The Sun.
London, England, 1828-05-26 00:00:00

HORSE-STEALING.

During the last two or three years, the crime of horse-
stealing has prevailed to an extent scarcely to be credited :
in the course of this time, probably thousands of horses
have been stolen throughout England. So great has been
the apprehension of losing these animals, that In many
places persons have not ventured to turn them out into the
fields, but have been constrained to keep them in the
stable on dry food, much to the injury of their health.—
The actual stealers of horses are generally low fellows of
desperate character, who fetch
.them from different parts
of the country, and supply the receivers in London and
other large towns. The price which the latter give is
very small—probably, in many instances, not one-tenth
of the real value. Some time back two horses were stolen
from the stable of a clergyman and magistrate, about thirty
miles from London ; for one of these, which was a tho-
rough-bred hunter, the owner had been bid 150 guineas a
short time before ; yet for both the horses it has been as-
certained, the parti,.m who stole them really received onlylo/.
which, however, was pretty well for one night's work.
An opinion has generally prevailed. that many of those
stolen are exported, and this opinion has been encouraged
for the purpose of inducing pasties to give up further in-
quiry as useless. The truth is, very few horses are sent
abroad ; the receivers have connexions in various parts of
this country, to whom their consignments are made ; the
counties of Hants, Kent, and Sussex, and the west of
England, have been supplied very liberally. Thom who
traffic stolen horses have also the faculty of altering and
disguising them in a manner which is scarcely to be con-
ceived of. An instance occurred not long since of a
gentleman losing a valuable mare, which he afterwards
purchased add kept some time without recognising, until
an accident befalling her, she was killed, when the farrier
ascertained, from the remaining mark of an operation
which had been performed, that she was the identical ani-
mal which had been stolen. Horses which have been
stolen, it is well known have run for a length of time in
night coaches, not very far from the neighbourhood from
which they were stolen. It is not an uncommon thing
for dealers in stolen horses to rub the hair off the knees,
or otherwise blemish a valuable and thorough-bred horse,
for the purpose of having a reason for selling it into har-
ness ; and thus many a horse worth an hundred guineas
has been sold for thirty-five or forty pounds ; which sums
would, however, afford a handsome profit to the receiver.
There is reason to believe that the iniquitous traffic which
is the
subject of these remarks has lately received a consi-
derable check. A pretty large proportion of notorious
dealers have become entangled in the net of the law, and
several of them have experienced that it is possible that
htfor a
sti hempen
the generousous and useful quadruped, can by order
i
court of justice be applied to another purpose. It is
said a inmg ligature called a halter, which is used for
thatre-
straining
the operations of the stealers and receivers of
es are likely
to experience a further check in conse-
pence of information given by a convict, who was found
guilty not long since upon three several indictments, for
each of which he was sentenced to fourteen years' trans-
portation: This individual having been one of the most
said
pen
extensive dealers in stolen horses, and being thoroughly-ac-
quainted with the whole mystery of iniquity, not much
relished the prospect of 42 years' exile, has volunteered to
make disclosures for the public benefit, in order to obtain
a mitigation of his punishment ; and it is understood that
it has been thought expedient that his proposals should be,
on certain conditions, acceded to. There is, perhaps, no
measure more likely to prove embarrassing to criminal
offenders, than to make it constantly appear to them that
they are in danger of being betrayed by their associates,
In general thieves are staunch to those of their own cha-
racter to a degree which would be honoUrable in a good
cause ; whatever, therefore, may have a tendency to
shake the confidence which these persons repose in each
other, cannot fail to prove very advantageous to the pub-
lic security,

The Marquis de PA.LNIELLA resigned his
functions on the 22d instant, as Ambassador from the
Court of Portugal.