Cambridge Independent Press 11 Oct 1873: Hannah Maria Halls stealing

CAMBRIDGE BOROUGH PETTY SESSIONS

SATURDAY. — Before C. Balls and D. Adams Esqs.

FELONY.

Hannah Maria Halls, single woman, of Trumpington, was charged with stealing a silk umbrella, the property of Mr. Robert Roper, of Brunswick-place; also with stealing a timepiece from the house of Mr. C.Y. Biss of Bateman-street; she was further charged with stealing a cloak and a pair of boots, the property of Elizabeth Ann Chandler, a servant of Mrs. Philpers, of Easton-terrace, Hills-road, all on the 3rd inst.

Mr. Roper identified the umbrella produced, which had been shown to him on the night before by a policeman, as his property, and said he saw it all right in his hall a few days previous.

Arthur Kirbyshire, assistant to Mr. Cohen, pawnbroker, said that the prisoner came to the shop on Friday evening with the umbrella, which she wished to pledge. She gave the name of Scott, of Coronation-street, but corrected herself and said she had meant Bradmore-street. Her account of it was so unsatisfactory that witness told Mr. Cohen.

Philip Cohen, assistant to his father, said that when asked to whom the umbrella belonged, she said it was her husband’s and then ran out of the shop. He ran after her and said she would have to go to the Police station. She again tried to escape, but he caught her and she went with him to Mr. Bland’s, where she said the umbrella was bought. Mr. Bland, however, denied having sold it and witness gave it to a policeman, who was present, and he took the prisoner into custody.

P.c. Bacon, who took the prisoner in charge, said that when she was in the charge-room she admitted voluntarily that she had stolen the umbrella from a private house on Newmarket-road.

In the second case, Sarah Dellar, cook to Mrs. Biss., said that she left the kitchen for a few minutes on Friday afternoon, and when she returned the timepiece, which was on the mantel-piece when she left, was gone. She identified the timepiece produced, which had Mr. Biss’s name on the inside of the case, as her master’s property.

A pawn ticket, which was found upon prisoner, led to its being found that the timepiece had been pledged by prisoner at Mr. Cohen’s for 4/3.

In the third case, the articles were missed from the kitchen early in the afternoon of Friday, and, as in the previous case, two pawn tickets found on the prisoner led to inquiries which resulted in its being ascertained that the prisoner had pledged the cloak and boots at Mr. Cohen’s in the name of Scott.

In answer to the second charge, the prisoner said she was very sorry for what she had done; and to the third, that she would never take so much as a pin again.

Committed for trial at the sessions.