The Sun.
London, England, 1817-07-26 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

.1

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
ANOTHER CASE OF CHILD STEALING.. At a late
hour on Thursday night, a young woman, calling
herself Rhoda Parrott, was brought down front.
Mary-le-bone watch-house, in the custody of Sil-
vesteri and examined before JOHN BURROWS, the
Sitting Magistrate, charged, under the
ing Act, with forcibly and feloniously, carrying
away a male child, aged between five and six
months, the son of• -- Hampden, a private 'hi
the Ist Rtwiment of Life Guards, under the fol•
loWing most extraordinary circumstances
Matilda Hampden, wife of the prosecutor, he...
tug swum, deposed, that on the 16th of April, 1816,
she was standing, with the
,child- in her arms, in
front of the Horse Guard's, koking at the 901.
diers. The prisoner cane up, said it was a fine
morning, and introduced a variety of subjects.
Witness answered her, and joined in the conver-
sation. The prisoner took particular notice of the
child, and asked her if she was a widow, or what
the child's father was. She (witness) said he was
a soldier belonging to the Life-Guards, and was
still living. The prisoner remarked her own hus-
band had been a hussar, and was killed at the bat-
tle of Waterloo, and that she had received .28/.
from Government on his behalf. After some fur-
ther conversation, she asked witness where she
lived, and she would call next day and see her,
as she felt interested with her. Witness gave her
her direction where she then lived, in Join-street, •
New Road, and they then parted. • .

,On the morning of the lit h she-called accord-
ing to her .promise, and they breakfasted together.
Witness kept her to dinner, and afterwards to tea.
The prisoner told her she was going- out of town
next day, but when she came to town again she
would call and see her. Next morning -however,
she. came again, and said she had to call at the
Spotted Dog,,in the Strand, in the afternoon, for
a bundle. , She then said, " let me take out the
child for an airing." Witness said she ,would soon
be going out herself, and the prisoner asked for
the shawl and bonnet ; she asked why she could
not take it without them, and she took the child
out as she said to walk. After severe) bouts litut
elapsed, witness began to get uneasy about the
child-, and went to find the prisoner, in which she
failed. She told her husband of the circumstance
when he came home, and he was almost framic.
Inquiry was made
.at the Spotted Dog, and it
was there ascertained ;she had' taken away her
buiidle, 'The child was advertised, ankplacards-
issued in all directions,. but without effect. - Alt
.hopes
.ot. ever recovering 'the child had subsided,
when about a week ago, the prosecutor was
drinking with a private belonging to the
Hussars, to whom he related- the story.-1 his
man very fortunately recollected one of the men
in. hiS own regiment having a child • brought
to him by, the prisoner-, and as the names agreed,
he expressed his suspicions she might be the same.
Accordingly, persons were dispatched to Holing.
low, where she was stated to be, with a qi.w of
apprehending her, bitt when they got there they.
received information that she was at Hampton.
They immediately went there and took tier into'
custody, with a 'child about four months old in
her arms, and brought her up to town. They
look her to a public-house in Adam-street, West-
minster, and sent for the parents, who identified
ber, anti they then took her to the watch-house.
The prisoner being asked what became of the
child, said it had died some time ago.
Charles Silvester, - the Constable, said, he was
sent for to take the prisoner into-custody, and she,
acknowledged having stolen the chad.
From what could be colkcted from the prisos•
trees defence it appeared, that au improper inter- .
course had taken place between her and a soldier
its the 10th Regiment; that by some means or
other they had been separated a sufficient time for
the priaoner to have been delivered of a child of
the age of the one she ha,d stolen. in her own!
words, she said she was . young amd foolish:, amt
wanted a husband,- therefore she- knew no beget
way of'getting one, than by persuading the sol-
dier site had a child:._Sbe -was committed forlor-
thee examinatiorta' when more witnesses will
tenth - •