Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-12-28
wOMAN,E. INGENUITY.
Crime with n Method in 1t.

Cflme WICn n HetnO0 IN lts
A late London paper describes a recent
affair in that city, which for novel features
has but few equals in the annals of crime.
The offender is a young girl; and her
clever scheme to avoid detection and throw
suspicion on the wrong track was worthy
Of a veteran in the dark-lantern business;
1t oppears that family residing at Vaux-
hall agreed to accompany some friends 70
the theater, one evening lately, only leav.
ing the master, q Mr. Barker, and the serv-
ant girl, Mary Newhall, at, home. Some
time after their departure, Mr.. Barker went
out, saying he would return soon.
On arriving home, about nine o'clock in
the evening, he could getino attention paid
to his repeated assaults at the door-knocker,
although the gas was alight in several of
the rooms, which were apparently occupied.
Thinking this strange, he applied to his
neighbor, and with assistance, succeeded
in entering his own house by means of an
open window. Once inside, amost extra
ordinary scene presented itself. In the
passage, poker broken in two, with guam
tity of blood and human hair adhering to
the thick end, was found on the floor and
appeared to be blood. The whole house was
in most disordered state, property being
strewed about in all directions.
Mr.. Barker, whose surprise at the tragic
appearance of his house can be imagined,
sought for his servant, but fruitlessly she
was not to be found. He then called in a
policeman, and the search IVES resumed,
! with no further result than the girls two
| bonnets, which proved that she had either
been taken or addeparted out of the house
! without one. All over the house, property
was either packed up, ready for removal or
! actually removed, and the servants boxes
were open, and the clothes thrown about the
| floor, like the rest, Two trunks and a car
pet-bag.were missing, and it was evident
that the thief or thieves had taken the stolen
property out of the house by these means.
Among others, a box, made in the shape of
settee, belonging to- a Mr.. Heath, a gen.
tleman residing in the house, was taken /;
and by the popularity of the form of this
box was the thief eventually traced.
Suspicion first alighted upon the servant,
but on inquiry among the cabmen, it ap-
peared that one of them had driven young
gentleman from that street in which MIR.
Barker's house is situated, to the Eastern
Counties Railway, who had luggage ex-
actly corresponding to the trunks stolen.
Inquiry at the station elected the further
facts after walking about the platform for an
hour, smoking cigars, this individual had
taken the CO rs for Brentwood Here he slept
all night in an apartment by himself, having
declined to share a double-bedded room with
person he had picked up acquaintance
with while en- route. In the morning it
J was found that the curiously- shaped box
ond ;,o o1uDar hod donortad for Gpaak Var.
mouth, where he was afterward traced by q
detective, living in furnished lodgings, un-
der the name of Mr.. Heath. He had made
himself very agreeable, and had smoked
! continually, dressed himself out in hand
- some clothes, and got himself 50 much into
the good graces of the lsndlady as to tak'
her 10 the theater on the night of his arrival
s The detective arrived on the following
, Sunday morning at Yarmouth, and soon
l discovered where the mysterious gentleman
lodged. He found him out, having escorted
his landlady to church but quietly taking
his new quarters in the new lodgers apart
! ment, he awaited his return, previously
. satisfying himself that he was on the righ
!. scent by discovering the settee-shaped boz
t among the luggage. On Mr.. Heath's re
1 turn he found himself arrested, and yer,
= cursor examinationy enabled the practices
< eye of the detective to discover his prisohsi
= Was not q he at. all, but o melnber o
3 the softer sex, and no less q person thai
: Mary NeWhall, the servant, herself Sh
a was brought to London and examined in-he
Al male attire. Itwas clearly proven that sh
!. alone had carried out the robbery, ever
/? thing stolen being found in her possession
/ On the abplie alton of the detective, she wa
q remanded until next week, when the ehai
+ Of evidence will be complete. ,..i. --l'%ts.
q . How she learned to- smoke, cigars wit
y impunity, and accustom herself TO droRser
II and coats, in so short time, is q mystery
!. But for taking that unfortunate box, poss
7 bly, she might have made good her escape
/, However, in these times, such a Weli-dC
s vised and novel mode of robbery, rarely oC
curs-and Mary Newhall deserves som
V credit for her ingenuity, The idea of breal
3 ing a poker, covering it with hair an
q blood, to throw suspicion off herself, an
+ lead peopledto suppose oshe had been mul
>. dered, was something quitegOnt of the con
= = mon. Possibly some poor cat had TO pr,
4 vide these tragic secessorissIsa 1uJ ,otR =