The Sun. — 1832-10-25 (London, England)

BALLANTINE-Well, I hope you will let us int° the secret. Prisoner—The fact is, I cut the gentleman's pocked and the handkerchief dropped through the slit. I scot ° the idea of putting my hand in the pocket of any gentleooo' Now, that's the truth. Mr. Chadwick examined his pocket, and found tbe, " lining had been cut, and a new handkerchief he had P;.: bought was about to drop through the hole. He said was not aware of that before. Mr. BALLANTINE said the prisoner was a very illfr dent and a very ingenious thief. He committed him A trial, and directed Mr. Finlay, the headborough, to 61' owners for the other handkerchiefs and the case of lane Yesterday Mary Thompson, a tall, well-looking youl woman, whose person was enveloped in a large 1)13'„ cloak, was charged with making two attempts to dret." herself. It appeared that at a late hour on Tuesday nigh; Wheeler, a policeman, No. 160, K, was called by t 7,0 watermen plying at one of the stairs in Wapping, W„', said she had walked into the river, and they had Ow difficulty in rescuing her. He led her towards the statiou; house, and on her way thither she expressed her reefer that she had not put an end to her life, and when oes the dock bridge made an effort to get away from him. The prisoner, in her defence, had a good deal bang'''' on her mind, and had been deceived by a young man. She was sorry for what she had done, and would not repeat 'be offence. Mr. BALLANTINE said that it was not to be borne tblt the public feeling was to be constantly outraged by the° artempta of persons to rid themselves of life, through '4°l real or imaginary grievance. Homicide was a felony, al/or whether the individual put an end to his or her life, °fie any other person's, the offence was equally the same. r asked if the prisoner was known to the police?—An office said she was an " unfortunate woman," but very big... spirited. Fagan, the inspector, said, that not less than 40 feo; males had thrown themselves into the London dock hlic the swivel bridge, or had attempted to do so, during s; last three months, and several bad been drowned. late as last Thursday a woman named Rex had drown herself there. Scarcely a night passed but these attemPo were made, and the Commissioners of Police bad been Pa to great expense for medical attendance. heit The Thames police officers said a great part of night duty was often taken up in Paving persons sc threw themselves off the bridges into the river. ,he The prisoner begged hard to be forgiven, and saia was fully sensible of her folly. ca 0t 6°, Mr. BALLANTINE was tired of the sort of ---° much indulged in about " wretched creatures," 31 " distressed objects of compassion," when an sae/VI/t this kind was made. He believed that one halt of thoewho threw themselves into the water where assist,3,,o°fe was near at hand did not mean to commit suicide : who really meditated that crime would always find 150es,;(1 to do it effectually and unobserved. Ile should 6ebethis case before a Jury, for this sort of thing had really come a nuisance of no ordinary kind, and both the 0.10 and the Tames police were taken from their legitly duties to preserve foolish people from drowning Shay selves. The worthy Magistrate then committed tbe soner for trial, for attempting self-destruction, and 10 over the witnesses to give evidence against her.