BURGLARY BY A GIRL.

Kumara Times, Issue 1113, 24 April 1880, Page 4

BURGLARY BY A GIRL.

[PROM THE NEWCASTLE HERALD, MARCH 20.] Lousia Bellingham, a well-clad girl, aged 18, waa charged at the Newcastle Police Court yesterday with having burglariously entered the residence of Alexander Lindsay, in Patrick street, during the night of the 19th, and stolen therefrom a glass butter-cooler containing LI 3s B|d., the property of Margaret Lindsay. The evidence of Alexander Lindsay waa to the effect that, shortly after midnight, he was aroused from his sleep by a dog barking, and listening heard a noise as of some one moving, and the clinking of money, in an adjoining room. He immediately jumped up, and running with a light to the spot, found the prisoner inside his house, standing in a corner of the room. She waa only partially dressed, and had a petticoat thrown over her head, one part of which was tucked under her arm, and appeared to contain something. He seized prisoner and demanded to know what brought her there, and what waa under her arm; she at fist said nothing, but finally produced the butter cooler and cash, which had been taken from off a safe where it was kept handy for change by Mrs Lindsay;, she then fell on her knees and begged bard to be let off, but was given into custody of Constable Smith, who brought her to the lock-up. On the way thither she put her arms around witness, and again asked for forgiveness, but he refused to let her off, as she had been for a long time frequenting the company of bad characters. She lived with her brother-in-law, David Salt, about a hundred yards distant, and on going back he tracked her footprints all along from the house in the sand. Entrance bad been effected through a window, which had been prized open and supported with a broken shingle (produced). Prisoner, who hid her face in her hands, and appeared to feel her position, was accordingly remanded. The girl broke out of the prison in which she was confined on the following night. Her escape seems to have been effected by wrenching one of the iron handles from the cell night bucket, with which she deliberately proceeded to wrench open the iron sides of a large padlock that fastened the door of the compartment in which she was confined, all noise being lulled by her placing her dress between the padlock and the cell bars. Constable Oxley, the lockup-keeper, had kept a careful watch on his prisoner, owing to his having heard several noises from her to see what was amiss. Taking advantage of his temporary absence, she must have given the lock a final wrench, and quietly opening the cell, passed out, and thence gained the open street unobserved. The matter having been reported to Subinspector Thorpe, that official at once took the necessary sreps to effect a re-capture. It was ascertained where she had camped during the night, also the direction in which she was making.” The girl was re-captured on Sunday.