last train and owners were found for two of
the purses, and they were now in attendance.
Mrs. Jane Hicks said she went to Brighton on
Monday morning, the 15th instant, and just as
she was leaving the train one of the officers asked
if any lady had lost her, purse. Witness missed
hers immediately, and she identified one of the
purses produced by the officer as her property. It
contained half a sovereign and about 10s. in silver.
She returned it safe to her pocket just before
getting into the carriage, and had no knowledge of
her loss until she got to Brighton.
Elizabeth Hicks, the wife of a tanner residing in
Bermondsey, said she went by the same train, and
missed her purse as soon as they had started. She
identified one of the purses produced as her
property.
Mr. Thomas Richards, an inspector of the com-
pany's police, said he had made inquiries about the
other two purses, and had not found the owners.
He had ascertained that Sanders' right name was
Gordon, and her brother was now undergoing four
years' penal servitude.
ntly he
Mr. Edwin, for the prisoners, said he could not
contend against the evidence, conse
trusted that his worship would deal
they
w had not
under the Criminal Justice Act, as Vieth them
been previously convicted.
were known.
Mr. Burcham asked if they
thieves infesting.
that they belonged togang
Inspector Richards replied thoaft he had no doubt
aubiie places, but he was not
bdeoeunbtcothnevy.icwteedr.e
ex,
the railways and other p
aware whether they
Mr. Burcham observed that had there been any
hould not have co
evidence as to that he nsented to
deal with them, as
ho
belonged to •
es and a c
perienced thiev , hashaadevnero
riminalfamily.
all the
,circumstances He should under , umstances sentence
each of them to six .
months h'rd labour.
John Donkin, chief delivery f
Benjamin. and
of the foreign
near London-bridge,
wharf, was brought up for
final examination, charged with stealing several 1
bags of foreign sugar from the warehouses at Fen ••
ning,s_wharf ; and Chas. Gates and Richard Dabbs,
general dealers, of Bethnal-green were charged
with receiving the same, well ' i it
knowing to be
stolen.
The case having been completed,
The m • agistritte committed all the prisoners for

trial at the adjourned sessions for the county of
Surrey.
John and James Campbell, two powerful-lookig;
men, were finally examined, charged with having n
in
their possession a number of counterfeit half-crowns,
florins, and shillings; also a galvanic battery used.
in manufacturing them. John Campbell was liked
wise charged with assaulting the police.
The magistrate committed the prisoners for trial.

WANDSWORTH.— PILFERING AND RECED-
ING BY A COOK AND HER NIECE.—FLAGRANT CASE:
/
—Rene Scott, a very genteel-looking young gill
about 15 years of age, was brought up on remand,
before Mr. Ingham, charged with feloniously
~.,rec-
eiving a quantity of food, the property of Mr.
R. Abrahams, a gentleman residing at Balhaul-
house, Balham-hill.
The case was first heard on Wednesday lr'
and on that occasion the prisoner's aunt, Rhoda
Scott, a woman nearly 70 years of age, was charge,'
with her for stealing the articles of food the pro-
perty of her master.
The evidence adduced against both prisoners was
to the effect that the aunt had been in the service
of the prosecutor as cook for two years, and in con-
sequence of what recently came to his knowledge
he applied to the police, and Constable Blackburn,
of the V division, was employed in plain clothes t°
watch the premises. On the afternoon of Tuesdui;
the 16th inst., the younger prisoner was observed
by the officer above 100 yards from the house,
walking up and down, apparently as if she were
waiting for some person. He continued watching,
and shortly afterwards the elder prisoner came
the gate and looked out. The girl went up to her,
and Blackburn saw her receive a bundle from her
aunt, which she placed under her shawl, and then
walked away. She was stopped by the officer, wh°
asked her what she had in her bundle, to which she
answered she did not know, but that it was given 0,
her by her aunt. She was taken to the house, an
on the bundle being searched it was found to con-
tain half a quartern loaf cut in two pieces, a quail'
tity of dripping, butter, potatoes, and about four
pounds of pieces of uncooked meat, the latter being
proved to have been cut off the joints in the house'
They were both taken into custody, and, after being
examined before the magistrate, the elder prisoner
was committed for two months with hard labour
for the unlawful possession, and the niece was re'
I manded for inquiries to be made about her charsn-

ter.
Yesterday an attorney's clerk, who appeared for
the prisoner, handed in a letter relative to her pre"
vious good haracter.
Mr. Abrahams said he had been informed that
the prisoner had been in the habit of receivieg
bundles from her aunt while at his house, for the
last two years, but he had no witnesses present t°
prove it.
The clerk complained that they were not brought
forward; as his client had been remanded for t°
purpose. He was instructed that nothing of the
kind had occurred before.

Mr. Ingham said it would make a great differci
ence in his decision if it were proved that she had
been in the habit of receiving bundles from nue,,,
aunt, as in that case she must have known t'
nature of the contents.
Blackburn was recalled, and said the bundle 118
took from the prisoner contained nothing but
articles stolen.
Mr. Ingham said in that case she must 191 c
known what the bundle contained.
Blackburn also said that the parents of the Pri-
soner were highly respectable.
Mr. Ingham ultimately decided upon taking thee
father recognisances for the good behaviour of the
pr ,isoner for the next twelve months. He at tbo
same time read the girl a suitable lecture upon a
enormity of the offence she had committed, aaa
told her that he was afraid that this was, onlY 13,
part of a wholesale system of plunder that had bee
carried on for some time.
The prisoner left the court crying.