Current:

Leader (1850-1860), 13th September 1856, Edition 1 of 2, Page 871

Page 871
Page 7
7 of 24

On this page

  • Text (4)
  • Transcript

    • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

      Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

      Untitled Article

      ¦ Sepjembeb 13 , 1856 ] THE LJBADEIL g 7 l

      Untitled Article

      ROBBERY AND FORTUira-TELLIira . Tub chambers of Mr . J . B . Holdsworth , Clemeat ' s-inn , ¦ were entered , during their occupant ' s absence , on the evening of . the 28 th of March . One of the drawers in the bedroom , had been forced open , and a pocket-book inside , containing a 201 . note of the Bank of England and six sovereigns , -was taken away . Four months afterwards , the . note was paid into the Bank of England , and , upon in < ruiry , traced back to the possession of Mts . Banes , baker , in Chandos-street , whose daughter , Isabella Banes , stated she had received it from a youDg woman named Emma Foreman when she called to pay an ac--caunt for . her father , a respectable man , living in Harvey ' s-buildings , Strand , in June or July last- Foreman , in answer to the charge , made a very extraordinary statement , implicating the daughter of Arnott , the lodge-keeper of the inn , at whose house Llr . Holds--worth had left the key cf his chambers on the night of

      the robbery . On lier way to -: the police station , after l ) eLng arrested , she said that , about the beginning of last April , a you . ng girl of the name of Betsy Arnott came to her in Harvcy ' s-buildings and gave lier a parcel to mind , It was sealed with black was and stamped in five -different places / Arnott said it contained a broach given -to her by a young man in the Temple-gardens . Foreman kept the parcel by her about three weeks , till one Sunday , on going up to dress for church , she missed it from her box . She told Miss Arnott this , when she called upon her next day , and she appeared much distressed at the loss of the parcel , saying it contained a 207 . note . After this , they went together to a fortune-telling woman , named Dent , in Brydges-street , to confer with her about the loss of the note . This woman , whose lawful calling is that of a charwoman , was examined when Erama Foreman was brought before the Bow-street magistrate , and made the following statement : —

      " I know the prisoner Foreman by the name of Emma . Some time £ a April last , she came to me for advice , with the young lady now present ( Miss Arnott ) , whom I had seen once before , but whose name I never knew till now . Emma said , ' We have come for advice about a parcel which was taken out of my box . Migs Arnott then said , ' Emma never knew till this morning what was'in the parcel . There was & 20 / . note and a sovereign . The note belongs to a French , lady , a friend of mine , and I gave the parcel to Emma to take care of . ' I said , ' God bless me ! How could you put a 2 01 . note in a parcel in that way ? Do you know the number of it ? ' Miss Arnott-said , l No , but I dare say the lady in France does . ' ' Dear me ! ' I said , ' France is a long-way off , and what must be done ? Is there anybody you suspect ,

      or any one in the house ivho would take it for a lark ?' Emma said , ' Oh , no . There is only my sister , and she would not < lo it . ' I then said to Miss Arnott , ' Why did you not go at once to your mother and tell her' ? She replied , ' My mother knows nothing about it , and I would not have her know it for the world . If father or mother knew it , I would never go home again . ' " Mr . Jardine here said that Miss Arnott must be placed at the bar , which was done . Sirs . Dent -was then subjected to cross-examination , in the course of which she said : — " The girls came to me for advice , because I am a motherly -woman . They are not related tome . I have no relations . I do not profess to foretel the future . How could any one do that ? I earn my living by hard work .

      I have 3 s . a -week coming in , and I make up the rest by charing . I lost my husband and my daughter all the many years come May last , and it is well known how I struggled to rear her two children , who would not have had a morsel of food but for me , sir . { Crying . ') I have lived a great many years in Brydges-street . I am universally known and universally respected . I never heard till now that I am called -a , fortune-teller . Who ever said so ? I certainly have told fortunes by turningthe cards or the teacups , in a social way , for a bit of fun . Women and girls like it ; and if you came to me with your wire , I might do the same for you—but only in fun . Of course , you could believe what I told you if 3 'oti were fool enough to do it . " ( Laughter , ") The witness was here cautioned by Mr . Jardine to bo cautious lest she should criminate herself , fortune-telling being against the law . Both Foreman and Arnott were remanded , and have since boon committed for trial .

