The Sun.
London, England, 1850-12-14 00:00:00

LAMBETH.

Mrs. Ann Scanlan, alias Taylor, with half-a-dozen
other aliases, who has described herself as the widow of
a literary gentleman, and who has been in custody for some
weeks past on a charge of carrying on au extensive end
syst,,matie mode of plunder on the drapers ot the metro-
polis, was placed at the bar for final examination.
In addition to the charges on which the prisoner has
already been committed to take her trial the following
were adduced:—

Mr. Robert Story, a draper's assistant, deposed,. that in
the month of July last ho was shopman to Mr. Basberry,
a draper in Regent-str,et, and recollect,d the pris,nr r
coming to them and giving an order for several things.
After selecting various articles she asked to look at
some bLck silk neckerchiefs, which were placed before
her, spud witness having observed something in her man-
ner which created his suspicion he came round the
counter, and accused her of secreting some of his mas-
ter's property about her. She (the prisoner) affead
much indignation at a person of her respectability being
suspected of dishonesty, but, while giving expression to
her indigestion, a piece of five neckerchiefs fell from her
dress. A constable .s as sent for, and the prisoner was
subsequently examined at Marlborough-street, and re-
manded, but was ultimately discharged, Mr. Basberry
being under the impression that she was a respectable
person, as she had described herself, and that it was her
first offence.

Mr. Samuel Parsey, hosier, of 61, Piccadilly, deposed
to the prisoner calling at his shop, purchasing sonic ar-
ticles, and giving a fictitious address, and to his missing
a piece of six handkerchiefs immediately after she was
gone.

Police-constable William Shephard, 544 (City police),
said he was present at the Central Criminal Court in
the month of August last when the prisoner had been
found guilty, and sentenced to one month's imprisonment
on a charge of stealing a religious work—" The Church
of England Service." There were other cases against
the prisoner, but those taken being considered quite
ample to insure her conviction, she was committed
for trial.

THAMES.
Peter Short, a well-known dragsman, known to be an
expert hand in dragging goods from carts and waggons
in their passage through the streets, was brought before
Mr. Ingham charged with stealing a ream of piper
weighing 1171bs.

Mr. James Lowe, of the firm of Pewtress, Lowe, and
Pewtress, the wholesale stationers in Gracechurch-street,
stated that on the 25th of November he sent his carman
with a waggon load of paper to a sugar refiner's in
Christian-street, St. George's-in-the-East; and on the
arrival of the waggon at that place a ream of paper was
found to be missing. A cab-driver was apprehended
the same day, ()barged with stealing the paper, and
after two remands was committed for trial. Owing to
the absence of a link in the chain of evidence the cab-
driver was acquitted at the Central Criminal Court.
John Paine, a police-constable, No. 23 H, stated that,
in consequence of information that a ream of paper had
just been stolen out of a cart in Whitechapel, High-
street, on the 26th of November, he followed a cab,
which was being driven at a furious rate towards the
church, and called after it. The prisoner was on the
box, alongside the driver. The horse and cab was driven
into Union-street, near Whitechapel Church, where
there was no outlet, and he came up with it and seized
the reins of the horse, which was stopped. The driver
held up the reins and allowed the prisoner to pass under
them, and he jumped down on the near side and made
his escape. He looked into the cab and found a ream of
paper, and then took the driver into custody.
George Scott, who has already been tried and ac-
quitted for this robbery, was now sworn as a witness,
and he said that he was hired by a "gent" on the 25th
of November, and was ordered to wait at the corner of
Union-street. The "gent" brought a ream of paper,
arid put it into the cab, after which he jumped upon the
box, and told him to drive fast and show his skill. He
had not proceeded far before a policeman called after
him " and in course," said the witness, with a knowing
look, "I stopped, as in duty bound," on which the
"gent" jumped off the box, and ran away without pay-
ing his fare.

Mr. INGRAM—You lifted up the reins to facilitate his
escape? Scott, who assumed a look of astonishmont—
Dear me, no, sir; the " gent" bad touched the reins on
the near side by accident, and down he jumped, and I
could t follow him.

Mr. INGRA.m.—Now look at the prisoner; is he the
gentleman that hired the
cab and jumped off the box?
Scott—Why, I should not like to swear he is the "gent,"
or that ho is not.

Mr. INGHAN —Will you swear he is not the man?
Scott—No, I won't; he may be the man.
Roche, the gaoler of the court, here requested the
magistrate to ask the witness if the prisoner was not a
cabman, and if they did not belong to the same stand for
some time.

Scott—Yes, in course I know him now. We were on
the .ame stand; but I can't say he is the " gent" yet
hired my cab.

Mr. iNGIIAM-You know his voice, I suppose ?
Scott—Oh, very well ; but I can't say its the same
woice as hired me. " Cab, cab, cab,''j says the gen-
tletnan—

Air. INGHAM —That will do. Leave the box, sir.
Police-sergeant Weakford, No. 5 11, apprehended the
prisoner on Thursday night, and upon making him ac-
quainted with the nature of the charge, he said that be
was not in Whitechapel on the 25th of November.
Weak ford added, that many similar robberies had been
committed during the dark and foggy evenings of No-
vember and December by a gang of dragsmen, who were
constantly following the laden carts and waggons ; that
the prisoner was a well-known dragoman, and was tried
and convicted for stealing a ham three years ago, and
was again convicted and sentenced to a month's impri-
sonment on the 25th of October. The prisoner came
out of prison on the morning of the very day the ream
of paper was stolen. When Scott saw him at the sta-
tion-house he said he knew him directly.
Scott—ln course I knew him. He drove a cab along
with me; but in course I can't swear that he is the
" gent " wot hired my cab, and put the ream of
paper in it.—(Laughter.)
Mr. Isteatam said he should send the case before a
jury again; tor the present he should remand the pri•
soner till Friday next.