The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-07 00:00:00

TII ‘MES.

EXTP.AORDISARY ROBBERY.—Mary Ann Burke,
a woman of very loose moral, who has been a
servant to females worse than herself, was brought
up on remand before Mr. Benson charged with
being concerned with three others not in custody,
in stealing a gold charm, three gold lockets, a gold
key, a linsey dress, a shawl, a woollen shirt, a
handkerchief, and other property belonging to
Sophia Dallamore or Delmore.
The prosecutrix is a native of Germany, and her
father is a paper manufacturer at Frankfort-on-
the-Maine. About three years ago she formed
an intimacy with an English barrister who brought
her to England. The intercourse led to the birth
of a child, which is now being educated at the ex-
pense of the putative father. A separation took
place, and the prosecutrix fell from one step to an-
other until she became a common woman on the
streets, and took up her abode in that vile and dirty
place Blue-gate-fields, Shadwell. The prisoner
acted as servant to Dallamore and other fallen wo-
men in the same place. The prosecutrix in this
fceted den kept up some appearances of her former
respectability, had a well furnished room, and other
comforts. The prisoner and others formed a plan
to rob her on the 17th March last, while she was
from home, and they carried it out by stripping her
room of everything valuable, including all trinkets.
The case was put into the hands of Police-sergeant
Freeston, No. 58, but so well was the secret pre-
served among the infamous women who committed
the robbery that it was not until Dallamore saw
her own shawl on the prisoners' back that obtained
a clue to the thieves. Freeston ascertained that the
prisoner had pawned other things belonging to the
prosecutrix, and sold the duplicates relating to them.
Freeston arrested the prisoner on the 2)th of last
month in Shadwell, and upon making her ac•
quainted with the charge at the station-house she
made the following statement, which the sergean;
took down in writing. " I shall have them all in it.
The young woman that has told was in the swim,
and knows all about it. I suppose you will take
duck-legged Donahoo, Mary M'Cree, the Con-
naught girl, and Molly Connor. 1 gave the ticket
of a shawl to Poll Towers." After the charge was
taken the prisoner said that " Poll Towers and Do-
nahoo got in at the window and took the things out.
Short Welch and Poll Towers had the same as me.
Ellen Bryan took the ticket of a shirt and took it
out of pawn."
Mary Ann Towers, who had been examined on a
previous occasion, was called, on which the prisoner
called out, "Why, Poll, you was there."
Witness—I was there, but I took nothing.

Mr. Benson—You was as bad as the others ; go
about your business. Has the jewellery of this
wretched German woman been recovered ?
Sergeant Freeston—N o, sir, there is no chance of
recovering a single article of the jewellery.
The prisoner, in a noisy manner, said others were
in the robbery as well as her. Peg Connor, the pro-
secutrix's own servant, brought the things out. The
prisoner then protested she was outside the house
all the time the room of the prosecutrix was being
plundered, and only took what was given to her.
Mr. Benson said a very gross act of robbery bad
been committed by a gang of lawless female thieves,
and their victim was of the same degraded class
as themselves. Some of them were convicted
thieves. It was a very bad offence indeed. He
should act on the prisoner's plea of guilty, and sen-
tence her to be imprisoned for four months and
kept to hard labour.