      Untitled Article

      Charge op Rave . —Monsieur F . Michel , professor of foreign literature , has been charged at Uow-strect with committing a rape upon Elizabeth Lyons , a servant girl , at the house where the accused lived as a lodger . The offence was committed , according to the allegation of the servant , on tho oveiiuig of Tuesday week , in the absence of her mistress . Sho did not toll her mistress till the following- morning , previous to wliich she twice attended on M . Michel ; and slio then wont homo to her mother , but said nothing of tho occurrence . She asked her mother to call at tho house of her mistress ; the mother did so on the following Friday , and then Am learnt the cause of her daughter leaving . Tho girl said , in crossexamination , that , when she was assaulted , " she screamed and kicked M . Michel . Loud screams might be heard in the street . She might have scratched his oyca out , oud now regretted that who did not do so . She

      did not like to . scratch Ms face , it would have disfigured him so much . " There were some discrepancies between the evidence of the girl and of her mother , and a very high character was given of M . Michel , who , towards the close of the examination , cried bitterly ; but he was committed for trial . Bail was tendered and accepted . Faults on Both Sides . — -A decently dressed woman , with a child , . applied to Mr . Beadon , at Marlboroughs-treet , for assistance . Her husband had locked her out of his house , and had refused to receive or support her . He was in a good situation , earning good wages , but was of bad temper and given to drink . In answer to questions from Mr . Beadon , the woman candidly admitted that there were faults on . both sides , that she was not one of the best of tempers , and that she had no objection

      to take a glass of gin with anybody . Mr . Beadon said the only advice he could give the woman was to apply to the parish authorities , who would look into the case , and if necessary take steps to compel the husband to allow her a reasonable maintenance . The husband subsequently appeared , and gave various instances of the extravagance and dissipation of his wife , who sold his furniture and her children's clothes for drink . He also charged her with being unfaithful to him ; and in proof of this he said he " cotched"her onceTvith a young man , eating periwinkles . Mr . Beadon was " afrafdthat was not evidence enough to prove criminality . " " But , " added the husband , intent on proving his own disgrace ,

      " the frying-pan was hot , and I ' ve no doubt they'd just been having ; eggs and bacon . " The incredulous magistrate replied , "Eggs and bacon won ' t help youT case . " The gist of the matter then appeared : — " I followed them out , and saw them sitting in Kensington-gardens , ' with their arms round each other ' s waists . " To this , Mr . Beadon answered : —" Tiere may be something in that . But I can only give you this advice at present , to let your wife apply for relief to the parish ; tha authorities will then decide whether it is a case in-which . they' can interfere ; and if they do interfere , the evidence on both side 3 will come before me , and then I shall bo able to come to some decision . The husband then left the

      court . The Bankruptcy of Alexander Paink . — The bankrupt , an innkeeper , of the King ' s Arms , Cioydon , applied ; on Tuesday in the Bankruptcy Court for his certificate . The accounts extend ynty over thirteen months , but show an amount of 8550 ? . due to unsecured creditors , w 5 th assets of ^ between 500 / . and 600 / . There were further debts to the amount of 7809 / ., secured bj r property valued at 6350 ? . The profits were 701 ? . ; losses 3689 / . ; expenses 2031 /; Mr . Bagley opposed for Mr . Donaldson , ivine merchant , of Mark-hine , a creditor , who complained that he bad been induced , by 1 ' alse representations of the bankrupt , to refrain from , issuing execution . against him . The creditor had obtained judgment on a bill of exchange given by the bankrupt ; but , at an interview on the 30 th May , before the

      execution-was issued , tho bankrupt had stated that certain wine warrants held by other creditors were his property ; that his stock was worth 2000 / . ; and that his debts only amounted to a few hundreds . Influenced by this representation , Mr . Donaldson refrained from issuing execution , but consented to receive his debt by instalments of 301 . every fortnight . Before tho first instalment was due , Paine became bankrupt ; and it was then ascertained , that all these representations were false . The wine warrants were held by his bankers against an overdrawn account ; the furniture was not his , but only leased to him ; and his debts turned out to bo about 2500 / . more than he hail stated . His Honour suspended the certificate , second class , for twelve months , and refused protection until tlie bankrupt had undergone three months' imprisonment , Mr . Donaldson having opposed tho protection .

      three years ago . This statement she repeated to the magistrate ; but ehe afterwards said that her mother ' s name was Brinkley . None of the initials on the different articles of the plate , however , stood for that name , as all were marked " J . H . P ., " or " J . E . T ,, " -except three spoons , which-were not marked at all . Inquiries were made of a man with whom the- prisoner had lived for many years before she took to a gipsy's life , and is said that he had never seen . such plate in her possession as that which she was accused of stealing . The woman was a well-known bad character , and belonged to & notorious tribe of gipsies and hawkers inhabiting a . caravan in Bow Common-lane- J $ Ir . Selfe remanded tie accused .

      Torgery . —John Cooper , of the late firm of Cooper , Pike , and Co ., who stands charged with forging and uitering three cheques with inteut to defraud the Roy-al British Bank ( the particulars of which appeared in our last week ' s paper ) , has been committed for trial . Attie final examination , some further conversation took place ¦ with Mr . Thompson , the prisoner's counsel , with orespect to his giving up the cheque-books-which Cooper had deposited with him . This he still declined doing , and asserted that there were twenty precedents in liis favour . An application by Mr . Thompson , to the effect that the accused might have restored to him the money taken from him at the time he was apprehended , was refused . —Edward Chater , a printer and engraver , living at Birmingham , has been committed for trial on a charge of having in his possession a large number of forged hi . Bank of England notes . The police , on entering the premises , found , all the instruments and materials necessary for cai'rying on the trade of forging . Mrs . Chater , who was also arrested , was discharged .

