STEALING AN ALTAR CROSS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXVI, Issue 70, 26 March 1892, Page 4

STEALING AN ALTAR CROSS.

At Marylebone, on January 25, Samuel Carter, aged 35, described an a hawker, wa.s charged, before Mr Cooke, with stealing an altar cross, valued at £20, from Olirint Church, Lancaster Gate, Konsington Gardens, of which the Rev. 0. J, Ridgeway, M.A ,is tho vicar. Jane Tomkins, the caretaker of the church, stated that she opened the building at 10 o'clock on Wednesday morning. At about a quarter to 8 o'clock in the afternoon nhe heard someone in the tower of the church, She searched to ascertain who it was, and after some time hlic Haw tho shadow of a person going stealthily along the went aislo in a stooping position. Sho went up the centre aisle, secreted herself, and watched, nnd presently saw tho prisoner como from the west aisle, go qnickly towards tho chancel, and ateal the cross from the Communion table, Sho spoko to him, but he made lo reply, and was making his way towards the door, so sho ran down the church and stopped him bofo.vo he had timo to got away. She attempted to seize him, and he thereupon dropped the cross on to a mat and made his escape. She screaraod, and eventually a constablo caught him. In nnsv/er to the magistrate, tho witness said that the church door v/as kept open all day, and sho was thero to look aftor the place Tho church was kept open for the admission oi persons -who Vfiehed to -worship privately. Detective- Sergeant Martin, F. Division, informed the magistrate that the prisoner was an old convict, but ho was not then prepared with the particulars of his conviction. The prisoner, in answer to tho charge, said that on the 21st or Deoembor last ho came out; ofPentonvillo prison, aftor haviiig oonrjjleted a term of seven years' penal servitude. He went straight to liis sister, who lived ia Kent.' His brother was a clergyman of the Church of England. He went I i to liifl.^tw fo we '* bo wuW obtain » rY

£10 tioto. She gavo him three sums of money amounting to £8 16s. On the day he left the prison he was given 10b, so that 45s was all, that he had had to subsist upon since he was released. On Wednesday he was pas- ! sing the ohui'oh, and seeing the door open, he said to himself that perhaps if he went in ho would bo able to carry off some of tho Communion plate. Ho ontered and went up to tho altar and looked about, but could not 800 any plate. Ho, however, saw tho cross on the altar, and as it appeared to bo a very handsome ono, lie said to himsolf that it might be gold, or it might onlyjbe brass. But his clothes were nearly falling off him and he wanted money, and if ho took tho cross it would bo no groat harm, for doubtless the congregation thero wore wealthy people ; and his taking the cross would not bo like robbing them of their fair name. (Laughter.) Ho was speaking tho truth. It did not necessarily follow that a thief must bo a liar. Instead of being sent to prison again he thought that he ought to, bo sent to an asylum, for if his criminal career was examined it would be found that he had committed tho most foolish and daring robborios that any man ever committed. Ho was proceeding to say that in 1864 - ho walked straight into Kensington palace and took some property of trilling value, when Mr Cook interrupted him, end asked him if ho had anything more to say with reference to tho charge, Tho prisoner replied that ho had committed tho robbery. Mr Cook then committed him for trial.