The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-18 00:00:00

THE MURDER AT HORNSBY.

Yesterday morning, at 11 o'clock, Mr. John Hum-
phreys, the coroner for East Middlesex, opened an
inquiry at the Three Compasses Tavern, Dalston,
respecting the death of Martha Page, aged 24
years, who died from the mortal effects of a stab
wound in the abdomen, inflicted by Samuel Adams,
her brother-in-law, on the morning of the sth
inst., under circumstances briefly detailed in our
impression of Monday last in the Clerkenwell Police
intelligence.
The jury having viewed the body, which was
lying at the German Hospital,
The Coroner said that he had written to the
Secretary of State, for the purpose of securing the
presence of the accused, and had received the
following communication from the Home-office :
" WHITEHALL May 16 1859
_ _ _ _ •

" Sir,—l am directed by Mr. Secretary Sotheron-
Estcourt to acknowledge the receipt of your letter
of the 16th inst., requesting him to instruct the
police to produce at an inquest, to be held by you
to-morrow, Samuel Adams, a prisoner on remand.
Mr. Estcourt understands that Saturday next, the
21st inst., is the day fixed' for the re-examinat ion of
the prisoner—he can only instruct the police to'
produce him at an adjourned inquest on that day.
This he has done, subject to the making the arrange-
ment with the Commissioners of Police, and in
strict reliance upon the understanding that the
proceedings at the inquest shall not in any way
interfere with the appearance of the prisoner before
the magistrate at the time appointed.
" I am, sir, your obedient servant,
" GATIIORNE HARDY."
After a few remarks from the learned coroner,
the first witness examined was—

Sarah Page, of 17, Chapel-street, Norwich, who
said—l am a married woman, and wife of John
Page, an ostler. The deceased was my daughter,
and was in the 24th year of her age. She was a
single woman, and I last saw her alive on Friday
last, at the German liosimal. She was then suffer-

ing acute pain, and was apparently dying. She
expired about half-past 10 o'clock that morning.
Coroner—Did she say anything to you?
Witness—Yes; she said Samuel Adams had
stabbed her.
Coroner—Did she make any other observation ?
Witness—Yes; she exclaimed, " I forgive him."
She added, "It was because I would not tell him
where his, wife was." Adams stabbed her three
times.
The proceedings were then formally adjourned
until 9 o'clock on Friday morning next.

SURREY SESSIONS.—May 17.

(Before E. Johnson, Esq.)

Ellen Summers, 21, and Matilda Arno, 19, both
described in the calendar as married females, were
indicted for stealing 50 yards of silk, value £l2,
from the shop of Mr. Alfred Knight, linen draper
and silk mercer, Crosby-row, in the Wal worth-road.
Evidence having been given,
The jury returned a verdict of guilty against both.
The Chairman was here informed that they were
connected with a gang of shoplifters, and that they
had been previously convicted ; under these circum-
stances he deferred passing sentence, to give an op-
portunity of the officers attending to identify them.
George Berry, 21, pleaded guilty to breaking and
entering the dwelling house of William Law ford,
at Mitcham, and steahng therefrom a waistcoat, his
property, and other articles belonging to David
Parish. He was also indicted for breaking and
entering the dwelling house of William Wright, at
Tooting, Graveney, and stealing therein a coat and
other articles.
The court sentenced him to 12 months' hard
labour.

Margaret Gray, 20, Sarah Hand, 21, and Hannah
Welch, 23, were indicted for stealing a leather case
containing samples, the property of John M‘Wil-
liam.

Mr. Thomson prosecuted, and Mr. Lilley defended
the prisoners.
The prosecutor said he was a town traveller, and
on the 2d inst. he had been transacting, business on
the south side of the Thames. Returning home at
a late hour towards London-bridge he met with a
friend, and they went into a public-house near the
Town-hall and partook of a glass of beer. The pri-
soners were in the same compartment, and he placed
his case of samples by his side on the counter.
While conversing with his friend he heard the door
shut, and on their looking round perceived that the
prisoners were gone, as well as his case. Shortly
afterwards he saw them all in custody, With his
property in the hands of the police.
Llewellyn, 228 M, said he was on duty near Fish.
monger-alley, when he saw the prisoners rush out
of the house, and run towards Redcross-street.
Gray had a leather case under her arm, and when
they got to the corner of Redcross-street they stop-
ped under a gas lamp to examine the contents of
the case. As soon as they saw him approach Gray
threw away the case, and they all bolted. He pur-
sued them, and, with the assistance of 237 M, took
them all into custody.
Mr. Lilley addressed the jury at some length on
behalf of the prisoners, but they were found guilty.
Scannell, 197 M, and Sergeant Bell, 39 P, detec-
tive officers, were called to the witness-box, and in
answer to the Chairman, said the prisoners had all
been twice tried and convicted for street robberies,
and they had been in custody at least u dozen times.
The Chairman told the prisoners that it would be
useless to deal leniently with them, as they had
previous to this cost the county considerable sums
to prosecute them. He should therefore sentence
them to four years' penal servitude each.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE—May 17.

