MICHAEL DUNN was indicted for feloniously breaking and entering the dwelling house of John Robinson , on the first of January , between seven and eight in the forenoon, the said John, and others of his family, in the said dwelling-house then being, and feloniously stealing therein, one cotton gown, value 20 s. a black silk cloak, value 7 s. a cloth apron, value 12 d. a child's frock, value 6 d. a coat, value 6 d. a blanket, value 4 s. two bed quilts, value 5 s. two sheets, value 4 s. one pair of lace robins, value 12 d. the property of Ann Figgess , widow .
ANN FIGGESS sworn.
On the 1st of January, between seven eight, I went into the kitchen of Mr. Robinson; I wanted wood to light my fire, and I went out, I left the door upon the latch; I was not gone above five minutes; when I returned, I found the street door open; I heard something rustle; I asked who was there; the prisoner came up the kitchen stairs, and said, I want you madam to go to Castle-street directly; I said I knew nobody there, and I seized the prisoner, and he tore my apron and handkerchief; I shut the street door with my foot, and called Mr. Robinson; he came in his shirt, and I found I had lost the things mentioned in the indictment; at the top of the stairs, I found a large bag full with my things in it; he said he came to look for a washerwoman; he said he was a bricklayer's labourer ; he told us where he lived, and his wife said he dealt in old clothes.
Mr. Keys, Prisoner's Counsel. You was gone five minutes? - Yes.
When you came back, you found the street door wide open? - Yes.
This is a house of lodgers? - Yes, there was nobody up but me.
That is more than you know; how many people had been out of the house after you went out you cannot tell? - No, I cannot say.
You found nothing upon this man at all? - No; when he came up the stairs past the bag where I found it, his feet must touch the bag.
Court. Whereabouts did you first see him? - Coming up my stairs.
Whereabouts was the bag then? - Upon the top stairs; I saw the prisoner coming up; I did not see the bag at all,
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till he was come up stairs, and I went down; the bag was on the top stairs but one.
Could it lay there before he came up without your seeing it? - Yes.
Had he the bag when you saw him? - I do not know, I saw nothing in his hand.
Could he put the bag on the top of the stairs after you saw him? - No, he was lower down when I first saw him than the bag.
JOHN ROBINSON sworn.
On Monday, the 1st of January, about five minutes before eight; I was not up, but I was awake; I heard Mrs. Figgess, my lodger, unlock her kitchen door, and come up stairs; she went along the passage, and opened the street door, and went out; she shut it after her in a minute; somebody came and opened the street door, and went softly down stairs, I concluded it was her, and I wondered she should go down so softly; I heard nobody speak, nor any thing afterwards, till Mrs. Figgess came back, and came into the passage, and she called out who is there? nobody answered; at last, I heard her say, who do you want? what business have you to go down into my place? I heard somebody say, you must go down into Castle-street; she said she knew nobody there; she said he had been robbing her; I heard a bustle in the passage; she immediately called out, three or four times, Mr. Robinson! I jumped out of bed and opened my door, and went into the passage, and I saw the prisoner and her struggling against the street door, and the street door was shut; I then went and laid hold of the prisoner, and brought him into my place; we searched him, but found nothing; she went down, and came up again, and said she was robbed; she then went back and fetched in the bag; I took the prisoner into my room; I did not see where the bag lay; I live in the parlour; I took him to the round-house; he wished me to go to his wife, to let her know; he said he lived in Tennis-court, Middle-row, Holborn, No. 1. I asked his wife if Mr. Dunn was within, she said no; he told me his name was Dunn at the Justice's; he said he never saw the bag, but that his wife sent him after a washerwoman.
Mr. Keys. He gave you a true account of his name, and where he lived? - He did.
JOHN YOUNG sworn.
I am round-house keeper of St. Giles's; I took charge of the prisoner; I searched him, and found nothing upon him but these two keys.
(The keys produced)
(The things produced, and deposed to by Mrs. Figgess.)
PRISONER's DEFENCE.
My wife goes out to wash, and takes in washing, and she was to go to wash in Castle-street, No. 3, and the child was taken very ill, and not expected to live; she could not go out, and she sent me, and I met a woman that I knew, and she said she did not know such a woman; as we were talking together, a man came out of this door and she says, ask that man; he said yes, she lives in the kitchen backwards; he left the door wide open; I went in as far as the passage, I called at the top of the stairs, and asked if any one was below, nobody answered; I turned back, and this woman was standing at the door; says I, you are wanted, my wife wants you; she fell a searching me, I had nothing in my pocket but a handkerchief; she took it out.
MARY ANN LUKE sworn.
I live in little Greenwich-court, in Aldersgate-street; I go out a washing and chairing.
