The Sun. — 1860-10-06 (London, England)

EXTRAORDINARY .1111 POSITION.  It has often been said that truth is stranger than fiction, and the following narrative of facts that have transpired relating to the charge made a short time back against a woman named Elliot and a man  named Johnson, of having stolen a child named Ciara Ti_son Smith, five years of age, under very singular circumstances, will to some extent bear out the saying.  It seems that a short time back a young woman, meanly dressed, but who exhibited the appearann of having been brought up as a gentlewoman, and whose manners were ladylike and pled sing, called at fhe residence of Sir R. W. Carden, at 8 o'clock in  the morning, and requested particularly to be allowed to have an interview with the worthy alderman. He had only just come down to breakfast, but he consented to see the applicant, who was accordingly admitted. She then, in a very earnest and pathetic manner, related a pitiable story. She was the daughter of Captain --, of Southampton, an old and meritorious officer, and had married without his consent, and, cast off from her friends, .and having no resources, her husband being away from her, she was reduced to a state of the utmost distress and misery. Sir Robert kindly put some questions to her, and asked what her intentions were, and what she wished him to do in her behalf. She replied that she was most anxious to return to her father at Southampton, who she believed would forgive and receive her, but all her clothes were in  pawn, and she had an infant, and no money to pay for her fare to Southampton or to redeem her clothes. Sir Robert put several questions, and the answers she gave and her manners had such an effect that the worthy alderman, whose experience readers him a very unlikely subject to be deceived, was completely impressed with the belief of the tale that was told him; he therefore very kindly gave the applicant a couple of sovereigns, and told her immediately to redeem the articles of clothing for herself and child, and proceed at once to Southampton, and he at the same time requested that she would write to him when she arrived, and inform him of the result of her interview. The applicant gave Sir Robert the address of her father, and promised to do as he requested, and after thanking him earnestly for his kindness she left. Time rolled on and no answer was received, and at length the worthy alderman began to imagine that he had been deceived and imposed upon. About this time the woman Elliott and her pretended husband were under examination upon the charge of stealing the child above referred to, but of course no idea was entertained that the woman had anything to do with the imposture. that had been practised upon the worthy alderman, and the fact was discovered in a very strange way. The woman Elliott had been admitted to bail to appear and take her trial at the Central Criminal Court with Johnson, and just before the session Six Robert Carden,who is one of the visitingjustices of Newgatei, happened to be at Newgate in the course of his official duty, when Mr. Jonas, the governor, handed him a letter addressed to Johnson, and signed Sarah Elliott, in which she announced her intention to commit suicide, and said that before the letter would be revived she should be dead. The letter was dated ". -terrace, Southampton," and Sir Robert at once recognised the address as the same given by the woman to whom he had rendered assistance under the circumstances above stated, and also the handwriting, and there was no doubt that she was the same person. From further inquiries that have since been made respecting her, it turn 3 out that she really is well connected, and that her father was formerly an officer in the navy, but it seems that in consequence of her misconduct she has long been discarded by her family, and her career has been one of a very extraordinary nature. Of course inquiries were instituted, as the prisoner did not appear at the trial, to ascertain whether there were any grounds for supposing that she had really committed suicide, but nothing whatever was ascertained that in any manner confirmed her statement, and the belief is that it was merely a trick resorted to by her to account for her non-appearance to take her trial, and to throw the officers off the scent.