Concealment of a stolen watch

An extraordinary case was heard at the Dublin police-office. A young gentleman, named Rathbane, charged Ann Lynch with having stolen his watch.

Complainant said he was passing through Marlborough-street, when he was followed by the prisoner, who snatched the watch out of his waistcoat pocket. He seized her on the spot, and had her given up to a policeman who was passing. She was brought to the station-house, and although the most rigorous search was made by a female, who was there for the purpose, it could not be found, and all hopes of recovering it were given up, complainant having concluded that the prisoner had dropped the watch in the street.

In the course of the night, however, she became ill in the station-house, and, without the aid of an emetic, the watch was forthcoming, although she acknowledged that she had completely swallowed it when she took it from the gentleman's pocket. What made the case more extraordinary was, that there were six or eight inches of black riband attached to it. It was a thin fashionable gold watch, but not at all a small one.

The magistrates wished to commit the prisoner for trial, but the complainant said he would not prosecute her, as he was sure, she had already suffered sufficiently. The magistrates said the complainant could not get his watch unless he prosecuted.