The Sun. — 1850-05-09 (London, England)

LAMBETH. Mary Leonard. and Eliza Connor, two well-known thieves, were placed at the bar before Mr. Elliot for final examination, charged with being concerned with a man not in custody in assaulting Mr. John Bass, a superannuated inspector of the police, and of robbing him of his watch and 1/. I£o. Prosecutor deposed that a little after nine o'clock on the night of the 3d instant he was proceeding along Clapham Park, when he perceived the prisoners following lihn. He took no notice of them and they walked past, but Leonard turned round, when they got at a lonely part of the park, and accosted him. He told her that he wanted nothing to say to her, and requested her to leave him, when all of a sudden a man came up with a bludgeon in his hand, with which he struck him a severe blow on the head, nearly stunning him. While on the ground, almost in a state of insensibility, the prisoner Leonard threw herself upon him while the other prisoner made a grab at his watchchain, and snatched his watch from the waistcoat pocket. Both prisoners ill-treated him, and endeavoured to prevent him from calling out police, and Leonard passed a handkerchief across his face which took away his senses, and he had reason to believe it contained chloroform, as the smell was very sickly. While on the ground he received a severe kick on the back and loins, which rendered him incapable of getting up until the police arrived, and then he was so insensible as not to be able to give the requisite information. On returning to his senses he missed his money and his watch. Since the occurrence he had been laid up in bed, and had not been able to quit it until the previous day. He was now labouring under the effect of the chloroform, which he believed was in the handkerchief.  Police-constable 229 P said that he was on duty in Clapham Park on the night in question, when he heard the cries of " Police' proceed from a road towards the Common. He ran towards the spot, and when about 50 yards from where Mr. Bass was lying he heard Leonard exclaim to her companion, "The old -is hollosing. I would have have put a stop to his calling out, had I known the police was coming !" Witness, with the assistance of another officer, secured the prisoners, and endeavoured to rouse the prosecutor ; but he was unconscious of the presence of the police for some minutes, and believed that they were companions of the prisoners. On the way to the police-station, Leonard said, had she known they would have been " copped," she would have stopped the old tongue. Witness, after locking them up at the police-station, went to the prisoners' lodgings in Compton-street., Seho, with the hopes of finding theiman who,wassupposed to be connected with the.assault and robbery, but nothing could be found relative to the robbery. Witness examined the spot where the robbery was committed, and found some silver, but not the other property. In defence, the prisoners said they were walking along Clapham Park at the time in question, when they heard cries of " Murder!" and " Police !" They ran to the spot to see what was the matter, but hearing the prosecutor, who was lying on the ground, call out that he was:robbed,:they walked away, thinking he might say it was they who had robbed him. Both prisoners said they hawked washleather about, and knew nothing of the robbery. The prosecutor was recalled, and swore positively that the prisoners were the persons who robbed him. He distinctly saw their fsces by the gaslamp. Mr. ELLIOT said he should commit them both to Nesvgate for trial.