The Sun.
London, England, 1824-10-30 00:00:00

OLD BAILEY SESSIONS.

OLD COURT, OCT. 29.
Ditronu HR. JUSTICE PARK AND HR. awn; GRAHAM.
MOST EXTRAORDINARY CASE OJF ROBBERY
AND ATTEMPT AT MURDER.
Edward Harris, (nicknamed " Kiddy" Harris,) aged 37
years, stood indicted for assaulting Sarah Drew, on the King's
highway (in Hackney-fields, in the county of Middlesex) on
the 3d October last, and stealing from her person 17s. (id.,
a silk shawl, and an umbrella, her moneys and property.
The prisoner was a decent looking man—manly, bold, and
apparently beyond the age stated. lie was quite cool and col-
lected throughout the whole proceedings. The trial excited
great interest.
The witnesses were ordered out of Court.
Mr. ALLEY stated the case to the Jury, as it afterwards ap-
peared in evidence.
Sarah Drew, the prosecutrix, examined.-.. Witness is servant
to Mr. Hale, a master weaver, in WoodiSercet, Spitalfields.
On the 27th September her master's liaise was robbed. On
the day before the robbery she saw a person there, and mention-
ed the fact to the police officers. Tlte officers desired ber to
go after that person wherever she might see him. She went,
two days after the robbery, with two officers to a skittle.
ground, where there were a great many men tossing up half-
pence. When there, she saw one of the officers put his hand
on the shoulder of the prisoner. Site did not hear what was
said. Witness continued looking at the prisoner all the time
the officer was talking to him, and observed him particularly.
Witness did not know the man before ; he was not the man
she had seen at her master's. She saw him afterwards in the
same place on the same day. She observed him particularly
the second time, and heard one of the officers say to him,
" Kiddy, what brought you here ?" On the 3d of October
she went to Shoreditch to hear a charity sermon. When
she left home she had in her pocket five shillings, two
half-crowns, eight shillings, and a sixpence. She gave
a shilling to the charity. On leaving the church she saw
the man who had been near her master's house out-
side the church-yard rails, leaning on them with both his
hands. The officer desired her to keep him in view. She fol.
lowed him accordingly down the Hackney-road, and then cross.
ed over into a field, still pursuing him, till she came to the
canal, which she passed over twice. It was day-light. She
could see perfectly what occurred. She never lust sight of the
person she was pursuing. On getting into the Hackney-
fields, she was met by the prisoner, who asked her if she knew
hint ? Upon which she said, " ilon't know you, sir;" but
she said so front fear, as she had seen him with the officers.—
The prisoner then beckoned, and another man came up, who
'instantly took hold of her arm. The prisoner had hold of
her other arm, and desired the other man to put his hand
over her mouth, which he did. That man had nothing in his
hand. When hey had gone a yard or two farther, the prisoner
crammed some hay in her mouth, and said to the other man,
" Now hold your hand over this." Then the man whom she had
followed joined the other man, and said, " Ott ! tl—n her, make
her take off ier pattens, that she may go on faster." She was
oblivd to take them off. They then hurried her on as fast
as they could, holding her all the time. The prisoner said
nothing, but still kept hold of her. At the end of the field
they took her down a lane leading to a pond. The man whom
she had followed cried out, "Oh ! ti—n her, drive her down
faster." At the pond the prisoner took her umbrella and shawl,
and pulled .a rope out of his pocket, saying, " I will hang her,
and she can't swear against me then." Fhe other man, who
held her arm, said, " Search her, and see what she has got."
The prisoner did search her, and took front her her money,
which he put into his waistcoat pocket, saying, " d—n the
b—; they can't swear to money." The prisoner and the
other man then threw her over the rails into a pond. There
was 'a great deal of water in it, and she was covered all over
except her head. The man she had followed cried out, " d—n
her, poke her under the water," and the prisoner replied, Oh !
she won't rise any more." That man, before she was thrown
into the water, gave her a violent blow on the breast, and she
fell back against the railS. When in the water, she heard one
of them ask if her shawl Was all silk, and another of them
chu:t7rinotaisywssr.sle'6o,'ne:ulie;.wtrtea:Onjeatuldito.'pttwt:oiianlierattieralrwuwkvilicet:
iltiolociawlthnulen'lt'ayolissitnniii:eatnlilyinwthtialhen:lrigeperiensiiwltiataooeahiltiatcpitg;abstinte,o:Oolo:olziwielnnncrshged.julkstolhiaf:elett
