Thomas Cullen

343

Maureen Withey on 6th July 2025

COLLEGE-STREET. An Ingenious Device.—Doctor Peebles, of 44, Upper Dorset-street, charged a man, named Thomas Cullen, residing in Bow-lane, with stealing a parcel of cloth out of his cab about five o'clock on the previous evening. The Doctor stated that he was paying a professional visit to Hospital, and left his cab in care of a small boy at Johnston's-place ; when he returned to the cab he found that the parcel had been stolen during his absence ; the parcel contained a new piece of green cloth and a pattern of vesting, which he fully identified. The boy deposed that soon as Dr. Peebles went into the hospital, the prisoner, Cullen, came up to the cab, and, after minutely examining the horse, said—‘What an inhuman little rascal you must be, to have the poor animal in that state! Just look at his forefeet; there is a stone in each of his hoofs !’ In consequence of this statement, the boy said that he went to examine the horse’s feet, and, whilst doing so, Cullen dexterously contrived to abstract the parcel from the cab; and then disappeared with the rapidity of lightning. James Greene, a man who happened to be passing at the time of the robbery, deposed that he saw the prisoner take a  brown paper parcel out of the cab, and immediately after run off with it. Witness waited until he told Dr. Peebles, and then accompanied that gentleman to the station-house. From the description he gave of the thief, the prisoner (whom he identified) was arrested in less than an hour after by Constable 74 B The cloth had been found in a pawn-office in Wicklow-street, on the same evening. James Hand, who is in the employment of Mr. Murphy, of Wicklow-street, a licensed pawnbroker, proved that a parcel, containing the cloth and vesting, was pawned by a woman on the evening in question, and eight shillings given on it. He would not know the woman again, as he had never seen her before, and as she had a cloak over her head whilst  in the pawn-office. Mr. O'Callaghan committed the prisoner for trial. Dublin Morning Register, 23 July 1842. City Sessions- Monday.  A young man, named Thomas Cullen, was indicted for stealing 1¼ yard of cloth, the property of John Peebles, Esq., Ph.D., out of a cab in Johnston's-place. The prisoner was found guilty, and sentenced to be transported for seven years. Freeman’s Journal, 27 July 1842.

343

Maureen Withey on 6th July 2025

Navarino Indent: https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/CON14-1-16/CON14-1-16P183 and https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/CON14-1-16/CON14-1-16P184 Thomas Cullen, Tried Dublin City, 25 July 1842. 5 ft 4¼. Age 25, 7 years, Catholic, can read and write. Single. Offence: Stealing a yard & a quarter of cloth, p at Dublin. For burglary, 6 mos. Surgeon’s Report, Good. Trade, Servant. Native place, St Andrews Dublin. Remarks: 2 S, Ellen, Teresa.