Do you remember seeing Michael Dunn on the 1st of January last? - Yes, I do; I had not seen him before for sometime; it was as nigh as I can guess eight o'clock; he asked me, if I knew a washer-woman that lived there; it was in Plumbtree-street; I lived up there formerly; as we were talking, a man came out of this house, and I said, you had better ask that man; and I parted with him; I saw him speak to the man; in about
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a minute after, I saw a woman go in; I do not know what conversation passed between them.
What house was this? - It was a house in Plumbtree-street, but I cannot justly tell the door; I do not know what became of Dunn after, till I heard he was in custody; I have known him upwards of a twelvemonth; I never heard any thing but he was an honest man; he was a gentleman's servant when he was in Ireland; he gets his living by being a bricklayer's labourer; his wife winds off silk, and takes in a little washing; he asked me if I could tell him of a washer-woman that lived nigh there; he mentioned no name to me.
GUILTY, Of stealing, but not of breaking and entering .
Transported for seven years .
Tried by the first Middlesex Jury before Mr. RECORDER.
ANN FIGGESS sworn.
On the 1st of January, between seven eight, I went into the kitchen of Mr. Robinson; I wanted wood to light my fire, and I went out, I left the door upon the latch; I was not gone above five minutes; when I returned, I found the street door open; I heard something rustle; I asked who was there; the prisoner came up the kitchen stairs, and said, I want you madam to go to Castle-street directly; I said I knew nobody there, and I seized the prisoner, and he tore my apron and handkerchief; I shut the street door with my foot, and called Mr. Robinson; he came in his shirt, and I found I had lost the things mentioned in the indictment; at the top of the stairs, I found a large bag full with my things in it; he said he came to look for a washerwoman; he said he was a bricklayer's labourer ; he told us where he lived, and his wife said he dealt in old clothes.
Mr. Keys, Prisoner's Counsel. You was gone five minutes? - Yes.
When you came back, you found the street door wide open? - Yes.
This is a house of lodgers? - Yes, there was nobody up but me.
That is more than you know; how many people had been out of the house after you went out you cannot tell? - No, I cannot say.
You found nothing upon this man at all? - No; when he came up the stairs past the bag where I found it, his feet must touch the bag.
Court. Whereabouts did you first see him? - Coming up my stairs.
Whereabouts was the bag then? - Upon the top stairs; I saw the prisoner coming up; I did not see the bag at all,
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till he was come up stairs, and I went down; the bag was on the top stairs but one.
Could it lay there before he came up without your seeing it? - Yes.
Had he the bag when you saw him? - I do not know, I saw nothing in his hand.
Could he put the bag on the top of the stairs after you saw him? - No, he was lower down when I first saw him than the bag.
JOHN ROBINSON sworn.
On Monday, the 1st of January, about five minutes before eight; I was not up, but I was awake; I heard Mrs. Figgess, my lodger, unlock her kitchen door, and come up stairs; she went along the passage, and opened the street door, and went out; she shut it after her in a minute; somebody came and opened the street door, and went softly down stairs, I concluded it was her, and I wondered she should go down so softly; I heard nobody speak, nor any thing afterwards, till Mrs. Figgess came back, and came into the passage, and she called out who is there? nobody answered; at last, I heard her say, who do you want? what business have you to go down into my place? I heard somebody say, you must go down into Castle-street; she said she knew nobody there; she said he had been robbing her; I heard a bustle in the passage; she immediately called out, three or four times, Mr. Robinson! I jumped out of bed and opened my door, and went into the passage, and I saw the prisoner and her struggling against the street door, and the street door was shut; I then went and laid hold of the prisoner, and brought him into my place; we searched him, but found nothing; she went down, and came up again, and said she was robbed; she then went back and fetched in the bag; I took the prisoner into my room; I did not see where the bag lay; I live in the parlour; I took him to the round-house; he wished me to go to his wife, to let her know; he said he lived in Tennis-court, Middle-row, Holborn, No. 1. I asked his wife if Mr. Dunn was within, she said no; he told me his name was Dunn at the Justice's; he said he never saw the bag, but that his wife sent him after a washerwoman.
Mr. Keys. He gave you a true account of his name, and where he lived? - He did.
JOHN YOUNG sworn.
I am round-house keeper of St. Giles's; I took charge of the prisoner; I searched him, and found nothing upon him but these two keys.
(The keys produced)
(The things produced, and deposed to by Mrs. Figgess.)
PRISONER's DEFENCE.
My wife goes out to wash, and takes in washing, and she was to go to wash in Castle-street, No. 3, and the child was taken very ill, and not expected to live; she could not go out, and she sent me, and I met a woman that I knew, and she said she did not know such a woman; as we were talking together, a man came out of this door and she says, ask that man; he said yes, she lives in the kitchen backwards; he left the door wide open; I went in as far as the passage, I called at the top of the stairs, and asked if any one was below, nobody answered; I turned back, and this woman was standing at the door; says I, you are wanted, my wife wants you; she fell a searching me, I had nothing in my pocket but a handkerchief; she took it out.