vont:shlia:htnesei
got
will ro-to the White Horse at Hackney, and regale ourselves."
„cairfli'artiiiiiiileedoe.f
tuillt,eiaei
cotyitni gscaot%rhveitiniwicoteaidguarlinenr
)ftaosssl she came
passing
aubbnyit
who
otu
camesteo soth
to:psi
sign
She
ei
—Witness remained in the pond some time after, for she was
o
the Cat and Shoulder of Mutton. She afterwards went directly
to the police office in a coach. She had not the slightest doubt
as to the identity of the prisoner. She saw him several t
and observed hint very much when he took the rope out of his
pocket.
Cross-examined.—lt was about one o'clock in the day when
she had first seen the man at her master's house. It was about
four o'clock when she went to the skittle-ground With the
°dicers. On leaving Shoreditch church there was not any per-
son she knew. She went by herself in pursuit of the man, and
did not ask any one to accoutpany her. The man whom she
followed was walking on before her. It was a }Mille place, but
no person was passing at the time when the two men laid hold
of her arms. She was quite certain that no person passed at
the time. She was so much alarmed by the sudden attack that
she had not presence of mind to call nut. The men held her
arms so fast that she could not disengage them, and when the
second man iwne up they put the hay into hermouth, and one
er,
m
d
is
of them held his hand over it. On being hurried to the pond
idita:hgfsoteoik,tivel
Lddk.ths,i
rtri
there
she did not ace any person. She had never said, in any other
place, that it' she had seen persons she would not have spoken.
Site said, if persons passed her, they might suppose she was
walking arm in arm. She passed some houses, but it was
impossible for her to call out for help, the hay being in her
mouth, and the man's hand over it. One aide of the pond
opened into a field ; on the other side was a railing, and oppo-
site to that was a edge. She was very much alarmed the
whole way, but her senses never left her. There was a bit of
wood in the pond, which she held by to keep herself up. She
remembered perfectly all that had occurred. She had related
the circumstances twice before this time, at Hicks's Hall and
Warship-street. She did not like talking about the attack to
her friends, for it hurt her feelings.
John Bradshaw, a labourer in the East India Company's
service, stared that about ten minuted after six on the day
in question, he was going, with another person named Field,
over the Hackney-fields, he heard P cry, as if coming
front a person in distress, on getting close to the pond,
It was a female voice, and a woman cried out to him and
" For God's sake, gentlemen, give me assistance,
for I have been robbed by two, men, and thrown into the
pond." Field and witness assisted her, and she was in a
dreadful state, the lower part of her dress being all covered with
mud. They took her to the Cat and Shoulder of Mutton, a
distance of about half a
Cross-examined.—Witness remarked. that they had not met
a single person that
upwardseve
evening
he
gttitliceatfituelldds Shoulder
,s)afwitittwito.
coming from the i
Mut-
ton. The uteri were then aboutoitlantgaa7obroultinlitdtreeieutdvtenydtaprrectidysaroftrinog.mfrontlmlne
pond.
She"ash; uedheatadtetitwheiayttsnei
e
ts,
e
ntlotugLO to her father's, in Wood-
trt)itflieEictlPl.iiilotnsj;srtjlictottuflei
wepsoocissianiwtwil,,eitlewi eloodis)asntet:olletti“ililieerpraoaerme!pari bait,LdilThoeriwatisl einvergth
with
wish
.asgnajeantiftcalled,hee wham
nt a
tnhde
ilioiwteirlopliarrsttcoinvietareodetet,vera
street.
meant Mr. Hale,
hers the prosecuotfrixwwooads
in question,
re-
garded it father.
Shoulder of
which was directed to go to Wor-
Charles Rogers, the landlord
w3lunt)orrtt)t,igs ti:iittct•od th,ooonsethbei day
his the two last witnesses, She made
a complaint of' being robbed and thrown into a pond, and at
her request he got a coach,
ithip-street, that she might find police-offieer.
W. Hatfield, a police-officer, stated that he and another offi-
cer accompanied the prosecutrix, on the 29th Sept, to a piece
of waste ground at the back of a public-house,lnown by the
name of Black Bell, in Wentworth-street, Spitalfields. Ile
went with her in order to see if she could point out a person
who she said bad robbed her master. Ile saw the prisoner
there, and, putting his hand on his shoulder, paid, Ah,
Kiddy ! what brings you here ? thought you were in am-
stant employ now.' The prisoner then tura on his heel, and
the witness went with the prosecutrix to a public-home, called
the City of Norwich, in Wentworth-atreet. They returned im-
mealiatt.ly after IQ the ground, bat the pseseatuu did nes find.

