The Sun.
London, England, 1850-05-20 00:00:00

1,40 N D

BOW-STREET-(THIS DAY-,)--
A tall, masculine-looking female, named Ellen Clif-
ford, was charged with stealing a watch.
Mr, Blake, an officer in the Customs, stated that on
Saturday evenite4 he was passing down the Heyeastleet
between 8 end 9 o'clock, when the prisoner "came up and
wished him to treat her. He, however, would have no-
thing to do with her, tta walked rapidly on, but the
prisoner still followed him, and at the bottom of the
Haymarket he turned to look for a policeman. While
he was no standing the prisoner suddenly tore open his
coat, waistcoat, and the front of his trousers, leaving him
completely exposed; but, thinking she had done this out
of spite because he would not treat her, he took no notice
of it. Directly afterwards two men passed by and she
pushed against him as if to allow them to pass, and then
he discovered that his watch, which was worth between
41. and 5/., was gone. The prisoner immediately ran
away, but he pursued her, dodging her up and down
courts and bye-lanes, till they got to the Horse Guards,
when the prisoner suddenly stopped and asked him what
he was follow in.' her for. He told her that when he came
up with a policeman she would discover that;
whereupon she exclaimed, " I suppose you think I
have stolen your watch." Previously, however, he had
said nothing about a watch, and even now he did not
tell her what he had lost, but in a few minutes a police-
man came upon the spot, and ho gave her into his cus-
tody, telling her for the first time what it was that he
accused her of.

Mr. HALL—Was the watch found upon her? Witness
—No.

Mr. HALL—Bad she any opportunity, then, of dis-
posing of it? Witness— She passed close to the two
men, and I imagine she must have transferred it to one
of them. I had two shillings and a half-sovereign in
my waistcoat pocket. The latter was safe, but the former
were gone. Two shillings, and only two, were found
upon the prisoner at the station•bouse.
The prisoner denied all knowledge of the watch.
She was fully committed for trial.

MARLBRO'-STREET.-(THIS DAY.)
A BRUTAL HUSBAND AND A MrDIAAWS LOVE.-
Henry Postlethwaitc, an artist, residing at 76, Margaret-
street, Cavendish-sqUare, was placed before Mr. Bing-
ham, charged with violently assaulting his wife
Henrietta, and threatening to kill her by blowing her
brains out with-a pistol.
The complain'ant, a delicate woman of lady-like ap-
pearance, stated, on Saturday evening, about 7 o'clock,
as she and her husband were sitting at dinner, the latter
without the' least provocation whatever started up from
his chair, and said, in a most excited manner, that he
would kill all foreigners, as he thought there would be a
war between France and England, and as a beginning,
he would kill her first, and would do it by shooting her
through the neck. She said, " What have I done that
you should use such words to me, and why do you
always get so excited after dinner." He replied it was
not only atter dinner that he had those feelings, he always
had them. He then rushed upon her and, catching
her by the throat with both hands, tried
to strangle her. With great exertions she contrived to
get from his clutches, and ran to the window. He fol-
lowed her, and throwing up the sash, said if she did not
throw herself out he would do it for her. She screamed
most violently and ran towards the door, when he took
up a loaded pistol, which was lying on the sofa, presented
it at her, and swore he would shoot her. Before he pre-
sented the pistol he took a cap from the mantle-piece,
and placed it on the nipple of the pistol. Believing that
he really intended to murder her, she ran out of the room,
and, in order to escape his violence she threw herself
down the kitchen stairs, calling upon the landlord of the
house to protect her. Her landlord came to her aid, and
a constable was sent for, and the prisoner was secured
and conveyed to the station. She did not now wish to
harm him; all she wanted was protection from his vio-
lence, as he had on many occasions threatened to take
her lite.

The accused, in defence, said he occasionally laboured
under very excited feelings, which deprived him of all
power to restrain himself from committing violence. He
denied a greater portion of his wife's statement, which
was totally false.
Mr. BINGHAM ordered him to find two sureties to keep
the peace far six months, and directed that a medical
man should see him in order to examine him as to the
state fif his mind.

Bail not being forthcoming, the prisoner was about
being led from the dock to his cell, when a most affecting
scene in court took place. The complainant rushed
from the witness box, and, crying bitterly, threw her
arms round her husband's neck, and begged the officer
not to take him from her. The husband likewise begged
the magistrate not to separate him from his " dear "
wife. They embraced each other so closely that it took
the united strength of two officers to separate them.
The complainant was then carried out of court in a state
of insensibility.