[ London Times ]
This newspaper, most correctly known simply as The Times, began publication in 1785 and continues to this day.
The edition of July 8, 1858, carried a brief legal note about two men convicted of attempted Newf-napping:
John Gray and Thomas Baylis were finally examined: charged with stealing a valuable Newfoundland dog, the property of a lady named Willis, residing in Burton-street, Eaton-square.
The dog was let out for an airing on Friday afternoon, when the prisoners endeavoured to decoy it away with some stuff used by dog stealers, but, finding that did not succeed, they seized the dog by the collar, and led it away; but they were followed by Mr. Kean, a cheesemonger, in Coleshill-street, who had been watching the accued, and they were given in to custody, when Baylis pretended to be innocent of the charge, and Gray begged for forgiveness.
Thank goodness for that cheesemonger. The begging for forgiveness didn't much help: Gray, a repeat offender, was sentenced to 6 months hard labor; his accomplice Bayless received two months.