The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-17 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY MORNING, AUGUST 17, 1

WANDSWORTH.

Thursday Charles Birch, police-constable 92 V, was
brought to this Court by direction of the Commissioners
of Police to answer a charge of stealing a piece of lace,
the property of Mrs. Barrington, the lady of Colonel
Barrington, of Barnes-terrace, Barnes. Mr. Gilliam de•
fended the accused.

Benjamin Sinttleton, the butler to Colonel Barrington,
stated that on Friday, the 12th of July last, a piece of
lace was missed from the lawn ; it had been placed
there to bleach, and was safe at half-past 12 o'clock on
the previous night. Witness and the other domestics
searched the different outhouses, as it was supposed that
the birds might have taken it, as they had other things,
and hidden them. The search, however, was ineffectual.
In the afternoon witness had occasion to go down to the
village, and he ca'led at the prisoner's house to inquire
if he had seen anything of it. The prisoner was in bed
when witness called, but he came down directly in his
shirt and trousers. Witness asked the prisoner if he
had picked up a piece of lace or something of that kind
off the lawn, and he answered directly, " I picked up a
piece (.f tape or string which I had seen round the
dog's neck when you were playing with it, and, as
my stocking was coming down, I fastened it with
it." He directly afterwards fetched the piece of
lace from his bed-room, and gave it to witness,
and said he was very sorry he had taken it if it
was of any consequence. Colonel and Mrs. Barrington
left home about half-past six o'clock on the following
Saturday morning.
,His mistress took the lace with her.
Colonel Barrington considered the policeman perfectly
innocent of any intention to steal, and so did his lady.
The lace was about an inch and a quarter wide when
ironed out, but when exposed to the rain and dirty, it
might have been taken for the string witness had used.
Cross-examined—lt is not at the desire of Colonel or
Mrs. Barrington that this charge is made. Their opinion
is, as I have stated before, that he (the constable) is
perfectly innocent. The charge does not emanate from
me, for my opinion is the same as my master's. The
prisoner had the care of the house and grounds, and
gave as great satisfaction as any officer could do.
Amelia Mente, the wife of a painter and glazier, living
in Sheen-grove, Barnes, stated that she lived in the
same house as the prisoner and his wife. She recollected
that on Friday morning, about five weeks since, Mrs.
Birch called her into the parlour, and asked her to look
at a piece of lace. The prisoner had not long come in,
and gone to bed. The lace was rough-dry and about
three yards in length. Mrs. Birch having observed that
she would make it up into a child's cap, witness said,
" You'll not make it up into a child's cap, it is too ex-
pensive, it is real thread lace." About twelve o'clock
the same day the last witness and a policeman came to
the house to inquire about the lace, and Mrs. Birch
said to witness, " For God's sake don't say anything
about it."

Cross-examined—The prisoner and his wife have been
on friendly terms with me, and I always have with them.
About a fortnight since I was taken on a warrant before
the bench at Richmond for threatening the life of his
wife, and was bound over to keep the peace. If there
was any ill feeling then it is gone now. No one told me
to prefer this charge, and I have not brought it. I have
not made his wife ill by my very bad conduct. On my
oath I have never said I hoped she would not survive her
delivery. • _ _

The-witness here became so excited that it was fourd
necessary to forcibly restrain her. Her frequent appeals
to the Deity as to the truth of what she uttered were
really blasphemous. •
Sergeant Mark, 3 V, said, that in consequence of the
statement made by the last witness, and inquiries made,
the Commissioners bad deemed it necessary to send the
prisoner to this court on the charge of stealing the lace.
Mr. CLivE—lf I had really a doubt about the inten-
tional stealing of the lace I should have sent the case for
trial. It is the duty of a constable not only not to rob,
but also to take no liberty with what he finds, but give it
up to the proper authorities. It seems to me from the
evidence of the butler that the policeman's conduct was
that of an honest man ; for, when even roused from sleep
he was not confused, but directly admitted that he had
the property, although at the time he took it he thought
it was of no value. There was no pretence for a case of
felony against the prisoner, and he should dismiss the
charge.