The Sun.
London, England, 1826-01-13 00:00:00

A KIDNAPPED CHILD.

About a week since two fetnates and 'a mats,
with a donkey and female infant, came to the house of Mrs.
Barnett, of No. 6, George-yard, Whitechapel, where they took
lodgings. During their continuance there, from certain expres-
sions tliey let fall, and their general conduct towards the baby,
which did not partake of that parental tenderness which is
lieu:illy evinced toward* a persons own child, she suspected
that the claims of affinity they laid to it were entirely fictitious,
and that it had been kidnapped from some unhappy family,
who were now deploring its loss, Her mind in consequence
became uneasy, and to set her doubts at rest, and develope
the mystery, she communicated the circumstances to Good-
win, one of the Bow-street putrol, who, in order to arrive
at the truth, took the parties into custody, and brought
them before M. WYATT, Esq. the presiding Magistrate
at Lambeth-street-office ; the child was also in attendance,
and is a genteel delicate-looking baby of about 21 years old,
with fair hair, anti complexion, and full blue eyes. She was in
an extremely filthy state, but yet there was an air of respectabi-
lity about leer which ill accorded with her reputed parentage.
The prisoners, on being placed at the bar, gave their names
Arthur French, Mary (supposed to be his wife), and Cathe-
rine Stephens. The evidence adduced against them was then
taken, and was as follows ;
Alm. Ann Barnett examined-_.I live at No. 6, George-yard,
Virbitechapel. About a week since the prisoners, bringing with
them a child, and also- having a donkey, took lot' igin
F gs at my
house. rom the conversations they held, I suspected the child
did not belong to them. The male prisoner, Arthur French,
used frequently to say, " though there is not a drop of our blood
in its body, I behave as well to it as if it was my own." These
expressions, combined with other extraordinary circumstances
in the conduct of the entire three, made me imagine that the
infant bore no relationship to the priioners, and that it had been
kidnapped; in consequence of these suppositions I gave infor-
mation to Goodwin, the officer, who took them into custody.
When this witness had concluded her testimony,
3lr. NVyatt
directed that the prisoners should be removed, and called in
separately to account for the possession of the infant, and ex-
plain the mystery of their conversation.
The precautions, as may be seen by the sequel, was by no
means unnecessary ; and the first person 'ereamtned was the pri-
soner Mary French, who said that the child was her own, and
was two years add three months old.
The husband was next called, and he stated that he had been
married in Buckinghamshire two years last August, by Dr.
Good, and had .5 children.
Mr. WYATT—This is very extraordinar :you say that you
have been only two years and a half married, and yet you add
that you have had 11 children.
French (after some hesitation)—That was my first wife ; I was
married to my present, who is outside, 4 years last August. in
Dublin. That little child there is my niece, and was born in
Dublin 2 years anti-3 months ego; my sister-in-law is its
mother. %%lien her husband ran away on my coming from
Ireland the 26th of August last, 1: took both of them under my
care. I never said that the child had been kidnapped.
This prisoner was ordered to withdraw, and the female, Ca-
therine Stephens, was called in •and examined.—She said that
her husband was a Smith, and lived in New-street, Dublin,
He ran away from her about 10 years since his name was Arthur
Ward. She had borne no children since his desertion, but had
reared the present baby since it was three days old. It was left
a chapel door at the rear of Newgate, in Green-street, Dublin.
She had it christened in Francis-street chapel, and gave it the
name of Kitty Stephens. It is about two years and four
months old.
As will be pereefied, the aboVe evidence was so extremely
contradictory and suspicious, that to reconcile it if possible, and
arrive at some some satisfactory explanation; Mr. Wyatt direct-
ed that the prisoners should be confronted. French and his
wife were accordingly recalled, when the latter persisted in
asserting that .the cliild was her's, and said that it was born
in Marylebone-street, Liverpool, two years. and three months ago, where it was christened by the name of Kitty French--
She has borne five children to her husband, all of whom were
dead except the present, and he was not its father, but that it
had been begotten in his absence.
French, in reply to this,' denied his wife's having any claim
to it was an illegitimate child of his own;
Stephens steadily maintained having found it in the manner
above described.
Anti the Ma istrate, after reviewing their different accounts,
observed that from their contradictory nature, there was little
doubt of the child's having come improperly into their pos.
session, and under this view of the case he thought it his duty to
remand them for further examined until Saturday next, when he
hoped publicity it would obtain, the child's parents
anti would come forward to establish their
would that,be from
discovered,lthe
relationship. Ile then gave directions that the child should be
removed to the parish workhouse, and there be taken care of.
It may be as well to remak that the prisoners, before they
came to George-yard,. lodged at a Mrs. Peck'', of No. 16, Old
Pye-street, NY asnaineter.

The Archbishop of Rheims, LE TEttautt,
maintained that no one could be an honest man
who had an income of less than 10,000 livres.—
One day that he was inquiring about some per-
-46 My
son's character, Boileau, who was acquainted
with the Prelate's tariff, gravely observed,
Lord, he is four thousand livres short of being an
honest man."