the man. Wimess afterwards saw the proseeutrix at the house
of Garson, the chief constshle, in Worshie-street. She gave
information which led to the apprehension of the prisoner. The
prisoner was apprehended on Monday, the 4th of October, at a
public-house called the Princess of Wales, near the skittle-
ground ; witness went on Tuesday with another person, named
Armstrong, to the pond i • they did not find the pattens, but a
person named Wood produced them.
Cross-examined—Knows George-street, 13ethnal-green; it is

about a mile and a half from the pond.
James Handley, another constable, corroborated the evidence
of the last witness, and stated that on coming to the skittle.
ground a second time, the prosecutrix saw the prisoner, but said
she did not know him • witness told her in case she ever saw a
man they were looking for to watch his motions, see where he went
to, and then come to the police-office. Witness saw the woman
on the 4th of October, after he and four other officers had ap-
prehended the prisoner. They went to the gambling ground
in Wentworth-street, and witness saw a woman run ftom
thence into a public-house called the Princess of Wales.
Witness followed her, and saw another man and the prisoner
running out. Witness said to the prisofter, " Stop Harris, I
want to speak to you." He then laid hold of him, and threw
him on a bench. He told him he apprehended him on suspi-
cion of robbing and ill-using a woman m Hackney-fields. The
prisoner said it was very hard that nothing could be done amiss
without his being charged with it. On the 4th October wit.
ness accompanied-the prosecutrix to the pond, and she described
where she hail been thrown.
Cross-examined—Witness did not know the name of the street
where the prisoner lived. The house where he lived was about
half a mile from Shoreditch church, and the distance from that
to the pond was one mile, four furlongs, and two hundred yards.
At the time the prisoner was apprehended, he had not said that
he had been at home on the night before, but he said so in the
course of the day at the police-office.
The shawl and umbrella were here produced, and identified
by the prosecutrix.
Joshua Armstrong, another constable, produced one of the
flattens which he had received from a person named W00d._...
`Witness heard the prisoner say, " I can prove where I was ; I
was at home in bed from two o'clock in the afternoon till eight
in the evening."
Vann, another police officer, also stated that he hail heard
the prisoner say that he had been at home from two o'clock till
eight in the evening. He produced a rope which a witness
named Stratton, who is a gardener, said he had found in the
London Fields on the 20th of October. Ile saw it lying about
twenty yards frons the pond. He took it to Worship-street,
and gave it to a police-officer named Garton.
Garton being called, identified the rope, and said he had
shown it to the prosecutrix, who said that the rope she had seen
with the prisoner was platted at one end, but the rope now pro-
duced was platted at both ends. In every other respect the de.
scription answered.
Ldward Wood, a cow-keeper, at Dalaton, stated, that on
theolay in question he was in the London Fields about twenty
minutes past six, and picked up a pair of pattens near the side
of the foot-path. The spot where he ibund them was about
240 yards from the pond. He took them home, and after.
wards delivered them to the officers when they were dragging
the pond.
The prosecutrix identified the pattens, and stated, that the
witness had described correctly the place where she had taken
them off:

The witnesses Bradshaw and Field being again called, said,
they had seen the shawl and umbrella with the prosecutrix, but
they were not wet.
The case for the prosecution being closed the prisoner in
defence called some witnesses with an attempt to prove an alibi.
Elizabeth Barris, the prisoner's daughter, stated that her
father lived in George-street, near Banbury's brew-house.
Neither witness nor her sister lived at home. Vileness lived
with a Mrs. Walker, in Carter's Rents; It was near where her
father lived. On Monday morning she heard of her father
being apprehended. On the *nudity, within five minutes to
six o'clock, she went out to buy apples at the house of a person
named Marshall, opposite her father's. She saw her father in
his shirt sleeves as she was passing the window. She knew the
time particularly as she had au opportunity of looking at the
brew-house clock.