MARYLEBONE. THE LATE CHARGE OF
CHILD MURDER. Harriet Perry was brought
before Mr. Broughton, on remand, charged with the
murder of her female infant, as far back as Decem-
ber, 1857. _ . . _

The particulars of what previously transpired
have already appeared, and it will be remembered
that about Christmas in the year above named, the
prisoner, who had lived as servant at the Blvk
Lion, Kilburn' left there, and lodged for a short
time at the house of Mrs. Richardson, 22, St.
George's-terrace, Hampstead. She brought a box
with her, and in the course of a week she went away,
alleging that she was going into the country. She
subsequently returned, and was told that she could
not be allowed to be in the place any longer, as so
strong and offensive a smell proceeded from the
box. She quitted the place, and the said box was
removed to the second floor landing. Shortly before
last Christmas Mrs, Richardson opened it, and on
pulling therefrom a bundle, a quantity of maggots
dropped out. The bundle wag so tightly fastened
that she was obliged to use a poker to force it open.
She then saw the leg of a child drop from the bundle.
She saw nothing more of the prisoner until the 9th
inst., when she called for the box, and on being told
of the discovery which had been made, she denied
knowing anything about it, further than that a
young woman had asked her to put the bundle into
her box, and had written to her to know whether it
was all right, as she wanted it. The body of an
infant, around whose neck was tied tightly a stock-
ing, was found in the box, and removed to the dead-
house at Hampstead Workhouse. An inquest was
held, and. a verdict returned of wilful murder
against some person unknown." The prisoner, who
was suspected to have committed the crime, was
taken into custody when she called for the box as
above stated.

Mr. Keene attended as before for the prisoner.
Some additional witnesses were brought forward,
one of whom was Mr. Joseph Winter, surgeon, of
Hampstead. On the 10th or 11th December, upon
being sent for, he went to the dead-house, and
there saw the (lead body of a female infant. it was
dried up like a mummy.
By Mr. Keene—l will not undertake to say that
in the state in which I saw it it might not have
been dead for ten years, or perhaps more.
It was further shown by the evidence of Inspector
Sheehy, and other officers of the S division, that
inquiries had been made at Kingston-on-Thames,
from which the female was said to have sent the
bundle as alleged to prisoner to take care of, but
she could not be met with at either of the places
which the prisoner had mentioned, viz. 4, Clifton-
place, and 4, Portland-place, Kingston-on-Thames.
Mr. Keene, on behalfof his client, submitted that
from the evidence adduced nothing had been shown
to justify the magistrate in further detaining the
prisoner. There was no proof whatever that she
had given birth to a child, and her statement made
as-to the parcel found in the box was no doubt
true ; that she had taken care of the bundie for a
young woman who requested her to do so, and that
she knew not what was in it.
Mr. Broughton considered it to be his duty to
send the case for the consideration of a jury.
Mr. Tate, the clerk, read over the whole of the
evidence, and the prisoner was committed for trial
for the murder.

LAMBETH.--ROBBERY BY A SERVANT.-Emily
Gooding, a young woman, was charged with felo-
niously stealing 19 sovereigns, at the dwelling-
house of Mr. W. Margetson, residing at St. Nor-
man's Lodge, Streatham-hill.

Miss Elizabeth Clore, sister of Mr. Margetson,
said that she was residing at the house of her
brother, and that the prisoner was in his (her
brother's) service. On Thursday, the 28th ult., she
(Miss Clore) left her home, the prisoner being in
the house. On her return the next day she missed
a box in which *ere 16 sovereigns, and about £3O
in notes. The box was taken from a drawer of a

dressing-table, which was in her bedroom. The
drawer had been broken open with some violence.
The prisoner was nowhere to be found, and she had
not seen her since till she was in custody.
Police-constable Wright, V 317, said that on the
previous day the prisoner voluntarily gave herself
up at the station-house. Upon giving herself up
she stated that while in the service of the prosecu-
trix she was visited by a young man, who was pay-
ing her some attention. He came to see her on the
day of the robbery. After he had been there a
short time lie went upstairs. He opened several
drawers. He finally went to the drawer of the
dressing-table, which was opened. He then broke
open a box, which contained the money. She saw
him do it. After it was done she was so frightened
that she left and ran away.

