The Sun. — 1853-11-23 (London, England)

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.—Nov. 22.  (Before Mr. Sergeant Adams, Assistant Judge, at Westminster.) Mary Ann Burrows, 22, was indicted for stealing a purse containing money, the property and money of Neave Lewis Hart, from the person of Mary Ann Hart, his wife.  This was an ordinary case of pocket picking. It took place in the Strand, and the evidence clearly established the charge against the prisoner, and the jury found her guilty. The Assistant Judge- -What is known of the prisoner ? A stentorian voice, at the back of the witness-box— I'll tell you, my lord. (A laugh.) The Assistant Judge—Well, what have you to ray ? The person stepped into the box. He was an officer known among the thieves as the "Surrey Wolf." He said—l'm William Coonihes, late No. 10 L, now unattached, having a three months' leave from the Secretary of State through a bad leg. I know the prisoner well, my lord. She had 12 months from the Surrey Sessions for picking pockets at the execution of the Mannings, and after that she had two months for picking the pocket of a Thames policeman at the Victoria Theatre. She is a regular trainer of juvenile thieves from their cradle, and has always a gang of them about eight years of age with her, and she shelters them while they thieve. She takes poor Irish boys without shoes, puts good clothes on them, trains them, and sends them to thieve for her. There are a lot of thieves waiting outside who belonged to her ; one called "Alligo," another "Shongo," and so on ; and I could bring twenty—or fifty for the matter of that—constables, if necessary, to prove that she is the regular trainer of thieves. I have been on duty in plain clothes at the theatres and have seen her there with boys—at the Lyceum and Adelphi in January, February, and March this year. The Assistant Judge said this was the Surrey account of her. She was well known in the prisons of this country as well as those of Surrey. He should like to hear her Middlesex history. The prisoner declared she had never been convicted. Coombes reiterated his statement. The prisoner was a regular thief, had been convicted, and was a regular trainer of young thieves. The Assistant Judge said be should stop her proceedings for some time at least. The sentenc was tat she be kept in penal servitude for six years. (Before Mr. Witham.) Sarah Smith, 25, was indicted for stealinc, the sum of Ds. from the person of James Broderip. The prosecutor, a cabinet-maker residing at Chelsea, on Saturday evening, the sth inst., was on his wa home through Eaton-square, when he was accosted by the prisoner, who laid hold of his arm. In a minutey afterwards he felt her hand in his waistcoat pocket, and he missed some money therefrom. He at once accused her of robbing him, and thereupon she threw herself on the ground near the garden enclosure, and screamed out police and murder as loud as she could. A policeconstable came up and the prosecutor gave her in charge for robbing him, she protesting that she had not touched his money. A search was made in the enclosure, and the identical coins the prosecutor said he had lost were found. On the way to the station she said to the policeman, "If I did rob him you won't find it on me, and that licks you." Before the magistrate she accused the prosecutor of the most immoral conduct and language, and said that as he was giving her some money some of it fell on the ground, and as he could not find it he gave her in charge. However, she now pleaded guilty to the charge, and also to a former conviction for felony. Mr. Witham sentenced her to four years' penal ser vitude.  The prisoner, on hearing the sentence, uttered a loud scream, upon which a tall ruffianly looking fellow, supposed'to be her paramour, who was sitting in the front seat of the gallery, made a sudden leap therefrom toward the dock, and had nearly succeeded in making his way into it, when the officers interposed, prevented his accomplishing his object, and with some difficulty removed him from the court. This attempt caused a good deal of excitement in the court.  In the course of the day Lord Ernest Bruce took the oaths of qualification as a magistrate for the city and liberties of Westminster.