      Desertion of a Culld . — -A charge of child-desertion , was brought forward at Lambeth ngainst a Mrs . Sarah . Russe . ll , a middle-aged woman , who purposely left lier infant in the third-class booking-office of the Southwestern Rail-way , Waterloo-road . The child was fouad behind one of the advertizing boards , and was taken f o the workhouse , where the mother at length presented herself , admitted the infant to be hers , and begged to be allowed to take it away . It appeared tLat in the meanwhile she had suffered greatly from remorse , and bai been noticed by her landlady to be greatly dejected . She

      was going to visit a sister at Portsmouth on the day when she dropped the child , and , on returning at night , she said she had left the infant with its aunt ; but , in . ia about a week ' s time , she confessed the truth to the landlady . The child was illegitimate , the woman having been a-widow for a long time ; and she was desirous of concealing the fact from her friends . On applying at the workhouse , she was given into custody , and . was remanded by the Lambeth magistrate . The father of the infant was dead . —A very similar case was heard at the Thames office .

      Lank RouiiiiUY . —John Pratt , a young man of nineteen , presenting a dissipated appearance , and who , till within the last few days , was a clerk at the Bank of Australasia , Thraadnecdle-streer , was brought before the Liord Mayor , on a charge of having stolen , and absconded with , 98 / . 10 s . belonging to his late employers . He -was arrested by the police in a house of ill fame , but no portion of the money was recovered . lie was remanded . Pawning Lin ex . —Harriet Archer , a laundress , has been committed to hard labour for throe months by the Bow-street magistrate , for pawning 12 / . worth of linen which had been entrusted to her care in answer to an advertisement she had put , in the papers , and on the faith of a false reference as to character which she had given . She confessed to the lady -whose linen she took

      Murdeks at inn Cai > b . —A "Wcsleyan missionary , living at tho Cape of Good Hope , has been murdered by the Kafir tribes inhabiting tho country beyond the frontier . Some natives in the service of a Mr . Shaiv having stolen some horses belonging to Faku ' s people , the latter complained of the theft to Colonel Maclean , who lately visited their chief . That gentleman immediately directed tlint compensation should be given to the parties robbed . Not being able , however , to obtain any , they determined to attack Mr . Shaw ' s natives , who , when they hoard of tho intontaon of Faku ' s people , fled for safety to 3

      Jcechnnithat she had pawned the articles in order to raise tho money necebsary to redeem the wardrobe of another lady , wliich had been previously deposited with a pawnbroker . ^ The Law of Maiuuauk . —Sonic comments oa the English law of marriage ami divorce are reported ia the J . iverpoul Chronicle as having been delivered by the stipendiary magistrate in a case of conjugal quarrelling brought before him . Charlotte Finchctt , a middlo-aged woman , dressed in rags , was placed at the bar and charged with assaulting her husband . It was sliown that on several occasions she had savagely attacked him and liis workmen ; thut she ubuyed the customer * , and even beat them ; that she was constantly drunk , and used the most fcari ' ul language ; that sho stripped her children of their clothes , and sold them for drink ; and that sho jnadc awny with bedding , furniture

      wood station . Hero the Rev . Mi-. Thomas , tho missionary , was summoned , and no sooner did ho make his appearance than ho was stabbed by tho Kafirs . On . his tolling thorn who ho was , they exclaimed , " Wliy do you harbour tJiioves ? " and stabbed him a second time , when tho missionary immediately expired . — A pianoforte tuner , named Rayncs , hns also been waylaid and murdered by some of tha same tribes , in the Amngulekii country , while travelling on foot from Graham ' s Town to Natul . He was unarmed , and hud 15 / . in his pocket . *

      and every article she could lay her hand on , witl ) tho same object . Mr . Mansfield , tho stipendiary magistrate , said the law of this country was bo oonstructcri that , if the wifo stripped her children and sold their clothes , sho could not bo punished as a felon , tho ilction of law -lidding that sho took her own properly . By u superstitious notion , or , perhaps , ho might Buy , a < lclicacy of feoling , tho sanctity of marriage was so regarded that there waa no power , liowcvor abominable- the wife ' b conduct might bo , to obtain a divorce ; and for u man to bo linked . to such a woman us tbirf was a far greater punishment than if ho earned a corpse upon bis back until it rotted away from him . The couiho lioshould take would bo calling on the - woman to lind very heavy bail—namely , two sureties in 50 / . each , and bo bound herself in 100 / ., to keep tho peace for twelve months . Bail , of course , waa not forthcoming , oud sho was removed .

      Suri'o . sKD Tiikit my a Gipsy . —A young gipsy woman , also carrying on business as a hawker , named Alice Leo , was examined at the Thames Police-court on a charge of having stolen several articles of silver plate . She hail been seen by a police-sergeant in a pawnbroker ^ shop in Limohousc , whore sho offered the plate in pledge . On being asked by tlie constable where sho got the prouorty from , sho answered that hor mother gave it to her

      Untitled Article

      OTJE CIVILIZATION . . — + —

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 13, 1856, page 871, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2158/page/7/