The Proceedings of the Old Bailey

 

278.   MAEY JONES (45) , Stealing a pair of earrings, the goods of   Mary Ann Leonard. Second Count, Receiving the same.

MR. SANDS Prosecuted.

  MARY ANN LEONARD . I am the wife of William Leonard, a musician, living at 28, Woodstock Street, West Ham—on Saturday, 22nd February, the prisoner was doing needlework for me in my kitchen—I

had this pair of gold earrings on the mantelpiece in the kitchen—I left the kitchen to serve a customer in my shop, leaving the prisoner alone in the kitchen—she followed mo into the shop, and said, "Will you lot me go for the diaper?"—I gave her 3s. to get the diaper to make my boy some pinafores, and she went out—I went into the kitchen directly, to put the earrings into my ears, and the earrings were gone—I went after the prisoner to the linendraper's, and said to her, "Whore are my earrings?"—she said, "Oh, I suppose they are in the ashes; I have not seen the earrings"—I asked her to come homo with mo, and she did so, but I had a hard job to fetch her home and keep her there till a policeman came—she was locked up shortly afterwards—the earrings were worth 14s. or 15s.—she said she had no money, and money was found on her—there was no one in the kitchen but two little babies.

Cross-examined by the Prisoner. You came to my house about 1.30—the servant-girl was upstairs—you and the two babies were alone in the kitchen; I know nothing about a man—you followed me into the shop, and interrupted me as I was serving a customer, to get money for the diaper, and my servant went out just as you interrupted me—you had been in the house ten minutes—you had not begun your work; you had to fetch the diaper first.

Re-examined. The prisoner asked mo nothing at the Police-court about my servant or a man; the servant came downstairs while the prisoner was in the shop with me, and I was asking her where my earrings were; she was not in the kitchen when the earrings wore there—I left the earrings on the mantelpiece about half-past one, as near as I can guess; I have no clock going in the house, and I cannot swear to the time.

  JAMES KIMPTON . I am assistant to Mr. Smith, pawnbroker, of 155, Woodstock Street—I took those earrings in pledge on 22nd February, a little after one o'clock, from the prisoner; I have no doubt about it. (The ticket was in the name of Ann Murphy, 7, New Street.)

  GEORGE BURTON (Policeman K 602). On 22nd February, at twenty minutes past two, I was called to 89, Woodstock Street, where Mrs. Leonard said, "I want to charge this woman with stealing a pair of earrings"—the prisoner said, "I stripped as naked as I was born, and I have only a few coppers about me"—I took her to the station, and she was charged; later in the afternoon I went to Mr. Smith's, where these earrings wore given to me; the ticket was not found; the female searcher (who is not here) handed me five shillings in silver and twelve coppers.

Cross-examined. When I took you into custody there was a man, the servant, and a woman in the kitchen; the man did not say to me, "I was there, but I did not see her take them."

  MARY LEONARD (Re-examined). My brother-in-law was there at the time of the arrest, because I called and told him the earrings were lost—I could not hold the prisoner; two women came and hold her till a policeman came; my brother-in-law was not in the kitchen at the time.

The Prisoner, in her defence, denied any knowledge of the earrings, and said the servant was in the kitchen at the same time as herself.

GUILTY .

She then PLEADED GUILTY to a conviction of felony in August, 1888.— Six Months' Hard Labour.