KLEPTOMANIA IN QUESTIONABLE LIFE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 60, 24 January 1862, Page 2

KLEPTOMANIA IN QUESTIONABLE LIFE.

On Thursday, Caroline Bailey and Elizabeth Thomas both well-dressed, hut the former a most fashionable and lady-like-looking person,- \rcre charged at the Guildhall police-court with picking pockets in St. Paul's churchyard. :■ Michael Haydoh, city detective serjeaht, said he saw the i>risoners between three and four o'clock on the previous afternoon going westward through St. Paul's Churchyard, but they-shortly after turned back and followed two ladies, and Bailey put her hand into one of their pockets, the other prisoner Thomas walking close behind, and partly concealing her-from observation. They walked in that position for several yards; and then left the ladies, and turned back again and mixed with several lsdies who were looking in the shop windows, and apparently looked for their pockets, and occasionally trying them on the outside to ascertain if there was anything worth taking inside. They then walked to the end of Lud-gate-street, where Bailey felt a lady's pocket from the outside of her dress ; hut.the-lady suspected the object, and moved away from them. They then walked quickly into .Fleet-street, called a Hansom cab, and were getting into it when witness stopped them and charged them with attempting to pick pockets. They begged of him not to take them into custody, as they had done nothing, and said the most he could give them was six months. Bailey refused to give her real name and address, and Thomas gave a, false address. Two metropolitan officers gave evidence with reference to the identity of the prisoners as the associates of thieves, and with having been in custody before, but the latter was not proved. Mr. Beard, for the prisoners, made a most energetic appeal on their behalf, urging that tho metropolitan police had endeavoured to bias the magistrate's mind with regard to former convictions which they were unable to pi-ove, because the prisoners really nevcf had been convicted!.' One of them was actually not in this country at the time referred to by one of the officers, and the other never had even been in custody.'. . There was nothing in the prisoner's conduct inconsistent with innocence, and ho therefore trusted the worthy alderman would give them tho benefit of character, and discharge -them, as they had been seen by about fifty police officers, and nono of them knew anything to their prejudice. ■ . Alderman Gabriel said he should not allow the evidence of the former alleged convictions to operate in his mind against the prisoners, but without that evidence he was satisfied that the prisoners were attempting to pick pockets, and he therefore had no hesitation in committing them to prison for three months with hard labour.

Return of 3STi:r.Aox from the Battle of tub Niijb.—''Naples, September 22, ; . 1798.— The battle of the Nile had been fought and won. . . . The iov was universal, and the

impatience for the arrival of the victqrs daily increased in intensity. Two ships-of-the-line at last, appeared in sight. The weather was particularly calm, and a great number of boats went out to meet them, conveying not only English residents, but many of thfe natives. likewise. The King himself weut itt his barge, followed by n part ofius baud of nxusift in another, and several of the mun^e,?* afttl others joined m the $\iv\ processivttU I w^s with Sir WjiUam «\»ul l^ady H»nwU-c*v ia th«Jr barge, which was nls« UvUowvtl Uy, aupthec with a band of mvisichus ow lH>aisl» The shore was lined with spectators, who rent the aii- with joyous !\wbu\!Uions v while the band played 'God Save the King,' and 'Rule Britannia.' .. . The lvh>g"of Xnples did

not £<> on board" either of the ships, but fraiu his bat-go saluted the otlieers on dock. His Mnjesty hnd cxpixssed his desire to be incog--?»7<>, so* us not. to give the trouble of paying him the nsn:il honours. . . . .Two or

three days later the Vnrigunrtl, with the flag of Sir Horatio Nelson, vutne-in'sight: and this time the concourse of boats and spectators was greater than before. The Vanguard was followed by two or three ships ot the line which had been in tlje engagement. It would b.' impossible to eqnceivea more beautiful and animated scene than the Bay of Naples then presented. Bunds of music played our national airs. With ' God save' the King' they had been long familiar, but for- the present occasion they had learned 'liule.Brittama,'

and ' See, the Conquering Hero Comes. . . . We rowed out to a considerable distance, followieg the King, who was anxious to greet his deliverers, as he (lit! not scruple to call them. Sir Horatio Nelson received his Majesty with respect but without embarrassment, and" conducted him over every part of the vessel, with which he seemed much pleased, and particularly so with the kindness shown to the seamen, of whom there were several on board. The King afterwards sat down with us to a handsome breakfast, at which I remarked a little bird hopping'about on the table. The bird had come on. board the Vanguard the evening before the action, and had remained ever since. The Admiral's cabin was her chief residence, but it was fed and petted by all who came near it, for sailors regard the arrival of a bird as a promise of victory, or at least an excellent omen. It flew away, I believe, soon after the ship left Naples" Autobiography of Miss Knight.

Skrfdom and Emancipation in Russia.—There are amongst the Russian nobility some who possess from 70,000 to upwards of 100,000 serfs. Count Schennetyeff is considered the richest nobleman in Russia. He possesses 120,000 serfs, amongst whom are several whose wealth amounts to millions. His annual income is estimated atlj million silver roubles (£250,000). Every serf pays to his master from ten to fifteen roubles annually ; so that the annual income of the possesser of 100,000 serfs cannot be less than £400,000, independent of the income he derives from forests, mills, fabrics, &c. The total number of serf's now in Russia is upwards of 23,000,000 ; and taking the value of each serf at only 300 roubles (£SO) the loss sustained by the owners by the emancipation, is certainly not less than 1,150,000,000 or half as much as the national debt of this country. Taking the interest at five per cent., the loss of annual income to the nobility cannot be less that £67,000,000, or more than double the interest we pay for the national debt. — Once a Week.

Orders have been received at Devonport to prepare the Aboukir (90) and Centurion (80) for foreign service forthwith. It is conjectured at Plymouth that these ships will be sent to Mexico. Instructions have been sent to China, that Sir John Michel is not to send away any of the regiments under his command, until our Minister at Pekin, Mr. Bruce, shall be of opinion that they are ■unnecessary.