The Sun. — 1853-09-09 (London, England)

MANSION-HOUSE.—HIGHWAY ROBBERY BY A FEMALE.-A well-dressed young woman, named Celia Smith, was brought before Alderman Salomans, upon the charge of having assaulted and robbed a gentleman on the Queen's highway. The case attracted a crowd. James Hall, potboy at a public-house in Hounsditch, said : Last night as I was leaving my place at a little after twelve o'clock to go home, I saw the prisoner strike a gentleman in the stomach and knock him down. She then put her hand in his side pocket and took out his pocket-book. He tried to get up, and I went and helped him, along with another person, and the policeman then came, and she threw the pocket-book into the road. The policeman picked up the pocket-book and took the prisoner into custody. Whilst the officer held her, she said to the gentleman, who had been drinking, " Have I robbed you ?" to which the gentleman replied, "I do not know." At the same time some money dropped from her, which the policeman picked up. Cross-examined by the prisoner : There was another woman present, who had nothing at all to do with the business, but the prisoner wished to fix it upon her. Mr. A. D. Ellis was next called, and the moment he appeared in the witness-box the prisoner said, in appealing tones, to the alderman, " Oh, my lord, this fellow 's a Jew." (Laughter.) The witness said : As I was passing through Hounsditch, at ten minutes past twelve, I saw a man fall upon his back in the street. I crossed over to pick him up. The prisoner had her hand in his pocket, and was taking out different things, and at the same time intreating hirn to get up, " For," said she, " if the policemen come here and find youdrunk, you will be fined 51." I thought, from her manner and what she said, that she was his wife ; and I was going to leave them, when the policeman came up, and the prisoner then flung a pocket-book which she had taken from the gentleman into the road, and let some money she had in her hand fall to the ground. I helped the policeman to pick up the money. When the officer took her into custody she saw another woman, who had not interfered at all, and immediately accused her of having robbed the gentleman, and made an effort to seize her.  Alderman Salomons : Did you see the prisoner take the pocket-book from his pocket ?—Witness : Most distinctly.  Alderman Salomons : Did you see her strike him ? Witness : No.  S. Obie, 694: At five minutes before twelve I saw the prisoner and the prosecutor in Church-passage, Bishops• gate-street. The gentleman was lying on the ground. The prisoner said, "He has been drinking, and I can't get him home. He is very obstinate." We then lifted him up, and I asked him whether he could walk ? "Oh yes," said the prisoner, "he can walk if he likes. We have been to the Bank, and he has put in 1001. there today." I said, "Do you know him then ?" She replied, " Yes, he married my sister ; " and she then said to him, "Will you go home to Jane, or will you go to the station-house ?" He said that he would go home. " Oh !" said she, "Jane will be in a dreadful way when you get home." (Laughter.) I told him I'd take him to the station-house if he would not walk home, and she then took hold of him, and said, "Come along." I thought then that she was his sister-in-law. While I was taking her to the station-house she continued to scream out " murder," and that the Jew had committed a robbery upon her. At the station-house a half-sovereign dropped from her, and 3s 104 d. were found in her pocket.