Star.
London, England, 1815-04-06 00:00:00

AITEMPT TO STEAL THE CROWN

LAMBETH-STRIP+ OMElL—nresterdo, Margaret
Moore was brought before Sir DAL WILLIAM. (the
sitting Magistrate), and dude-went a second ex.t-
irination, charged with am attempt to steal the
King's Crown, Irons the Tester, on Friday, the Slit
of March last. •
Elizabeth Eloise Stealing, deputy keeper of the
regalia in the Tower, deposed, that she is a widow
about one o'clock in the afternoon of the day M;li-
tioned, the Prisoner came and asked to see the re-
gidia—the usual charge made for such exhibition is
eighteen-pence, but the Prisoner having offeied a
shilling, and she supposing her, from her appear-
ance, to be a soldier's wife, consented ter take it.—
She proceeded to shew her the regalia in tl:e usual
way, until she came to the last article, tht crown ;
this is contained in a case, and is r,ct e r t;:ken out ;
she opened the case, and held it with both hands,
en the ledge of a table, except when she was obliged
to disengage one hand, to point ont po.ticular jetvtl!:.
She had just been describing the minora, a jewel
of great %Joe, when the Prisoner stared, :isid cn an
inAant tl;rust her hand through the cen 7re bar of the
railings or grating placed there, and seizing hold of
the centre bow of the.crown, pulled v ith great vio-
lence to draw it forth. pnt her hand at the
;op of the !low Aid bottom I the Crown, to preserve
ii, while the Prisoner kept strugelhig with still
',reater violerce to get it away. This struggling
continued for several ntinutes, and she at length got
the Crown from her grasp. She then put the Crown
at a..list.ince behind her, and instantly slipt the
bolt of the entrance, seemed the Prisoner, and called
for assistance. When this arrived she sent for the
Governor, but the Ward-keeper having arrived, a
constable was also sent for, who soon arrived and
took the Prisoner iflto custody. She was searched,
and alma £5 in money was fOund upon her ; there
were also some papers. In the struggle between the
witness and the Prisoner, there were two bows of the
Crown broken from the socket; a string of pearl.; was
also broken, which roiled upon the floor, some inside
the railing, and some outside, where the Prisoner was.
These were subsequently picked up by the w itness,
assisted by the Governor.
Edward Garrett is a watchman of the Prsard of
Ordnance—is stationed at the Tower horn six
o'clock in the morning till six at night ;—saw the
Prisoner on Wednesday, Thursday, and Fu iday
preceding the attempt made on the Crown; she was
on the two latter days in company with an invalid

soldier.
The Prisoner being callod upon for her defence,
said that she was a siir4le woman, residing at No.:;,
Union-street, Apollo-gardens ; she was a milk-wo-
man, and had a girl of about thirteen years of age,
her daughter, residing with her; she is a widow,
her husband was a labotwing man, and was dead
about eleven years ; is not acquainted with a soldier,
n,,r was she ever in company with one, or at the
Tower in her lite helot e tne day in question. [king
asked by the Magistrate eby she came so I:,r iron)
home, she replied she very often went to Ti.anies-
stre, t to buy salt herrings.
siidthe Magistrate, what induced you to
go to the Tower ?—A. I went on Friday purposely
to see the lions, nu one was with me—l then went to
see the Clown.
Q. How came you, to snatch that article from the
keept.r ?—A. I thought it a pity thAt so valuable a
should remain there, while half the nation was
starving kr want ot bread! I wished also, at the
time, to take the whole of what was-there, and give
it Lt. the public !
Q. Who told you to do this, or who was it put
that good thought in your bead?—A. I had no ad-
vifer-whatever.
Jeremiah Brett, one of the Chief Constables, de-
posed to having taken the Ptisener into custody.—
When he was conveying her away in a coach, he
asked her why she had made an attempt to seize
or lay hands on the Crown, and why she might
not as well have laid hold of one of 0:e lions ?
She replied she was not such a fool, she knew better
than that.
A remark being made by another Officer, that k
was treason to steal or destroy the Crown, she said
no one had ever lost their lives yet for attempting the
life of the King.
Upon being asked by the Magistrate to state a
little more particularly who she was, she said she
was a Welch woman, front the County of Carmar-
then, and had been brought up in the principles of
the Church of England. Nana ten years since, she
purchased some ground from Mr. Henry Hooper,
ot Apollo Gardens ; and about five years ago built
A small house, in which she resides, and which already
cost her £l2O. Site was to have paid 4150. Her
other houses and property were stolen from her by
ejectments, executions, &c. and her losses amounted
at least to £500! She never had any idea of steal-
ing the Crown until she saw it, and then was only
impelled by the motive already stated. D .es not
recollect that she ever thought of providing for the
poor until then.
Mr. Swift, the Keeper of the Jewels in the
Tower, was then called, but it was stated that he
was out of town, and would not return before Sun-
day or Monday.
The evidence of this witness, however, being
deemed necessary, the Prisoner was remanded for a
final examination.