Child of Susannah Beck and William Loverjay

REPEATED ROBBERIES OF SHOES.—A miserable looking young woman, with a child in her arms, named Charlotte Beck, the wife of a shoemaker, was examined on the charge of stealing two pair of shoes, the property of Thomas Collinson, boot maker, carrying on business in Gun-street. The prosecutor stated that the prisoner's husband had worked for him between four and five years, and she had been in the habit of going backwards and forwards to his shop; in addition to this, she had occasionally been employed in the house as char-woman. On Monday last, when in Mr. Goodacre’s shop, he saw the prisoner offer two pair of children’s strap shoes in pledge. He at once recognised them as his property, and asked her where she got them from. She answered that she got them from Buckley, her brother-in-law. He went to him and asked if he had given her the shoes, and he said he had never seen them, neither did he know anything about them. Again making inquiry of the woman, she told him that the shoes had been given to her by the boy in his shop. They walked along the street together, and met the prisoner’s husband near Boarded-lane, to whom he related what had happened. Beck then said to his wife, "You’ve done a pretty job; you’ve got me out of work for the third time. Tell the truth, and don’t bring an innocent boy into trouble." The prisoner then acknowledged she had taken them from the shop; that one pair she picked up from the floor, and the other she took from a nail. She was a few hours afterwards given into custody.

There was a second charge against the prisoner for stealing a pair of slippers, the property of Mr. Collinson, It was proved that the slippers were pawned by the prisoner at Mr. Maggs’ shop on Friday, and they were identified by the prosecutor. The woman said she was driven to steal the shoes to buy victuals for her children, who were starving. Her husband, she stated, knew nothing about it. The prisoner was fully committed for trial on both these charges at the next sessions.

CHARGE OF ROBBERY AGAINST THE HUSBAND.—As soon as the woman was removed, William Beck, the husband was placed at the bar charged with stealing four pair of boots, belonging to Mr. Collinson. The prosecutor said that he went, on Monday, with police-constable Hardiman to the house of a person, named Brown, in North-court, where they found the prisoner. He (the prosecutor) asked the woman Brown to produce a bundle of goods which Beck had brought there. At first she said she knew nothing about it, and after a little time she gave Hardiman a bundle. He and the policeman then left the house, and before they got out of the court, Beck said to them— "There are four pair of boots, Mr. Collinson, in Brown’s house, and I wish you to have them. I wished my brother-in-law this evening to take them to your house, but he was afraid." On hearing this, they returned to the house and asked the woman Brown to go and fetch the boots from upstairs. She said there were no boots or shoes in the house. The policeman threatened to take her into custody if she did not produce the bundle, and she went upstairs. She returned with two pair of women’s boots, and one pair of children’s. She went up a second time, and came down with a pair of men’s boots. The prisoner gave the woman Brown a significant nod before the fourth pair was fetched and given up. The prisoner  was removed to the police-station, and on his way thither he said he felt much happier than he had before, and that he did not care what became of himself if he could save his poor wife. The boots were in his (the prosecutor’s) possession on Monday, the 14th instant.

The prisoner, in reply to the charge, told the bench, that, although the boots came into his possession, he never stole a farthing or a farthing’s worth from Mr. Collinson, in his life. He had worked for Mr. Collinson five years, and nothing was ever the matter between them.—He was also committed to the County Gaol for trial.

Mr. Collinson has lost a considerable quantity of shoes, and from information he has received, it appears that a continual system of depredation has been going on, and it is not improbable that other parties may soon be taken into custody.

CHARLOTTE BECK,, 26, was arraigned for stealing, on Aug. 18th, a pair of leathern slippers, the property of Thomas Collinson. There was second indictment against the prisoner, for stealing two pair of children's strap shoes, on the 22nd, on both of which charges she was found guilty. She was sentenced to one month's imprisonment on each indictment.

WILLIAM BECK, 27, shoemaker, and husband of the last prisoner, was convicted of stealing four pair of boots, belonging to the same prosecutor, and he was sentenced to three months' hard labour.

A HARD-HEARTED PARENT.—William Beck, described as a shoemaker, was brought up on a warrant charged with having, on the 14th of May, left his wife and four children chargeable to the parish of St. Lawrence. The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge, and offered to make any arrangement that might be wished to reimburse the parish for the cost of the maintenance of his wife and family since he had been away.

Mr. West, the relieving officers, said he could not listen to any such offer, and the case altogether was such as that he must press the bench for a punishment. If a person had been purely unfortunate, he trusted he should be the last to be found to deal severely with him; but the defendant who had gone away ever since May last, had been in the receipt of 18s. or a guinea per week, and yet had not sent a farthing to his wife or family, who had been in the workhouse, and cost the parish of St. Lawrence upward of 10l.

The defendant said he had not earned so much as a guinea a week. He had on two occasions sent a trifle to his wife, but had not been able to forward much as he wished to get a little furniture together before he sent for them to come out of the workhouse.

Superintendent Houlton said, he was informed at Maidenhead, where he apprehended him, that for the last eight or nine weeks, he had earned a guinea per week.

The defendant said it was his intention to have sent, on Saturday next, for his wife and family to come up to Maidenhead.

Mr. Micklem.—You have done very wrong, when earning a guinea a week, not to have sent some money to your wife and children, having for some time been in the receipt of good wages, and applied the whole to your own selfish purposes. It is an aggravated case, and we shall sentence you to 2 months' hard labour in the County gaol.

A SHOP ROBBERY.—William Beck, a boot-maker, and his son, William Beck, of Sandiland's Road, Fulham, were charged with being concerned in stealing a bullock's head from the shop of William John Ward, of North End Road.—Detective Cracknall said on Monday evening he was in Mulgrave Road, when he saw the younger prisoner come from Buckle's Alley, with a bullock's head under his arm. The father came running round and joined him, saying: "Bill, it is all right; have you got the head?" He said, "Yes, come on," and ran down St. Thomas's Road. He followed and stopped them.—The elder prisoner said his son had been in an asylum and was not accountable for his actions. He (the father) was innocent, and denied that he asked about the head.—Mr. Sheil remanded both prisoners for inquiry.