The Evening critic., 1882-06-23
STOLEN GARMENTS.
Some Interesting Facts For the vic-
Inns of the Sncnk Thinr

Tho recent exploits OF tho enterprlslng Ella
jackson, alias Mary Wilson, In purloining val
uablo dresses and jewrlry from Mrs. Represen
tatlve Haskell, Mrs Laughlin, Mrs. Reynolds,
Mrs schade and other ladies well known in
the community, excites an almost involun-
tary respect for her adventurous tact and ex-
ecutlve cunning, while the ladies she robbed
and the people OF the houses they lodged and
boarded with, cannot be too highly admired
for their angelic trust and confidence In their
fellow beings. Who could have had any sus-
picion Of wrong because a respectable, pleas
antmannered washerwoman was seen going
from room to room, cup stairs and down
stairs and In my lady's chamber" with bas-
ket en- her arm collecting the soiled linen of
her employers9 That was the tale she told
when she was once or twice met on stairway
or In passngeway and questioned. Nor did
any ono dream, as shc trlpped out Of tho
house with smiles childlike and bland,
that, instead OF dirty linen, her heavy bas
ket was loaded with costly silk dresses,
made and unmade, worth, with their rich
trimmings, hundreds OF dollars, with valuable
laces, and that even in the we'll kenpt wool OF
her chlgnon there nestled valuable finger.
rings. 1t would have appeared the height of
uncharitableness to have stopped this woman,
| who toiled over the washtub and dironing-table,
| week In and week out, to make an honest Ev-
Ing, to have halted her ever so kindly, to as
certain who she washed for in the house, aud
| whose soilcd linen was in that basket. Senti-
ment and carelessness combined said 1t was
| nobodys business to Interfere, common sense
| said 1t was everybody's business in each of the
houses she entered and robbed to get to the
/ whose dresses and valubles she appropriated
| wish she had not contaminated them by wear
Ing Them ana s VIII enjoy reading clever let
| Lady Dulferin, who recently found herself In
| the same case, for "misery loves company"
and "a fellow feeling makes us wondrous
kind"
| HAMPTON COURT, October %.
MY DEAR Miss BERRY: began little noto
f1nn fhas, faY lt ind
membrance OF me and your coming so far to
| see me (Which opportunity was very sorry to
have ,n missed, b9t my note, IN the agi,atlhng
| had no strength of mind to begin another.
My mother and 1 have returned to this place
for few days in order TO make an ineffectual
| grasp at any remaining property we may have
in the world. or course you have heard that
we were robbed and murdered the other night
by a certain softspoken cook, who headed q
storming party of bandltu through my
mothers kitchen window; If not you VIII see
the full, true and dreadful particulars In the
papers, as we are to be had up" at the Old
Bailey on Monday next for trial. We have
seen o, great deal of life, and learned q
great deal of the criminal law OF
England, this week-knowledge cheaply pur-
chased at the cost of all my wardrobe and my
mothers plate. We have gone through two
| examinations in court; they were very hurry
ing and agitating affairs, and had to kiss
either the Bible OF the magistrate-I don't re
collect which, but 1t smelt OF thumbs. The
magistrates seemed to take less interest In my
clothes than in my mothers spoons-I suppose
| from some secret affinity or ngeniality which
they were conscious of. SiD,iliS gdudet-some
thing-Q have lost my Latin with the rest Of
my property When say siDittS do not Sc
much allude to the purity of the metal as t.
its particular form.
| fiji d that the idea of personal property Is
| fascinating illusion, for our goods belong II
fact TO our country, and not to us, and that tn,
| petticoats and stockings which fondly I'm
| agined mine are really tho petticoats of Grea
| Britain and Ireland. am now and then In
dulged with distinct glimpse of my mos
necessary garments in the hands of dtffcren
policemen; but, Z" in this stage of the proceed
ings,' may do no more than wistfully recog
nlZe them. Even on such occasions the word
of Justice are: policeman B %, produce you
, gowns;" "Letter SO, identify your lace;
Letter c, tic up your stockings" All this
narrowing to the feelings. But one canno
have everything in this life. We have oil
Of linen. Hopes are held out to us that a
| some vague period In the lapse Of tim
| we may be allowed n wear out c
| our raiment-at least, so much OF 1t as ma
| have resisted the wear and tear of justtce an
= my poor mother looks confidently forward
: being restored to the bosom of her silver tei
| pot. But don't know; 1 begin to look upo
| all property with philosophic eye as unstabl
] In its nature and liable to all sorts of pawi
brokers. Moreover, the police and have
long had my clothes in common that sha
never feel at homo in them again. To a Writ,
Gus mind the Idea that Inspector Dowse
examined into all ones hooks and eyes, tap,
:. and buttons, etc. is inexpressibly painful
/ But cannot pursue that view of the subjeC
4 Let us hope, dear Miss Berry, that you feel Il
us as we really deserve, and that you wish n
:. well .sthro' my clothes" on Monday next.
0 Yours very truly,
s HELEN A. DUFFERIN.