The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-05-11 00:00:00

Xotal nub istrict gozs.

CHARGE OF STEALING A GOLD WATCH.

At the Police Court, on Tuesday, before Major
Fletcher and Mr. B. Liitlewood, Ellen Palmer
was charged with stealing a gold watch, the
property of William Lewis, pattern maker, of
Wollaston, on the 15th of February last, and
William Henry Goodman was charged with re-
ceiving it knowing it to be stolen,

Prosecutor deposed : I reside at Wollaston.
On the 15th of February I had a gold watch in
my possession. Ido not know how I parted with
my watch. I went to Birmingham and wee with
some friends. The watch produced is mine. I
came back from Birmingham by the last train.
As I was coming down the hill from Stourbridge
station I began to feel giddy. I was accosted by
a man and woman who said, 'Good night,
governor, you are rather tight," or something
to that t ffect. I had some whiskey and water
with my friends. I lost all consciousness when
I got to the stile leading across the fields. I
did not know the man and woman. I cannot
swear to the man and woman who spoke to me.
am quite certain the watch produced is mine.
I did not miss it until the next morning. There
was a piece of black braid, and a common seal
.ind key with it then. I have not the slightest
knowledge of anything that took place that
night. The woman was on one side of me and
the man on the other.

Cross-examined by Mr. Addison, who appeared
for the male prisoner :—Q.—What took you to
Birmingham ?—A.—I went to see some friends.
—Q,—I believe when yousame back you were
tight.—A.—No doubt of it —Q.—Did you get
in company with some young wonien.—A.—Do
not recollect.—Q.—Do you know Pig-street.—
A.—Yes, of course.—Q. --Did you go up there
that night.—A.—l do not remember.—Q.—How
cu you identify the watch.—A.—There is the
number in the watch, and the names" Stringer,
Stourhridge,' and " Hewitt."—Q.—Will you
swear it is your watch.—A.—l will swear it is
mine.

Major Fletcher to Mr. Addison: Just remem-
ber it is a case where you are only allowed to
address the Court by courtesy.
Prosecutor : Mr. Stringer had the watch made
expressly for me.
Major Fletcher: I do not see any other name
except the maker's. The watch agrees with the
description. The maker's name is evidently
scratched out by the prisoner.
Mr. Addison: What name waa inside?
Prosecutor: The maker's name, not mine.
Mr. Addison: You said there was another
name?

Prosecutor: Yes, Hewitt; but you can only
see it with the aid of a glass.
Mr. Addison: I submit that if Mr. Stringer
is to give evidence—
Major Fletcher: It is not necessary, and you
need not submit anything of the kind.
Mr. Addison: Who put the name of Huntley
in?

Major Fletcher: How can he tell who put the
name in?

Cross-examination continued: I do not know
when I lost it. I suppose I lost it when I came
Iron Stourbridge station. Ido not fancy I lost
it in Birmingham. I have never said to anyone
I could not swear to the watch. The male pri-
soner came to me at my office at the works.
That was last Friday morning. I did not tell
him I could not swear to the watch. As I WBB
going to my breakfast he met me coming out of
toe works. I did not say. "I do not wish the
other workmen to know anything about it." I
did not say that I would sooner lose two watches
than the evidence should be given about me
being with the female. I have not been in the
habit of going to Pig-street. I do not know the
female prisoner. I might have seen her scores
of times. The male prisoner told me the wo-
man had stolen the watch and given it to him,
and he was sorry he did not bring it to me and
deliver it up..

Major lietcher : I think you have brought
something out now, Mr. Addison.
Prosecutor: He did not tell me he did not
know to whom the watch belonged or else he
would have given it up. I told him I had placed
it in the hands of Mr. Freeman, and he was en-
deavouring to find it. I did not tell prisoner
that I did not intend to prosecute, but that it
WaS the police. I did not know the prisoner.
He has not worked iu my department. lam in
the foundry department. He might have worked
there, but not to illy knowledge. I have been in
my situation for 40 years, and, of course, I do
not know everyone that works there. There are
more Lewisea than one at our work.. Prisoner
sail something about he did not know to who:::
the watch belonged. He asked me if it was me
that had lost the watch. He said, " I sin very
sorry, but I am afraid I have got into trouble
The girl robbed you of the watch and gave it to
me." He told me the watch was in the posses-
sion of Folice-constable Rea. He did not tell
me that he did not know that the watch belonged
to me. I did not tell him my flaw° was in the
watch. My name never was in the watch. There
has been a name erased from the watch. It was
very faintly scratched on the watch. I have had
it about nine or ten years. I had a glass to see
the name with. The male prisoner said the
female prisoner had been scratching my name
out. He did not tell me he knew nothing about
it. I cannot tell exactly what time I came from
nirminghani. It was something about ten
o'clock. I cannot tell what time I got home. I
did not tell the male prisoner that I would
sooner think about the grave than the females.
There was nothing mentioned of the kind. The
tuale prisoner told me that she (the female priso-
ner) sawl had offered to keep her and give her
Iss per week. I told him it was nothing of the
kind.

Police-constable Rea, stationed at the Lye,
said: I was on duty on the night of the 2nd
inst. at Stourbridge. I saw the prisoner Palmer
in High-street, a little after eleven o'clock. She
said, "I will see you by the town clock." In
consequence of that I waited at the town clock,
and she came down the street about a quarter
past twelve. She said, " I have something very
particular to tell you. I mean to be locked up
to-night." She said, "I suppose you heard tell
of the gold watch that was lost." I said," What
gold watch ?" and she said, " A gold watch of
Mr. Lewis's, of Wollaston." She said, "I stole
it." I said," Where did you take it from—up-
stairs or down ?" She said, "We did not go up
stairs at all. He came to the house, and all the
rest of the people left, with the exception of me.
He gave me some money, and asked me to send
for some beer. I asked a woman (Mrs. Prosser)
1
to fetch it. Whilst she was fetching the beer
' Mr. Lewis was sitting on a chair, and I took the
watch from his waistcoat pocket." I then
brought her to the station and charged her with
stealing a watch, the property of Mr. Lewis.
She then said, " Yes; I have stolen the watch.
I have been to Kidderminster to-day, thinking
to get the watch, but the young wan would not
let me see it," She said, "No man shall go
swelling about with a gold watch that I have
robbed for." I asked her how the young man
became possessed of the watch," and she said,
" I stole it on the Thursday or Friday night, and
kept it till the following Monday. I met with
Goodman on Monday night. I told him I had
guts gold watch, and I told him I got it from
Mr. Lewis. I asked him what I had better do
with it; whether I had better return it to the '
owner, or whether I had better make away with
it. He said, Give me the watch, and I will put
it all right.' She said if she could have got it
that day when she went to Kidderminster she
would have returned it to Mr. Lewis. The fe-
male prisoner was living at the house of Prosser,
in Mount-street, at the time the watch was sto-
len. I then went to Kidderminster, and got
there at a quarter past two o'clock in the morn-
ing. About half.past two I got to the male pri-
souer's lo ddiiws. There was him and another
man in bA together. I saw the watch produced
hanging at the head of the betletcaos. Tim fe-
male prisoner gave me Goodman's address. I
said to him, "Goodman, I have nom for Idle