Star.
London, England, 1823-10-23 00:00:00

WIT,CIicfRAPT ANA ROBBERY.

• At the late Staffordshire' Sessions, James liorbarough,
itnrigerae,,shii-wife, were indicted for stealing £25, the
.' pi_trty.ig a respectable tradesman of Hanley..
,
rEARSON rose'to address the Jury. He said this
was one of the most extraordinary cases that ever was
brought before a Court of Justice. It could hardly be
thought possible, that in this age a fortune-teller should
ever have an opportunity of committing any species of
fraud on the eulightened inhabitants of this country ;
but there was no limit to the credulity of mankind,
which made it the more necessary that the ra'iv should
interfere and protect the Public from the attempts of
the designing. After giving a brief statement of the
case, Mr. Pearson-called the following evidence :
A. 11. deposed, the!, she was the wife'of the prosecu-
tor, living at Hanley. She first saw the prisoner, Sarah
Roxborough on the 15th of August last, when she told
witness that she could " rule the planets, recover sto-
len goods, and get bad debts in." On the 18th, witness
again had an interview with her, and she stated she
would get bad debts in for a shilling in the pound.
Witness saw her again on the 22d, and made an agree-
ment with her to come to her husband's house on the
26th. According to the agreement, pi isoner came about
ten o'clock in the morning of that day, and desired wit-
ness to have a fire made in a small room above stalls, as
the one below would not be private enough : she also re-
quested witness to procure twenty-f ye one-pbund notes,
or five five-pound notes, and place them in her bosom
immediately, where they were to 1 -main until nine
o'clock at night. Witness applied to her husband lot
the notes, which he allowed her to have; they were
twenty-five Kinnersley's notes, and she prepared a fire
in the magic chamber. Mrs. Roxborough came again
to her husband's house a little after two o'clock, and
proceeded to the room up stairs, witness going with her.
The prisoner then sent witness down stairs twice, the
first time for a few pins, and the second for some oilier
husband's hair. She then inquired whether the notes
had been obtained? Witness first answered negatively,
but afterwards said . she had them in her bosom. Pri-
soner then answered, ~ I must have them out; I can
go on no further till I have them." Upon witness deli-
vering the notes to her, the woman placed alittle of Mr.
rlt.'s hair between-each, and wrapped them up in a piece
of paper which she had brought with her, and laid '
them on a chair. On witness attempting to replace
them in her bosom, prisoner said they must remain os
the chair a few minutes, and asked for some thalk of
pencil, neither of which articles were at hand. She
then desired witness to stand in a certain part of the
room, and gave her some pins to thrown into the fire,
which she was to watch till they were consumed. Wit-
ness divided her attention between the pins in the fire
and the money on the chair, and shortly observed the
prisoner snatch up the notes, laying a roll similar to
them in their place. Witness instantly charged her
with taking the notes, but she denied it, and pronounced
witness a false lying woman, who immediately called
•up her husband.
Cross-examined.—Witness had heard that this woman

was celebrated for foretelling events, as well as ruling
the planets ; and witness, with another Lady, had her
'fortune told? The woman said that her husband and she
would live very comfortably together—prisoner never
.brought two pigeons, but .saicrshe would want two to
get the debts in. There were three candles in the room
witness never pricked them; never sang; never re-
peated the words In the' name of GOD to defy the
Devil," after the wizard, nor any others.
J. R. husband of the• last witness, gave his wife 25
pound notes of Kinnersley's bank, on the 26th August,
and on that day Sarah Roxborough came to liis house;
he was called up stairs in the afternoon by his wife, into
a back•room, where he found the female prisoner; his
wife said the woman had got the notes, and would not
4.am/with them ; upon this he asked the prisoner what
ihir.land.done with the notes? and she answered, •, I
birraliiirown them' into the fire ;" and offered to be
searched; witness examined her pockets, btzt could not
And .the money. James•Rozborough came into wit-
ness's shop a short time after he had been called up
stairs, but witness did not know he was husband to the
,enchantressisor he should have detained him.

, Cross-examined.--Had usually employed a lawyer to
get his- bad debts in, and found it better than employing
a_ witch—Lawyers did not require £25 to begin with. 1
Ralph Barton, a constable was sent for on the 26th o 1
I August to search Sarah Ro;borough, but found no pro-
perry upon her. She said she had :thrown ahenotes fire,into.
'the and afterwards that she had thrown them
through the window.. ,
Elisabeth Baby remembered being near Mr. R?s.
house on the 26th-of August, at about two o'clOcki and:
seeing the two prisoneri together, in conversation, walk-
.
og_very slowly-. •
Elizabeth •Degherty lives at Hanley;. the prisoners,
lodged with her ; they left her house on the 26th of.
Angust, while she was from home, having deposited the;
snowy dtig-to her in the .window: .. They 'kepi :Hanley.
Market, and sold hardware., ...• .1 ' • %. i
.. Mrs: Clarke, matron of the County jail, proved that
eight onepound acmes of Kinversley's dank were given to,
lher.by Sarah Roxbor Gogh, when she iame •to Stafford:
Ii .. Before• the case went. to the, Jury; the Count rei;
uarkeds, that nothing in the e4idestice irnpllcated the
Male prisoner ; they had therefore to vonfine their attenJ
rim to the female. . ~, 'I .: ''i 1' :., ' P/1 • •,:l : I
Sarah Rosborongh was setin•nced to one year's int•
prisonmenti. James Roxbi3rOtigh. acquitted.. • .
'• . ==teraral t . . .-*
Last week a dog of the; NewfoUtidland' species, hi‘
longing tea person in High-street;liii&i,..k•Fhellied
the eittaordinary number Of Vi' sihelps;all illYto. ''. ''i'j
• • INTamisamscs.--On •WednelflaY:arternoonl two or
atria TOvFnhe4B artisans, who had' been previouslf in•
iltitg.fite in the' he whisky, terminated'. thilr. ftigiq it
they'r- ' iv, - - - 1-