MARY ANN LUKE sworn.
I live in little Greenwich-court, in Aldersgate-street; I go out a washing and chairing.
Do you remember seeing Michael Dunn on the 1st of January last? - Yes, I do; I had not seen him before for sometime; it was as nigh as I can guess eight o'clock; he asked me, if I knew a washer-woman that lived there; it was in Plumbtree-street; I lived up there formerly; as we were talking, a man came out of this house, and I said, you had better ask that man; and I parted with him; I saw him speak to the man; in about
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a minute after, I saw a woman go in; I do not know what conversation passed between them.
What house was this? - It was a house in Plumbtree-street, but I cannot justly tell the door; I do not know what became of Dunn after, till I heard he was in custody; I have known him upwards of a twelvemonth; I never heard any thing but he was an honest man; he was a gentleman's servant when he was in Ireland; he gets his living by being a bricklayer's labourer; his wife winds off silk, and takes in a little washing; he asked me if I could tell him of a washer-woman that lived nigh there; he mentioned no name to me.
GUILTY, Of stealing, but not of breaking and entering .
Transported for seven years .
Tried by the first Middlesex Jury before Mr. RECORDER.
167. MARY MARSHALL was indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 18th of December last, ten linen handkerchiefs, value 10 s. the property of Dalton Parr , privily in his shop . JOHN RUSTON sworn. On the 18th of December last, the said Mary Marshall came into my master's shop; his name is Dalton Parr , No. 205, Piccadilly , linen-draper ; she wished to look at some pocket handkerchiefs; I believe she came in between three and four in the afternoon; at the same time a woman came in for half a yard of drill; when I came from serving her, I perceived the prisoner fumbling about her coats, and under her apron; the prisoner bought a pocket handkerchief at fifteen-pence, and half a yard of cloth at sixteen-pence; she paid for them and went out; I followed her, and stopped her; I did not miss any thing before I followed her; I told her she had something; she said, she had not; then I said, she should come back to the shop; she was not willing; I caught hold of her to bring her back by force; she would not come; and I saw her drop the pocket handkerchiefs from under her coats or apron; I picked them up immediately; when I saw them on the ground, I know they were my master's property; there was my master's mark upon them; I sent for a constable, and she was committed; the handkerchiefs are here.
Were these part of the handkerchiefs you had shewn to her? - I cannot recollect whether I shewed her them or not, but I must take them down. When she was fumbling about her coats did you see the handkerchiefs? - No, I did not. Prisoner. Were there not two men in the shop? - No, to the best of my knowledge there were not. Who was in the shop? - There were two or three more women buying other goods; strangers. Did any body come in with this woman? - There were four or five came in as it were in a party; one of them went out at the same time when I pursued the prisoner, the other was with her, but she went up a passage, perceiving me I suppose. Who was in the shop? - Only my mistress and me. What was she doing? - She was serving some other customer. Prisoner. He swore before the Justice that he believed it was two men that came in to steal? - I never swore any thing of the sort. Court. What is the value of these handkerchiefs? - They were valued at ten shillings; they cost fourteen pence a piece. How long had she been in the shop? - She might be about five minutes, and she took a stool and sat down. Prisoner. I have nothing to say. The prisoner called five witnesses, who gave her a good character. GUILTY Of stealing, but not privately . Transported for seven years . Tried by the first Middlesex Jury before Mr. Justice WILSON.
William Hughes, Theft > pocketpicking, 18th April 1683. William Hughes was Indicted for picking the Pocket of Frances the Wife of Richard Hemming of a Silver Box, to the value of 6 s. as she was passing from Leaden-hall-market near Cree-Church ; she made Oath positively the Box was in her Pocket when she came out, of the Market, and that she took his hand in her Pocket, but snatching it out, and running away; upon her Out-cry he was taken before he came to the end of the street, yet no Box was found about him; but he having been an old Offender of that sort, was found Guilty to the value of 10 d.dit. |
Ann Bland had an Indictment preferred against her, for taking three Shillings privily from the person of Elizabeth Bennet , a Butchers Wife , on the 20th. of May last, the Circumstances, as they appeared upon Oath, being these: The Prisoner coming to her Stall in Honey-Lane-Market , under pretence of buying a Neck of Veal, began to question the Sweetness of it, desiring the Prosecutor to smell, the which whilst she was doing, the Prisoner watching her opportunity, put her hand into her Apron-pocket, and taking her Money departed; but within a few hours, she was taken doing such another Exploit; to this she pleaded Innocence, but it plainly appearing she was an old Offender, and the Prosecutor Swearing positively that she was the Woman that Robbed her, the Jury found her Guilty . |