The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1804-09-15 00:00:00

14..

MRS. LS FEN% DIAMOND RING. • '
Netildom was capitally indiEted kcal-
ing a diamond ring, value 501. and o)her articles,
the property of Mrs. Harriet Esten.

. .
The case, on the part of &e prost.cution, was
opened by Mr. ALLEY, and stated by Mr. Cow.
The prosectitt ix was the celebrated at:tress. Mrs.
Esten, who gave her testimony from the Sheriff's
box, in the oust sa:isfa&ory, delicate, and humane
manner. She stated, that she principally resided at
her own hou:t., in lialf-moor.- -seer, Piccadilly, but
was occasionally on a visit to het mi•ther, Mrs. Ben-
net, at Nutting-Bill. On the 9th of June last, she
left her mother's to go to the Opera, and dressed at
h-r own house in Half-moon-street. She wore her
diamond ring as a broach ; on her return, being ap-
prehensive of danger on the road, she stopped at her
own house, in Flalf-moon-street, and gave the ring
in care to her own maid, lit-len Russell. She did
not come to town for some days after, and then, en-
quiting for the ring, she discovered that it was lost.
She had :mother servant in the house, called Marv,
whom she dismissed from her service, but would
not discharge her, till some account should be given
of the ring. IVhen she attended at the Magistrate's
Office, in Bow-street, she saw the prisoner, and
then recolleaed to have seen him at her own house.
She had a has containing a bead-necklace, somelpose
mock pearls, and a cross. She was present-at a 'con-
versation betw'en Mr. GlAll A as, the Magic:rate, the
prisoner, and Helen Russell, when the prisoner pre-
tended to be very much astonished at the charge
made against him, and declared his innocence. Ile
admitted he had slept in her house for a week, while
she was out of town. In aliont a fortnight after,
she saw the centre stone of the ring, at a jew-
eller's, in Coventry-street; but, being then out
of the setting, she could not identify it. She after-
wards saw it at Bow street, witit the setting, and
knew it to be her's.

Cross-ermined 6), Mr. KNA PP.
It seas impossible fur her to know the diamond
without the setting. She had two female servants
in the house, Helen Russell, and Mary, the cook;
she dismissed the !awr for admitting strangers to
sleep in her house. The other articles that were
taken, lay in a drawer in her wardrobe, the key of
which had b:en lost o•slie had a man servant of the
name of Edward Hughes, but he had left her ser-
vice at that tim.r she did not know that the prisoner
had the ring advertised.

Mr. GR 111 x, the Magistrate, stated, that in con-
sequence of information -he received, he called at
Mrs. Est;m's, and examined Helen Russell; the next
day tie made some vicinities, and again called on
Mrs. Esten, and saw tie Prisoner thcr:•,nho seemed
much surprised at the charge, anti denied it ; he
had previously called at thejeweller's; who toll him
he had got the ring on Cie 23.1 of June, but, on
mentioning the name, the Priamer aPpeated totally
ignorant of what he meant. Upon his cross-exami-
nation hy Mr. GURNEY, he admitted the Prisoner
came by appointment voluntarily to hii °free the
first time; hut, when the articles were discovered, he
sent an officer for him. The Prisoner always de-
nied any knowledge of the ring, and constantly as-
serted his inns-nee.

Helen Russell stated that she was servant to the
Prnsacutrix, and remembered that her mistress gave
the ring in question into her care on the night of
the 9th Of June last ; she put it into a box in a
drawer of the wardrobe ; when she afterwards went
to look for it, she could not had it. The red beads,
.the meek pearls, and cross, wet e in a black shagreen
box lying to the same drawer, which was the one
she afterwards fouad in Bow-street ; she had often
seen the Prisoner in the hottae ; his visits were fre-
quent, s nnetintes long, sometimes dicta. On her
cross-examination, she said, that she knew the Pri-
soner was paying his addresses to Mary the cook,
and has since been married to her ; she and Mary
were en very Read tc•ms, they slept in the next
loons to each other ; she had never seen the Pt isoner
in the room.

Mr. John Hawley. silversmith and jeweller, in
Coventry-street, deposed, that on the 15th of June
list, the Prisoner came to his shop with a dia-
mond set in an enamelled border, and told him he
had found it ne-r the Bell Savage yard, Ludgate-
hill, abontht days before, when he went to sea
the children coming from St. Paul's ; it was Holy
Thursday. He told the Prisoner it was of great
value, and advised him to advertise it ; he said he
bad looked through all the news-papers, but could
not find any one inquiring about it ; he said he had
no objeeion to leave it with the witness, who might
Advertise it if be thought ptoper. lie did so, and
made inquiry in all the jewellers shops to nu pur-
pose. Some time after the Prisoner again called,
accompanied by his lather, and asked what success ?
being told none, he went away, and some days after
called agaia with his father, and said he would
either tale it away, or dispose of it. Witness
then offered him twenty guineas fur it, which he
considered to be about the value, and which he
agreed to take. He gave him a gold seal, and
some other small articles, as part payment. Mrs.
Esten called on him, and he ;hewed her the dia-
mond; hut could not at that time find the enamel
la wlsich it had been set ; he soon after found it,
and waited on her. On his cross-examination, he
maid the Prisoner had certainly given him a right
address ; he told him his father was a tailor in
Stanhope street, which he found to be the case.
He had the diamond near a month before he paid
the Prisoner for it.

illiam Anthony, a Bow street Officer, stated
that he went to the lodgings of the Prisoner's fa-
ther, who gave him the black shagrcen box, con-
taining the beads. mock pearls, .ind cross.
Mrs. Esten was then called to id 'miry the arti-
cles t she " From the several circumstances,
I have no douSt on my mind Ina- the di-iniond he-
longs to met as to the box and otiu:r articles, I can

swear positively."
Sergiol witnesses were called on behalf of the
Prisoeer, who give him a most excellent character.
Burnt Huy str, As. in summing up the evidence,
observed, that it WAS a doubtful case ; the property
bad not been traced to the Prisoner, and in all such
cases, the evidence as to char-after should have its
due weight.