Mr. Perry, chief clerk, stated that the•prisoner
had refused to give up the name of the young man,
only stating that he informed her that he was a
clerk to a wine merchant. in Marylebone.
Prisoner—l do not know where he is. I have
not seen him since the robbery.
Mr. Perry—You told the constable that you went
with theman to Ipswich fromthe Shoreditch station.
Prisoner—Yes, and I have not seen him since I
left him there.
The prisoner was remanded till Wednesday next.
CHARGE• OF MANSLATIMITER.-Mr. Richard
Thomas James, No. 17, Sutherland-square, WO-
worth-road, was charged on remand, with having
caused tha death of Theophilus Plenty, under the
following circumstances.

Mr. rewiQ, jun., attended for the prisoner, the
inquiry having been-adjourned to await the result
of a coroner's inquest.
The circumstances connected with the death of
the unfortunate man were as follows :—On Thurs-
day, the sth inst., about six o'clock, the deceased
was crossing the Walworth•road. He was in a
state of intoxication, and when he came up to the
prisoner, who was in the company of a friend, he
knocked off his hat, The prisoner went after the

deceased, and struck him between the shoulders.
He went a few steps, when his foot came against,
the kerb. Ho turned round, and fell on his back.
He was picked up by the prisoner and another
person. The former, seeing that he was insensible,
went for a surgeon, who was of opinion that he was
suffering from a concussion of the brain, and who
advised his removal to the workhouse. He •cr,,as
taken there immediately. He never reeqvered
from the shock, and died on Friday last.
Three witnesses were examined, each of whom
was of opinion that the deceased's fall took place
more through the effects of intoxication than any
violence used towards him.
Mr. Lewis, jun., stated that an inquest had been
held on the body of the deceased that day, before
Mr. Carter, and the jury had come to the extra-
ordinary verdict of man laughter against the
accused.

The prisoner was discharged, but will be held to
bail by the coroner, under the new act giving
power to coroners to do so.

SOUTHWARK. DARING ROBBERY BY A
FEMALE IN A COFFEE-ITOUSE.—Caroline Stamford,
a good-looking well-dressed young female, was
brought before Mr. Combe for final examination,
charged with stealing £6los. in gold, a silver watch,
a gold ring, and some wearing apparel, the pro-
perty of Edward John North, under the following
daring circumstances :
The prosecutor said that he kept a coffee-house
in :the Blackfriars'-road,fand the prisoner lodged
there from the 15th to the 25th ult. On the latter
morning, when he quitted home on business, he
left safely locked in a rosewood box in his bedroom
£6 10s. in gold, a silver watch, and gold ring, and
on his return at night he found that the prisoner
had absconded with all the property. On the 7th
inst. witness met her in the City and gave her into
custody. From information he afterwards received
he went to Norwood, and pawnbrokers' duplicates
were handed to him relative to the watch and ring
produced.

Mrs. North said that during the afternoon of the
25th ult. the prisoner came into her bar and sat
down to write a letter. Witness fell asleep, and
when she woke up she missed the prisoner, and on
proceeding upstairs into her bedroom she found the
rosewood box broken open, and all the money and
watch and ring were gone. She also missed a silk
dress and other articles of wearing apparel. When
she was taken into custody the latter were found
on her.

Henry Marfleet, assistant to Mr. Burgess, pawn-
broker, Camberwell-road, produced the watch,
pledged by the prisoner on the 26th of April. An-
other pawnbroker produced the ring.
City Police-constable 382 said he took the pri-
soner into custody, when she admitted stealing the
property. She added that she got drunk and lost
all the money.
Mr. Combe ordered the depositions to be taken,
and fully committed her for trial.

WORSHIP-STEET..---JUVENILE DELINQUENTS
AND REFORMATORIES,—John Barnes' Robert Ald-
ridge, Joseph Cooper, Edward Smith, Jacob Emms,
John May, Thos. Miles, Wm. Russell, David Orme,
and Geo. Wood were charged before Mr. D'Eyn-
court with absconding from a certified reformatory,
known as the Home in the East, at Old Ford.
Mr. James Gondolier, governor of the Home,
state that all the prisoners had been inmates of the
establishment, and absconded with another, not yet
in custody, on the 4th inst., taking with them a
pair of pistols from his room, which they had
broken open, and also a pea-jacket. By the assist-
ance of the police they were traced to Ware and
apprehended, but five of them, while being con-
veyed to this court, in charge of Sanderson, 54 A,
slipped their handcuffs, and for the time escaped.
Four of them, viz., Miles, Russell, Orme, and Wood,
have since been taken, one only now being at large.
Mr. Gondolier added, that he fully believed Smith
to be the most guilty, as having incited the others,
and that Aldridge, Cooper, Emms, and Barnes were
of far better character than the others.
Smith here said—l wanted to get out.
May, Miles, Orme, and Russell—We wanted to
go to sea.

