The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-03-18 00:00:00

A GHOST IN BOOTS!

At the Glamorgan Asslzes, at swansea, last week, before
Mr Justice Mel:or, James Shoe, 3n, plumber, who conducted
his case with considerable intelligence, was charged with
burglarlowly breaking awl entering the dwelling.honee of
Richard Matthias, at Merthyr, on the lath of February, rod
stealing therefmm two jackets and a vest, his property.
Richard Matthias, the prosecutor, ea'd be was a
fishmonger, melding at Merthy r Tydvil. About ten
o'clock on the night of the 1:5% of February he went
to bed, accompanied by a boy who is in his employ.
He fell asleep, and was avo he by a band or something
being laid on his breast. He mid, "'What's the'?" A
voice at swered, " I have been pent on a miesion to
you.' He asked the voice what that mission was, when
the voice replied, "My mission is to tell you to be
kind to the boy." He assured the voice that he Ices
kind to the boy, and informed it that when he had a
bit of victuals the boy had share of it, and if he hadn't
it they both went without. The voice then said, "
am going now, but I ehall come again." He asked the
voice who he was, when the voice replied, "My name
is unknown." (Laughter.
His Lordehip : Did he say his name was unknown,
or the Use kaown ?—Witnees Ile mid his name was un-
known, my lord.
I His Lordship (looking over the depositions) : Was
an thing said about a vision ?—Witness : No, my lord,
there was not. Bat when the party, whoever he was,
walked away, he made a noise with his boots on the
et sirs. So I Faye to myself, can sI, you may he a vision,
or you may be unknown, but I never heard tell of •
vie:iv' or an unknown wearing bo.d.?(l.aughter).

If s Lordship : Oh, that's it. ?
Witness : my lord. I j.tmped out of my bed in
my night-irtss, and followed the unknown ; didn't even
stop to put on my boote. I to:lowed him out into the
street up to the bridge. It was a tallish man, and he
had something under his arm. I asked him what he
had got under his arm, when he turned mood and
gave me a smack over my mouth and loosened two of
my teeth. My month filled with blood. The vision
then began to call out "Police" as held as he could,
and ran away as fast SP he could. It was not far
from the gas light, and I could distingtMli the man's
face very well. It WM the prisoner. I then went back
home. When I first went to bed I locked the door.
When I came down after the vision the door was open.
It must have ben opened with a second key.

Prisoner (in crois-examination). What part of
Merthjr do you live in ?—Witn.ss (deliberately) : I
live in a place called China, and I've lived there for
35 years.
Prisoner: Are you known by any other name than
Richard Matthias ?—Witnees : They call me just what
they please, and you may do the same.
Prisoner: Are you called by any other name than
Richard Matthias ?—Witnern (looking significantly
at the prisoner) : Many men have more than one
name, I can tell you (laughter).
Prisoner: Do they call you by any other name than
Richard Matthias?—Witness: They may call me what
they like.
His L-ird-hip: They may call you what they like,
but the prisoner wants to know whether they do call
you by any other name —Witness: Well, my lord, it's
just in this way. I have a nickname, but my own
mother gave it to me (laughter).
114 Lordship : how was that ?—Witness : Well, my
lord, you know, I've been fatherless now for a matter
of forty years, and wh.n I was a boy, my mother, being
a widow, and being desirous of getting an honest living,
made tarts—yes, tarts, my lord. Well, my lord, I
longed for one of those tarts, and, boy•like, I took one.
Out my mother comes after me, calling out, "Dick,
yer thief, bring that tart back," which I didn't, and
ever since then, my lord, they've celled me "hick the
Thief ' (loud laughter, in which his lordship heartily
joined). I never did a dishonest act in my life, my
lord and get an honest living by selling fish (renewed

laughter).
His lor&hip: So much to your credit, and much to
your credit that you get an honest living by selling
fish. .

Prisoner: Were you drunk when you went to bed?
—Witness : I was never drunk in my life. I drank
a glass of ale, it is true, and that is all—me and the
boy.
His Lordship: Are you quite sure all this was mit a
dream—a fancy ?—WitneNs : Fancy, my lord? No,
not a bit of it. Considerirg that I renumber him Pay-
ing to me that he came to me on a misken about the
boy; considerin ; that he said be would come again;
considering that be said he was unknown : and con.
eidering that I heard him going down stairs with his
boots on; considering all these things, I don't think
there wan much fancy about it. No, my lord, it was no
vision, or fancy either.
Prisoner: Didn't you consider it was a spirit ?—Wit-
nese (contemptuously) Consider it was a spirit? Why,
I didn't see you man. How could I consider its spirit
when I never saw anything? (laughter).
Prisoner : Didn't you think you were conversing
with a spirit ?—Witness : Well, if volt are a eyirit, I
wafi conversiog with one (renewed laughter).
Prisoner: Didn't you think it was a ghost ?—Wit-
flees : I didn't know whether it was a ghost or not, and
didn't care.
Prisoner : Weren't you frightened ?—Witness :
Frightened? I should think not.
Prisoner : And you didn't think it was a ghost?—
Witness: How could I think it was a ghost, when I
put my hand against you and felt you were flesh and
blood. Ghost, indeed!
Prisoner: And you say that you didn't think it was
a spirit or a ghost, because you heard it walk down
stairs ?—Witaese : Of course; I never heard of either a
spirit or a ghost that wore boots. Did you?
Prisoner: Did you ever see a ghost barefooted ?
Witness : I never saw a ghost at all, but I don't think
any of them wear boots.
The prisoner then addressed the jury at considerable
length, and with much intelligence, arguing that the
prosecutor must have had a dream and dreamt it all.
The jury acquitted the prisoner, and he was dis-
charged from custody.
The case created considerable amusement, the Court
being at timer convulsed with laughter, in which his
lordship appeared irreeietibly compelled to join.