_
Tb: Juts, after a short cma4uhAtion. strutted the
Prisouer.

As soon se Mrs. Esten pve her evidence si:e

withdrew.. She re'as elegantly dre:sed in a vilite
muslin robc and a white bonnet. .
Damsel Mrs was indi.fted for acaling a porerble
desk, containing a box, with a purse of sizte..n.gui-
Ilea!, and a number of other article., the property
of Captain William llotham.

It appeared, that, on the I.lth of Augnlt last, the
prosecutor arrived in town by the York Mail, at
five o'clock in the morning, and took the Prioner's
coach, at Lombard street; several articles ware put
out of the mail, into the coach.; but the desk in
question, the pro;ecutor took in his own hands ; he
drove to the Nev., Hommums, Covent-garden, and
from thence to l)uke-,treet, St..lames's, where he
trmk a chain. ; ou rerm,ving the article; into the
chaise, he missed the desk, and found it had not
been taken out of the coach.

John White stated, that he knew the Prisoner: he
was a hackney coachman, and lodged with the
Witness; he saw the Prisoner the same morning
bring a box into his room, which he tried to open
with some keys, but not succeedin:.:, he then got a
chissel, and forced the lock: he saw a medal, guineas
and half guineas, an two seven shilling pieces;
the Prisoner took the box, and went away with it.
:lames Gilmore, a Police Officer, went to the
lodgings of the Prisoner, at the Armoury, West-
minster: he there apprehended' him, and found on
his person a purse, coot:tilling twelve guineas, five
half guineas, and two seven shilling pieces.
Hannah Figgs proved the receipt of the other
articles out of the coach, from the Prisoner, but
not the desk.

Captain f kitham identified the desk, box, &c.
and the Prisoner WAS found
FORGER Y.
- • - • -

.f.rAh Lloyd was caPita:l; indiaed for uttering,
as hue, a certain forged note, purporting to be a
note of the Dover Bank, of Messrs. Muiet and
Fe tor, for one pound, No. H. 8,323, dated Dover
Bank, t2lst Oduber, 18(13, ki.owing the same tu be
forged, with intent to defraud Henry Marks.
He was also indiaed upon two similar charges on
two other notes.

Henry Marks, a Jew, stated, that he was a sales-
man, resisting in High-street, Holborn—arid, on
Sunday morning, tho Bth of April last, between
nine and ten o'clock in the morning, the prisoner,
in company with another person, came to his shop,
and purchased a waistcoat from him, which he
had made up for himself ; the pike was 136.6 d.
and the prisoner offered him a one-pound ilover
Bulk-Note in payment. Suspetging the validity of
the note, he asked the prisoner some questions, who
told him he had received the note at Deal Barracks,
where he worked ; he came to town vety late
the night before, or i.e would • have got the
note changed at the Bank. Not having sufficient
change, he desired the Prisoner either to leave the
waistc ,at, or call for his change the ne:.t room-
ing, the latter of which he agreed to ; he then asked
his name, and place of residence, which he told
him was William Williams, et No. 14, Pitville-
Street, Tottenham Court Itoad. The next morn-
ing be went to the aink, and the wste wa, a for-
gery. After making every inquiry, he could Mid
neither the person or streA the Prisoner had de-
scribed. He t.ok particular notice of the Pri-
soner's person, and was pOtilive he was the same.
lie had seen the waistcoat at Bcw.strect, and knew
it to be the one he had sold to the Prisoner.
Henry Morris, a clerk in the bank of Minet and
Peftor, proved the names of the firm of the house,
RS stated in the indhflment, and swore positively as
to the signature cf the note not being the hand-
writing of any of the partners.
William l)onell, a constable., from Birmingham,
proved that he had searched the lodging of the Pri-
soner at Livery-street, Birmingham ; his wife
gave him a duplicate of a waistcoat and pair of
breeches, both of which he released, and produced
in Curt. The former was proved by the tailor
who made it for Marks.

'l'h• Jury found the Prismler Guilty—Dens/J.
Witham Simon 4 was indided for stealing five
shirts and other articles from Ceorge Hollings. It
appeared that the Prisoner had been for some time
servant to the Prosecutor, who lived In Park-street :
when about to discharge the Prisoner, he missed
these articles, and having procureda search warrant.
he found them in a bna belonging to himself in a
lodging the Prisoner had taken at the back of his
house.

The Prisoner being called upon for his defence,
stated that he had buughe the several articles from
one Sarah M.Croatii, a fellow-servant, who lived
with the Prosecutor.

The Jury found him Gially of stealing to the value
of 39:.