Wood—The place didn't suit me.
Emms (a very diminutive boy, of singular ap-
pearance)—l have nothing to say.
Aldridge—l didn't like the place, and I didn't
get enough grub.
Mr. D'Eyncourt—What is their allowance for
tea ?

Mr. Gondolier—Eight ounces of bread, sir, and a
pint of cocoa.

Mr. D'Eyncourt—Certainly their looks denote
good feeding. Smith, May, Russell, Orme, and
Wood will be imprisoned for three months, Miles
for two months, Barnes for one month, Aldridge
for twenty-one days, Cooper for fourteen days, and
Emms will be discharged, to be again taken into
the Reformatory.

HAMMERSMITH.—DARING STREET ROB-
BERIES.—A SAD CASE. --A fashionably- dressed
young woman, who gave the name of Ann Howlett,
was brought before Mr. Ingham on remand, charged
with being concerned with another, not in custody,
in stealing purses from two ladies in the public
streets.
The evidence against the prisoner was very clear
and went to show that the public ought to be very
careful to whom they answered questions while
walking along the streets. On Monday afternoon,
the 9th inst., the prisoner and another well•dressed

young woman, slopped a ladynamed Taylor, while
she was walking along Wright's-lane, Kensington.
with her little boy, and inquired the way to South
Kensington Museum. They were informed that they
were not going the right way, and the lady directed
them to the end 'of the road, and told them to in-
quire again. They asked several other questions,
and at last they went away. Almost immediately
afterwards the lady missed her purse, containing
about 95., which was safe in the pocket of her dress
when she left home shortly before. The prisoner
and her companion proceeded along the lane towards
Earl's-court, and she met two young ladies named
Webster, and inquired of them the way to Brompton
Hospital. The young ladies were unable to direot
them, but recommended them to keep straight on,
and inquire again. The two kept them in conversa-
tion for a short time, and then suddenly thanked
them and made very low curtseys. They walked
away; and directly afterwards one of the young
ladies missed her purse. The prisoner and her com-
panion ran off upon seeing them searching for the
purse, but they were pursued, which resulted in
the apprehension of the prisoner and the escape of
her companion.
Inspector Bocking said a constable from each divi-
sion had seen the prisoner, but they were unable to
identify her. From what he gathered he believed
she had never been convicted, but had been in the
company of a bad man for some years. She was for-
merly a servant in a clergyman's family in West-
minster, and at that time bore a good character.
The mother of the prisoner was called, and she
entered the court with a child in her arms. She
appeared very reluctant to say anything about the
prisoner, but mentioned that she was married, and
that the child she then carried was her daughter's.
She also said she did not know where her daughter
lived.

Mr. Martin, who appeared for the prisoner, asked
his worship not to send her for trial, but to deal
with her under the Vagrant Act.
The prisoner, upan being asked what she had to
say, commenced crying, and said nothing.
Mr. Ingham said it was very sad to see a young
woman like the prisoner, who had previously borne
a good character, acting in that way. It was clear
that she had been married to a regular thief, who
had put her up to the robbery, and it would be her
certain ruin unless she broke off all those connec-
tions. He committed her for three months, with
hard labour.
The prisoner was then removed.

GREENWICH.—CONVICTION OF A MARINE-
STORE DEALER.--Thomas Franks, a marine-store
dealer, in an extensive way of business, at. Czar-
street, Deptford, was brought up on remand, before
Mr. Seeker, charged with the unlawful possession
of a bar of copper, weighing 151b5., the property of
Messrs. Penn and Co., engineers, of Greenwich.
From the evidence of detective officer, J. A.
Crouch, it appeared that for several weeks past
robberies of copper had been committed at the...pre-
mises of the prosecutor, the metal being ,cast in
peculiar-shaped bars, and imported direct to the
firm from Australia. About half-past nine on
Thursday night last, meeting with the prisoner and
his son at Deptford he (Crouch) spoke to them,
when the prisoner remarked that he had been to see
a customer at Lewisham. The prisoner and his son
then went in the direction of their home ; but
Crouch having received subsequent information,
went and questioned the prisoner whether he had
purchased any metal that evening., or had any in
his possession. The prisoner replied that he had
not, and asked the officer to have something to
drink, when Crouch observed a bar of copper in his
coat pocket, which the prisoner said a female had
told him was " planted" in a field by her, and that
he had been to fetch it, but that he did not know
who she was. On being examined, the letter " p,,,
being the private mark of the firm, was observed to
have been partly if not wholly destroyed.
Mr. Seeker said there could be no reasonable
doubt that the property belonged to the prosecutors,
although the identity was not fully established to
warrant him in sending the case for trial. There
could be no doubt, however, the prisoner was un-
lawfully possessed of the property, and he should
therefore sentence him to two months' imprison-
ment, with hard labour,