SINGULAR CHARGE OF CHILDSTEALING.

Evening Star, Issue 3128, 27 February 1873, Page 2

SINGULAR CHARGE OF CHILDSTEALING.

Th• Maitland Mercury, of the 4fch inst., gives an account of a case in which a man named James Oavis, known as the “honeyiiiaii,” was charged with cbild-stealing. The prisoner seems to have a mania for running off with children, for no particular purpose that can be discovered. He was charged with having stolen from Woodford, on the 21st January last, two children, named respectively Sarah A nn Ralph and Robert William Warbrooke. Senior-Sergeant Kerrington conducted tbo prosecution. Sarah Warbrooke, being sworn, deposed : I live at Woodford, near Hexham. My husband’s name is Samuel Warbrooke ; he is ft laborer, I recollect 1 uesday, 2Ut January. I saw priso er on that day. He came to my house between twelve o’clock and tbree. He called and sold me some honey, and said he was going to Maitland, and then called again. The children now before the Court are mine ; their names are Sarah Ann Ralph and Robert William Warbrooke. The girl is nearly ten years old she will be ten on the 15th of March next, 'i he boy was six years old on the 29th of August last. On 21st January last the children were at school about a mile and a-half from the house. The road between is a lonely road. The children did not return from school on that afternoon, 1 did not see them till Friday, the day they were brought home, when they were in the cart with the police. We looked for the children the clay they were missed, and could not find th ra. The children always reside with me. They never lived with any other person. The prisoner, if he took the children, took them against my will, and without my consent. One day, about a month previous to the children being lost, the prisoner said to the girl at my house that she ought to come into the bush and cook for him, and he would give her plenty of and honey, she told him she would not go. I thought be was only joking. Sarah nn Ralph, being sworn, deposed : Mrs W arbrooke is my mother, and Mr Warbrooke is my stepfather. 1 live with them at Woodford. I do not know ray age. I go to Mrs Monday’s school at Hexham. I was at school on the 2lst January, the day 1 saw the prisoner. On that day L was near home, on the top of the hill, coming back from school, when I first saw him. My brother was with me. The prisoner was coming up the hill. There is bush about the place. The prisoner said my mother said I was to go to tho bush with him for some honey, and he gave us some lollies; saying. “ Here’s some lollies, too.” We went with him to a bark house. There were some cans there, but no honey in the cans. Prisoner brings in honey and sells it. Prisoner said, “There must have been some dogs at the honey, stealing itand then I asked him the way to our place. He said, “It is out this way a good bitand then went along the way he pointed. I thought he was taking us home, but he kept us walking nearly all that night. He told us We were going home. Next day we found ourselves in a big scrubby place. I do riot know where it was. A road went'through the scrub. We complained to him about our feet being sore, and he said, “Cotoe on, come on; you’ll soon be home, and you can wash your feet.” Once we cried to go home, and he said, “We’ll camp to-riiglit, and when the moon gets up we’ll go to Mrs Lord’s, and she’ll take you home in the buL-gy.” I don’t think we came across k wide road, and prisoner said. “Iknowwherd we are now'—we are near Minmi; this road will soon take you home,” At nights the prisoner used to make a fire, and lay in hie blankets. We lay by the fire. Sometimes we were hungry, and at other times I could not eat tbe bread be gave me. Once we came upon a man who was chopping, who sad, “You’ve got a family of children.” Prisoner said, “ Oh I” and when he went away said, “That man wants to know.too much.Afterwards we saw a man on a grey horse. The prisoner asked him the w r ay to our home ; the man told him and went oh, bur. prisoner went in a different direction to that which the man had showed him. At last we came in sight of a‘ house, and tlien prisoner told us we might find a way home for ourselves, and left us. There was a kind of path to the house, and we went a'ong that till we saw a man. Egan" is t|i« man. Several times during the time I was with him tbe prisoner took me in his arms, to carry me; but 1 struggled, cried, and got away from him. He did not hurt me. Once he said that he would send my brother home if he wanted to go, but that I must stop. I said my brptn*|* should stay with me. He carried my brother too, and he said he thought we were tired. He had put his swag down behind a stump at these times. He told us that if the constables saw him they would take him, and that if they came he would hook it through the bush and leave them. He used to listen at the times of saying this, and tell us not to make a noise. My brother and I used to make marks on the road with our feet, so that my father could track us. The prisoner took me against ray will. I would much rather have gone home.

Margaret Hall, being sworn, deposed.— I live with my father at Qmirrobolong. I go to Mrs Haunt’s school. I know the pmo. ner. On the 14th January I met him as I was coming home from school. Prisoner was iu the bush, and said, ‘You have got to come for some honey.” 1 said, “ No; I want to go home.” He said, “Your mother and father say you’ve got to come for some houoy,’' tfo then pulled mo *lopg by the

arm. He said nothing, I told him I had to go home to put up the calves. I cried, and he told me I was a dunce for crying. He dragged me into the bush, about two miles. I kept screaming out, and 1 heard my brother cooey. I cooeyed in answer, and prisoner said, “If you cooey, I’ll choke you.” He had hold of me at that time. My brother came up on horseback, and the prisoner then let me go and ran away. When I was first taken by the prisoner, my little brother, who was with me, ran home. If prisoner had let me go, I would have run away home too. 1 tried to get loose front him. I had seen him on the morning of the same day. He came out of the scrub and asked me the road to Black Creek.

The prisoner, who said nothing in answer to the charge, was committed for trial.