The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-24 00:00:00

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

Margaret Dobson, an Irishwoman, living at No. 23,
Crown-street, Soho, was brought before Mr. Hardwick,
charged with stealing an infant four months old, and its
clothing.
When the prisoner was put to the bar, she had an
infant i❑ her arms. She hugged it and caressed it, evi-
dently with the intention of attracting notice towards
her extraordinary exhibition of fondness, and when the
real mother made her appearance she called out,
" You're the woman that wants my dear baby, but you'll
not get it ; you'll get my life first."
Caroline Swan, when sworn, said she was a brush-
maker, living at No. 11, Playhouse-yard, Whitecross-
street, and she got her living by going about the streets
selling her goods. On the 15th of last February she was
out selling her goods, when she " put in" at the Spot-
ted Dog public-house, Goodge-street, Tottenham-court-
road, to refresh herself with half a pint of ale. While
drinking the ale the prisoner came and sat alongside of
her, and began asking some questions about the child.
The prisoner looked at the child, and said it was a very
pretty boy, and then she told witness she was wait-
ing for her sister, who was about to leave her place, at
No. 15, London.street, Fitzroy-square. The prisoner
asked her to carry a message for her to her sister's, to
say she (the prisoner) was waiting for her. The
prisoner said it would appear strange to take a baby
to a respectable house, especially as the lady was
very particular, and, therefore, she begged complainant
to leave the baby with her. The prisoner then took the
infant, and complainant went to London-street. She
had not been away more than two minutes, when she
found, on her return, that the prisoner had gone and
taken the baby with her. Complainant made search
and inquiry, but could hear no tidings of the prisoner
until last Wednesday night, when she met the prisoner
accidentally near St. Giles's Church. She had only
seen the prisoner once before, but recognised her imme-
diately, and the prisoner also knew her again, for she
instantly ran off towards Crown•-street. Complainant
pursued her and said, "You wretch, you stole my baby."
The prisoner struggled to get away, and asked her
what she wanted with her. Complainant called " police,"
but no assistance came, and the prisoner broke away
from her and made her escape. Complainant at last as-
certained who she was and where she lived, and went
with the constable to No. 2,3, Crown-street, and on going
upstairs and knocking at the door of a back room, the
prisoner opened it, but on seeing complainant imme-
diately shut the door in her face. Complainant
got into the room, and saw her baby on the bed.
Mr. HAnnwrex—Were any clothes found in the pri-
soner's room by which the infant can be more com-
pletely identified ?—Police-constable E 102 found a
child's sh;:t and bed-gown, which he now produced.
The complainant said these articles were part of the
infant's clothing when the baby was stolen from her.
The constable further stated that when the prisoner
was accused of stealing the baby she protested it was her
own child, and that she had been delivered of it in the
house of a woman named Sullivan, living in Upper Gren.
ville-street, Somers -town.

Mr. HARDWICK (to the prisoner)—Where were you
confined, and when ? Prisoner—l went on the 14th of
February to be confined at my friend's place ; they
wanted me to go into St. Giles's Workhouse, but I would
not, and so I was confined.
Mr. HAnDwick—Then you were confined at this
woman's house ? Prisoner—No ; I was confined in the
street near the church.

Mr. HARDWICK—Where did you take the baby? Pri-
soner— To Mrs. Sullivan's, and I stopped there some days.
A woman, named Sullivan, was called. She said she
recollected the prisoner coming to her about nine o'clock
one night in the middle of last February. She had a
child with her, and she appeared very poorly. The
child had a cap and clothing on. It appeared dressed as
infants generally are. The prisoner was carrying the
child, and walking without assistance.
The chief clerk (Mr. Fitzpatrick) told the gaoler to
bring the infant to him, to give him an opportunity of
judging of its age. The prisoner handed him the child,
which was immediately given to its real mother.
The prisoner, seeing this, said, " Won't I get back my
baby ? then see how I'll die ;" at the same time setting
up a sort of a prolonged cry, known as an " Irish bowl,
until lodged in the lock-up cell.
In addition to the evidence, the infant's clothes found
in the prisoner's room, and the identification of the in-
fant by its own mother, the constable found the dress
worn by the prison when she stole the child, in her
room, of which dress the complainant had given a de-
scription when she mentioned the loss of her child.
The prisoner was fully committed.
CROYDON.
Mr. Richard Messenger, a pawnbroker at Croydon,
was charged, upon information laid by Mr. Charles
Leigh Hoskins Mister, the Chairman of the Godstone
Board of Guardians, with having taken certain
articles on pledge from one James Herriett, and
with having neglected to make a proper entry of the
transaction in his book, and also neglecting to make the
proper inquiries of the person who pledged the property
as to whether he was a lodger or housekeeper ; and
likewise with neglecting to place the letter L. for the
former, or H. for the latter description of the person,
upon the ticket.
Mr. Rickards attended on behalf of the Board of
Guardians of the Godstone Union, by whom the pro-
ceeding was instituted, and Mr. R. Russell appeared for
the defendant.

It appeared that some time in March of last year a
man named James llerriett, who was at the time anin-
mate of the Godstone Union Workhouse, absconded
with some blankets and other articles, the property of
the guardians. Inquiry was set on foot, and it was at
length ascertained that Herriett had pledged the stolen
articles at Mr. Messenger's, and upon his being appre-
hended Mr. Messenger was requested to attend and give
evidence. lie at first did not do so, but on the se-
cond examination he attended and produced a duplicate,
which, upon being examined by the officers of the union,
did not appear to them to be in conformity with the re.
quirements of the Act of Parliament ; they, therefore,
directed the present proceeding to be adopted, Mr.