The Sun. — 1847-01-04 (London, England)

THE LAU NA. COBBETT. -- 8.  Blaney Blanch Cobbett, the wife of Mr. W. Cobbett, the eldest son of the late well known Mr. Cobbett, was brought betore Messrs. Lucas and Wilkinsom, the presiding magistrates, charged, together with a lad named Alfred Sims, with stealing an iron shutter-bar, the property of Mr. Jesse Oldfield, the landlord of the Red Lion Inn, Smithana Bottom.  It may be necessary to explain that Mr. Oldfield was one of the executors of the late Mr. Cobbett, and for several years proceedings have been going on in Chancery between him and Mr. W. Cobbt-tt, the husband of the lady now under charge. From the evidence of Mr. Oldfield it appeared that on Friday evening, about seven o'clock, the boy Sims came to his house and asked if Mr. Oldfield was at home. He suspected that he had come to serve him with some process, and he therefore inquired his name, and what business he had with Mr. Oldfield ; and, upon his refusing to tell him, he went into the parlour and shut the door. He then heard a voice, which he believed to be that of Mrs. Cobbett, say, " She would not be done," and that he had gone into the parlour, and an attempt was made to force open the door, which he resisted. He shortly afterwards heard a cry of " Murder I' and " Police !" and on his coming out he found that Mrs. Cobbett and the young man were gone, and he was informed they had taken away" the iron shutter-bar. He immediately went after them, first to the railway station at Stoat's-nest, where he found that they had left the bar, and he afterwards proceeded to the Croydon police station, where he found them ; and it appeared that Mrs. Cobbett had been making some complaint against him, and he gave them both into cu,tody upon the charge of stealing the iron bar. _ _  Mrs: Cobbett, in answer to the charge, said, that the lad accompanied her to Mr. Oldfield's for the purpose of serving a copy of a writ upon him, and she went to point him out. When they went to the hou,e, Mrs. Oldtield came out with the iron bar in question, which she at first thought was a 'gun, and made a rush at them with it, and the bar fell between them, and struck her on the heel, and if it had fallen upon her head it would in' all probability have killed her. She took away the bar solely for the purpose of having it produced before the magistrate, to whom she intended to apply for redress for the assault that had been committed upon her. Inspector Bilson, who took the charge at the station, deposed that Mr. Oldfield first came to him and complained that two persons had stolen a shutter-bar, and he wished to have the assistance of a policeman ; and a constable was accordingly sent out with him to look for the parties. While they were gone, Mrs. Cobbett and the lad came to the station-house, and the former asked his advice how she was to act, saying that she had been to serve the copy of a writ upon Mr. Oldfield, and that Mrs. Oldfield had thrown an iron bar at her, which she had taken away, and left in the charge of the clerk at the railway station. Mr. Oldfield at this moment returned, and he charged the parties with felony, witness telling him that if he made such a charge he was beund to entertain it, but he must understand that it would be upon his own responsibility, and Mr. Oldfield accordingly gave them in charge for stealing the iron bar.  Mr.