The Sun.
London, England, 1829-06-15 00:00:00

51 ARLBORO U GH.STREET.

AN UNEXPECTED CLAIMANT.—On Saturday
Mr. DYER, the sitting Magistrate, was engaged in
endeavouring to decide upon the following singular
claim of a female as to whether a person whom she
charged with desertion was. her husband or not :

Andrews, one of the officers belonging to the
establishment, entered the office, followed by a sailor
whose manners and appearance evidently bespoke
his just coming ashore, and who was immediately
succeeded by four females, one of whom was placed
in the front of the Magistrate; and whom-Jack Wai
looking at with the utmost astonishment. Upon
the group being placed Andrews informed the worthy
Magistrate that while he was standing at. the door
he saw the sailor come reeling up, followed by the
women, and from whom he was endeavouring to get
away. On seeing him the female (pointing to the
principal one) asked him to take the blackguard into
custody, " for he is (continued she) my husband,
although the vagabond denies it." The sailor
heard this charge with the utmost indifference, and
was about walking away when, seeing the females
gathering around him, and thinking it might lead to
some breach of the peace, he asked the sailor if he
wpuld come before the Magistrate, when he replied
in 06 affitraiioYe?
Mr. LiYER, on hearing this, desired the female to
state what claim she had upon the young mutt.
" t)h, please your honour," replied the female,
" thi? fellow is my lawful husband, and that I can
prove, although he now denies me, for he has left
me and my child to starve these nine years ; for
just after the baby was born he went away, and I
have never seen nor beard anything of him until a
few days ago, Mien I saw him in Yuc4ericlerstreet
with two had girls; and it is a shameful
thing, your
honour, that he should be spending his tnoney on
them, and leave me and his child starving,"

Mr. DYER—What countrpsoman are you?—
" An Irishwoman, your Honour," replied the de-
serted wife.
Mr. DYER—You hear her statement. Have you
anything to say ?—Jack, who had stood listening to
her clal4tt with the utmost composure, teplied, with
great sang fr oici, hat the woman must be mistaken
for he was never married in his life, and he had never
seen her until a night or two ago. " You villain,'?
`exclaimed the female, " for denying me. You
know I am your lawful married wife, for here is my
marriage tines (handing a doptiment to the worthy

Female—l can bring three persons who will swear
to his being my husband, if that will do.
Mr. DYER—I can do nothing for you; it is
clearly a case of identity, and one which I cannot de-
cide; but, Andrews, you had better look and see if
he has any marks as the female states, although it
is entirely optional on his part.
To this proposal he instantly assented, and he ac-
cordingly showed Andrews his legs, when on the
left appeared a tremendous scar, which he informed
Andrews was occasioned by a cannon-shot at the
bombardment of Algiers.

.. Well, you are discharged," observed the wor-
thy Magistrate.

Wank you, your Worship," hiccupped Jack,
who went reeling out of office, followed by his
would-be wife and her companions, who expressed
their determination not to leave him until he made
some provision for his wife and child.

On Saturday a decent-looking elderly female,
named Catharine Joyce, was brought before Mr.
CONANT, the sitting Magistrate, charged with steal-
ing a silver jug, the property of Mrs. Elizabeth Nut-
tall, a lady residing at Camden-town.

The prisoner had nothing to say in her defence,
and was fully committed for trial.
William Payne, a young man, who bas been in
custody for some days upon a charge of stealing a
gold watch, &c., from the Hyde-park Hotel, near
Tyburn, the property of a gentleman named Beau-
mont, who occupied apartments in the house, was
brought up for re-examination.

It appeared that the prisoner, who had lived as
waiter in the house about three years ago, called to
visit a female-servant at the hotel, and then took an
opportunity of stealing unperceived into the apart-
ments of Mr. Beaumont, and carrying away several
articles of property that lay on the table in the
dressing-roorn. The female servant, however, met
him coming out of the room, and suspecting that he
had stolen something, charged him with it, when he
admitted that he had taken a gold pin and snuff-box.
which he showed her, but declared that these were
all he had taken, and .which the girl made him in-
stantly replace where he found them, and then
ordered him to quit the house. At this time, Mr.
Beaumont being from home, it was not known that
he had left his watch on the table, and consequently
it was not missed until his return; and although the
prisoner was taken into custody the next day, no
trace has since been had of the watch.

The prisoner, who, it appears, has lived as waiter
at several hotels, as well as in the service of several
private families, being now placed at the bar for re-
examination, the following dialogue took place be-
tween himself and the Magistrate, Sir George
)arrant.

Sir GEORGE—Payne, in whose service have you
last lived ? Prisoner—l lived last in the service of
MN. Stroud, at Lymington.
Sir GEORGE—How long did you live with her ?
Prisoner—About four months.

Sir GEORGE—Does Mrs. Stroud reside at Lyming-
ton ? Prisoner—No, she li►•es at Winchester; but
she was staying at Lymington while I was in her

service.

Sir GEORGE—Then you were not in her service
at Winchester ? Prisoner—No, your Worship : I
left her before the family returned to 'Winchester. ,
Sir GEoRGF.—Then you were not at Winchester,
at all ? Prisoner—.\o, your Worship.
Sir GEORGE—You were never at Winchester ?
Prisoner—Never, your Worship.

Sir GEORGE—Never in your life at Winchester ?
Prisoner—Never, your Worship, that I know of.
Sir GEORGE—Oh, if you had ever been there,
you mug know. Prisoner—Certainly I must.
Sir GEORGE—Where are your boxes, that you
had when you lived with Mrs. Stroud ? Prisoner—
At Lymington, Sir.
Sir GEORGE—What do they contain? Prisoner—
Nothing, Sir, but some of my clothes.
Sir GEORGE—Now don't they contain several
things that don't belong to you,—bottles of otto of
roses, &c. ? No answer. .

Sir GEORGE-NOW you said- you had never been
at Winchester in your life. Have you not been in
Winchester-gaol ? Prisoner (much astonished).—
In Winchester gaol! never in my
.life, Sir.
Sir GEORGE—What was that piece of iron that
was found in your possession ? Prisoner—Piece of
iron, Sir ! I don't know what you mean.
Sir GEORGE-Oh yes, you do come now, were
you not sent to Winchester gaol for breaking open
the --box of Mrs. Stroud's coachman and stealing
eighteen sovereigns from it ? The prisoner made
•no answer; but stood petrified with astonishment at
the accuracy of the Magistrate's information.

Sir GEORGE—And was not the very piece of iron
with which you broke open the box found on you,
and did it not exactly fit the marks ? Prisoner—l
did not steal the sovereigns.
Sir GEORGE—But were you not in Winchester-
gaol, charged with the robbery ? Prisoner—Yes, I
was ; but I did not commit it.

Sir GEORGE—And were you not tried for it at
Winch( ster ? Prisoner—l was, but I was acquitted.
Sir GEORGE—And who was it that gave 51. to
the counsel who defended you ? Prisoner—He did
not get 51.
Sir GEORGE—How much did'he get then ? Pri-
yoner—He only got 4/.
Sir GEORqU—MPII) was not far from the murk.
Here the dialogue ended, and Op prisoner was
remanded.