The Sun.
London, England, 1822-09-23 00:00:00

OLD BAILEY.

On Saturday John Watson, Frank Purdon, William Cor
bett, alias Watson, and Joseph Corbett, alias Watson, were
indicted for burglariously breaking and entering the dwelling
house of Thomas Crawley, landlord of the Two Brewers pub-
lic house, Rosemary-lane, and stealing therein a silver watch,
fifteen sovereigns, forty crowns, eighty half-crowns, two hundred
shillings, and two hundred sixpences.
Thomas Crawley, the prosecutor, said that he lived in White-
chapel, and was the keeper of the above public house on the 29th
of last July. Three hours before dark, he saw the back window
open ; soon after nine o'clock; he was alarmed by his servant,
who said that somebody was up stairs. He called out from the
yard, and heard- somebody whistle from without the wall, and
at the same time call out Rover." On looking up towards
the window he saw a strange face, and the man instantly
jumped out of the window, which was nine feet from the
ground. He grasped at this man ; but he was rescued from his
grasp by accomplices, who ruched in at the time. He
called out " Stop thief," and " Murder," and was sure that
Corbett was one of the parties ; and as Corbett ran away he
heard silver jingling in his pocket. He, however, succeeded
ultimately in seizing Purdon, who struggled hard to get away ;
but he dragged him into the house and committed him to a
constable's hands. Purdon said nothing while in the house.
On going up stairs he found that his money box was broken
open, and the money gone mentioned in the indictment, which
he had in reserve to snake his monthly payment to his brewer.
He knew the prisoners, who lived in his neighbourhood, and
who had often seen him pay the brewer's clerk. He never
recovered possession of his money. The prisoners, in the
course of the night, were constantly in and out of the tap-
room. In his cross-examination he said that in the pursuit he
was quite close to the prisoners, and could not mistake the per-
sons of the Corbetts. He always settled with his brewer once
in every lunar month.
Elizabeth Preston lived opposite to the defendant, and knew
the persons of the prisoners. She saw Frank Purdon in the
back yard of Mr. Crawley, with three or four men ; and di-
rectly after she heard the cry of stop thief. She picked up a
hat by the gateway, and she saw Mr. Crawley's back window
open when the alarm was given.
Sarah Preston, sister to the former witness, proved she saw
Frank Purdon on the night in question, moving with a ladder
towards Mr. Crawley's window, and through the gateway.—
She saw two other men walking about the yard at the time.
Mary Wood said she lived in Blue Anchor-yard. She heard
Mr. Crawley call out stop thief, and then saw Billy Watson
running up the yard, and heard money jingling in Isis pocket.
By tl'e sound she thought there was a great deal of it. She
mentioned Watson's name as being 'the same person, on the
same night.
Wiliam,Higginson, a bricklayer's assistant, who resided
near the spot, said, he saw William and Joseph Watson run-
nisi.- away when the cry of stop thief was heard. He over-
heard" William say to Joseph Run it again ;" and at that
moment Crawley was pursuing them.
Eleanor Britton, a labourer's wife, saw Purdon and W.Wat-
on close to Mr. Crawley's yard on the night in question ; they
appeased " watching." She soon after heard Crawley calling
out " Stop thief," and saw Purdon caught by him and taken

into the house.
Catherine Macrae, who also lived in the neighbourhood,
identified Joseph Watson as being one of the party who was
in Mr. Crawley's yard on the night of the robbery, and when
the alarm was given.
For the defence, an ineffectual attempt was made to prove
that William Watson did not stir out of the tap-room during
the evening.
The RECORDER summed up the evidence to the Jury, who
retired for about ten minutes, and on their return, found all the
Prisoners Guilty (except John Watson), of stealing goods to
the value of 40s. in the dwelling-house.
The Common SERJEANT addressed the convicte, and ad-
vised them to make up their minds to prepare for the last ex-
tremity of the law. They could not hope for mercy under all
the circumstances of the case. Their case would be reported
to his Majesty, and upon the royal consideration of it would
depend the result ; but in the mean time, they ought to en-
tertain no hopes of mercy.
The prisoner Purdon said, he was no more concerned in the
robbery than his Saviour.
The COMMON SERJEANT then ordered a man named
Knightly, who had been called' as a witness on behalf of one
of the Prisoners, to be committed for perjury.
Knightly protested that he had told the truth ; but he was
immediately taken into custody, and the witnesses were bound
over to prosecute him upon an indictment of perjury.
The COMMON SERJEANT observed, that the prosecution
was extremely useful, and would, no doubt, have a good effect
in the neighbourhood where the robbery was committed.