The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1808-01-14 00:00:00

begged .
aaisuiei;:to recommend the Prisoner to mercy. .4,
~
SHOP-LIFTING.
John Humphries, a gratea-looking, well-dressed
young man, l• years of age, and Clauries Browne, a
smart boy of 13 years of age, were iudicted for
'stealing sr 4 yards of black ve.vdteaci from the shop
of Nicholas Brooke, shoe-maker, No. i 3, F rith-
', street, Soho.
Nicholas Brooke deposed, that he had purchased
a piece of velveteen on the loth of December, and
divided it into two, one part contained 19 ;std.,
and the other 24 yards. At one o*eleck on the 22u
of December both pieces were in the shop. Abort
half past one, two men, of the names of Broad and
Poole, came in, and asked him if he had lost any
thing ? on looking round he missed the i.; yards of .
velveteen, value four pounds.
Broad, a blacksmith, deposed, that he
worked within 12 doors of Mr. Brooke's house. On
the std of December he observed the Prisoners
lurking from one shop to another; they went into
a glover's shop. and tried some gloves on ; saw
them come out, and look in at different shop win-
doss. When they came to Mr. Brooke's, they both
stopped for a few minutes st the window • theta
Browne went into the shop,and Humphries ;earth.-
ed at the window ; saw Browne come out again,
with a piece of velveteen under his arm, without
any paper around it. This made the wittier, have
rouse suspicion of the Pi-ambers. Humphries re-
mained at the window until Browne had passed the
corner of Compton-street, when he followed "him,
but looked around him, as if he did not know
which way to go. Witness went to Brooke's shop,
and informed him; Poole was with witness, and saw
the whole transaction ; they then went in pursuit of
the Prisoners, without any success, for six hours; .
they had relinquished the pursuit, and were return-
ing home, when in Dyer-street Humphries came
against him, with a bundle in his hand, tied up in
a blue spotted handkerchief; Browne was with him;
followed them to the Turk's Head public-house, in
Dyes-street ; they did not stop more than two mi- +
flutes there ; followed them to the Horse-Shoe ..
public-house; in Banbury-street; saw John Furze-
man, a constable, and informed him of the circum-
stances: he got two watchmen, and they proceed•
ed to the Horse-Shoe; when they went into the
room, there were upwards of 50 persons, men aid
women, dancing, fiddling, singing, sad drinking;
saw the Prisoner, seized Browne, and pointed out
Humphritis to Filizeinan, who took him into cue-
tody ; they brought them to the watch-house;
witness left the watchman searching for the bundle,
and saw the bundle afterwards in the watch-
house.
James Poole, blacksmith, corroborated the evi-
dence of the lad wri+ nem.
Timothy Foley, a watchman, depose., he
found the bundle on a chair in the maw Dm the
place where the Prisoner, Humphries, was &Oar
carried it to the watch-house and gave it to POW:
ISM

Furzeman, constable, produced the
bundle, which contained two yards of black vel.
veteen.
Mr. Brooke said he could not say the velveteen
was his, by any mark, but by comparing it with the
piece of 19 yards, the width, the shade. and the gar
lay, were the bAnw. From these circumstances ho
thought he was justified iu saying that the two
yards were part of the goods stolen from him.
Mr. KN Are uppeared as Counsel for Humphries;
Browne had not any.
Humphries, in his defence, said, he was sent by
Mr. Thomas, a confectioner, with a mesmge to the
meat-market. lie had met Browne by accident
before, at a public-house; went into a shop with
him to buy a pair of gloves ; when they came out, he
parted with him at the shop-door of the Proseentor,
and did not see him aftionarcias, until he met bins at
the Horse Shoe public-house, in thit evening.
Norman Woods, tailor, deposed, he had known
Humphries for seven or eight years ; never heard
any thing against his character.
James Thomas, a pastry-cook, deposed, that he
knew Humphries seven or eight years, ti;at he was
a painter and glazier, had cleaned windows, and
painted for him ; seut him on the *ld December,
about one o'clock, to the meat-market, and be re-
turned ut two with the answer—he always tbestght
- Prisoner - • honest lad.

the _ . a very .
Susanna Greene, paint-shop-keeper, Steen& had
known Humphries from his With, aiso his father
and mother, who were very honest people, and al-
ways thought the Prisoner of the same desciiptiets.
Browne, in his defence, said he had met a Gen-
tleman in the street, who asked him to carry a
bundle for him to Covent-garien--he complied ;
the Gentleman gave him a shilling, and told him
if he would meet him in the evening at the. Horse-
Shoe, he would give him another shillin;. Prisoner .
wu waiting for lam when he was taken into cus-
todv—he had no witness.
The Jury found them both Goilty--Death.
They did not seem in the least infected. .4
Eliza Crosbie, a pretty girl of 15 s seam of age.
was indicted capitally for stealing twelve guineas,•
fourteen half-gurneys, and one shilling, the pro-
perty of Susanna Potter, of Brentford.
Susanna Potter deposed, she kept* public-hulls.
in Brentford, the Prisoner came to her house and
asked for lodgings,which she refused several tines;
but at last, on the Prisoner saving she was a relation
of a Fabitcsin whom the Witness knew, she con-
sented to gtva her lodgings for the night; the
next morning, at nine o'clock, she breakfasted in
the bar; and staid there until eleven, and gore r s
a reason for her delaying, that a 'version was to
call on her ; witness left her .alone for a few mo-
menta, and went into the tap-room to serve a
customer. On her return she found the ,)rosooer
wits gone, without having paid her reckoning; this
made her auspicious ; she looked into a cupboard;
where die had left 6el. to pay her breircr, and ,201.
in a bag to pay her liquor merchant; the bag
with thr 201. was gone; gave the alarm to her
neighbours, one of whom writ in purssuit of her.
Witness did not see her again until he was in
custody at Dr. ( assee's Office ; the moment Wh-
ams west into the Offoce and wit down, the Fri-
saner came over to her azd

Mr. Jtiitioe Comt;talramii4 71.111iseridsik
with hig..nsual precision.
The Jury returned their verdlet--,Shailtr—•
• Death. Aged 5!7.
Miss Little seemed extremely affected during the
di'" ; , A
of the Court, iu the most humane

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