Cross-examined.--Witness had been walking from half-past
two till six, when she went to buy the apples, and saw her
father. Mrs. Walker and Mrs. Marshall were at home. Wit-
ness had been at church on that day. She had seen her father
two or three days before. She did not go into his house. Wit-
ness's sister lived with her at Mrs. Walker's, who is a silk
weaver. Witness met her sister by accident in Brick-lane
about half-past three. She went to Spitalfield's church, but
did not go in at the beginning of the service. Witness's sister
dined that day at her father's. After she bought the apples,
she sat about three hours on the steps of Mrs. Walker's door,
but did not see her sister conic in. Brick-lane is at the end of
the street where Mrs. Walker lived. Mrs. Walker did not
walk with witness. Mrs. 'Walker was at home between six
and nine. The clergyman was preaching when witness went
into church. lle was dressed in white.

In answer to a question from the Learned Judge, she said
she could not read anything but figures. Her father generally
went to bed on a Sunday of an afternoon.
This witness gave her evidence in a flippant and contradictory
manner, and did not appear at all moved by the awful situa-
tion in which her father was placed. Richard Marshall stated
that the last witness had often bought apples from him. On
the day in question she came to his shop and bought a penny-
worth of apples from him about five minutes belbre six. Ile
did not see the prisoner on that day.
Cross-examined.—llis attention was called to the hour, be-
cause he had asked a person the time of the day a short duae
before she came in.
Edward Harris, a boy ten years old.—The day before my
hither was taken up, I was sent by my mother to the chapel ;
returned from the chapel between 6 and 6 o'clock, and found
my father and mother at tea; after tea my father sat at the fire
till it o'clock ; I went to bed at the usual hour.
Cross-examined—My father had no coat or waistcoat on ; he
had a violent cold; it was to Spitalftelds chapel I went; the
clergyman was in a black gown ; 1 got there about 10 minutes
after o'clock. The witness, in his further examination by
the Judge, stated that he never remembered his father go to
bed in the day on Sunday; witness did not see his sister when
at chapel that day.
Ann Harris.—l remember when my father was taken up.—
I dined with my father the day before (Sunday). I stayed till
three o'clock. My brother went to chapel. I wen; away to
airs. Walker's at three o'clock, to clean myself. I returned
to my father's after cleaning myself. My Either was then in
bed asleep. His clothes were on, except his coat and waist-
coat. I took a walk then, and returned between nine and ten
to Mrs. Walker's. 1 saw my sister sittin ■ on the steps of the
door. I went to bed at half-past ten o'clock. 31y sister slept
with me.

4;l.ms-examined—My father was very ill on the Monday.--
Ile used sometimes to go to bed on a Sunday.
Thomas Yardley-._l know where Harris lived. I know him
by sight. 1 live near him. I was at home on the afternoon of
Sunday, and was at my window. I saw a person I believed to
be Harris in hie own house. He appeared to come out of bed ;
he had part of his clothes off. 1 called my wife opposite to see
him, he being a noted character. Heir fighting man. When
heard he was in custody I went to Newgate to identify him, and
see if he was the man that was in the house when I was at the
window. 1 did not hear of his being taken up till Friday.
Cross-examined-1 did not know Harris, yet I tools the
trouble to go and see if it was the same man at Newgitte.
Mrs. Yardley, wife to last witness--I saw Harris in his
house from my window on the evening of the Sunday. lie
was in his shirt sleeves. I was called up by my husband to
see Harris. He said, " That is giddy Harris, who was going
to fight with my brother."
James Norwood—l am apprentice to Mr. Yardley. I saw
!Jerrie at his window the Sunday before the Monday when he
was token up.
By the Ju nos—My master told me that Harris was taken,
up on the Monday.
John Jones—l saw the prisoner on Sunday at half-past five
in the evening. 1 went into the house to see my brother.
I saw the prisoner. If lie had gone out I must have seen him
go out.
Esther Jones, sister-in-law to last witness, lives in the same
house with the prisoner. She confirmed the testimony of the
last witness as to the fact of the prisoner not going out to their
knowledge.
Mr. Justice PARK expounded the evidence, showing the
agreements and contradictions with great particularity.
The Jury retired at fifteen minutes past six o'clock, and at
twenty minutes before seven returned a verdict of—Guilty.
The prisoner said, with perfect composure, " My laird, I'm
quite satisfied with my trial; but I'm an innocent man—upon
my word