A GANG OF THIEVES.

Press, Volume XLV, Issue 7141, 31 August 1888, Page 6

A GANG OF THIEVES.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday a batch of well-known thieves were brought up charged as follows:—Margaret Buckingham, with stealing on August 24th a hat valued at 3s lid the property of T. Armstrong ; Minnie Bench, with stealing on August 24th a pair of boots valued at 12s 6d the property of C. McGinley ; Ellen Danby, alias Parkinson, with stealing on August 25th a pair of boots valued at 10a 6d the property of C. McGinley, and Thomas Richens," who was charged'with being the keeper of a house frequented by thieves, also with having been previously convicted of vagrancy. The women admitted having had possession of the boots, but said they were under the influence of liquor, and, if they took them, they did not know what they were doing. It was proved that some of the articles had been taken from shop doors, and had been sold, much below value, to a dealer in second-hand goods, named Catherine HcCormack, of Madras street south. Inspector Pender said this was a gang who lived on plunder while at liberty, and who spent a great portion of their time in gaol. Mr Beetham remarked that Buckingham had sixteen recorded convictions, Bench thirty-three, and Danby forty. In the case of the man it was proved that he harbored these women and others of the the same class, and lived on them. There was also a long record of convictions against him. He was sentenced to be imprisoned for twelve months, and the women each for six months, all with hard labor.